Thursday, June 8, 1978

Working on going up on toes:

Back and up – if you feel that your weight is shifting to back of heels when you think torso back and up, you probably have a tendency to hold in the legs.

To go up on toes is difficult – inhibit pushing forward with ribs, down with head – shortening and narrowing – maintain direction – head forward and up, torso back and up. Inhibit going onto toes, going forward with the whole body – when you try going up on toes, you do shift forward; with the direction, you may be able to stay back and up. Let go of Achilles tendon, drop the heels to lower. Eventually one can do this alone (without teachers supporting, directing hands). Torso back and up. Neck free, head forward and up, upward force in spine, etc..

Partners monitor the action of the person’s back, if not, back and down.

Inhibition – giving up goals for steps – stop going where you think you are going. Here, give up going on toes.

You are using muscles and going up on toes – just using them differently. Inhibit the habitual muscular response to going up on toes and then allow the muscles that need to work to function.

Working with a step – same idea of back and up.

Length and width to flex the knee joint to take a step up – then step back and up and voilà!

Inhibition is a split second response.

Idelle Packer, MS, PT, mAmSAT, certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, has been creatively exploring its broad application for over 35 years. In her private practice, Body Sense, in Asheville, NC, she teaches the Alexander Technique in context of physical therapy assessment and rehabilitation. She authored the chapter on the Alexander Technique in Springer Publishers’ Encyclopedia of Complementary Health Practices (1999). Her current passion is Contact Improvisation, a somatic and athletic improvisation form, to which she has been joyfully integrating the principles of the Technique over the past fifteen+ years.