A Nobel Prizewinner’s Perspective on the Alexander Technique

by Witold Fitz-Simon http://youtu.be/XXr-9kQZ0ow

Nobel Prize winner Nikolaas Tinbergen was so impressed with the work of F. M. Alexander that he devoted almost ten minutes of his Nobel lecture to the Alexander Technique. Tinbergen won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1973 for his “discoveries concerning organization and elicitation of individual and social behavior patterns.” Tinbergen, and his fellow prizewinners Karl Lorenz and Konrad von Frisch, performed studies on fish, insects and birds to observe genetically programmed patterns of behavior. They studied what the origins of these behaviors were, how they developed, and what stimulated them to be triggered. Tinbergen’s work had a profound effect in the field of behavioral sciences as a whole.

Tinbergen’s Four Questions

Tinbergen is famous for developing four essential questions that must be asked about any form of behavior in animals, human or otherwise, if the behavior is to be fully understood:

    1. Causation: What causes the behavioral response to be triggered? How is that changed by what the individual or organism might have learned for itself? What are the different mechanisms that come into play as part of the behavioral response?
    2. Development: How does the response change over time as the individual or organism ages?
    3. Function: What impact does the behavior have on the individual or organism?
    4. Evolution: How does the behavior compare in other species? Why might the behavior have evolved in the way it did rather than in some other way.

Watching and Wondering

In his speech, Tinbergen discusses how his time-honored process of “watching and wandering,” as he calls it, can be applied to the relief of human suffering, especially the suffering caused by stress. In the first part of his speech, he looks at Early Childhood Autism. His second example of an application of modern ethological methods (ethology is the term given to behavioral studies) is F. M. Alexander and the Alexander Technique. He praises Alexander for using these methods fifty years before they had become widespread in the scientific community:

"This story, of perceptiveness, of intelligence, and of persistence, shown by a man without medical training, is one of the true epics of medical research and practice.”

The Kinesthetic Feedback Report

One interesting scientific discovery Tinbergen talks about in his lecture (he skips over it in the above video, but you can find it in the written text here on page 12) is the way in which the brain uses the kinesthetic, or “feeling,” sense and how that can cause us trouble:

“There are many strong indications that, at various levels of integration, from single muscle units up to complex behavior, the correct performance of many movements is continually checked by the brain. It does this by comparing a feedback report, that says ‘orders carried out,’ with the feedback expectation for which, with the initiation of each movement, the brain has been alerted. Only when the expected feedback and the actual feedback match does the brain stop sending out commands for corrective action… But what Alexander has discovered beyond this is that a lifelong mis-use of the body-muscles (such as caused by, for instance, too much sitting and too little walking) can make the entire system go wrong. As a consequence, reports that ‘all is correct’ are received by the brain (or perhaps interpreted as correct) when in fact all is very wrong. A person can ‘feel at ease’ e.g. when slouching in front of the television set, when in fact he is grossly abusing his body.”

    • Tinbergen’s entire speech can be seen here.
    • You can download a PDF of his speech here. The section on the Alexander Technique begins on page 10.
    • To read more about Tinbergen, you can find his Wikipedia page here
    • To read more about Tinbergen’s “Four Questions,” you can find the Wikipedia page here.
    • To read more about the kinesthetic feedback report, you can find a Wikipedia page on “efferent copies,” the scientific term for the potentially faulty kinesthetic model that the brain stores and uses as a reference for what “feels right,” here.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.acatnyc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/After-crop1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]WITOLD FITZ-SIMON has been a student of the Alexander Technique since 2007. He is certified to teach the Technique as a graduate of the American Center for the Alexander Technique’s 1,600-hour, three year training program. A student of yoga since 1993 and a teacher of yoga since 2000, Witold combines his extensive knowledge of the body and its use into intelligent and practical instruction designed to help his students free themselves of ineffective and damaging habits of body, mind and being. www.mindbodyandbeing.com[/author_info] [/author]

Fascia, The Body’s Connective Tissue, Can Contract!

