The Uncomfortable Party

You’ve arrived at a party. It could be a cocktail party hosted by a friend or the office holiday party. Wherever you are, you don’t see anyone you know. The event is crowded and slightly warm. People are smiling at you and you’re smiling back. You’d prefer to leave, but you must stay for the sake of your friend/department/job. What should you do?

Alexander Technique to the rescue!

First, notice if your neck could release any tension. Once your neck is no longer so tight, you might notice a change in your breathing. This is a good sign! It means that something in your body has let go and created space where before there was compression. Next, let your head nod gently at the tip of your spine. Think of your spine lengthening like a string of pearls. Allow your knees to unlock and your feet to feel the support of the floor beneath them. Notice that you can even breathe into your back. The room is full of motion and sound but you are centered. Your inner poise presents as confidence. If you feel discomfort creeping in later, all you have to do is take a moment to return to these directions. Now you are ready to introduce yourself to the nearest group and enjoy a beverage and an appetizer.

Have a wonderful time!

Photo by Alasdair Elmes on Unsplash

I cannot predict, but I can inhibit

What happens to my body when I am surprised? I tense. First in my neck and then my shoulders and my back and everything else. My thinking and breathing will also be disrupted. Whether the surprise is pleasant or otherwise, my body will go into the startle response. How long I will stay in startle is up to me.

If I use the Alexander Technique, I can release that excess tension and better handle anything that comes after the surprise. How do I get out of startle? The first thing I must do is NOT try to get out of it and instead just pause. That pause is what FM Alexander referred to as “inhibition.” I inhibit trying to do anything, for if I do try and force myself out of one tension pattern, I’ll just be creating a new one. After I inhibit, I can use my Alexander directions to ease myself out of the startle response. This may seem like a long process, but in real time it is only a moment.

Here’s an example:

BAM!

I jump at the loud noise. My entire body compresses and my breathing becomes shallow. I pause. I notice what is happening within my body and I expand my awareness to include my environment. I notice without trying to change. Only after I am present in this moment can I move on the the next step: the Alexander directions.

1. I allow my neck to be free (to undo its tension)

2. I let my spine lengthen

3. My shoulders widen

4. My legs release away from my torso

These are just thoughts I have for myself. I am not forcing my neck to undo, I am merely wishing it to be so. With time, my body will respond to my thinking. All of these directions allow my body to take up more space than my startled body would. I feel calmer when I am able to release the tension. I breathe more fully and I think more clearly. It is at this point that I am able to realize the source of the noise was a door slamming closed.  

I may not be able to predict a startling moment before it happens, but I can inhibit. I can be present and I can breathe. I may still startle, but I know how to release the tension so I will not live in startle.

If you would like to learn to inhibit, contact me!

Your First Lesson

Photo by Cytonn Photography on Unsplash

What will happen during your first lesson?

You will arrive wearing comfortable clothing so you are able to move freely. I will spend the first part of the lesson finding out more about you. What made you decide to take a lesson? What do you hope to achieve by taking lessons? What are your concerns? What questions do you have about the Technique?

I will use both verbal communication and hands-on direction to guide you through a variety of everyday activities (like sitting, breathing, talking, and walking). You can let me know if you are uncomfortable with any of my methods so I can stop and try a different approach. As you move through these familiar patterns of movement, you may become aware of excess tension. Together, we will find options for movement that do not involve strain. Activities specific to your lifestyle will also be explored during your lesson.

Future lessons will focus on some of the same activities, and likely something new.  There will always be time for different activities that you wish to consider. You could spend a few weeks learning to possess more ease in your body and mind, or a lifetime. It is important to me that your lessons remain interesting and fun.

The Alexander Technique is non-manipulative. It is not painful because the teacher’s hands are always gentle. Most people report feeling more relaxed and more comfortable in their bodies by the end of the first lesson.