without trying
How does the Alexander Technique help to restore good posture?
Does your back get tired from trying to stand or sit up straight? We can show you what to do instead of trying to do it right.
If it were as simple as pulling yourself up by a golden thread, and putting you chin in and shoulders back – you’d be sorted by now.
Even when you try to have good posture, do you notice you are slumping and slouching again a moment later?
That’s because you haven’t changed your habits.
The Alexander Technique offers a different approach to trying
At Lucy Ascham’s Pain & Trauma Transformation, Hester and I have 30 years combined teaching experience. We can show you shortcuts and ways to think and change with less effort.
We work with principles found in mammals and nature. Good posture and poise is our birthright. It is what we did naturally as children. So what we show you how to stand tall, we are reminding you of your natural ease and stamina. You are re-learning. You are un-learning.
We always work with the whole person, with hands-on guidance to rediscover how mind and body work together to release tension patterns and restore ease and poise.
Poor posture leads to many chronic conditions
Poor posture over years can lead to chronic back pain and the hump at the top of your back from having your head too far forwards. This can lead to a compressed spine, slipped discs and pinched nerves. This often causes numbness in fingers and toes, leading to lack of fine motor skills and poor balance. It is not uncommon for Doctors to offer surgery to shave bits off the lumps and discs. This is risky and not always successful.
Poor posture can create problems along the neck and spine which can lead to breathing difficulties too. If our spine is compressed and head held forwards off balance, our body tries to bring us back into balance – with more muscular work, more tightness and more effort. This is tiring! And takes a lot of energy just to keep upright.
Indirectly this can cause problems with breathing and digestion too. When our spine is out of alignment, it can be an effort just to sit or stand upright, of course this compresses our ribs too, meaning our lungs don’t have a full range of movement. Air is our primary fuel for life. So if you posture is poor, it can impact on the quality of breathing. Our ribs and organs all join onto our spine after all.
Good posture is a by-product of good use
Although the Alexander Technique is well known for helping people address their posture, and restoring better tone to their back and whole body, we don’t get there directly. Alexander Technique is a process. A way of managing our attention, so we choose what to give our energy to.
When we work on the process of not interfering with nature, then we can learn to leave ourselves alone. Trusting instead that our body knows how to stand tall, our body knows how to breathe, our body knows how to sit and stand.
Changing the way we use our mind and body, therefore changes our posture. Indirectly and at a more fundamental level.
Our job is to stop interfering
If this sounds tricky or confusing, don’t worry. Lucy and Hester give moment by moment feedback with our hands and words. Many people find an in-person session blissful, sometimes challenging, but mostly as relaxing as a massage.
The solution is to work on the process
We don’t get people to do exercises as such. If you have exercises you like to do in the gym, bring them along and we can tweak them to help you move easily whatever you are doing. Physio exercises can look simple enough, I often go over these with people to help them get the most out of these activities if they want.
Sometimes people choose to do other mindful movements I give them instead. We reach similar results but with less effort, looking after ourselves globally and working intelligently every step of the way. This changes the patterns.
Looking after the process of being in balance, and taking up our full easy height without strain or effort – our posture naturally gets restored, indirectly. This is one of the major ways Alexander Technique differs from exercises or treatments.
We help you help yourself
This way you get the knowledge, skills and guided practice – to change your habits first. If you don’t address your habits, they will keep leading you.
Would you like to stand with more ease and stamina – and do less?
Would you love to sit tall and comfortably on any chair?
We can show you how
3 mantras which will help you. Say these gently throughout your day. Saying them and meaning them is important. Getting a certain result straight away, not so much.
- I am supported by the ground and my skeleton
- I can stand easily at my full height, balancing and breathable
- I allow light to come in through my peripheral vision
These thoughts will indirectly help you be restored to your fullness in every direction 3D.
If you are ready to make changes faster and with guidance, please book now for your free 15 minute consultation call with Lucy
Then if we are a match to work together, let’s have a one hour Consultation session. You can tell me your goals, what you’ve tried so far and see if we’d like to work together. Is so, let’s get started and book in your first lesson. If not, I’ll refer you onto someone else in my network if I think they can better serve you.
It all starts with a free chat.
