Posture and the Alexander Technique: Posture that works
Page 2: The truth about posture
Page 3: Four reasons for NOT sitting up
Page 4: Posture that works
Here’s how you get good posture.
Constructive Rest
Before you try anything else learn Constructive Rest. Its a really useful thing you can do for yourself. Read about Constructive Rest here or let this video show you how.
Once you’ve started using Constructive Rest
Here’s what you need to learn next.
Strange as it may seem, the first principle is always this: absolutely avoid making any effort to sit or stand straight. (You learnt about this in the previous article). Any such effort to sit or stand straight will only make your head/neck joint even stiffer.
Basic Alexander theory you need to understand
I mentioned the reason why your head/neck joint gets stiff in the first article. The reason is unreliable kinaesthesia. Understanding unreliable kinaesthesia is the real core of the Alexander Technique. Click here to understand unreliable kinaesthesia.
Back from investigating unreliable kinaesthesia
So what’s the secret?
We’ve just found that the real problem of posture is:–
You are dragged down as part of everything you do.
The pulling down feels like a necessary part of your movement — so essential that, if you are not allowed to do it, you can’t perform the movement. The result? If you so much as breathe, you tighten and pull down. (And, since it feels like a normal part of the movement, you don’t even notice it happening). [excerpt from “Unreliable Kinaesthesia”]
In this posture article, you discovered that this pulling down starts with the head/neck joint. This stiffening of the head/neck joint is one of those things that feels “so essential that, if you are not allowed to do it, you can’t perform the movement”. To stop doing it, you are going to have to …
choose to allow your movement to be fundamentally wrong.
because …
Unless you do, you will never again move freely and easily.
[from the conclusion to “Unreliable Kinaesthesia”]
Practical conclusions
Horses for courses: no attempt to improve your posture is going to do the job properly unless it removes the reason it isn’t right already. If anybody claims to improve posture, check whether they are even aware of this reason.
Alexander Technique teachers are of course aware of it (although they may not be able to express it as clearly as I have done). This reason, unreliable kinaesthesia, is FM Alexander’s essential discovery. The stature of his discovery can be judged by the fact that over 100 years later most posture “experts” still haven’t got the message.
For instance, not allowing for unreliable kinaesthesia is why many people come to me to get sorted out after having being messed up by core strength work.
No written account can do the Alexander Technique justice. If you think I have made an even half-way decent case, you will need to test it. You can do that by getting yourself to an Alexander teacher. One lesson should be enough to make up your mind for you. Find an Alexander teacher: in the UK or in other countries.
But first discover Constructive Rest
Constructive Rest is a very easy and effective thing you can learn and do by yourself. To learn how, read these articles or watch this video.
Further Resources
Here are some ways I can help you further.
Wherever you live
- If you’re not already getting my free weekly article delivered to your inbox, then go here to get it.
- Repoise is our membership site for people who are serious about improving themselves (and getting out of pain as they do that). Find out more here: SmilingBackMethod.com/Repoise
When you join, you will:–
- have daily access to me. Together we will work out what’s going wrong for you and how to fix it
- learn from reading other Repoise members’ questions and following their progress as they work with me
- get access to all my articles, not just the ones that are published on my web-site
- I’m writing a book about my work. It will come out on the 1st July 2010. The book I was going to write this year (on the Tube Principle) was a bit too specialised so I changed my mind about writing that book. This new book will still include a chapter or two on the Tube Principle — and, of course, much more besides.
If you’re in Liverpool (or can get to Liverpool)
- I’m also running introductory workshops in Liverpool teaching you how to apply my work to improve your life. Go here for details of the next workshop: SmilingBackMethod.com/workshop
- There’s no substitute for individual lessons. Ring me on 0151 708 6172 to book your initial lesson. (Leave your number so I can get back to you).
If you’re further away and can’t get to Liverpool
- There’s still no substitute for individual lessons. Here’s where you can find a teacher near you in the UK or elsewhere
- Remember to still do the things I listed above for everyone. Even if you’re having lessons from someone else, you will find these a very great help. They’ll help you understand your lessons better and get a lot more out of them. All my own pupils read my weekly articles and several of them are active members of Repoise.