skeletonby Witold Fitz-Simon The standard wisdom is that it is only the muscles of the human body that contact and create movement, but it turns out that this is not entirely true. About ten years ago, research began to show that fascia contained myofibroblasts, cells that have the ability to contract when stimulated.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is the fibrous connective tissue of the body. It surrounds all our muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons and organs, and provides the tensile structure of the body, providing the medium that transfers the elastic pull of our muscles. It holds different parts in place, for example suspending organs from the spine, and allows different parts of the body to move around by creating distinct layers of tissue with surfaces that can slide and glide over each other. Fascia is made up of tight bundles of collagen fibers which are extremely resistant to lengthening. When a person is young and/or healthy, the fibers, bundles and layers are neatly aligned and discrete. As a person ages and the overall good use of their body deteriorates, these fibers can become frayed and stuck together, and can even get shorter. What used to aid and support movement can create limitations and problems. Once fascia gets to that state it can become very difficult to change. It takes serious intervention: either the forceful rearranging of deep tissue massage, or the sustained mindfulness and intention that the Alexander Technique can provide.

Along with collagen fibers, fascia contains extracellular matrix (the stuff that is in between the cells) and fibroblasts, cells that create the extracellular matrix and collagen. The myofibroblasts that have been discovered in fascia are found all over the body and are used in the healing of wounds. As they contract, they pull the edges of the wound together. In fascia, they are found in greater concentration in areas where the tissue is under greater physical stress.

From an article written by Joseph E. Muscolino, author of “Kinesiology, The Skeletal System and Muscle Function,” published in the Fall 2008 issue of Massage Therapy Journal:

“As great and greater tensile forces are placed upon the fascia, more and more myofibroblasts develop from the normal fibroblasts of the fascial tissue. For this reason, myofibroblasts are also known as ‘stress fibers.’ These myofibroblasts can then create an active pulling force that the fascial tissue is experiencing. For this reason, myofibroblasts are found in the greatest concentration in fascial tissues that have been injured and are undergoing would healing. Fascial tissues with high concentrations of myofibroblasts have been found to have sufficiently strong force to impact musculoskeletal mechanics—that is, their active pulling forces are strong enough to contribute to movement of the body.”

Slow and Steady Contraction

The contraction of muscle tissue can be fast-moving, with the ability to respond almost instantaneously to triggers, and is governed directly by the nervous system, either non-consciously through the reflexes of the spinal chord, or directly from conscious intention. The contraction of these myofibroblasts in our fascia is very different in quality, building up over a period of minutes to hours, and was found to be stimulated by changes in hydration in the extracellular matrix of the tissue as a result of stretching. This means that the contraction of fascia would not be directly influenced by the kind of mental intention that direction in the Alexander Technique mode. It does mean, however, that fascia is not as inert as one might have heretofore thought, and this new knowledge gives us a different insight into the mechanism of change that happens over time as the result of continuously applying constructive, conscious direction to the way we use ourselves with the Alexander Technique.

For those more technically-minded, two studies on the topic can be found here and here.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.acatnyc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/After-crop1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]WITOLD FITZ-SIMON has been a student of the Alexander Technique since 2007. He is certified to teach the Technique as a graduate of the American Center for the Alexander Technique’s 1,600-hour, three year training program. A student of yoga since 1993 and a teacher of yoga since 2000, Witold combines his extensive knowledge of the body and its use into intelligent and practical instruction designed to help his students free themselves of ineffective and damaging habits of body, mind and being. www.mindbodyandbeing.com[/author_info] [/author]

Using Alexander Technique Concepts To Reason Your Way Towards A Better Solution

head-in-handsAlexander didn't have a teacher to help him solve his vocal problems. He had no one telling him where to begin or how to approach finding a solution, so he began with simple observation and then experimented on a trial and error basis. One of Alexander's observations and concerns, as he worked for over 60 years teaching people from all walks of life, was the lack of critical reasoning people brought to problem solving. Some of my most effective teaching moments have been when I could help someone see, for themselves, how they were using their body or reacting to a situation.

Example 1:

This student contacted me for lessons because she was dealing with chronic, debilitating lower back pain, and unbeknownst to me, her doctor has suggested surgery. She never mentioned his recommendation to me (I read about it two years after the fact in the quote below), just her symptoms, at the start of our first lesson.

As soon as she came into the studio, I observed her alignment when standing, I could see why she was in pain. I showed her how she was putting pressure on her lower back by locking her knees and pushing down onto her waist and sacrum. I showed her on the skeleton where her hip joints are; and that her sacrum is not a weight bearing structure, but she was trying to rest her weight on the sacrum as though it was a third leg, putting enormous pressure on her lumbar spine. Within moments, she was able to allow her weight to distribute forward onto her hip joins, and lessen the pressure on her lower back.

