Alexander Technique Help for Computer Users – Part 1: Awareness

Posted on February 19, 2012 by

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with technology

Many of us, me included, have a love-hate relationship with technology – our computers, laptops, iPads, tablets and cell phones. We love everything they do for us: that seamless interface that connects us, almost instantaneously, with the world. We use them to get information, to interact with other people, for entertainment; we can produce complex documents, conduct research and solve problems, create images, presentations, videos and much more.  What we don’t love, often, is how we feel after using this technology. Excess tension, poor posture, headaches, neck aches and back aches are all too common after hours spent at the computer, not to mention the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries.

I would contend, however, that it isn’t actually working at the computer that is necessarily the cause of all these problems. Rather, it is the way we work – it is the way we sit, or hunch our shoulders, or the way we grip the mouse for instance. While a sedentary life-style is known not to be the healthiest choice, how we sit at the computer can make a huge difference in how we feel.

Alexander Technique Teacher, Imogen Ragone, works at her computer

Imogen working at her computer

This subject dear to my heart, as I spend a lot of time working at the computer myself. I not only teach the Alexander Technique, I also design websites, mainly for other Alexander teachers, actively use the web and social media to educate people about this wonderful Technique, and much more. Indeed the Technique has given me the ability to work at the computer more mindfully, productively, with healthier posture and less tension.

While not a replacement for in-person Alexander Technique instruction, in this series of blog posts, I will be providing pointers to help your experience at the computer be more comfortable.

We can begin by cultivating a broader awareness while we use the computer. We are usually so immersed in our work (or game, or video, or Facebook…) that we forget about our body (until it starts to hurt, perhaps) and the space around us. We are totally sucked into the world on the screen in front of us. As a first step to mitigating this, broaden your awareness to include the room around you. If you have a window – look out! Look around and be aware of what’s behind you and to either side of you, at what’s beyond the computer in front of you. Can you maintain awareness of this, even for a few moments, as you return to the screen?

But how can we remember to be aware when the pull of the screen is so strong? It takes practice! It can be useful to set yourself a reminder or alert every so often. I find this mindfulness bell less jarring than many alarms.

What do you find are the biggest challenges to working at the computer? Did you try the awareness exercise? Did anything change? Was it difficult? Please let me know in the comments below.

Image of Laptop: Ohmega1982 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted in Computers and Technology | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Alexander Technique Therapy?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by
Alexander Technique teachers use touch to help the students learn.

Alexander Technique teachers use touch, as well as verbal and visual cues, to teach their students.

Recently I came across a health alert from Johns Hopkins that refers to the Alexander Technique as a therapy, and a couple of weeks ago someone used the word treatment is describing the Technique on my Facebook page. This happens quite often.

However, the Alexander Technique is not a therapy or a treatment. Rather, it is a set of skills which you learn in lessons or classes – an educational process. However, through learning the Alexander Technique you will likely reap the benefits of using your whole body in a more coordinated, easeful way – such as a reduction in pain or tension, improvements in posture and body awareness, or feeling calmer and more confident.

The confusion comes about, I believe, because of three main things.

  1. Alexander Technique teachers use touch to help guide their students, and so the Technique can be confused with bodywork. The use of the hands, however, is just a teaching tool, and is used as an adjunct to verbal instructions, demonstration and other visual cues. Touch helps the teacher have a better understanding of what is going on in the student, more precisely than observation alone. For the student the teacher’s hands enhance awareness, and guide an experience of movement so the student can more accurately interpret the teacher’s demonstration or verbal instruction.
  2. While part of a lesson is spent learning ways to bring more ease and efficiency of movement to a variety of different activities (from everyday movements such as sitting, standing and walking, to a more specialist activity tailored to the needs of the student), the other part is often spent lying down on a massage-type table while the teacher uses touch to help you let go of tension. Superficially this may seem quite similar to various types of bodywork or therapy, but, while the student is more passive, it is still a learning situation in which the student is asked to use awareness and conscious thought. In fact, the student is learning very important skills in letting go of unnecessary tension. Indeed, if we can’t first learn to do this lying down, there’s not much hope of being able to do it in the middle of a complex activity.
  3. You invariably feel better after an Alexander Technique lesson than you did before! After all, this is a  lesson in which you study and practice letting go of unwanted and unnecessary tension, both lying down and in various activities. Students often report feeling lighter, taller, more relaxed and at ease in their body.

