Alexander Technique in Education

child at laptop - poor posture as chair too low

child at laptop - poor posture as chair too low

There’s a fantastic short video about how the Alexander Technique works in education, whether normal schools or music or drama colleges. It’s beautifully shot and is very clear and informative. Well worth at least one look. Here’s the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOMlc0f0orA

How does the Alexander Technique help students? It shows them how to:

  • understand their reaction processes
  • have a longer attention span and more focus
  • be mindful of the way they do things
  • see how they normally do things and see what they can change
  • find space to become more aware of themselves
  • respond to demands without being overwhelmed
  • think to their body to hold less tension

It’s increasingly vital for young people to have an understanding of these ways of thinking. More and more youngsters are getting backache and suffering from stress. Their bodily use at is often very good at an early stage but starts to deteriorate when they sit at tables and use a pen. Twists and slumps set in. If we can catch this early we can nip a lot of problems in the bud. It takes a skilled eye and understanding to do this and needs a gentle, kind approach. Unfortunately, suggesting that they ‘sit up straight’ just builds in stiffness and doesn’t change things. It also stops free breathing.

Please bring the video to the attention of anyone you might know in the educational field so that we can build awareness.

A Simple Body Scan

One simple way to calm mind and body is to do a body scan. You can start from your head or your feet and can think this through in greater or lesser detail, depending on how much time you have.  It’s a simple way to tune into the body at any time during the day.  It’s also a great way to help settle down for a good night’s sleep as Chris Holt’s insomnia body scan describes. Here is a simple scan that you can run through; do adapt it for your own body:

  • Feet: Become aware of your feet and include the sense of space between your toes
  • Ankles: Think of olive oil trickling through your ankles
  • Lower legs: Allow your calf muscles to relax, and the muscles at the side of your shins
  • Knees: Our knees have fronts, backs and sides. Time for some more olive oil or WD40 to trickle through
  • Upper legs: Tune into the front, back and sides of your thighs and release any tension
  • Pelvis & hip joints: Think of some undoing in the ball and socket of your hip joint, untighten any tension in your buttock muscles
  • Front of torso: Let your belly and solar plexus relax, think of opening across the belly and chest
  • Back of torso: Think of the back lengthening and widening, releasing tension and tightness
  • Arms: Allow the arms to flow out from the torso, thinking of them being long and lithe. Soften in the biceps and forearms
  • Wrists and hands: Think of the wrists as being wide, the palms as being open and the fingers and thumbs being long
  • Collar bones and shoulder blades: These have a natural width. If you’re upright, think of these as floating on top of the ribs
  • Neck: Release any tension in your neck, imagine space between the bones and remember the neck has a front, back and sides
  • Head: Visualise space at the head neck joint. Allow the head to be poised and balanced on the neck – still but not stiff
  • Face: Soften and widen between the brows and bridge of the nose, soften the lips and think of space between the back teeth. Relax your tongue towards the base of your mouth, rather than pressing against the roof of the mouth.

See if you’re able to continue with this awareness and relaxation as you continue with your day.

Creative Writing, Body Mindfulness and Calm

Drawing of pencil writing letters

Drawing of pencil writing letters

A new discovery has been the use of creative writing to help observe my body and its posture (or ‘use’). I recently went on a great workshop called Creative Writing and Yoga with Philip Cowell.  Normally I have a complete writing block, hence the lack of regular posts on my blog, and this causes me some angst. But the writing workshop has freed things up a lot.

Every day, I now write four pages in a notebook. These are called Morning Pages – possibly familiar to people who have read The Artist’s Way. It’s stream of consciousness writing with no rules and no need for internal editing. It has given me a sense of calm as it’s essentially an opportunity for mindfulness by decluttering one’s thoughts.

Yesterday, I was writing away and my thoughts were drawn to my body – how I was sitting and writing. I started documenting this. I noticed that I was sat slightly off the chair as I hadn’t moved some things under the table and so was sitting around these. My head was resting in my left hand. Bit by bit, I wrote these observations down, with a writer’s eye. It was useful not to change anything immediately so that I could explore the details.

Then I put my ‘Alexander hat’ on. And I shifted the things from under the table and brought both feet on the floor. I relaxed my right shoulder, thought up through my spine and head and I let my left hand softly help keep the pages of my book open. Much more comfortable.

It has been a revelation to use writing to bring a greater body awareness.

One exercise in the Creative Writing for Yoga workshop happened after we’d done some gentle yoga movements. We then had to write a letter to a part of our body. A few people read their pieces out. They were so different. Some were funny, others moving, all were observing things from a more unusual perspective. Someone wrote to their thumb, another to their belly, I corresponded with my left hip.

So these are my offerings:

  • Write Morning Pages – 3 or 4 pages, any time of day, anything that’s in your mind
  • If you are aware of your body as you write, note it down in detail. Tensions and all. Then become more thoughtful and note that down. This doesn’t have to be in your Morning Pages.
  • Do some gentle movements and then write a short letter to part of your body