Eric here,
Before we get to today’s article, I want to draw your attention to the Alexander and Feldenkrais® programs beginning this upcoming week at Solaluna. I’ve been a student of these two methods for many years. They have helped me avoid strain playing the violin and singing, and each has influenced how I practice and teach yoga.
Alexander and Feldenkrais® are similar in that they are concerned with helping people move and live with greater freedom and coordination. While there are similarities in approach and technique, there are also differences.
In order to give you a clearer sense of what each method is about, this newsletter will feature an Alexander teacher, and next week’s will have a Feldenkrais instructor, giving each an opportunity to describe their methods.
Today, Jim Froelich will discuss the Alexander work. Jim has been teaching since 1997 and has been working in Northeast Ohio for 15 years. Next week, Michael Tweed-Kent gets a turn to tell us about Feldenkrais. So without further ado, here’s Jim.
Moving Freely With the Alexander Technique
by Jim Froelich
Do you ever find tension arising in an activity that you enjoy or need to do? In my work as an Alexander teacher I often encounter students having this difficulty.
When people begin to study with me, they often assume that Alexander Technique involves exercises, or work on “posture.” Then they’re surprised to discover that the work is simply about doing anything with less tension, and overcoming hurdles that occur in activities or in daily movement.
F.M. Alexander (1869-1955), an Australian actor, discovered that people can relearn the ease of movement they were born with, by becoming aware of and preventing unproductive movement patterns that they have picked up.
An Example in Practice
An example from a recent class with a cellist comes to mind. She was caught up in a struggle with a difficult passage which caused her to hunch down and press into the cello. She looked stiff and overly tense as she played the passage, and this affected her sound.
As she sat with her cello in class, I gently showed her a different way to sit, not pressed forward and not tensing her neck. As we worked, she gradually let her head, neck and back release their tightness, and let them all connect in a more flexible way. She sat back, taller in the chair.
With work (including both verbal cues and gentle hands-on suggestion) that encouraged her arms to lengthen, she began to notice a change toward less tension. Then she played the passage again. She enjoyed her playing more this time, and so did the class. She said she felt more open and free to move. The class mentioned that her sound was more open and expressive, and that she seemed more sure of getting through the part as she played.
After this experience she had some good things to consider about how to improve her playing, including how to expand her awareness around the activity, and how to avoid excessive effort.
Many Applications
As much as this method can assist with musical activity, it also applies to any human movement where habits may form. People are equipped with a wonderful system for coordinating all action, though they often learn ways of doing things that interfere with this coordination.
It is as though people add weights to certain movements, which requires extra effort to overcome. This sense of weight and effort involves a part of perception called the kinesthetic sense, which includes sensation of tension, position and weight. If you want a quick experience of what this is about, try the following sequence (do your best to perform each item before reading the next):
First, raise one arm.
What did you notice about how that felt? Now take a moment to be very aware of the tension and weight in your whole body.
Then raise the arm a second time.
Did you notice anything different about how it felt that time?
Finally, follow this direction: “float” your arm up.
Did you notice a difference in tension or weight the third time, compared with the first two times?
Many people do notice a different quality. This represents a helpful awareness waking up. Notice that once you are awake to this difference, a choice is available to make freely at any time.
What if you could learn choices like this which give you more stamina, relieve pain in moving, prevent injuries from overuse, and improve your performance?
Choices like these are what the Alexander Technique offers.
Please join us to explore this further on Monday, Feb. 3rd at 7:30 PM for a free class in the Alexander Technique!
