By: MSF Staff and reviewed by the Multiple Sclerosis Medical Advisory Board
Would you like to improve the way you function, the way you move, the way you look, and the way you feel? Would you like to experience the physical sensation of lightness and buoyancy? Would you like to rid your body of unnecessary aches and pains, increase the sense of space between your joints, and reduce stress, fatigue, and general anxiety? All of these things are possible with the Alexander Technique.
Not to be confused with an exercise program, the Alexander Technique is a gradual learning process, an awareness that you will eventually bring to the activities you perform each day. You will find yourself practicing the Technique while you are walking, having a conversation, sitting in a chair, shampooing your hair, reading, talking on the phone, working on your computer, and waiting in line at the grocery store. But first, you must go back in time . . .
It all began in 1869, when Frederick Matthias Alexander was born in Tasmania, Australia. A naturally curious, independent, and patient boy, his favorite pastime was studying the plays of Shakespeare. As he grew older, he also became intrigued by the art of public speaking. Eventually, he decided to become a Shakespearean actor.
In those days, microphones and other electronic amplification had not yet been invented, so performers had to rely solely on their natural vocal ability. As fate would have it, Alexander began having trouble with his throat, which soon affected his voice. Sometimes, he would gasp audibly during a performance or lose his ability to speak altogether, a condition known as aphonia. Numerous doctors and voice trainers recommended that he rest his voice, speaking as little as possible between performances. He followed their advice, but his condition failed to improve, and it seemed his acting career might come to an untimely end. But Alexander was not easily daunted. Ever inquisitive, the young man wondered if it might be something he was doing when he spoke that was causing the problem. He asked his doctor, who was receptive to the idea, so Alexander decided to use a mirror to help him see precisely what he was doing while reciting Shakespeare.
THE THREE PRINCIPLES: OBSERVATION, INHIBITION & DIRECTION
Much to his surprise, close observation in a mirror revealed that as he spoke, he lifted his chest, arched his spine, tightened his lower back, stiffened his legs, and pushed his toes into the floor, all the while retracting his head, which reduced the efficiency of his voice. Observation, the first principal, had revealed to Alexander several detrimental patterns of movement of which he had been unaware. He called these less than optimal habits, which were negatively impacting his ability to speak, “misuse.” Alexander quickly realized that he had stumbled upon a fundamental principle, one that might affect the voice in one person but cause an entirely different ill in another person. Encouraged by the possibility of returning to the stage, Alexander continued his experimental work, patiently undoing his habits of misuse, through a process he called inhibition. Then, he focused on releasing the unnecessary tension in his body using direction, based upon the four concepts of good use. This is the foundation of the Alexander Technique.
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