When you see the word exercise, do you imagine exercises like lifting weights, jogging, or calisthenics? Those exercises increase strength and endurance, and you can use the Alexander Technique as you do them, but Alexander Technique exercises have different goals. Alexander Technique exercises reduce stress and tension, rather than increase it. "No pain–Only gain." Alexander [...]
Alexander Technique Exercises Don't just do something, sit there. Alexander Technique exercises are almost anti-exercises, because Alexander Technique exercises reduce tension, rather than increase it. Reducing extra muscular effort is the exercise. For instance, notice any tension in your neck. Let it go. Release the excess neck tension again, and your head will rotate forward, and come up. [...]
Do Alexander Technique Teachers Accept insurance? This question comes up quite frequently with people inquiring about lessons in the Alexander Technique. And why not. One way or the other we pay quite a lot for health insurance. Most health insurance companies here in New York State will not pay for Alexander Technique lessons... If you have back pain or neck pain, health insurance companies will cover doctors who might prescribe painkillers or muscle relaxers, and then refer you to physical therapists. If that doesn’t work the next stop is surgery. While physical therapists can be great for some problems, they are not always the answer.
As Alexander Technique teachers and students know, there are no right positions, only right principles. Let's add: There are no right movements, only right principles. Jogging, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups aren't intrinsically good or bad. It's not the what of what we do, it's the how. The Alexander Technique teaches how to move in an optimal way-whatever we're doing. The benefits derived from proper exercise are well-documented. Just exercise some common sense and apply the principles of the Alexander Technique. Use the Alexander Technique before, during, and after exercising.
