The Alexander method: getting rid of involuntary muscle tension. Alexander Technique - Rational Movement Technique

The Alexander Method is a unique practice that helps to get rid of health problems through posture correction. It is used by well-known successful people- actors, scientists, politicians, writers, psychologists, Nobel Prize winners...

The main idea is that a number of diseases of the body are associated with the habit of moving incorrectly and a violation of the natural position of the neck and head. This causes curvature of the spine and muscle strain even at rest.

To talk about the Alexander method in more detail, you first need to turn to the personality of the person who developed it. Frederic Matthias Alexander was born in 1869 as a frail and weak child, who in childhood was often ill, and in particular suffered from diseases respiratory tract. He grew up so sickly that he could not attend a regular school and was educated at home.

The boy had a very strong craving for art, he learned to play the violin, spent all his money on visiting museums and exhibitions. Growing up, Alexander created his own theater, where he performed the works of Shakespeare, playing all the roles alone. The one-man theater was gaining popularity, because Frederick was talented.

But on the rise of his career, he again faced the troubles of childhood. Problems with the respiratory organs led to the fact that the guy often began to lose his voice - sometimes this happened even in the middle of the performance. Alexander went to numerous doctors, but they were never able to help. And then he decided to heal himself on his own, having previously studied his body.

To do this, he used a system of mirrors, which allowed him to look at himself from the outside. The main idea of Alexander was the idea that the disease is the resistance of the body to some wrong actions. Over time, he discovered that his head was not positioned correctly in relation to his body, which caused his posture to be disturbed.

By forcing the body to keep the head in an unnatural position, a person forces the muscles to overstrain. Because of the unbearable load, the body begins to "resent", expressing its discontent through pain and illness.

So, an incorrect position of the head can lead to scoliosis, headaches, arthritis, osteochondrosis, pressure drops, diseases of the digestive organs, respiratory tract and other troubles.

Why is this happening? When a person holds his head incorrectly in relation to the spine, the latter has to bend and twist unnaturally in order to maintain the balance of the whole body. Such curvature leads to the appearance of a hump that acts as a counterweight, muscle spasms, clamping internal organs and nerves...

To imagine what happens to our tissues with incorrect posture, take a pillow. Look at her, how she is equally soft and even from all sides. This is what it looks like healthy body. Now fold it in half. pillowcase and outer part the pillows are stretched - it seems they are ready to burst. At the same time, the part that is inside is shrunken, wrinkled and compacted.

The same thing happens with the tissues attached to the curved rod of the spine - some of them are in a constantly stretched state, and the other part, which is inside, is crumpled and clamped. Imagine how tight digestive organs hunched man - nature took them where more space inside the abdomen, but now they are squeezed and stuck together. Of course, such a person cannot be healthy.

Now that we have understood main idea method, you need to understand how it works. Almost all of us suffer from wrong position head, neck and spine, but how to change it to the correct one? After all, this state of the body is familiar to us, when we try to straighten up and keep our heads straight, we immediately get back muscle pain in response.

To bring your musculoskeletal system in order, Alexander developed a set of exercises designed to remind the body of its natural position. Frederick believed that even despite the long-term habit of hunching over, the body constantly strives to return to its natural state. comfortable position- you just need to help him. In addition, it is necessary to change a number of habits so that the body itself acquires the correct state.

We identify the problem

Whether your posture is correct or not is difficult to determine, especially if the deviations are small. Some exercises are aimed at identifying the problem and at the same time learning to control your body.

Any movement can be performed without effort, without giving the muscles excessive tension. It is paradoxical that at the very beginning, the correct movements, on the contrary, cause pain and inconvenience. But, getting used to moving correctly, you will feel how much easier it has become for your body to perform the usual movements.

Stand against the wall without touching it - the heels should be located at a distance of 5-7 centimeters from the wall, leave 25-30 centimeters of space between the feet. Then, without taking your feet off the floor, lean against the wall. Watch how you do it - with normal posture, the shoulder blades and buttocks come into contact with the wall at the same time. If some part leaned back earlier, then there are problems with posture.

If the back of your head touched the wall first, it means that you have a habit of throwing your head back, which is also very harmful to your posture and health.

In the lumbar region, you will have free space between the spine and the wall. Bend your knees and slide down a little, at the same time spreading your spine against the wall, achieve full contact with each vertebra. If standing in this position becomes tiring after a few seconds, then you have serious problems with your posture. If you feel tension in your feet, spread your knees slightly.