"When my doctor suggested surgery to alleviate excruciating back pain from two herniated disks, I remembered a friend who had avoided surgery by working with an Alexander trainer so I tried it too. It's been almost two years since I started working with Brooke and I am virtually pain-free. When I do have pain, it's because I've forgotten to use the Alexander tools Brooke taught me; as soon as I remember to walk properly, the pain goes away. I no longer suffer from terrible lower back pain. My whole body feels less tense and I have fewer muscle aches. Using the Alexander Technique while playing golf, lifting weights or doing any other physical activity has helped prevent injury."

Example 2:

I was presenting the Free Monthly Hands-On Demonstration at ACAT, and as I typically do at the start of the event, I asked participants why they had come. The woman quoted below raised her hand, explaining she was in pain and was looking for tools she could use to reduce her discomfort.

"I asked Brooke about my knee pain and she asked me to get up from the chair and within a few seconds she saw my problem. She had me sit and get up again, this time giving me commands on how to position my legs when getting out of a seated position. I felt the difference immediately and to this day, I use the instructions she had shown me."

I was able to give her simple instructions so she would allow her head and torso to fully transfer over both her feet before she stood up; and to keep herself balanced over both legs as she sat. I could see quite clearly how she was putting undue pressure on her knees by trying to stand when her weight was still behind her feet and legs. Although she was unable to "feel" what she was doing that was contributing to her discomfort, she was able to understand my instructions so she could move differently. As soon as she had this new experience, she understood how to let her weight come onto both her legs.

Example 3:

I am working with a young actress, who shared she is not satisfied with her quality of sleep. After about 5 lessons, she came back and told me she has engaged in a point-by-point investigation into solving the combined issues that were interfering with her sleep. She said she'd solved some of her problems, knew the solution to others and was getting to them; and still had some questions about solving some of the problems. At our lesson last week, she said she was sleeping better already.

Here is her checklist:

1. Sleep Mask—buy one that does not fall off 2. Mattress—switch with neighbor, get a new one 3. Pillows—remove second pillow and get smaller pillow to put under big pillow (both pillow were a lot for me, and one was not enough so I was always struggling with them at night) 4. Glass of Water—Keep at distance far enough that you can't knock over 5. Dogs 6. AC—Keep remote next to you and turn on and off as you please during the night 7. Comforter—Keep yourself cool so you won't get hot under it, ask Michael to push it to your side before he gets in the bed so he does not sleep on it and therefore deprive you of wonderful comforters 8. Michael awake at night 9. Dogs chewing things—before going to bed remove all things that the dogs can reach that you know they will chew on (shoes, pens,etc)

While students who have lessons sometimes have a hard time describing what the Alexander Technique is, or describing the sensations and changes they experience, these examples are a bit more concrete and can help students understand the reasoning process that is an integral aspect of applying the principles of the Alexander Technique.

Ten Questions You Can Ask Yourself To Help You Solve Your Problem

1. How am I doing what I'm doing? Could I do this differently? 2. Am I tensing my neck while I do this? 3. Can I leave my head resting easily on the top of my neck while I do this? 4. Am I breathing? 5. Am I taking full advantage of my weight bearing bones? (spine, pelvis, legs, feet). 6. Is this something I have to do, or can I ask someone else to do this? 7. What is bothering me or making this a challenge? 8. Do I have an experience when this was easier or simpler? What is different now? 9. Do I know everything I need to know about this situation? Or am I assuming things? 10. What step-by-step instructions would I give to someone else if I was teaching her or him to do this?

A simple example from my own life came when I realized I could thread a needle more easily by facing the hole towards my eyes, and bringing the thread from behind the needle into the hole. It is much easier to see. I consider myself a somewhat intelligent person, but I realized how habitual I can be in life, and when I made this simple adjustment (after 38 years of threading a needle "blind" by bringing the thread in sideways) the activity became much easier and more efficient.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.acatnyc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Brooke1web.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]N. BROOKE LIEB, Director of Teacher Certification since 2008, received her certification from ACAT in 1989, joined the faculty in 1992. Brooke has presented to 100s of people at numerous conferences, has taught at C. W. Post College, St. Rose College, Kutztown University, Pace University, The Actors Institute, The National Theatre Conservatory at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Dennison University, and Wagner College; and has made presentations for the Hospital for Special Surgery, the Scoliosis Foundation, and the Arthritis Foundation; Mercy College and Touro College, Departments of Physical Therapy; and Northern Westchester Hospital. Brooke maintains a teaching practice in NYC, specializing in working with people dealing with pain, back injuries and scoliosis; and performing artists. www.brookelieb.com[/author_info] [/author]

