On my subway ride to teach some Alexander Technique lessons at the American Center for the Alexander Technique in Mahattan, I noticed a man who could not have been more stooped over. As an Alexander Technique teacher I was particularly aware of how he was seated, reading the paper, his head not very far from his knees. His face was quite tense, and had a scowl I suspected was habitual. He seemed to 'have the weight of the world on his shoulders...
When people ask me: "what are the benefits of the Alexander Technique?", or "how will the Alexander Technique benefit me?", I ask "what benefits do you want to get from the Alexander Technique?" I have to ask this because the number of benefits of the Alexander Technique are large, and different for everyone. The first, most important benefit of the Alexander Technique is... it works. The Alexander Technique works because...
Most Alexander Technique teachers avoid delving deeply into the psychological aspects of back pain and neck pain. As Alexander Technique teachers, we are usually more concerned with how we use ourselves, body and mind. Alexander teachers help their students replace harmful postural habits with beneficial ones, and teach how to use Alexander Technique principles in any circumstance. There are various causes of back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain, and it stands to reason that negative emotions could be one. Dr. John Sarno, in his book 'Healing Back Pain', indicates that "tension myositis syndrome, or TMS, is the major cause of the common syndromes of pain involving the neck, shoulders, back, buttocks and limbs.
The premise behind the Alexander Technique’s way of healing back pain or neck pain is not unique, though the method is. The Alexander Technique helps the sufferer stop causing his/her pain, getting to the root of the problem. If you cut yourself and keep the wound clean, the body will heal itself. If you keep [...]
