Stand, Sit & Walk Tall and Pain-free
This is much easier to show than describe, so here’s
a short video that shows you what to do.
Since it’s not always possible to watch a video, here’s a written description.
It’s best if you stand up to learn this little exercise in self-observation. When you’ve learnt it, you will also be able to practise it while sitting or walking.
Here’s what you do:—
- Put the fingers of one hand on top of the other
- With your hands together like that, place your hands on the lower part of your belly
- Pressing in very lightly with the little finger side of your hands, move your hands down until the little fingers rest under your belly. You should be able to feel your hip bones with your forearms.
- Just leave your hands there, pressing lightly so that you can feel the gentle pressure of the little-finger side of your hand.
That hand pressure will help you get a sense of the your belly coming up out of your legs and connecting back and up into the middle of your back.
Once you’ve got some sense of that, try walking around a little. When you get that sense of back-and-upness out of your legs while standing, you’ll also find yourself walking more lightly. If you find yourself losing your balance, that’s a good sign: it takes your sense of balance some time to adjust to this freer and easier way to move.
You can then also try it sitting at the computer or at the dinner table. Again it will help you to come up out of your legs and sit taller and more lightly.
When you’ve got some sense of your belly easing up out of your legs you can take your hands away and just continue to sense it — almost as though your hands were still there.
If you make a habit of using your hands in this way and so repeating this little reminder to yourself, it will begin to be second nature to move in this new way. Just as with any skill, the more often you do it, the better you get and the more you’ll benefit.
Things to avoid
- Make sure you don’t try to push anything into place with your hands. A very gentle pressure will remind your body of how it’s meant to work. If you try pushing, you’ll just set up a resistance. That would be totally counter-productive.
- You’re likely to react to the changes by leaning backwards even more. You may remember that I’ve mentioned at various times that most people habitually lean backwards. If you’re not watching for it, you may well end up doing that even more. If you are watching for it, you may find that you can also catch yourself doing it. That simple act of noticing it will be enough to make you do it less.
So watch yourself sideways in a long mirror from time to time as you’re practising this hands-under-your-belly self-observation exercise. If you find you’ve leant backwards don’t try and correct yourself — that won’t work. Instead go and do something else. Next time you do it will probably be better.
This article is included under the following categories:‒
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
