In todays class, we explored the relationship between thoughts and the body. We began working in pairs and played with the idea of thinking thoughts and being guided to a standing position. We thought four things: 1) I am very tired. 2) I am eager to please and to do what my partner wants. 3) I have decided that I absolutely do not want to get out of the chair. 4) I am thinking about allowing my neck to be free and thinking about allowing my head to lead so that all of me follows. What did you notice during this exercise?
We also explored the concept of direction, however briefly. We did two exercises. The first put the tops of our heads together with our partners while on hands and knees and rocked back and forth. The second involved holding our partners heads while they flexed their hips slightly in a plie and then worked to remain attached to the sensation of touch. This direction of lengthening and moving up into the contact was to provide the sensation of the lengthening that Alexander Technique describes. What did you experience in these exercises?
Here is F M Alexander himself.
24 comments:
Today i felt a real breakthrough. somewhere in between all the partner
work and just listening to louis tell his story, the idea of releasing my
neck seemed such a simple command and i was able to tap into it more.
instead of trying to feel relaxed, like on tues which is incredibly
difficult to force, i just told myself to release, and my neck followed.
i think this goes with what louis was saying today about not getting
attached to a command but just telling a new one each time, and it really
worked for me. partner work is still tough though, i want to be
comfortable but i can feel in the room how tense everyone is about
touching each other so it is a little stressful always. Mirit
Exploring the relationship between our thoughts and our bodies has been fruitful for me. In the past couple of years I have slowly come to understand intersections between the physical and emotional bodies and the ways in which the two influence and affect the other and the fact that they are in truth one. The exercises in class helped me to appreciate the interconnection between our thoughts and our physicality.
The first exercise when we played with the idea of thinking concrete thoughts, tired, eager, not wanting. Etc…and then attempted to be lifted by our partner from a seated position, I experienced dramatic physical changes reflecting my thoughts prompted by the different emotional statements. This concretely proves just how powerful our mind and emotions are and their resulting effect on our physical state. This fills me with optimism; I have “control” over my thoughts, thus “control” over my physical body. Louis said something to the tune of, “negative thoughts pollute the body with physical ailments,” it is interesting to contemplate how we can be pervasive to ourselves by perpetuating an ailment by how we approach it mentally. I love the idea of self healing, healing from within.
sweetness:
"at the height of laughter, the universe is flung into a kaleidoscope of new possibilities." - Jean Houston
This is a lovely posting, but who wrote it?
- Lindsey G.
I thought that the chair exercise was very interesting. I felt a definite difference in the way I got out of the chair in each situation. When I was thinking about being tired, I found it challenging to get myself to stand up, and an effort had to be made. When I was feeling eager to please I found it much easier to get out of the chair, but the movement seemed very sudden or quick. As soon as I felt my partner pull at all I was quick to stand up. Then, when thinking that I did not want to get out of the chair, I actually felt myself resist a little bit, yet I still stood up with more ease than when I was thinking about being tired. Finally, when thinking about letting my head be free and leading with my head, I was able to get out of the chair with little or no effort. I felt almost as if I was floating up out of the chair. I could also feel this difference when my partner allowed her head to lead.
In the exercise with the tops of our heads pressed together, I found it difficult to feel the extension of my spine at first. However, after several minutes I did feel as if my partner became an extension of me, and that we were moving as one. This feeling of extension remained with me even for a while after ending the contact.
In the final exercise, I was surprised to find how much space I could find in my spine and neck. I would have thought that it would be very difficult to keep contact with my partner when bending my knees, yet it was quite easy. This makes me think that I am naturally compressing my spine and neck and that there is a lot of extension that could be found there. ~Miranda Schmidt
Yet more proof that the state of our minds have more influence than we realize. I have always been a firm believer that thoughts manifest actions. I wake with the intention each morning to be grateful and optimistic. Even though I may not always accomplish this intention, I have found that it has gotten me through some pretty tough days and situations.