Alexander Technique teachers are not medically trained, and cannot make a medical diagnosis. What they can do, is teach you ways to engage mind and body so you can move more freely and with less tension, and learning this may very well have therapeutic benefits. For you to make progress you cannot rely solely on your teacher -  you must actively participate in the process and practice on your own between lessons.

Does this distinction seem clear to you? It’s very important to most Alexander Technique teachers. What do you think?

Posted in Alexander Technique | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Chronic Health Problems: What Role Does the Alexander Technique Play?

Posted on February 1, 2012 by

Solving the PuzzleThis past weekend I attended an event entitled “Hidden Causes of Chronic Conditions: Solving the Puzzle,” which included as its main feature a panel discussion with some of the region’s top alternative therapists (all with traditional medical training or science/research backgrounds as well). They shared interesting information on holistic approaches to a variety of chronic conditions, and were very informative on many alternative and cutting-edge approaches that take into account the health of the whole person, not just the one symptom.

I was very impressed by their body of knowledge, and agreed with much of their assessment of the ways in which a purely traditional medical approach can fail in helping patients to actually be healthy. At the end of the afternoon members of the audience had the chance to ask questions. Unfortunately time was up before I was able to ask the question that seemed particularly relevant to me as an Alexander Technique teacher. My question would have been something like this:

“Do you take into consideration how someone uses their body – their posture/alignment or level of tension, for instance – and how that could affect some chronic conditions, such as back pain, breathing problems or gastro-intestinal issues?”

I could have demonstrated collapsed posture, showing how it not only effects the integrity of the spine, but also reduces and restricts breathing capacity and squashes the digestive organs. It seems to me that a method like the Alexander Technique, which teaches people to release tension and decompress the spine and body as a whole, could be a very useful tool to help alleviate some conditions.

In fact, in 2008 the British Medical Journal published the results of a large-scale back pain study which showed that learning the Alexander Technique had long-term benefits for people with chronic back pain. Even one year later, those who had 24 Alexander Technique lessons had an 86% reduction of days in pain compared with the control group.

As far as I know there have been no similar studies (certainly not large-scale) to investigate the possible usefulness of the Alexander Technique for breathing or gastro-intestinal problems. However, it seems like common sense to me that if a person is constantly in a collapsed state (which would decrease the amount of space for the lungs to expand and the ribs to move) breathing is affected. Similarly the digestive organs will be squashed together, which I can’t imagine would be good digestive health.

The way people use their body (their coordination, posture, freedom of movement) is a factor that is often overlooked, sometimes even by medical professionals who are otherwise working in a holistic way. I believe it plays an important part in our overall health and wellbeing, and I would have been interested to hear what the panel had to say.

So instead, I’m asking you the question!

Do you think posture, coordination and tension could be a contributing factor to some chronic conditions?

There will be another panel discussion on February 25. If you live in Wilmington, DE or the surrounding area, I encourage you to check it out. If the first one is anything to go by, it will be interesting, informative and well worth your while.

Image: digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted in Alexander Technique | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Alexander Technique and the Power of Thinking

Posted on January 26, 2012 by

Alexander Technique and the Power of Thought
The Alexander Technique is often thought of as a method to help improve your posture and coordination – and it certainly does those things. However, what you learn when you study the Alexander Technique is how to think – and how our thoughts, both conscious and subconscious, affect everything we do, including… our posture and coordination!