10 Potential Pitfalls in the Studying the Alexander Technique and How to Avoid Them

ACAT, American Center for the Alexander Technique by John Austin

Studying the Alexander Technique can seem like a never-ending road filled with mysterious obstacles and seductive bunny trails that often lead to dead-ends. However, it can be less so if you become aware of these potential pitfalls:

1) Doing the directions

Alexander called the directions “preventative orders” because they are meant to stop you from actively shortening your stature, narrowing your back, and pulling in your limbs. Any new found expanded state is a result of getting out of the way of natural upright. You can’t do an undoing, so don’t force yourself to lengthen or widen. Think (wish, intend, imagine) the change you’d like to see happen and then allow yourself to breathe. Repeat.

2) Relaxing (releasing all muscle tone)

The Alexander Technique is about finding an easeful way of balancing, moving, and being; where your mind and muscles work for you, not against you. We are looking for healthy muscle tone without excess, thinking without effort; that doesn’t mean no work. Don’t let non-doing become nothing doing.

3) Letting your feelings guide your movements

If we do what feels right, we are doing our habit. A general rule of thumb: if it feels right, it’s wrong; if it feels wrong, it’s new. This is different from learning to recognize your habit(s), which we all must do. Eventually your kinesthetic sense does become more reliable, but we must move out of the realm of feeling and into the realm of thought to improve even then. Alexander once said, “When the time comes that you can trust your feelings, you won’t want to use it [kinesthetic sense].”

4) Trying to levitate

No matter how much up direction you give yourself, you must still be grounded for it to be useful. A lengthening of the body comes from the ground and goes up. Don’t be so concerned with your head going forward and up that you lift your feet off the ground.

5) Focusing on specific parts without relation to the whole

Concentrating often narrows our view, not allowing us to see the entire system we are affecting. We then start “fixing” specific problems only to move on to the next problem that we faultily perceive to be independent of the last one. We then feel like we’ve accomplished something by “fixing” many little things, but in reality we haven’t achieved anything useful if we don’t account for part’s relation to the whole; in fact, you even run the risk of destabilizing the entire system.

The most common example of this I see is “putting the head forward and up” as if forward and up were a position of the head, not a relationship of the head to the whole body. When we perceive a problem, it’s best to take a wider view of the area surrounding the problem rather than directly fixing it.

6) Believing that the startle pattern is a habit

We go into the startle pattern (head and limbs pulled into the torso like a turtle going into it’s shell) because we are afraid of something. Whether it’s stage fright or fear of falling on the ground; the startle pattern is a reaction to a thought or feeling; either of which can be habitual. If we don’t want to startle, the thing to do is find the thought/feeling that is causing the startle pattern and inhibit (say no to) it. This is not to say that you won’t have to explore why you are having those thoughts or feelings.

7) Inhibiting doing the activity instead of inhibiting the thought of doing the activity

This sounds complicated, but it’s actually very simple. Inhibiting (or saying no) can end up being plain old stiffening if we are not clear about what we are inhibiting. Are we saying no to the thought (and therefore the habitual reaction) of sitting or standing while doing chair work, or are we saying no to the activity and muscling through? It is helpful to ask, “What am I inhibiting?” then “How am I doing that?”

8) Mind-wandering

Going inside to try and figure things out, thinking about what you’re going to do later, or anything other than what’s going on in the moment (being present and aware of your thoughts, seeing the room, hearing, and feeling your contact with the ground) just gets in the way of your goal. Even if you are planning for a future event, it’s not helpful to leave the present while thinking about it.

9) Trying to get it right

One of the most powerful experiences in my practice of the Alexander Technique was in a chair turn with Barbara Kent where I realized that no matter how hard I tried to get it right, I couldn’t sit in the chair without stiffening and plopping down into the chair. Barbara picked up on this and said, “Let’s try it again and this time, let’s both be wrong.” I then effortlessly made it to the chair with no plop. Barbara then followed up with a smile, “It’s never going to be perfect, so there’s no point in trying to be.”