I was intrigued by the simplicity of the exercises and their effectiveness. I especially appreciated the connection I had with my partner during the head to head exercise and the last one we did to lengthen the spine. I felt a true connection and commitment to self discovery.
I never noticed that I carried tension in my neck daily. This exercise really opened to my eyes to the feeling of a free floating neck. When given the command to get up eagerly, I felt like I just floated up. I also felt this way with the command of having a free floating neck. I like the easy feeling that it gave off. With the other commands I felt a struggle in both myself and my partner. I felt like I had to exert a lot of effort to do such a simple thing.
This exercise allowed me to realize the benefits of a free and open neck. It is beneficial to your spine but in turn affects your whole body. This past week I’ve tried to pay close attention to my neck and posture, especially at while at the computer. I tend to slouch and I know that that can negative effects on my body. I’ve been catching myself slipping back into old habits, but it’s a work in progress.
-Jasmine Boado
During the partner standing up exercise, I found that what your mind is thinking really does effect how your physically person and your ability to complete a task. The thought that most negatively affected me and my partner was #3”I don’t want to get out of the Chair!” This really made a connection for me of what test anxiety is like or not believing you can do something. The very thought you can’t do the task makes it harder to do. Though I don’t have test anxiety, there have been times when I really thought I couldn’t do a class project to the point where it really affected my ability to work though the problem. So big life lesson of the day is “pull my head out of my ass(or rather away from my tail) and get the task at hand done”
The rocking with our heads together was hard for my partner and I. Our heads kept coming unconnected, so we had to keep finding one another and bonking heads. It wasn’t that fun. Though in the end, I did feel as though my spine had been lengthened.
I liked the head holding exercise. It was a strange sensation with you body moving down, but your head remaining still. It seemed like I was defying some physical law.
-Sandi Viall
Who would have known that there was an answer to my chronic hunched, contracted, computer- worshipping position. Though it is awful how strong of a tendency I have toward contracting, I am proud of how often I have been able to remind myself to extend my head up and to open my shoulders and my heart (part of the yoga class I've also been taking). I am curious to see how new computer/desk designs begin to promote healthier positioning. By expanding the relationship between my head and my spine I immediately let go of tension and gain clarity in my thinking. It is a powerful tool that I am happy to have. - Suzanne Wilson
February 18, 2009
The Alexander technique has been informing a new element in my life experience. I view the practice as a sort of bodyfulness (ie: mindfulness). With this practice, in its simplicity and precision, I feel able to observe the alignment of my body, and then, even more intricately, my spine. When I remember to position my head and feel the cone above it, I connect with more space. In this simple exercise of expanding my bodies relationship with space, I feel a sense of opening and ease. I feel more able to by in my whole of my body. Maybe this is because I feel like I have more room for all my energy; or because I can now feel and incorporate the energy field that I have. I feel really grateful to be taking this class, and I look forward to taking more. I think that using the body as a tool of empirical exploration is critical in our evolution as humans. We can, through these practices, transform ourselves from intellectual seekers, to more grounded, more alive, human beings. I know that this is the main foundation for my current transformative process: learning to embrace the 'feminine' (the world, the body, the senses). The Alexander technique is a way to notice the patterns that create our visceral-reality. Working with a partner, I was able to notice the subtle shifts of sensory and mental energetic concentration. Witnessing and participating in this experience through another body was really beneficial to seeing how positive changes arise from small shifts of focus. This is encouraging to change, and to nourishment and growth for humans.
++aa roesch-knapp
For the first exercise for the day, I thought the first and the third commands yielded similar results for me, while the second and the fourth commands yielded their own similar results. When I thought “I am very tired”, it was hard for me to get out of the chair, but I did it anyways because I felt like I had to. My body felt like jello, and I got out of the chair just for the heck of it. However, when I thought “I have decided that I absolutely do not want to get out of the chair”, my body was really resisting against my partner’s command. My upper body was leaning forward to get ready to get out of the chair, but my lower body felt like it was glued to the chair. This is probably because my brain was thinking “I am going to do everything in my power to remain seated and not get out of the chair!” When I thought “I am eager to please and to do what my partner wants”, I immediately jumped out of the chair. It’s funny how my body was able to quickly shift from thought #1 to thought #2. Lastly, when I thought “am thinking about allowing my neck to be free and thinking about allowing my head to lead so that all of me follows”, my body felt very light, and it was easy for me to get out of the chair.