As an experiment, imagine that you are very late for an important presentation – one that’s a big deal for your career, one that’s in front of many significant people, one you’ve been nervous about for weeks as you’ve prepared. Close your eyes and really think about this. Notice any changes in your body, to your breathing. How does it makes you feel?

If you’re like most people, your body had a visceral response to this. Maybe you noticed yourself tense up or your breath quicken. The situation you were thinking about was imaginary, but our thoughts are so powerful that our body responds as if it were real. In fact, I’d go a step further and say that our mind and our body are inextricably linked, so where one goes, the other is right there too.

So – how can our thinking help prevent back pain, or improve posture? You’d be surprised. Our habits by-pass conscious thought – in other words, we can do things without having to think them through from the start every time once we have learned how. Take sitting for example. We learn to sit up as a baby, and then we learn to sit in chairs, and so on. Once we know how, we don’t have to think through every step any more – we just sit! However, we may unconsciously be tensing up every time we sit (which would contribute to back pain or poor posture), and that extra tension has become a habitual part of the way we always sit. This is where conscious thought can intervene. The Alexander Technique teaches us to pause, to consciously reject our habitual way of sitting, for instance, and to redirect our thoughts to promote a better, more natural and supportive way of moving and positioning the body. If we skip the conscious rejection of the old habit, the letting go of what we don’t need, we will just be layering a new way of doing something on top of the old.

So, although we may think of Alexander Technique as a method that helps us physically – to move more freely, with less tension and better posture – the process is surprisingly mental. Changing the way we think is powerful, and is the key to making any changes, big or small.

Have you experienced times when changing the way you think about something (your mindset) has helped you find new possibilities or solutions? I’d love to hear from me in the comments below.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted in Alexander Technique, Habit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Save Time by Slowing Down!

Posted on January 18, 2012 by
What's the Rush?

What's the rush?

Have you ever had the experience of being in so much of a hurry to get out the door that you dash out without your bag or your keys, and have to come back to get them? Or you’re in such a rush to get that email out, that you forget to attach that crucial document, and end up having to resend it. Did you ever bump into something, or trip, because you were in so intent on getting where you were going you weren’t paying attention?

There are countless examples of how rushing actually causes us to make mistakes, take longer (the opposite of the purpose of hurrying!), or even get hurt.

In Alexander Technique terminology this concept is referred to as “end-gaining,” and is used to describe that blinkered focus on the end result that takes us out of the present, so we’re not actually paying attention to the process of how we get there. To be honest, I think “end-gaining” is the human condition. Most of us are so driven this way, we don’t even realize we are operating like this most of the time. It’s only when the hurrying becomes extreme (when we forget something, bump into something, make mistakes) that we might realize we were rushing too much. Through our intelligence and awareness, however, we can consciously bring ourselves into the present, so we can pay attention to the process, ensuring we go mindfully through all the steps necessary to fulfill our goal.

The Alexander Technique teaches us to notice when we are rushing ahead, and how it affects our entire way of moving and coordinating ourselves – how, in that rush to just “get on with it,” we pull and push our body into all sorts of unnecessary contortions and tensions. Even the simplest of tasks, walking across the room to get a book for instance, can pull us out of shape in our unintended hurry to reach the book. We’re so focused on getting that book we might unknowingly tense our neck, jut out our chin or push out our chest in our unconscious effort to get to the book quicker. The Alexander Technique helps us slow down internally, pause, notice that pull to rush ahead of ourselves and consciously decide not to go with it. Instead we can choose to stay present and move as a whole as we walk across the room, no one part of us getting ahead of the rest. This doesn’t mean we can’t move quickly, but that we can remain present while in process, moving consciously as a whole person.