Stand as long as you can, then "crawl" up the wall, straightening your legs, but not completely - your knees should remain slightly bent. In this case, a gap will appear again between the lower back and the wall - this is normal. Stay like this for a few minutes. Break away from the wall in stages: head, shoulder blades, buttocks.

The second exercise is aimed at identifying incorrect movements when walking. Place two high-backed chairs side by side, leaving room between them to walk through. Stand in the middle, grab the backs of the chairs with your fingertips, as if you are fastidiously taking a dirty rag. Extend your elbows to the sides. Start stepping slowly with your right foot.

Lift your heel off the floor, bend your knee and stay in that position. On the this stage it is easy to understand whether you are distributing the load correctly, transferring the center of gravity to the second leg. Many do this not by bending the knee, but by lifting right side pelvis. This can be determined by paying attention to the hands - with the wrong step, one hand will drop and bend, you will feel discomfort.

Not involved in walking during proper walking top part body, the position of the hands should remain the same. The separation of the leg from the floor occurs gradually, from the heel to index finger. Landing of the foot - in the same order, from heel to toe. All this must be done very slowly, being aware of each stage.

Learn to sit down

How do we usually sit down? Watch yourself. Before you sit down in a chair, you lean forward, tilt your head back a little, arch your back and “unlock” your pelvis. This posture makes a wave-like structure out of your spine, causing him a lot of inconvenience. This causes irreparable harm to posture and health.

Sitting down, it is necessary to keep the position of the head, neck and spine in the same form in which you stand - vertically straight. If it's hard to imagine how a network can be like that, imagine a person who received bad news. He sits exhaustedly on the sofa on a grand scale, the upper part of his body remains in the same position, only his quickly bent (buckled) legs work. Approximately the same thing, but in slow motion, should happen to you.

By the way, sitting cross-legged is also harmful - it creates excessive muscle tension.

Stretching the spine

This exercise should be performed twice a day for 10-20 minutes. Lie on the floor with a book under your head. Legs together, bent at the knees; knees pointing at the ceiling. You can not be distracted and change the position of the body.

The neck should be free, the head should move up and forward. Try to mentally lengthen your spine by imagining your back stretching and expanding. Having achieved this state, relax and lie down, feeling how you stretch in length. Don't close your eyes so you don't fall asleep.

When getting up, try not to disturb the calm and relaxed state of the muscles. Rise slowly, gradually, without jerking.

By repeating this exercise every day, you will notice that pain in the neck and back has disappeared, the brain has become clearer, there is lightness in all limbs.

Since childhood, we have been diligently spoiling our posture by sitting incorrectly at a desk, at a computer, and just on the couch. We walk incorrectly, we sit and stand incorrectly, and even at rest we are not able to relax the muscles that are overstrained due to unnecessary work that no one needs.

But our body is programmed to move easily and naturally, performing all movements with natural ease and grace, like a cat. How enviously we look at people who know how to move beautifully, but at the same time we clumsily hobble and curl up into a fetal position, sitting over documents.

Beautiful posture - natural property, which can be returned with some effort. It just takes a little time and effort.

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For example, very often under the influence stressful situations a person can begin to hunch over, pull his head into his shoulders, throw his head back. Gradually, he ceases to notice these bodily changes, and in the meantime they are fixed. As a result, there is a deformation of the spine, which, in turn, negatively affects the state of the whole organism.

The Alexander Technique is more focused not on directly disturbing symptoms (for example, back pain or stiffness in the neck), but on eliminating their cause, which often lies in the mismatched work of the body. It has been proven that after the restoration of natural harmony between the parts of the body, specific states disappear.

Problems and diseases in which the Alexander technique is effective

bad posture
back pain
joint pain
headache
fatigue
stress
respiratory failure
ankylosing spondylitis
osteoarthritis

Posture correction according to the Alexander method under the guidance of a trainer

The coach observes the body at rest and during movement, trying to eliminate bad habits and instill new, healthier ones. Training takes place in the lying, sitting, walking and standing positions. The correctness of the exercise is determined by the position of the chin: it should be parallel to the floor.
1. The coach monitors the angle of the neck and how it is supported, using gentle pressure to prevent the student from tilting the head back.
2. The focus is on how the person gets up from a sitting position. It is very important that the neck and spine are in the same line.
3. While in the standing position, the coach assists in a balanced upright posture before the student begins to move.
Working with the neck, the trainer gives instructions (you can try to experiment with the body yourself using the recommended commands).

Basic command instructions:

think that the neck is free;
think that the neck is flexible;
relax your neck (avoid over-relaxing it);
think about what head goes up and forward;
think of the back lengthening and widening.

