Many people who practise the Alexander Technique view it’s founder, \u00a0Frederick Matthias Alexander as a man before his time. \u00a0He was in effect an observational scientist in his approach to his own use and medical problems. The resulting Alexander Technique being the result of years of making changes in his own use, constantly thinking about his use and observing the outcome, then evaluating the results and finding ways of testing further ideas on how his use could improve. \u00a0Improvements in his own health and subsequently those to whom he taught his technique confirmed his ideas. \u00a0 Today, when applying the technique, \u00a0 I teach \u00a0in a similar way, applying the principles discovered by Alexander but constantly observing and evaluating my own and my pupil’s use. \u00a0The idea that changing ourselves through our thinking when the thinking is directed to a positive change e.g. freeing the neck and therefore lengthening the neck \u00a0and back, is a powerful tool that we all possess but do not always use. \u00a0Read ‘Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual’ by F.M. Alexander.<\/p>\n
It has been with interest that several health related articles in the common press have struck a chord with Alexander’s ideas and teaching.<\/p>\n
In June 2013 a report in The Times ‘Why technology puts young spines at risk<\/strong>‘ by Rachel Carlyle, \u00a0 describes how chiropractors and osteopaths are reporting \u00a0a huge increase in the number of children complaining of chronic neck, shoulder and back pain. \u00a0The article describes how a spine is distorted from its normal elongated ‘S’ shape by sitting badly hunched over \u00a0a laptop, tablet or smartphone for hours at at time. \u00a0 \u00a0I have strong feelings about this having been a secondary school teacher and had many children complain of a bad back \u00a0and observed their poor posture.<\/p>\n STAT has school chair campaign to improve chairs for children \u00a0www.stat.org.uk<\/a>\u00a0 and has ongoing contact with several schools. \u00a0However, for the health of our children there needs to be across the board education of how to sit and work at a desk or computer or laptop with what Alexander calls ‘ good use of the self’. \u00a0This could be so easily done during PSE or similar classes and there are many Alexander Technique teachers who could help with this.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many people who practise the Alexander Technique view it’s founder, \u00a0Frederick Matthias Alexander as a man before his time. \u00a0He was in effect an observational scientist in his approach to his own use and medical problems. The resulting Alexander Technique being the result of years of making changes in his own use, constantly thinking about … Continue reading Recent thoughts on related media articles<\/span>