Next time you’re dashing around in a blur to get something done, see if you can take a moment to pause and give yourself time! Make a mental note of the tasks you have to do, and stay present as you do them. The concept is simple – the practice can be anything but easy. What do you think? Have there been times in your life when rushing has actually lead to taking more time than needed? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Image: vegadsl / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted in Alexander Technique, Habit | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Feeling Cold, Excess Tension, and the Alexander Technique

Posted on January 9, 2012 by

Scrunching Up in the ColdLast week here in Wilmington, Delaware it was really cold. Maybe not as cold as in some parts of the country, but the high was below freezing for a couple of days. Even though the reported high Wednesday was 30°F, according to Weather.com it never “felt like” more than 20°F even at the “warmest” part of the day.

I mention this because I like to walk outside every day, usually for about 45 minutes. I do this partly for the exercise, but I also crave that time outside in the open air moving my body. For me exercising inside (which I sometimes do also, but not on a daily basis) doesn’t give me this satisfaction.

As I mostly walk alone I often like to use this time to specifically work with the Alexander Technique as a way to be aware of my body, my thoughts and my surroundings, and as a way of redirecting my thoughts consciously to prevent unnecessary tensions.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday I took my walk in the afternoon at the “warmest” time of day. Even so, despite my layers of clothing, I was still cold. I noticed that my habit was to respond to the cold by tensing up my body and contracting in on myself. I think this is very common. Imagine miming to someone the feeling of cold – you’d probably hunch your shoulders in, scrunch your neck, hold your arms real tight to yourself, and so on. Having practiced the Alexander Technique for years now, I was able to notice this very quickly and consciously prevent myself from allowing those unwelcome tensions. After all, I could let my clothes keep me warm (not the tension!).

More of a challenge, however, came as my finger tips started to throb from the cold. I noticed when I balled my hands up into more of a fist, to keep my finger tips more protected and to warm them up, it was very hard not to also tense my arms and tense my neck. I also put my hands in my pockets for a while (something I never normally do when walking, as I like to let them swing naturally), so the challenge was to not stiffen and tighten my shoulders, even though my arms weren’t moving as much as usual. Using Alexander Technique thinking I was able to consciously help myself not tighten or stiffen up. I was also able to allow my hands to curl softly around without them being tense and rigid, which in turn was much nicer for my arms and neck.

This made me wonder, when we complain of having a sore neck after sitting in a cold draft, for instance,  could it be that sometimes it’s not actually the draft that caused it? Rather, it’s our response to the cold – the tensing and tightening up – that is the culprit.

Do you know if you tense up when you’re cold? Next time you have to be outside in the cold (or inside for that matter) see if you notice how your body responds to the cold. If you have scrunched yourself up in some way, ask yourself if it is necessary? Are you able to let it go?

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted in Alexander Technique, Habit | Tagged , , , , | 29 Comments

Healthy Eating, Changing Habits, and the Alexander Technique

Posted on January 3, 2012 by

Leafy GreensA few weeks ago I attended a wonderful cooking class taught by my friend Theresa Piane Taylor, who’s a health coach here in Wilmington, Delaware. The title of the class was “Eating Green” and Theresa introduced us to recipes using a wide variety of different green, leafy vegetables, something that is missing from the diet of most Americans. Theresa encouraged us to include these greens in our diet – every day – as they provide a whole host of essential vitamins and minerals.

As we sampled all the yummy recipes (my favorites were Kale, sautéed with garlic, walnuts and cranberries and the Arugula, Green Bean and Salmon Salad) my thoughts turned to how difficult it is for us to change our habits – even if we know they are bad for us. With food this could be trying to include more greens in our diet (as we were being encouraged to in the class), committing to cooking more meals at home or simply choosing a piece of fruit instead of a cookie.

Dealing with habit is at the heart of the Alexander Technique. While Alexander principles can be used to help address any habit, they are commonly used to address those of poor posture or coordination, and excess tension – those habits that can cause us pain, fatigue and anxiety and that stop us performing at our best.