And with the plie exercise, I was surprised when I felt my neck lengthened. It’s like my neck was sliding out of my body, and my head moved with it. I had no idea my neck could stretch that much; I always thought I had to strain my neck to make it longer. Sliding seems to be gentler than straining, so from now on, if I ever want to extend my neck, I'll just 'slide' it :)
During this practice I actually felt a real connection to what we were trying to achieve. I think that the partner work was really helpful. Getting out of the chair with simply different thoughts had a very large impact on the way my body decided to get out of the chair, I didn't even have to work out what I was doing or anticipate what my body would do, it just went along with my thoughts.
The ultimate connection was when we did the partner work and we bent our knees to moves away from our partners hands on our foreheads but still worked to reach towards them. This manuever caused me to really feel the sense of the neck being long and the head floating up and away from the body. After class, walking around felt so easy. It went away but I really made a connection to how the reading described tasks such as walking, sitting, etc. becoming completely effortless, not just simply another repetitive thing I am used to doing.
Before this class I already knew that thoughts could affect the body. My mom has done a few activities based on this idea but I never have. So it was really exciting for me to get to do this.
The heads together and rocking back technique was nice. It had a sort of calming effect to be connected to a person in that way, and when we disconnected my head felt freer from my body.
The lengthening activity was one of my favorites of the day though. When I would plie and try to keep my head in the same place, I felt as if my whole torso was lengthening. I initially thought that my neck would stretch or feel like it was lengthening but for me this exercise affected my entire upper half. Perhaps with keeping my head in one place while lowering my lower body/hips helped me to achieve a 'straighter' or more anatomically correct alignment of my upper body.
-Lauren Cook
This class did not have the same "wowing" factor that other classes had. Maybe it was because I was extremely exhausted when I got to class, but I just did not find myself being surprised at how the mind affects the body like I have been in all of the other classes. The first exercise, where we pulled our partners out of a chair while having them think some command, did not really work out for my partner and I. I felt as though each command, when she said them to me, was hard to just think about. My body wanted to act them out, but Louis said to try not to act. It was probably my resistance to acting that made it so my partner hardly felt a difference in the way I felt as she pulled me out of the chair. When I was pulling my partner out of the chair, I could feel a slight difference when I said, "You absolutely do not want to get out of that chair." For all of the other commands, her resistance was the same, but for this one it was slightly stronger. I think that perhaps my partner and I were not doing the exercise correctly because we didn't feel much changes.
The exercise where we placed our heads together was interesting to me My partner and I had a hard time actually keeping our heads together! At first, kept feeling this bounce between our heads because we would push when it wasn't one of our turns to push. After a few minutes, we discovered that it was necessary to keep steady pressure between us, and then the "bouncing" went away. When we were connected correctly it was an awesome feeling, but it was even more interesting when we disconnected because of the lightness that I felt in my head
The last exercise, where we did plies and tried to lengthen ourselves, worked really well for me. It was really interesting to feel my body stretch out and lengthen up to my partners hands as I was doing a plie. I felt like my body was growing, and it really made me feel as though I was standing up straight and correctly with good posture.
~Melissa Eckstrom
It was my partner who sat down first and waited for me to pull her up. Her body had more tension and felt much heavier when I told her to be tired or not willing to stand up. It was exactly the opposite way when I told her to be eager to stand up. As for having her head lead the way, it felt much smoother. She felt exactly the same thing for me when it was my turn to sit down and think of the same situations. Our mind was subconsciously controlling our body and with Alexander's technique it was easier to figure that out.