Independent practices

Exercise "Alexander's Pose" (a state of balanced rest). A person lies on the floor with their knees bent and a pile of books of a certain height under their head. This exercise is considered the "brand name" of the Alexander technique. Its goal is to “straighten” the tissue of the intervertebral discs and restore it. physical properties, improve the spine, relax as much as possible.

Execution technique. Find a place convenient for the exercise. Put the books roughly where your head will be when you lie down. The number of books is determined as follows. Standing with your back to a flat wall, touching it with your shoulders and shoulder blades (without trying to straighten up), ask someone to measure the distance between the wall and your back of the head. Add 2.5 centimeters to the resulting figure - this will be the optimal height of a stack of books (note: it is better to shift books than not to report).

Standing with your back to the books (at some distance from them), feet shoulder-width apart, push forward right leg, go down first to the left, and then to right knee. Putting your palms on the floor, get on all fours. Raise yourself, balancing on your toes and palms. Sit on your heels. Lean on your hands, placing them behind, behind the feet. With your legs free, sit on your buttocks. Legs bent at the knees are in front of you. Pull the buttocks to the heels (while maintaining a feeling of comfort). Feet are in close contact with the floor. Lie gently on your back with your head on the books, hands freely and comfortably placed on the stomach on either side of the navel; shoulders are relaxed and turned, knees are aimed at the ceiling (if the legs “fall” inward, move the feet closer to each other, if outward, spread the feet wider. This position of the legs reduces them muscle tension to the minimum). The back should have maximum contact with the floor. You don't have to do anything special to straighten it out. The knees are just raised so that the lower back relaxes and lies comfortably on the floor.

Allow yourself at least 20 minutes (start with 5 minutes, adding 1 minute daily) a day to lie in this position - this good way correct posture, getting rid of stoop. When the body is in this position, intervertebral discs fluid circulation is restored, which contributes to their “straightening”.

While you are lying down, mentally give yourself the following instructions:

I let my neck be free.
The head is pulled forward in relation to the spine.
I allow the back to lengthen and expand.
Shoulders widen (imagine it).
Knees pointing towards the ceiling.

Mentally note the tensions in your body and just let them go. It's good to watch your breath. Constantly note everything that happens to you. After the scheduled time has passed, think about how you will get up, maintaining the new state of your back as much as possible. Gently lowering your knees to the side that is comfortable for you, let your whole body roll off the stack of books. Roll over onto your stomach, leaning on your hands. Get on all fours. Imagine that the head is stretching forward and upward, stretch your whole body behind it and ... naturally move to a standing position.

We sit down correctly. At the moment when a person sits down, the vicious habit inherent in most people clearly manifests itself: the pelvic region is pushed back, the head throws back (its balanced position is disturbed, the neck experiences excessive load), rib cage protrudes, the back bends. Unfortunately, such actions cause catastrophic damage to posture. The natural movements should be the direction of the body exactly down so that the pelvic region moves along with the back.

Also, you should not throw one leg over the other, as this will lead to excessive stress muscles. The best option there will be a breeding of the knees in different directions, which will avoid subsequent pain in the lower back and relieve muscle tension. The pelvis of a seated person should, if possible, be pressed against the back of the chair as much as possible.

Posture Correction Exercise

Stand 5-7 centimeters from the wall, turning your back to it and placing your feet parallel to each other about 25 centimeters from one another.
Without changing the position of the legs, slightly tilt the body back to the wall, making sure that the back of the head, shoulder blades and buttocks touch the wall at the same time or not. If any part of the body touches the wall before the rest, this will indicate a curvature of the spine. If the back of the head touches the wall first, this will be a signal that there is a habit of throwing the head back. If the shoulder blades touch the wall before the buttocks, then the pelvic area protrudes too far forward. Correct this position by moving your buttocks against the wall and straightening your neck. The significant gap that may form between the wall and the lower back will disappear as soon as you bend both legs at the knees, while moving the lower abdomen slightly forward and lowering the buttocks. If after a while this position of the body becomes tiring, this will indicate the presence of serious problems with posture.
While in this position, straighten your knees, but do not allow them to fully straighten. At the same time, a slight deflection should remain in the lumbar region. Next, move your torso away from the wall without moving your feet. You should start the movement from the head, and not from the stomach or chest.

Choose a place to practice where no one can disturb you. Lie on the floor with a book under your head. Bend your legs, pointing your knees at the ceiling. You should lie completely still, not change the position of the body and not think about outsiders. Say to yourself the formula: "Neck is free, head forward and up."

With this formula, attention is focused on the position of the head and neck, but no movement is necessary.

