Physical and mental freedom

One of the core principles of Alexander Technique is the inseparability of body and mind. Although the Technique is often associated with ‘physical’ improvements in posture and movement, these benefits are initiated through a change in thinking. The practice of constructive thinking empowers the student in sustaining positive physical and mental attitudes.

‘Mind drives the body’ is only part of the picture

The most common inspiration to learn Alexander Technique comes from physical symptoms of pain, discomfort or poor posture. In lessons, new abstract knowledge can make an immediate impact: learning the location of a joint, for instance, may trigger a spontaneous ‘mapping’ of the joint in the pupil’s body and generate a new quality of movement. The teacher may reinforce this ‘physical’ sensation of effective movement by guiding the student verbally and manually.

At other times, beyond acquiring and embodying knowledge, a whole paradigm shift may be what liberates the student from a habitually compromising pattern. One of the most prevalent challenges is rigidity brought on by a pupil’s desire to ‘sit up straight.’ When this well-intended effort is misdirected, it becomes confounding. In the Alexander Technique paradigm, one refrains from pushing the body into a shape and instead takes an indirect approach to create positive poise.

Bodily sensations are a message to the brain

Since our reflexes and many of our postural patterns happen unconsciously, the brain uses the sensory information from the body to figure out what mental state it should be in. As much as the mind can create a physical state, the body is creating a mental state.

Bodily stiffness can generate irritability as much as anxiety might create tension. Depression can manifest as a lethargic movement, just as a collapsed posture may create grumpiness. These are viscous negative cycles, however as the Alexander Technique student accrues experience and builds competence, the opposite trend starts to emerge.

A positive change in either mental or physical aspect will have a positive impact on the associated symptom. The pleasant sensations of openness and expansiveness which are generated by well-coordinated poise give the brain messages of comfort and safety. With such a positive context, it is difficult to be grumpy. The more one is buoyant and expansive in the body, the more thinking becomes clear and positive. As we find we are able to exercise choice in how we coordinate our movement, we build curiosity, then confidence that we can exercise choice in thinking.

Unifying body and mind in practice

Traditions which are centred on meditation have utilised this for centuries. For example, a fundamental instruction in sitting zen meditation is to keep upright poise, and this training in ‘mindfulness’ calls for the application of a mental attitude to physical action and poise. When negative thoughts arise, they have inevitable physical manifestations. Redirecting the associated tension or lethargy into organised movement or poise means the negative physical experience is no longer fuelling the negative thought. If the negative thought persists, it won’t feel so bad, and will therefore have less influence on one’s activity and emotional state.

This phenomenon is exemplified by musicians using Alexander Technique. Making changes to balance and poise, musicians not only find their instrumental technique more accessible and the instrument more responsive, but also that they are able to engage more positively in the music. Anxiety about potential errors may not disappear, but deprived of associated tension, puts the performer in a better state to play with accuracy. If the feared error is still played, the musician is also in a better state to let it pass and attend to the current phrase.

Being in the moment

Bringing consciousness to sensations also has another function: since we can only observe and direct the things we sense right now, it brings the mind to the present moment. So much stress is created when the mind dwells on past deeds and fear created by imagining future peril. The body cannot time-travel the way the mind does - it cannot coordinate itself to respond to past or future events. Memory and planning are critical functions which are discussed elsewhere in this blog - for now we can conclude that being ‘in the moment’ reaffirms the unity of body and mind.

True freedom in thought and action

Through the physical attitudes of others, we can sense their emotional states. Although it may be misleading at times, we won't perceive someone tense in body as being in a relaxed state of mind, or someone collapsed in stature as feeling uplifted in spirit. Alexander Technique, however, introduces an element of choice over how we use our bodies. Being able to do so gives rise to the freedom of thought that can embrace change in cyclic or habitual thinking.