10) Being hard on ourselves

Our habits have gotten us to where we are in life. Thank them, and then gently let them know that they are no longer needed. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction- therefore the more effort we exert in trying to overcome our habits the more difficulty there will be in doing just that.

In my experience it’s much easier to tell when we are headed in the wrong direction than when things are going well. This list is far from exhaustive, but if kept in mind it provides clues about when we’ve fallen off the straight and narrow path and makes the difficult journey of personal transformation easier to navigate.

This post was originally published on alexanderviolist.wordpress.com.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.acatnyc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/headshot.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]JOHN AUSTIN started pondering and pontificating on the probable and possible reasons for the tragic loss of joy in himself and his fellow musicians as he approached his breaking point in a music conservatory. In fact, he was nearly a casualty of the music “busi-ness" when he stumbled on the Alexander Technique. Since then he's been inspired by his training at the American Center for the Alexander Technique to write in an attempt to better understand what was happening to himself and others. Mr. Austin has an active performing career, blog, and teaching studio in West Harlem, Manhattan.[/author_info] [/author]

Engaging Curiosity and Dialogue: How to Introduce the Alexander Technique

by Morgan Rysdon On Monday, January 13th 2014, a panel convened at ACAT to discuss an issue of great concern to so many teachers of the Alexander Technique who struggle with talking about this rich and complex work. "Engaging Curiosity and Dialogue: How to Introduce the Alexander Technique" was moderated by Karen Krueger and included myself, Bill Connington, Rebecca Tuffey, and Jessica Wolf on the panel. The audience ranged from more senior teachers to trainees, all with a desire to explore this never-ending topic of how do we—as teachers of the Alexander Technique—introduce this unique work to others

Sage Advice From Seasoned Teachers

The diversity of the teachers sitting on the panel clearly illustrated the range in which we can approach this topic. Jessica Wolf, for example, strongly believes that as teachers we have a responsibility to raise the bar on how we present ourselves and the Technique to the world. Highlighting that teaching the Alexander Technique is a profession—just like any other kind of profession—and therefore, we should always be treating it as such when we talk about it with others.

While Rebecca Tuffey made it a point to emphasize the importance of knowing who you are talking to. Encouraging teachers to start asking those who are in front of them questions about themselves to help better direct their conversation. Stressing that it is easier to talk to someone about what the Technique is if we know who they are and where they are coming from.

My dear friend and colleague, Bill Connington, made by far the most interesting comment (for me) of the evening—he does not "sell" the Technique, but rather he informs people about it. This simple approach of educating people about what he does lends itself to the idea that talking to people about "What is the Alexander Technique?" does not always have to be as hard as we think it is. If we start thinking we have to 'sell the work' we run the risk of getting too complicated. Keep it simple! This is Bill's common theme—and one that seems to be working well for him and his practice—his new book is coming out later this year!

Practice Saying "Yes"

When it came to my own participation on the panel, my 2 points were:

1. Practice, practice, practice:

I think the more often we practice talking about this work, the more comfortable we become sharing it with others—no matter what scenario we find ourselves in.

2. Get into the habit of a "Yes" practice:

I say 'yes' to whatever someone brings to me. For example, "Is the Alexander Technique like Tai Chi?" I might be asked. "Why yes," I'd respond, "in the sense that it is a process that is always growing and further develops over time. And once you think you have mastered one aspect, new things always present themselves for you to continue learning." This practice of 'Yes' allows my dialogue with others to continue—and helps people draw similarities to those things they are already familiar with to the Alexander Technique.

What Is Your Way?

None of the teachers had a set way of explaining this work—and the varying responses were a helpful reminder that there is no one 'right' answer, just different answers. As a teacher or a teacher in training, what are some of the ways that you have found work well for introducing the Alexander Technique to new people? Do you have any sure fire ways to spark interest? Or perhaps you've had an experience that helped teach you what NOT to do when talking about this work to newcomers? We would love to hear from you!