Then say the command to yourself: “Stretch and expand your back.” As you do this, you may feel your entire back straighten out, or you may feel your shoulder blades and shoulders relax. If at this moment you notice that, carried away by new sensations, you forgot about the first formula, you should return to the previous command, and then again proceed to the release of the back muscles.

Sequential repetition of commands for the head and back should last several minutes or more. If you missed more short term, then most likely you made some kind of movement, instead of just thinking about it, repeating the formulas until a certain sensation arises in your body by itself.

Most people stop formulating when they notice a change has taken place and then try to reinforce it with action. In the event that you notice changes in your body, it is even more important than before to think about the formulas and do nothing consciously. After you have been saying the formulas to yourself for quite some time, you may notice that the muscle tension is relieved as you move. This assumes that you must continue to pronounce the formulas to yourself during movements. In other words, the commands you learn affect the "readiness" ("tension of expectation") of your muscles.

We are all accustomed to a certain way of performing this or that action, and it is very difficult for us to imagine how it can be done differently. Action expectations influence perception in such a way that it is consistent with expectations. When we start a certain action, any irritation from the outside can cause it to start prematurely. If we can master such reactions and respond at the moment when this action is necessary, then we can overcome the “tension of expectation”. The new "body construction" that Alexander recommended striving for is the subjective feeling of the correct "waiting posture".

But man is not a one-way street. Unconsciously, he always chooses from environment what it will react to. This "preferred perception" occurs mainly at the level of the unconscious. The characteristic "preferred perceptions" are related to the distribution of muscle tension in the body. Alexander argues that a person must work consciously on the "construction of the body", for which "inhibition" of habitual reactions is necessary.

First you need to plan new reactions to irritations. Over time, “planned action” will be replaced by the habit of “deliberate movements”.

The same goes for learning how to drive a car. At first, it is very difficult to remember commands for individual movements, but then this skill becomes flesh and blood. Now it is no longer necessary to plan every single movement in advance, but there remains the need for “deliberate movements”.

When the new "body construction" is clear, one can move "deliberately". But one should always deliberately introduce oneself into similar condition- call it mentally through verbal commands.

The Alexander method gives many people a chance not only to get rid of posture disorders, to develop harmonious movements, but also to significantly improve functionality organism.

The Alexander Method is another approach that emphasizes the functional unity of body and mind and emphasizes the exploration and modification of habitual postures and postures (Brennan, 1997).

Frederick Alexander argued that a person is a whole, so that one defective component can negatively affect all the others. Treatment individual disease can bring only temporary relief, since many health problems arise in connection with a whole range of "bad" habits. According to Alexander (Alexander, 1950), the functioning of all body systems is determined by habits. A habit is a set of reactions characteristic of a person. Habits are reinforced by repeated repetition of actions, but habitual postures are not necessarily correct. Bad habits may initially manifest itself in inadequate motor reactions, muscle pain, clumsiness. Over time, this can lead to more serious problems associated with the general condition of the body, as well as difficulties in performing specific actions. The techniques developed by Alexander are aimed at improving the coordination of movements and the formation of the correct relationship between the elements of the musculoskeletal system.

The procedures proposed by Alexander, along with a change in physical habits, involve the correction of mental attitudes. He believed that neuroses "are not caused by thoughts, but by dystonic reactions of the body to thoughts." Therefore, psychotherapy without taking into account muscle reactions cannot lead to success. Alexander was convinced that in treatment, attention should be paid not so much to the study of the causes of mental trauma, but to the creation of a new "body structure", a new muscle control system.

Alexander's method is based on two fundamental principles - the principle of inhibition and the principle of directive. Braking- this is a restriction of the immediate reaction to the event. Alexander believed that in order to implement the desired changes, you first need to slow down (or stop) your usual instinctive reaction to specific stimulus. By delaying a moment before performing an action, we give ourselves time to use our reason and find the most efficient way to perform the action. When our primary instinctive action is inhibited, we have a choice of various solutions. At the same time, it must be borne in mind that inhibition of any undesirable habit is possible not only before the beginning of the action, but also in the process of it.

A person must understand under what circumstances inadequate muscle tension occurs, and learn to consciously inhibit any reflex attempt to produce a movement corresponding to this situation, with the help of awareness, relieving excess muscle tension.

According to Alexander, the surest way to get rid of the "clamp" is the ability to give instructions different groups muscles to relax them. Alexander called these instructions directives. To give a directive means to send a command to the mechanisms that control the body.

