Why you should never correct your semi-supine position
It doesn’t matter how skilful you are. Bend a bent piece of wire to straighten it and you’ve got an extra kink in your piece of wire.
If you bend a young tree over, it gives. It bends supply and pliably. It makes no attempt to keep straight.
But stop bending it and, suddenly, it’s straight again, swaying effortlessly in the breeze.
So which do you want to be like?
Stiff like the wire or supple like the young tree?
If you’re stiff like the wire and trying to straighten yourself out, adjusting yourself may be the way to go. You’ll be stiffer and have more kinks in you — but may appear straighter.
That’s the classic posture advice we all know so well
… and much good did it ever do anyone.
Better to stay crooked
Better to stay crooked until whatever is making you crooked lets go.
You need to just lie there and notice that you feel crooked. Notice the tightness that seems to be pulling you over. Notice the details. Notice your temptation to straighten out.
… and see what happens.
But of course nothing will happen
If you wait and do nothing, nothing is going to happen. How could it?
It can and it will
First, what’s bending you?
Your own muscles.
Why are they bending you?
Because you’re telling them to
“But I just want to be straight”.
I’m sure you do but …
Do you know when you’re straight?
“What do you take me for? Of course I know when I’m straight!”
No you don’t. Neither do most people. If they did they wouldn’t have bad posture. How many people do you know who have good posture? Not many, I’m sure.
So why do most people have bad posture?
Mostly because they’re trying to have good posture but don’t know when their posture is good and when it is bad.
They don’t know what straight is either. So you’re in good company.
An example
Dave Robinson (name changed) thinks his left shoulder is higher than his right. So he pulls it down to compensate.
Actually his right shoulder is higher than his left … and the more he pulls his left shoulder down, the more out of alignment he gets.
His attempt to straighten himself only makes him more crooked
He knows he is bent. So, just as he would do with the piece of wire, he bends himself again in order to straighten out.
If he were to stop struggling to become straight he could be like the tree and just be straight.
Dave simply needs to stop twisting himself like the wire.
Then he’ll just swing into shape — like the young tree.
It’s easy for the tree.
For a person, it requires more than just semi-supine. What’s needed is the patient learning, and application of, Alexander lessons.
… but semi-supine certainly helps.
So the trick to semi-supine is to lie as you fall
Don’t correct your position. Don’t wriggle. Just let your body decide where straight is. Let it fall into place.
… as easily as the young tree does when left to its own devices.
The other articles in this category are here:‒
Personal Coaching by Philip Pawley
If you want to get the best kind of help, come to me for an introductory lesson in Liverpool.
If you’re too far away, then the next best thing is to get personal lessons and advice from me online at Repoise.com, my on-line school. (Both far-away and local pupils use Repoise).
In more detail:–
If you’re in Liverpool (or can get to Liverpool)
- There’s nothing better than individual lessons. My practice is at 37 Hope Street, Liverpool L1. Ring me on 0151 708 6172 to book an initial consultation and first lesson. (Leave your number so I can get back to you).
-
If you’re short of funds, you can still have first class training from me — though it will require a little more work on your part.
The thing to do is have an individual, in-person lesson just once a month. That will entitle you to also get regular on-line lessons from me through Repoise. That way, you have the best of both worlds: in-person lessons and very regular, even daily, on-line Personal Coaching by Philip Pawley from me. That’s a real bargain because Repoise costs the equivalent of three lessons a year to everyone else.
Ring me on 0151 708 6172 if you want to arrange this.
- I occasionally run group lessons. If you’re interested in these, go here for details.
If you’re further away and can’t get to Liverpool
- There’s still nothing better than individual lessons. Here’s where you can find a teacher near you in the UK or elsewhere
- I suggest you also get direct day-to-day guidance from me by joining Repoise.
If you’re having plain Alexander Technique lessons from someone else, you still need to discover the Smiling Back Method of the Alexander Technique. You’ll get a lot more out of your lessons when you do.
37 Hope Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 9EA, England
Telephone: +44 151 708 6172 Mobile: +44 7872 905 154
Copyright © 2007-2012 Philip Pawley
SmilingBackMethod.com