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.acatnyc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/morgan-rysdon.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Morgan Rysdon enjoys introducing the Alexander Technique to new audiences. She holds a BA in Acting and received her teaching certification from ACAT in NYC. She has an active private practice in Hoboken, NJ, and Manhattan, where she coordinates and teaches introductory classes, group classes, and private lessons. She also assists with a weekly Parkinson's class at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and is active in improving work environments for company's who value their employee's health. To support her professional community, she serves as Chair of ACAT's Board and sits on AmSAT's Membership Committee.She can be found at atcenterstudio.com[/author_info] [/author]

"So Tell Me, What is the Alexander Technique?": A Presentation Skills workshop for Alexander Teachers

Starting on Wednesday, February 12th, and running for the next 4 Wednesdays, Brooke Lieb will be leading a workshop open to all Alexander Technique teachers, members and non-members of ACAT. Q: What prompted you to design the class “So Tell Me, What is the Alexander Technique?: A Presentation Skills workshop for Alexander Teachers”?

A: I used to lead presentation and leadership skills workshops for TAI Partners in the early 90s, where we helped consultants, corporate trainers, teachers and performing artists find their authentic style of presenting to large and small groups. My background as an actor and Alexander Teacher allowed me to streamline the process for these participants, and give them real time experience presenting to a group so they truly embodied the tools and ideas on skillful presenting. The only way to get better at it is to do it, not read a book or listen to a lecture about how to present well.

Working with clients over the years, I realized I also understand workshop and presentation design. Again, my background in theater, training Alexander Teachers, and corporate training exposed me to a wide range of design elements, from presentation/storytelling, to interactive dialogue, to experiential group and partner activities. These skills are teachable, and learnable, and the best way to refine them is to have a place to practice them.

This workshop will give participants a chance to learn design and practice presentation. Everyone will walk away with ready to use components for introductory talks, content for your online introductory video, workshop design, and pitches to corporations. I expect more of us will have the chance to participate in conferences and TedX type events, and it's an important aspect of attracting clients and educating the  marketplace about the Alexander Technique.

Alexander Teachers can offer high level media training to our clients, so this course is also a chance to see how to incorporate the Alexander Technique when coaching your client in preparation for a talk, seminar or pitch she or he may be presenting. This might be a part of a client's job, even if she or he doesn't realize it. People rank the fear of public speaking higher than death, and we have a vital resource to help people not only survive but stand out in their communications.

"The lesson you gave me was super helpful. It was the calmest I've ever been during a presentation, and several people remarked on my delivery!" Jessica Santascoy, ACAT '14, on presenting at an Astronomy Conference.

For more information on course content and how to register, click here.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.acatnyc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Brooke1web.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]N. BROOKE LIEB, Director of Teacher Certification since 2008, received her certification from ACAT in 1989, joined the faculty in 1992. Brooke has presented to 100s of people at numerous conferences, has taught at C. W. Post College, St. Rose College, Kutztown University, Pace University, The Actors Institute, The National Theatre Conservatory at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Dennison University, and Wagner College; and has made presentations for the Hospital for Special Surgery, the Scoliosis Foundation, and the Arthritis Foundation; Mercy College and Touro College, Departments of Physical Therapy; and Northern Westchester Hospital. Brooke maintains a teaching practice in NYC, specializing in working with people dealing with pain, back injuries and scoliosis; and performing artists. www.brookelieb.com[/author_info] [/author]

How to Calm Your Mind and Invite Inspiration to Strike

How many times in your life have you been under the gun to come up with something new and inspiration just isn’t coming? Maybe you have to write a proposal at work, or come up with an idea for a fun outing with the family. Maybe you’ve been hammering away at a problem for an hour and the solution is still beyond your reach. It’s a situation most of us have found ourselves in. Why is it that inspiration can be so elusive in moments of pressure? The answer is something called the startle response. As stress levels rise, our body’s fight or flight response kicks in, creating all sorts of problems that can get in the way of clear and creative thinking:

  • Tightness in the neck and shoulders

  • Restricted breathing

  • A surge in adrenaline

  • Anxiety

  • Agitated thoughts

The Alexander Technique can offer you a simple and effective solution to help calm your system down and expand your perspective, giving your subconscious mind a chance to do its work. And it can take as little as five minutes!

7 Steps to Calm Your Mind and Arouse Inspiration

1. Find a quiet space and lie down on the floor. 

You don’t need a lot of space to do this, just enough to be on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. You can let your arms rest by your side or have your elbows bent and rest your hands on your trunk.

2. Put something firm under your head to allow your neck to lengthen and release.

A couple of books are ideal for this, just an inch or two of height should be enough.

