What is Alexander Technique? Know The Aim & Benefits of Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique is the process where people are taught the correct manner or techniques in standing, holding themselves and moving differently, so that unnecessary tension is eliminated from their bodies.

Frederick Matthias Alexander developed the principles of the Alexander technique in the 1890s. It was named after him. He used it to solve his personal problems such as to relieve problems in breathing and hoarseness when public speaking. The Alexander technique is helpful in many conditions such as back pain, frozen shoulders, housemaid’s knee, tennis elbow, tension headaches, flat feet, asthma, digestive problems, insomnia, clumsiness, lethargy, and irritability.

Practitioners of Alexander technique believe that these problems are commonly caused due to repeated misuse of the human body over a prolonged period of time by people, such as uneven distribution of weight when standing or sitting, incorrect manner of holding heads or inefficient walking or running. The aim of the Alexander technique is to guide people to unlearn these bad physical habits and adopt an even state of poise and rest so that the body is properly aligned.

Many problems such as back pain, excessive tension or lack of coordination has left many individuals puzzled. They commonly think that the problem in their muscles or joints is due to structural damage or it may be permanent. However, the truth is that if they learn the Alexander technique, they can make permanent changes in their manner of walking, the extent of their muscular tension or in the way they stand or sit, i.e. their posture. Through this technique, individuals learn how dynamic and adaptable their body is. With the help of Alexander technique, they can improve their complete movement and attain maximum health and benefits for both mind and body.

We all have particular movements or habits which we are not aware of. Unknowingly, we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves such as using more than required force to lift a pot of coffee or a box. We do not adopt the correct posture when sitting i.e. we slouch when sitting. All this while, we are completely unaware that the way we are doing things is wrong and it leads to additional stress on our bodies. We tend to blame the problems which our body faces to our activities such as tennis elbow on tennis, carpal tunnel syndrome on computer jobs but usually the manner in which we do the activities is the root cause of the problem and not the activities themselves.

The Alexander technique helps us in finding out the mistakes in our style of movements which is contributing to our problems such as weak back, neck pain, shoulder pain, restricted breathing, and perpetual tiredness or not able to perform a task or sport completely. Studies have shown that the Alexander technique is effective in managing chronic pain. By analyzing the complete pattern of our movements, and not just the symptoms, the Alexander technique teacher makes us aware of our wrong techniques of standing, sitting and walking. The teacher guides us with words, gentle and motivating touch so that we can move more freely and in a more integrated manner.

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