As for the last exercise where we had to contact each other through our head and move, I didn't feel much and my mind was very busy thinking about the three midterms I had coming up. :)
~Afsoon Fazeli
The chair exercise with our partners was very perplexing to me. I found it difficult to not seem eager when I got out of the chair when told to think that I should feel eager to please, or seem more more hesitant when I was suppose to think that I absolutely did not want to get out of the chair. It's difficult to keep your body from doing something different than what you are suppose to feel. This exercise made me feel detached from my body as if I was thinking one thing but my body was doing another thing.
The fusion of two central nervous systems exercise was a very, very unique experience for me. My partner and I did not seem to have the right connection and we could not keep a steady back and forth motion going for longer than a few seconds. After a few seconds we would detached and I wondered if she was feeling the same way I did.
I also loved the whole concept you described called leading with your head. It was something I did the rest of the day and I definitely felt much more calmness in my body. I realized all the pressure people tend to exert throughout the day can be very extraneous and unnecessary.
-Hanalore Alupay
The chair exercise was quite interesting. I got to understand my body mind connection very well. I was the first person to sit. I was very tired on Thursday, so it was not hard for me to think of being tired. I wanted to sit there, and my partner told me that it was hard for her to pull me out of the chair. Then for the second one, I quickly let go of the tired thought, smiled, and got up quickly to please my partner. For the third thought of not wanting to get out of the chair, I kept thinking this is the time to say no and sit, and I could tell that my partner had a harder time pulling me out of the chair. When I thought about my neck being free, I got to smoothly get up from my chair without any tension or effort. I even got up quicker than when I wanted to please my partner.
The next exercise was a little odd for me. My partner and I did not connect very well for it. At first we wanted to rock in different directions, and then after that our heads kept moving away from each other, and we would lose the connection. I think if we had more time with this exercise we would have got a lot more out of it.
Sahar Z.
I think that by this point I have a fairly good understanding of Alexander technique. I have been exposed to it in two of your classes now. The exercise with the four thoughts we were told to think while our partners guided us to standing was interesting. I think the person you used as an example may have gotten the best experience, however. She had no idea what questions you were about to ask so her mind was blank and open for the exercise. I don't know how the rest of the class felt but, I felt this sense of resisting the motion of standing in response to questions one and two (because you don't want to get up when your tired and obviously you don't want to get out of the chair if you don't want to get out of the chair); I also felt easier about wanting to stand in response to question two; for the final question I just felt real neutral towards standing because I was focusing on my head moving up and forward.
I find myself adjusting my posture constantly now. I think I have mentioned this before but I notice the bad posture most when I am driving. Then when I realize that I am not allowing my head to move forward and up from my spine and correct myself I feel this huge relief within my body. It's a constant battle having to remind myself all the time but it will be worth it in the end.
*Kali
More than anything else, what stands out to me from the practices and readings regarding the Alexander Technique is the connection between physical and emotional aspects for our overall health. In the one reading, the author was so positively impacted by Alexander’s teachings that his whole physical well-being improved. I find this fascinating, and I agree with findings that indicate our emotions can positively and negatively affect our physical health. It makes the knowledge learned so much more important than just a class assignment, and I feel it is already helping me deal with the tension I carry within my body.
In trying the thinking thoughts with the standing position, I found the “I am tired” and “I want to please my partner” the easiest, because I was both tired and it is my nature to want to please. I found the refusal to do what my partner wanted the hardest, because that seemed so uncooperative. The allowing my neck to be free was surprisingly easy now, which I took to mean that I am starting to grasp the Alexander Technique.
In all of our exercises, we have been experimenting with combining ideas such as trust and control with movements, and it has been mind-stretching to see how different thoughts effect different movements. It has been especially fun to work with our partners. I am learning to be able to enjoy the sensations of movements without being totally distracted by the touch or the idea that I look ridiculous. The Alexander Technique may just be changing my outlook on life, because I am finding myself thinking of the Alexander Technique at the oddest moments of my day. It has afforded me an immediate technique for lifting my mood – I just stretch my neck a bit and think of lightening the effect of gravities pull. I also visualize my favorite childhood animal, a giraffe, which helps me lengthen and stretch my posture as well as my mind.
