Many teachers and trainees may have difficulty of explaining the Alexander Technique. I think that this difficulty originally comes from the lack of understanding of its mechanism. I had had difficulty to explain this work to other people, but these days I feel easier to explain. Let me show my way of explanation these days.
The AT is about effective use of our body. The core part of AT is about “how to support own body” (postural control) while doing something. It specially offers an efficient way of supporting own body. Since the way of supporting the body affects every activities we do and many functions we have, our health condition and performance will change for the better by this technique. Most people support own body with their own way, but their own way tends to fall into disadvantageous one with excess tension. Their health condition and performance will then be deteriorated by their own way. So, many varieties of people will be better off by applying this technique.
In order to change our use, especially including postural control with disadvantageous habits, we need to be conscious. The AT also offers effective way of awareness, attention, and intention. That is how to be conscious of being, movement, and performance.
That’s it. Of course there are some more, but this is my explanation in the beginning. Most clients of mine have been convinced with this way so far. I got good results. The mechanism of the AT is our postural control. Postural control is fundamental of human being’s life (we cannot do anything without it), so the AT becomes a fundamental technique. If we start with the idea “how to support own body” when explaining this work, people may understand it easier and be less confused.
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