The Alexander method is more of a relearning method than a cure, as the educator helps to learn about himself. If any disease is cured, then the client himself cures it.

The session lasts from thirty to forty-five minutes. The following tasks are set for the client:

Detect any hidden muscle tension and get rid of it;

Understand what causes this tension and eliminate the causes;

Learn to perform any action so that excess stress does not arise.

The role of the therapist is to identify the client's personal habits, explain why they are harmful and how to get rid of them. This is done both with the help of verbal instructions and with the help of touches to the head, neck, and back. The touch of the therapist's hands usually does not cause pain. And yet, if there is severe pain, it is recommended to undergo a course of treatment before engaging in the technique.

The therapist may first ask the client to lie down on the table. In this position, gravity acts the least, so it is easier to relax.

The client is then asked to make a series of movements, such as sitting or walking, so that he can learn different ways movements. If any of these actions cause pain or difficulty in performing, the therapist will try to relieve the client of these sensations by showing what causes them. At times, the pain may be exacerbated by muscle strain. You should not be afraid of this: such pains are akin to the “growing pains” felt in childhood. They disappear after a few hours.

The number of sessions required is individual for different people, but after the first one, the results are noticeable. Any pain the client has experienced due to poor coordination or muscle strain will slowly but steadily subside. The intensity of pain attacks, their frequency decreases.

It is important for the client to understand, however, that he himself plays an active role in mastering the technique. It is he who must make a conscious decision to change his lifestyle. Alexander's technique is not a medicine or therapy: the client heals himself - he is only taught how to do it.

Changes are also taking place in the realm of emotions. People prone to anxiety become calmer; one who has been depressed becomes more optimistic and discovers that life is not so bad.

As a rule, people turn to the Alexander technique only after they get sick. It is necessary, however, to emphasize what benefits it can bring to those who feel healthy. They can not only gain the joy of life and sharpness of perception, but also learn to constantly prevent the occurrence of many ailments. In conditions of chronic stress, it is especially important to recognize its presence and avoid the accumulation of stress. We usually ignore the signals our body sends and don't realize that stiffness and lack of movement breed disease.

The basis of this method is the understanding that a person often does not know how to properly control his body: he sits, stands, moves, breathes incorrectly. Using the Alexander method, they try to find out what wrong movements a person is used to doing and how to protect themselves from such bad habits. At correct application This method reduces the load on the spine, lengthens the muscles, reduces the tension of the intercostal muscles, it becomes easier for a person to breathe.

How did the technique come about?

This method is associated with the Australian actor Frederick Alexander (1869-1955). He earned his living by reciting poetry. Watching himself in the mirror, he found that while reciting, he tenses up, preventing himself from breathing, moving, and learned to consciously control the part of his body that “works” with expressive reading text. Using his method, he cured a paralyzed brother, shared his knowledge with colleagues. Later, this method began to be used by singers, dancers, and musicians. Now the Alexander method is taught in many acting and music schools that teach correct posture.

Principles of the Alexander Method

Some people learn this technique faster, others slower. In total - 4 stages of training.

Primary control is the correct position of the head in relation to the neck and back. First, they teach relaxation. The therapist observes whether there is a violation of posture, and with his own hands helps to find a suitable position for the head. After a while, the students notice that their muscles have changed, the torso seems to have become wider and longer.

According to Alexander, the human body is constantly being told to do something. Therefore, in the second stage of mastering the Alexander method, the student learns to indicate to his body, following the primary control. The teacher helps him with his hands.

At the third stage of training, the student acquires the ability to control and do something with his hands, for example, write. In addition, there are exercises to improve breathing and voice.

Finally, the student acquires the ability to control his body in various life situations. Correct posture heals and maintains health.

Therapeutic effect

Alexander's method is not medical method, however, it softens the course of various diseases, for example, it is used for stress disorders of the stomach and intestines, as well as for other digestive disorders. He can reduce blood pressure, be useful in some cases of respiratory failure, help migraine sufferers. Using this technique, it is possible to get rid of pain in the back, neck, shoulders.

Not without a teacher

It is not easy to master the Alexander method, so a person who wants to learn must find a teacher who can open his problems to him. The fact is that when teaching the correct position of the head, neck and back, proper guidance is needed. How long it takes to master the method depends on the student and his problems.

The Alexander method refers to the so-called methods of controlling the soul and body. Its therapeutic effect representatives traditional medicine very skeptical. The effectiveness of Alexander's method depends on the student's faith in him and on the teacher. By the way, the supporters of this method do not at all want it to be ranked among the medical techniques. In their opinion, his therapeutic effect- only side effect conscious control human body.