Avoid injuries with Alexander Technique, better posture and movement

[Donn lost in San Diego]

I have mentioned Alexander a bunch of times so it is time to run its' own thread.  It is a painless way to re-train how we move and it reduces the internal stress on the body, our  muscles, tendon, ligaments, cartilage.  Actors, musicians, dancers, and athletes use it.  I recovered from 3 years of elbow disability with help from it.

You lay down, relax, and the teacher gradually slowly changes your "at rest" position, by locating what part of your body is not actually at rest.  They gradually re-train your brain to a position of actual skeletal relaxation laying down, sitting, and moving.  Less strain equals less pain and fewer injuries, especially Repetitive Stress Injuries RSI. 

 

"The Basics of the Alexander Technique (pasted from Acting Magazine . com)

Before delving into its benefits for actors, let’s briefly recap the fundamental principles of the Alexander Technique:

Awareness: The technique places a strong emphasis on heightened self-awareness, allowing practitioners to recognize and address habits of tension and poor posture.

Inhibition: Inhibition, a key concept, enables individuals to pause and withhold automatic responses. It empowers them to interrupt habitual reactions, fostering the ability to choose more beneficial patterns of movement and thought.

Direction: Mental directions are used to guide the body into healthier, more efficient states. These directions encourage the release of tension and the restoration of natural coordination.

Primary Control: The Alexander Technique focuses on the primary control of the head-neck-spine relationship, which can positively impact the entire body’s alignment and function."

Who was he?

F. M. Alexander was a stage actor whose voice kept cracking when he was live on stage.  He spent 1000s of hours studying himself in the mirror.  He developed a method to re-train people on posture and movement.  You are taught very small incremental changes in how you stand, sit, and walk.  The changes become ingrained thru a few weeks of training, 1 or 2 x a week, an hour session, almost all teach in their own home on a P.T. table.  By retraining, we strain less, we unlearn habits that pit muscles against each other when they should be at rest.   It is simpler than 100s of yoga postures.  I call it slow motion yoga or pilates.  It is easier on the body and better long term than chiro because you become your own agent of change.  Many actors, singers, and dancer who seem to have perfect posture learned it.  I have Stacy Lewis amount of curved spine, but never had surgery.  I am susceptible to neck, back, and shoulder problems.  I had elbow nerve totally trapped by scar tissue.  Was on disability 3 years.  It took 2 surgeries to get rid of the scar tissue.  I went from that to become a wine salesman, lugging a 20 pound bag of wine bottles, and throwing cases in and out of the car.  And I golf.  My swing speed is limited because the core muscles just are not able to move that fast, but I reach mid 80s mph but NO PAIN, except arthritis.  3 arthritis surgeries so far: knee, thumb, toe.  All successful.  Look up Alexander Technique on the web.  They are all low key, few advertise, they don't over- promise.

He was from Australia and then moved to London, died in 1950.  My teacher 25 years ago was an elderly and very spry Brit woman who learned from Alexander when she was a in her 20s.

From their UK website:  There is an impressive list of world famous actors who have recommended the Technique; Dame Judi Dench, Alan Rickman, Sir Ian McKellen, Lenny Henry, Kenneth Branagh, Jesse Eisenberg, Jennifer Saunders, Hilary Swank, Julie Andrews, Stephen Dillane to name but a few.

Go on-line to find someone near you.

Ask me questions. Without it, my guess is I would not be golfing, I would have been on disability 10 years before I retired.

[alfriday101]

https://www.amazon.com/Golf-Sense-Practical-Tips-Play-ebook/dp/B005G82AF4/ref=sr_1_3?crid=69BAD73MGWFQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._x85fDbjbPxtuNKO1JIWKMGdeF3PHGkEzWlqBoYV2t6i-PiJ7l3KzjTEe1Aq3P8BeESyLmYgnon9n440w5hOcOfmBlZ-HCR7StrJ2-vvueKGEXFisWmNhHUzTWEmzO7_jnFWp24cHzLZF-48xVYrSWneRso_gQ3d_FBYf7LsHjPP1UQvoB7oQnsvtykCeG_rkj0AwRlhP5-Jx2EAWzw08_NZjDxnpTmUPjB6TxPkuWA.xZR8eYGZJX5KZLCky4z8H19PZ3lP9BVPoBC6hFvFTXU&dib_tag=se&keywords=golf+in+the+zone&qid=1726433382&s=digital-text&sprefix=golf+in+the+zone%2Cdigital-text%2C113&sr=1-3

 

The Alexander Technique applied to golf.  Full of interesting insights and practical exercises to gain awareness and make meaningful changes.