However, as I worked with Theresa over the last year on making changes to my diet, it seemed clear to me that the Alexander Technique was an extremely useful skill to have up my sleeve to help me change these habits too. The ability to pause, think through the available options to make an informed, conscious choice, and follow through on the steps needed to make the changes, was completely applicable and invaluable to me as I addressed my eating habits.

Highlights of changes I successfully made are:

  • I’m pretty much caffeine-free now (just a little bit of chocolate occasionally!)
  • My diet is no longer wheat-based (used to be almost every meal;  now I can go a few days without wheat and not even notice)
  • My diet now includes lots of other whole grains (barley, oats, brown rice and quinoa are some of my new favorites)
  • I eat a lot more, and a greater variety of, leafy greens (and love them!)

Life goes on, and I’m still learning and forming new habits – but if I need or want to change one, I can rely on the Alexander Technique to help me see it through.

Do you have habits you have successfully changed? What do you still struggle with? I’d be interested to know what approaches have helped you.

Posted in Alexander Technique, Habit | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Help Posture and Help the Breath

Posted on December 29, 2011 by
Chronic poor posture can lead breathing problems

Chronic poor posture can lead to breathing problems

Most people tend to think of breathing and posture as two separate functions or conditions of the body. I believe, however, that they are inextricably connected with one another – actually both different aspects of our overall coordination that cannot be separated. Here’s an example:

Imagine a person stooped over, collapsed in the chest, spine compressed – a case of classic “bad posture.” But posture is not the only issue. With all that collapse and compression the whole breathing apparatus is compromised. The ribs don’t have room to move, so the lungs don’t have space to expand fully, and the diaphragm muscle is also restricted – all of which lead to problems with breathing, including shortness of breath. So – to solve the breathing problem, we need to actually solve the posture issue (or vice versa – to solve the poor posture we need to improve the breathing coordination). Coming out of the collapse and allowing our full stature gives the space necessary for our breathing apparatus to function properly.

The problem is that for most people this is not as easy as it sounds. Habits, created over many years and for many reasons, become solidified in our bodies and are resistant to change, to say the least. In fact, if you’ve been walking around hunched over for years it probably feels normal, even upright to you. Or if you are aware of it, you may pull yourself upright using lots of tension, in a way that is not only uncomfortable and un-maintainable, but is also just as restrictive for the breath.

I believe the Alexander Technique is one method that provides a very effective answer to these problems. Although more often known nowadays for its help with improving posture, the founder of the Technique, F. M. Alexander (1869-1955), originally promoted his method as “respiratory re-education” and was known by his students as the “Breathing Man!”

Through the Alexander Technique you gradually become more aware of what your body is actually doing and learn ways to change those habits that are not serving you well. This leads to improvements in overall coordination, including (of course) both posture and breathing.

Try this experiment: Let yourself round into a real good slump. Become aware of your breath. Does it feel shallow or full? Then slowly and gently (no pulling or tightening please!) bring yourself out of the slump. Notice your breathing now. Is there a difference?

Had you thought about how your posture affects your breathing before? Could you notice any differences in the little experiment. I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted in Alexander Technique, Breathing, Posture | Tagged , , , , , | 33 Comments

Deep Breathing Exercises: Two Things You Should Know First

Posted on December 22, 2011 by

A lot of people do deep breathing exercises to help themselves relax and calm down. However, many of us misunderstand how the breath actually works. This means, at best, that we will not be getting the most out of the exercises, and at worst we could actually be causing harm. Through my Alexander Technique training I have learned many things about the breath as it relates to our overall coordination, but I believe there are two key things that, once we understand them, can really help us allow our breathing to function more fully and naturally.

1. Our Ribs Move with our Breath!
The ribs are extremely important for the functioning of our breath, yet most people don’t even realize they have a part to play.

Without getting too technical, our lungs are housed within our rib cage, and the diaphragm muscle attaches all the way around to the lowest ribs. So as the lungs fill with air (when we breathe in) the ribs raise up and out – all the way around, front, sides and back. When we breathe out, the ribs lower again.
Simply understanding and acknowledging that our ribs move with the breath, can have a huge impact on our breathing capacity, and the ability to breathe freely. If we’re under the misconception that all the expansion is out in front, or in our belly (even subconsciously) we will unknowingly be limiting our breathing capacity.

