How to Sit: The Alexander Technique Way
People often ask me, “How do you sit using the Alexander Technique?” My response is simple yet profound: “How you do one thing is how you do anything.” This statement encapsulates the essence of the Alexander Technique, which emphasizes that thinking is at the root of all habits, including how we sit.
Understanding Habits
Sitting is a habit. The way we position ourselves in a chair is something we’ve learned, unconsciously by imitating others, and reinforced over time. These habits become second nature, so much so that we rarely notice or think about them consciously. The Alexander Technique teaches us that if we change our thinking, we can indirectly change how we sit. This is because simply moving your body around won’t change your ingrained habits; it will likely result in the overuse and misuse of your coordination.
The Role of Thinking
The key to sitting well lies in the Way we Think about our posture. The Alexander Technique is not about forcing the body into a certain position but about using the mind to direct the body in a way that supports natural alignment and ease. When we change our thinking, we create the conditions for our body to respond differently. This indirect approach is crucial because it allows for sustainable and meaningful changes in our habits.
Choosing the Right Chair
The best chair for good use is a simple, flat-bottomed chair without arms. Such a chair supports a neutral flow from a firm support up your spine, allowing you to sit in a way where you are balancing and with an easy manner. However, the reality is that we cannot carry our favorite chair everywhere we go. The beauty of the Alexander Technique is that we can carry that with us everywhere, it teaches us to sit well on any chair, seat, or sofa by retraining our habits and improving our ‘use’. The way we use our bodymind is foundational to every activity.
The Theory Behind It
The Alexander Technique is based on the principle of “conscious control.” This means becoming aware of how you use your whole self and making deliberate choices to change harmful habits. When it comes to sitting, this involves:
- Awareness: Noticing how you usually sit and identifying any unnecessary tension or collapse in your posture – without changing anything at this stage.
- Inhibition: Stopping – to prevent your habitual way of sitting. This is not about freezing or doing nothing, but about creating a moment of choice by Not doing the usual habit. Without this, you have no choice and keep repeating the wrong thing.
- Direction: Giving yourself mental directions to allow your spine to return to its full easy length and width in your back, allowing your head to balance freely on top of your spine. These directions are subtle and non-mechanical, guiding your body to find a more natural alignment and poise.
- Choice: you can choose any arrangement of head, spine and limbs. See what needs the least amount of effort without slumping or stretching.
Practical Steps
- Sit on the front of the chair: This encourages an active posture and prevents slumping. (If you aren’t used to this, thing of it like going to the gym, little and often as you won’t get have the stamina to do this all day long.)
- Feet resting on the floor: This provides a stable base and helps distribute your effort by receiving support from the ground.
- Balance on your sitting bones: These are the bony rockers at the bottom of your pelvis. Sitting on these points helps maintain a neutral spine.
- Think up: Imagine your spine lengthening upwards and your head balancing lightly on top of it. This mental direction helps you avoid collapsing into the chair.
Bring Your Curiosity
Understanding and applying the Alexander Technique requires more than just reading about it; it invites curiosity and exploration. If you’re interested in learning more about how to sit well and change your habits through the Alexander Technique, I invite you to bring your curiosity to a call with me. Together, we can explore how this technique can transform the way you sit and move, leading to greater ease and comfort in your daily life.
Conclusion
Sitting well using the Alexander Technique is not about rigid rules or specific exercises. It is about certain principles found in nature and working with them – by changing the way you think to change your habits indirectly. By understanding and applying the principles of the Alexander Technique, you can learn to sit well on any chair, seat, or sofa.
So, bring your curiosity, and let’s explore this transformative approach together.
I look forward to talking with you soon, book a free 15 minute call with Lucy now https://lucyascham.com/whats-on/