3. Soften your gaze and look up at the ceiling.

After you have yourself situated, allow yourself to settle. Keep your eyes open and really see the room above you. If you close your eyes or glaze over, you will be getting lost in your own thoughts and won’t be able to achieve the state of calm you will need.

4. Allow any mental chatter to calm down.

This can be very challenging. You might find you have to keep reminding yourself and bringing your awareness back to the present and to what you are seeing above you many times.

5. Let go of anything you don’t need.

Once you start to get yourself centered, you might notice muscles working that don’t need to be, given that you are resting on the floor. Gently encourage them to relax. You may find that they don’t cooperate straight away. Don’t worry if they don’t. Just keep sending the suggestion to your body that it can soften and do less. Allow your neck to be a little softer and a little freer. Allow your whole head to ease away from your body and your back to lengthen and widen across the floor.

6. Don’t keep looking for the solution.

You’ve been searching for the solution for however long at this point and it hasn’t come to you, so we’re going to change your approach. Let yourself be present and notice when your mind starts to leap around. When it does, as it inevitably will, simply remind yourself to not look for a solution. This way your conscious mind, which has been failing up to now to come up with the idea you’ve been looking for, will no longer be overriding your unconscious mind. Your unconscious mind is infinitely more vast and complex than your conscious mind and has a lot more resources available to it. Give it a chance to do its work.

7. Have a little faith and stick with it.

Your unconscious mind is infinitely more vast and complex than your conscious mind and has a lot more resources available to it. Give it a chance to do its work. Hang out here for five to ten minutes: keep calming your mental chatter; keep allowing your head, neck and back to expand; keep coming back to the present matter and letting go of a need to find your inspiration.

Perhaps your inspiration will come while you’re lying down, perhaps it will come after you get back up and reassess your situation. At the very least, going through these seven steps will give you a different perspective. Using this process, called “Constructive Rest” or a “Lie-Down” in the Alexander Technique, you will have calmed your nervous system, dispelling the unwanted effects of stress and giving your body and mind a chance to decompress.

If you find this helpful, tell me in the comments about your experience. If your interest is piqued, click here to find an Alexander Technique teacher near you.

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WITOLD FITZ-SIMON has been a student of the Alexander Technique since 2007. He is certified to teach the Technique as a graduate of the American Center for the Alexander Technique’s 1,600-hour, three year training program. A student of yoga since 1993 and a teacher of yoga since 2000, Witold combines his extensive knowledge of the body and its use into intelligent and practical instruction designed to help his students free themselves of ineffective and damaging habits of body, mind and being. www.mindbodyandbeing.com

Welcome to the New ACAT Blog!

By Witold Fitz-Simon In 2012, when ACAT launched its new website, I was in my 6th term in the teacher training program. I thought the one element the new site was lacking was a blog to act as an online meeting place for the organization, a place where the many voices of its diverse and fascinating member could be heard. I’m excited to announce the launch of the new blog! I’ve been writing blogs for many years in my other life as a yoga teacher at yogaartandscience.com and mindbodyandbeing.com. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m thrilled to have the privilege of applying my skills as editor and blogger for ACAT.

Along with all the content you would expect from a blog for an organization such as ACAT—including announcements and reviews of upcoming events—we have other great content coming up, including:

  • Items of interest to students and teachers of the Alexander Technique drawn from the media and the culture at large
  • How-tos to engage students and non-Alexander Technique people, giving them a sense of the scope of the work and how they can apply it directly to their own lives
  • Our current librarian and 8th-term teacher trainee, Jessica Santascoy, will be giving us a peak into the amazing resources ACAT has to offer its members
  • Director of the teacher-training program, Brooke Lieb, will be offering us her insights into principles of the Technique and their application

I hope you enjoy the offerings we have in store over the coming weeks. I invite you to participate with us in this by commenting often, or by sending questions about the blog and the Alexander Technique to me, at witoldfs@gmail.com. And if you would like to contribute to the blog, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://www.acatnyc.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/After-crop1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]WITOLD FITZ-SIMON has been a student of the Alexander Technique since 2007. He is certified to teach the Technique as a graduate of the American Center for the Alexander Technique’s 1,600-hour, three year training program. A student of yoga since 1993 and a teacher of yoga since 2000, Witold combines his extensive knowledge of the body and its use into intelligent and practical instruction designed to help his students free themselves of ineffective and damaging habits of body, mind and being. www.mindbodyandbeing.com[/author_info] [/author]