During the first exercise (the chair one) I clearly felt the effect of the thoughts on the body. The fourth step with relaxing the neck was the one with the most effect. I was tired (as was almost everyone else) and hence the first (I am very tired) and the third (I am not moving) ones were very easy to do. I was still little bit tired on the second step but on the fourth, it seemed as if momentarily I wasn't tired (or say relatively less tired), and it simply felt good.
The second exercise was a change and I could not help but feeling a heavy weight on my head (where it touched my partner's head) even though we were horizontal(and only pushing very softly). Maybe it was the weight of the pseudo lengthened spine.
Finally, after the class was over, I though it would have been *very cool* if my parents had learnt the whole Alexander's technique and would calm me (whenever I got angry) or woke me up by saying, "Param (or any of the sweet addressing words), Relax your neck and let your head to calm you or get you out of the bed!"
For the past year I have been really trying to explore the body-mind connection on my own. I have become more aware of negative thoughts in my mind and how those manifest themselves in my body.
Today was a very interesting day because I haven't explored thoughts like "I am tired" and how that affects someone's ability to pull me up. I suppose I have focused more on how negative thoughts cause me physical stress/anxiety/overall poopiness. But it's all coming together! The more I am mindful of my body and mind the more I can tell myself, "self, you had that negative thought, but it's okay you can let it go" or "you are feeling mentally tense and so is your neck, let it float free."
Awareness, however, is the big step 1.
I also really loved the rocking back and forth with my partner. At first it didn't really mean much, but towards the end I caught a glimpse of the lengthening and direction. When I did yoga today, we got into hands and knees and it feels completely different now. I imagined my partners head and mine, the rocking back and forth, and was able to connect with my head and tail in a way that I never have before.
-L.O'Neill
This classes exercises- that concluded the Alexander technique, I found that I was able to gain the most from. the first exrcise, where we were told the comands with our partner, was very challenging for me. It was hard for me to internalize what they were saying and not allow it to effect m bodies movement. With each command, I felt that my body was acting for the commands. My partner and I went through the commands 3 full times each. By the third time of the 4th command, I was able to really free the tension from my neck. The first two times I did this command, it was the only one that my body was having trouble following. But in the end it was what I ended up beinging able to do with my body no matter what the command was. Sonce this class I have been trying to let my neck be free. I have notice that my posture has changed and I also no longer have a sore back after a long day of classes.
The second exercise was also very benificial for me. I was really abel to feel the connection of my head an tail. At first, y partner and I were having trouble moving in sync, but once were were able to flow together, I understood the importance of the exercise. -Kristen Shapton
1. Since working on the Alexander technique in class, I have been trying to incorporate aspects of it into my daily life. I have had chronic back pain since I can’t remember. After class, I have been trying to focus on how I sit and walk. I now am very more aware of my body and no longer have back pain. I discovered that it could be directly related to how I sit and my posture. After doing some research on the technique I discovered how many benefits the technique can have on your body, breathing, and overall self-awareness. My friend Jill is a singer, and I mentioned the technique to her over the phone after class. I thought that it was so interesting that I wanted to tell her about it, but she has already been practicing aspects of the technique to better her voice and stamina for her singing career. --Kristen Shapton
The four different thoughts are so radically different and so purposefully constructed I'm still in awe of how brilliant the Alexander technique is. Now, laying down on the grass and writing in my journal, I think these thoughts and I feel sensations going through my entire body, even without a partner to obey or a chair to sit on. I still feel rushed and a little incomplete doing these exercises one right after the other, it makes me feel unprepared and unfocused. When I repeat the teachings of the Alexander technique on my own time, I think i get much better results. The relatively minute changes we are directed to make under this practice call for a clear and focused mind. The dance studio is often an effective setting for progress to be made, but I have always struggled with letting go of the sensation of time passing by and the entire class watching me make a fool of myself.
-Eugenia Prezhdo
Post a Comment