I asked my 12 – 18 year old High School students what they thought they were learning in Alexander Technique classes. Here are there amazing replies.
– Observation of self and others
– Anatomy, functional, useful and practical
– A kind of X-ray vision, seeing the internal structure
– Balance, dynamic poise, co-ordination
– Letting go, noticing tension, noticing habits
– Improved performance
– Being able to move more freely
– Awareness, spatial and personal
– How thinking effects functioning and vice versa
– Time to think about what’s around you
– Enhanced sensory perception, increase in sensitivity
– Increased confidence
– Improved relationships with self and others
– How to stay calm in situations, stress relief
– How to deal with nerves
– Helps with relationships, can stay calm even if others are hyper
– The difference between doing and non-doing
– Listening skills, to your own body and to others
– Releasing held muscle, releasing stress
– Looking after yourself, knowing what is efficient body use
– Finding yourself, finding your individuality
– Teaching skills
– Mind into/over matter, less is more
– Learning control over body, using mind to get rid of habits
– Initiative
– Dynamic rest, releasing muscles into length and width
– Functional physics of being alive, gravity, forces and what you do with it once you know it. How to apply it
– Understanding what parts of body are weight bearing and what’s not
– Synchronising – with each other and self, interacting calmly
– Socialising and co-operation skills
– Looking after yourself, being able to ask for what you need
– Communication skills, working on self and communicating process with each other. Thinking about what you are doing and learning to communicate it.
– Developing imagination, discovery
– Accessing a dream state, an endless road, but still awake
– Using imagination to ease out
– Being able to switch off quickly
– Thinking about connecting you body with activity, instead of just your ‘to do’ list
– How to work on yourself
– How to let go of shoulders etc, and how to teach others to do it
– Easy interaction between people
– Stretch and Release
– Hand eye co-ordination
– Patience, pausing, taking time
– Awareness of timing, spatial timing
– How to stay calm in emotional situations
– The ability to breathe freely
– How to convey your perspective of things in life and listen to others
– How to be comfortable around other people
– Learning to be yourself
– Going with the flow
– Getting better at walking
– How thinking effects movement instantly
– Using the floor and gravity to let go, understanding weight
– Learning to ignore distractions/ stay in your own zone focus
– Kinaesthetic movement awareness
– How breathing can be inspirational. How to ‘kick start’ better breathing
– Enhanced performance skills
– Getting out of your own way
2015