Angela Bradshaw describes her personal experience of the Alexander Technique and her pain-free experience after one session. She proceeded to gain a teachers training course in the Alexander Technique. The video below presents a short teaser of how one can direct the body with one’s mind in body alignment.
The Alexander Technique enables humans to choose an appropriate response and prevent unhelpful habits from interfering with natural functioning. The technique teaches one how to bring change under conditions of fear, stress and anxiety as the body enters into fight or flight mode in order to survive to stress.
1. Notice how your body is positioned without changing anything.
2. Restore the body to balance. Allow body weight to distribute equally on both feet.
3. Identify your own habits.
4. Think about the feet as a three-pin plug, planting into the ground. Free of tension in the ankle, allow the knee joint to bend, let the kneecap fall out from your hip. Place hands on the front of your pelvis.
5. The three hinges namely the pelvis, hip and knee joint to move freely.
6. Allow the legs to release from the pelvis. Hands on your pelvis and allow it to be heavy, hanging like an anchor.
7. Let the base of the spine to be directed downwards towards the floor. Allow the head to lengthen upwards at the same time.
Summary
· Plug in your feet into the ground.
· Think upwards in the ankle.
· Think upwards to knees, up the hips, head away from the top of the spine.
· Send knees forward and hips back, fold to sitting position on a chair.
My movement exploration
In standing position, there is more tension in the left shoulder, my hipbones are equal in height and I sense more weight on my right foot. Both of my knees are straightened, and I am looking in front.
Plug image of the feet: shift more weight onto the ball of both feet.
Kneecaps to fall out from the hip: relieve the tension in both knees. The weight of the body is pouring into the toes.
Direct base of spine downward, head to lengthen: Feel an elongation of the spine, and it feels free and more mobile.
Reference:
TED Talk (2013) "Show Me How" - The Alexander Technique: Angela Bradshaw at TEDxSWPS. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prN9kbDtedc [Accessed 23 April 2015].
The Alexander Technique enables humans to choose an appropriate response and prevent unhelpful habits from interfering with natural functioning. The technique teaches one how to bring change under conditions of fear, stress and anxiety as the body enters into fight or flight mode in order to survive to stress.
1. Notice how your body is positioned without changing anything.
2. Restore the body to balance. Allow body weight to distribute equally on both feet.
3. Identify your own habits.
4. Think about the feet as a three-pin plug, planting into the ground. Free of tension in the ankle, allow the knee joint to bend, let the kneecap fall out from your hip. Place hands on the front of your pelvis.
5. The three hinges namely the pelvis, hip and knee joint to move freely.
6. Allow the legs to release from the pelvis. Hands on your pelvis and allow it to be heavy, hanging like an anchor.
7. Let the base of the spine to be directed downwards towards the floor. Allow the head to lengthen upwards at the same time.
Summary
· Plug in your feet into the ground.
· Think upwards in the ankle.
· Think upwards to knees, up the hips, head away from the top of the spine.
· Send knees forward and hips back, fold to sitting position on a chair.
My movement exploration
In standing position, there is more tension in the left shoulder, my hipbones are equal in height and I sense more weight on my right foot. Both of my knees are straightened, and I am looking in front.
Plug image of the feet: shift more weight onto the ball of both feet.
Kneecaps to fall out from the hip: relieve the tension in both knees. The weight of the body is pouring into the toes.
Direct base of spine downward, head to lengthen: Feel an elongation of the spine, and it feels free and more mobile.
Reference:
TED Talk (2013) "Show Me How" - The Alexander Technique: Angela Bradshaw at TEDxSWPS. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prN9kbDtedc [Accessed 23 April 2015].