“End-gaining” idea in the Alexander technique
I made my comments in a post of a facebook group about “end-gaining”. A person solved his/her problem of making excess tension in playing a violin. He/she made excess tension even when he/she brought up a violine. To solve it, he/she tried to think like “not even think of raising the violin” with following the idea of “end-gaining”.
For us, I mean human being, it is difficult to forget something once we recognize it. If we could consciously forget something terrible, our life would be much easier, huh.
“Not even think of raising the violin” while someone is doing it is a sort of such difficult things. It’s good that he/she got over his/her habitual pattern with this idea of end-gaining. I would say there could be other way to change the pattern.
Making an end thinner by other ends thicker
What he/she have tried is to focus its process. This intention of paying attention to its process would help him/her to change the pattern. He/she may have still succeeded without trying “not even think of raising the violin” so much. In other word, he/she can make the end “raising the violin” thinner by making other ends (processes) thicker.
He/she of course needs to analyze its process. He/she may need to hang arms (or shoulders) as much as possible while the arms are in carrying position. In other word, he/she uses minimum muscle contraction or minimum co-contraction in the shoulder muscles. To do it, he/she needs to know what indicates such condition. He/she may need to release excess contraction of the abdominal muscles, too. The abs tend to tight up to hold the upper body. To do it, he/she needs to know what indicates such condition and how. The speed of the movement also matters, especially the initial acceleration of the movement. He/she needs to know which speed suits for practicing minimum co-contraction at first. There are some more…
There are many factors in its process, and we are better knowing what’s good (advantageous) state with objective evaluation, (otherwise, we cannot reproduce them.) Particular process would definitely be involved in the disadvantageous habitual pattern. If we don’t change it, it would be difficult to change the whole pattern.
Physical vs psychological, which is easier to change?
These are physical practices of changing the patttern of the skeletal muscles, which are in definiton under control of us (our mind). These practices are somewhat easier than trying to change our psychological state. In this case, thinking of raising the violin while he/she does it is a sort of such psychological state.
Maybe I am saying the FM’s primary control or the basic directions are not enough process management to solve problems. That’s why we think the idea “gaining end is not good” could become important.
Well, anyway, it is still a choice to take ordinary “end-gaining” approach. Because we know it works to some degree like this case. I just like to find easier approach without puzzling people so much for farther improvement of our use.
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