2. Don’t Take a Breath!
Holding the breath is one of the biggest sources of tension in the body. Maybe you’re  holding your breath now? If so I encourage you not to take a breath, but to let out any breath you’ve been holding in, allowing the new breath to come in gently and naturally. If we actively take a breath we are most likely tightening up and sucking in. If we first let out any stale air, the in-breath will just come on its own. Except under perhaps extreme or specialized conditions, we don’t need to ever take a breath!

Try this: Without taking a breath first (!) let out whatever breath you have by letting the air out gently through the lips as if you are blowing out a candle. Let the lips come gently together and just simply notice the air come back in through your nose. Now put your hands on the side of your rib cage as you breathe out, then as you let the breath come in see if you can feel the movement of your ribs under your hands. If you can reach to put your hand on your back you’ll feel movement there too.

Knowing these things can challenge how we think about breathing in general and about breathing exercises in particular. Having a better understanding of just these two things, and putting them in the context of our overall coordination, can have a huge impact on our well-being.

Did you know these things already? If not, did anything change in your breathing just thinking about it differently? I challenge you to try just observing your breath and noticing these things – I think you’ll feel calmer already. Let me know how you got on.

Posted in Alexander Technique, Breathing, Self Help | Tagged , , , , , | 30 Comments

Stress Reliever: The Alexander Technique Practice of Lying Down

Posted on December 20, 2011 by
Alexander Technique Lying Down Practice

Imogen demonstrates the Alexander Technique practice of Constructive Rest

Last week I was interviewed by Robert Rickover, a fellow teacher of the Alexander Technique who, amongst other things, broadcasts regular interviews in his podcast devoted to all aspects of the Technique. The subject of my interview was the Alexander Technique practice of lying down, known as Constructive Rest.

You can listen to my interview here: Constructive Rest Interview with Imogen Ragone

This practice relieves stress – not only the physical stresses in our body, but also our mental stresses. I believe it’s also one of the best things you can do for yourself to improve posture or release tension – even if you have no experience with the Alexander Technique. You can use it to prepare for stressful situations, or, even better, make it a daily practice. And it’s so simple – you just need a few minutes of time.

Now Constructive Rest isn’t just lying down any old how – it’s a thoughtful way of lying down in a semi-supine position (on the back with knees bent, and feet flat on the floor), that promotes good spinal alignment and release of excess tension. For those who practice on a daily basis the benefits accumulate. In fact, the first piece of “homework” I give my students is to practice lying down for a few minutes every day at home.

To try it for yourself simply find a warm, quiet place where you can lie down on the floor undisturbed for a few minutes (10-20 is best, but even a couple of minutes will do you good). The floor is best as the firm surface will support your back – but I’d recommend a carpeted floor or using a yoga mat so it isn’t too hard. Put a few books under your head (not your neck) – enough so your head is not tipping back, but not so many that you are tucking your chin – bend your knees and widen your elbows gently away from you so your hands can rest lightly on your abdomen. During your lie down be aware of the ground supporting your back, allowing your shoulders to rest as your back widens and your whole body lengthens and expands.

Just relaxing as you lie in this position will do you good – after all you’re letting go and practicing good posture! Add some Alexander Technique thinking in the mix, and it’s really powerful. For help with this listen to my audio talk-through (about 11 minutes long) which will help guide your thoughts during your lie down. For more detailed information on the whole process, visit the self-help information on my website.

As an antidote to the stresses of the holiday season, I encourage you to try out this practice. Do let me know if you have any questions about this – and if you’re trying it out for the first time, I’d love to hear how you get on.

Posted in Alexander Technique, Breathing, Pain, Posture, Self Help | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments