The Alexander method: getting rid of involuntary muscle tension. Independent development of the Alexander method

This is a set of exercises aimed at recovery correct posture, primarily by getting rid of unnatural postures and movements that have become familiar and comfortable in the course of life, but negatively affect health.

For example, very often under the influence stressful situations a person may begin to hunch over, pull his head into his shoulders, throw his head back, etc. 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.

History of the method

This technique was developed in the 1890s. Australian actor Frederick Matthias Alexander at a time when he was trying to find a way to treat laryngitis, which he often developed during performances. Watching himself in the mirror, Alexander found that while speaking, he involuntarily shook his head back and forth and down, while tensing his neck muscles. Assuming that this habit, creating excessive tension in the throat, is the cause of the development of laryngitis, the actor learned to suppress this tendency. As a result, he not only stopped suffering from laryngitis, but also improved his general well-being. Thus, working on himself, Alexander created a methodology for teaching integrated movements, based on the balance of the position between the head and spine.

In 1904 Alexander moved to London and began to teach his technique to patients, looking for ways correct postural disorders and correct movements. In 1931, he opened an official three-year course, which he taught until 1955, until his death.

In 1958, some of his followers founded the Alexander Society of Technology Educators in London. Today, Alexander's technique has spread throughout the world.

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

The Alexander method helps a person to rediscover the natural grace and dexterity inherent in childhood and lost, among other things, due to seated image life, wrong position body when working at a desk or computer, which entails a violation of posture and imbalance in the body as a whole.

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 keep the student from tilting their 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. 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 of the head going up and forward;
think of the back lengthening and widening.

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), the chest 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.

The Alexander Technique is a time-tested method. It helps to get rid of headaches, heaviness and back pain, depression, improves general state. Together with muscle tension will go away negative thoughts who guided you.

Frederick Alexander was sure that a person is able to cope with any disease (in addition to the most advanced cases) on his own, resorting not to drugs, but to a set of physical exercises.

Also, do not throw one leg over the other, as this will lead to excessive muscle tension. 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

1. Stand 5-7 cm from the wall, turning your back to it and placing your feet parallel to each other approximately 25 cm apart.

2. 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.

3. 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.

According to Alexander's methodology, consciously working on the design own body in order to inhibit habitual, but initially unnatural reactions for himself, a person will eventually be able to change his habits and perform the correct actions that are not harmful to his health spontaneously

The Alexander Method is often viewed as a method for correcting posture and habitual postures, but this is only a small part of what it actually represents. In reality, this systems approach, aimed at a deeper awareness of oneself, a method that seeks to return to the body the lost psychophysical unity.

Frederick Matthias Alexander (1869-1955), a young and successful Australian actor, suffered from a recurring loss of voice, apparently of functional origin. He turned to many specialists, but following the recommendations of doctors brought only temporary relief. Observation of himself in search of the cause of the disease led him to create own method, which later began to be used by him in the treatment of various disorders.

According to Alexander, it is not mental disorders that cause illness, and it is not illnesses of the body that cause mental disorders. Rather, both diseases indicate the inability of the body to return after stress to a balanced state of rest.
W. B. Cannon spoke of "the wisdom of the body." He believed that the body has certain states of balance, which are natural and normal, and the body tends to return to them after any violations. Illness is a loss of balance in the body, and it must be restored.
According to Alexander, a person, having reacted to a certain situation, cannot completely return to a state of rest again. Usually only partial relaxation occurs, and residual muscle tension remains hidden, although theoretically such tension should disappear when returning to a state of balanced relaxation. But sometimes the mere idea of movement is sometimes enough to cause excessive muscle contraction. In this case, we can speak of "expectation stress" or "residual deformation". Over time, this overreaction becomes habitual and the predisposition to respond to any situation with excessive activation of the muscles remains. After some time, not only muscles, but also bones and joints are included in a disharmonious state, the skeleton is deformed as a result of the load from constant muscle tension. According to Alexander, if you do not change your posture, then there is always the danger of new pains in response to new stress. Only the harmonization of posture leads to the achievement of physiological balance.

According to Alexander, people suffering from neurosis are always "squeezed", they are characterized by unevenly distributed muscle tension (dystonia) and poor posture. He believed that neuroses "are not caused by thoughts, but by dystonic reactions to thoughts." Therefore, in his opinion, psychotherapy without taking into account muscle reactions cannot lead to success. He was convinced that in treatment, attention should be paid not so much to the study of causes mental trauma how much to create a new "body design", new system muscle control.

The Alexander method is based on the fact that a person can consciously correct the habitual posture and the manner of movement developed over the years. According to Alexander, in order to transfer the body to a new level of functioning, it is necessary to be aware of one's actions and more effective use body during these activities. Attention is drawn to how we manage our body when ordinary types activities like standing, sitting or lying down. Analyzing such simple movements, one can discover how all human activity depends on his ability to control the body.
Alexander suggested adjusting his course of action through lengthy training, comparing feedback from relaxed muscles with existing in this moment. It is very difficult to correct habitual reactions in posture and movement, even if they are clearly conscious. Both the bug itself and the progress of its appearance in action should be fixed. It takes great perseverance to act according to what we know and not according to our old habits. The difficulty lies not so much in creating a new habit as in having to change old habits of body, feeling and mind. What is meant here is not simply the replacement of one action by another, but a change in the way the action is performed, a change in the whole dynamics so that new way was in every way at least as good as the old one.
Alexander wrote: “It is not a question of correct posture, but of correct coordination (i.e., the muscular mechanisms involved). Moreover, one who has mastered the art of proper coordination can regroup his body to assume almost any posture through adequate control and correct movements. respiratory apparatus. Continuous rearrangement of body parts without unnecessary physical stress most fruitful, as it promotes good health and longevity.

According to Alexander's concept of goal-oriented actions, all actions performed by a person are reflex actions, they are performed on the principle of "input-output". We have a habit of achieving goals without analyzing our automatic reactions. Alexander believed that human behavior should correspond to the formula: "input-processing-output of information." For this formula to work, it is necessary to “slow down” the immediate muscular reaction to irritation in order to provide the possibility of “information processing” and the preparation of an expedient reaction.

Alexander's method is based on two fundamental principles - the principle of inhibition and the principle of directive. Inhibition is the limitation of the immediate response to an event. He believed that in order to implement the desired changes, you first need to slow down (or stop) your usual instinctive reaction to a specific stimulus. By analyzing the moment before action, we give ourselves time to use reason and find the most effective and necessary ways performing this action. With the inhibition of our primary instinctive action, we have a choice of various solutions. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the slowdown of any unwanted habits is possible not only before the start of the action, but also in the process of it.

Learning the Alexander method consists of two stages:
1) Determination and elimination of excessive muscle tension, which is unconsciously stored in the body;
2) Finding various lighter and effective ways movements that reduce wear and tear on body structures and internal organs.

Alexander paid great attention to the relationship between the head and the neck. He became convinced that the incorrect position of the head and neck “imposes” an incorrect posture on the whole body. Alexander wrote: "... I found that a certain position of the head and neck in relation to the body ... exercises primary control over the body as a whole."
"Primary control" - describing the relationship of the head, neck and body - is the main reflex that controls all other reflexes, including coordination and balanced control of the body. It is called "primary" precisely because it affects all other reflexes. As soon as we tilt our head back enough that we begin to affect the function of Primary Control, then the functions of coordination and orientation are distorted, and in order to avoid falling, we are forced to strain. When it is necessary to start moving, we have to fight with ourselves. Due to the clamping of the neck muscles and the tilt of the head back, not only the natural coordination of human movements suffers, but also the mechanism for returning to a normal state of balance after movement is disrupted.

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

The main idea is that whole line diseases of the body is associated with the habit of moving incorrectly and natural position necks and heads. 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 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.

Yes, not correct position 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, compression of 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 gave them much more space inside the stomach, 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 the wrong position of the 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 flattening your spine against the wall, achieve a full touch of 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. At 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 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, lightness has appeared in all limbs.

Since childhood, we diligently spoil our posture wrong sitting at the desk, at the 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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Ecology of health: A set of exercises that helps to properly use your own body, harmoniously use your own muscles ...

I may be wrong that you are doing everything wrong,

but in that case, you can continue to do things right,

disregarding me.

(F. M. Alexander)

Technique F.M. Alexander - a set of exercises that helps to properly use your own body, harmoniously use your own muscles.

The method is based on the idea that Every person develops habits of misuse of his body during his life., expressed in the manner of keeping posture and making body movements, inevitably leading to an additional excessive load on musculoskeletal system, which is one of the main causes of disruption of the functioning of the body as a whole and the processes occurring in it.

The main danger of these habits lies in the fact that a person eventually gets used to them and begins to perceive them as natural processes(in this aspect, there is a similarity with the “muscular shell” of W. Reich).

Thus, if physically healthy man, who had the habit of keeping his posture even, suddenly begins to stoop, then this habit will become the norm for him, and incorrect posture can lead to violations respiratory function, deterioration in the flow of oxygen to the brain, disruption of the intestines, curvature of the spine and premature aging, muscle and headaches, poor concentration, etc.

Technique F.M. Alexander is recognized by many specialists in working with human body as a phenomenal technique that gives a person the opportunity to enjoy life the way the person himself wants, and not the way his own body allows him, because regardless of whether the person is aware of it or not, the quality of his body condition is a mirror image of the quality of his life.

To the help of the F.M. Alexander has been used by thousands of professional actors, TV presenters, politicians, educators, musicians, psychologists and writers around the world. This indicates the authority of the technique in question among other technologies. body therapy, which gives the right to call the technique F.M. Alexander a real world discovery.

Frederick Matthias Alexander was born on January 20, 1869 in Australia, the city of Viniard, located on the northwest coast of Tasmania. The author of the remarkable technique was born with serious health problems, and none of the doctors could guarantee that the boy would live more than a few weeks. Nevertheless, largely thanks to the boundless love of his mother, F. Alexander survived, but continued to experience severe illness led by diseases of the respiratory organs.

Due to health problems, Frederick could not go to school with other children, and the parents had to hire a private teacher for the child, thanks to which he had a lot of free time in the evening, which he used to help his father in the stable. It was there that he gained experience non-verbal communication which later proved invaluable to him.

Due to material problems that arose in the family, a seventeen-year-old boy was forced to get a job in a tin mining company, in parallel, in his free time, he took violin lessons. However, all the money earned by hard work, Frederick managed to spend on visiting art exhibitions, museums and performances - his craving for art was so strong.

Soon he founded his own one-man theater, where he read the works of Shakespeare.

When the acting career was on the rise, Frederic again faced health problems that had haunted him since childhood - he was hoarse, his voice finally disappeared during one of their performances. For the sake of saving his own voice, Frederick was ready to undergo any treatment, however preventive measures gave only a temporary effect. One of the doctors advised him not to talk for a couple of weeks in order not to strain vocal cords. At first, this gave results, and he conducted the performance almost “in one breath”, but at the end of one of the final scenes, his voice disappeared again. At that moment, he realized that he should say goodbye to his acting career ...

The birth of the Alexander technique

Having lost his voice, F. Alexander, in desperation, went to his doctor, who advised him not to talk for a couple of weeks, and asked why everything was fine at first, but after that his voice let him down. So without waiting for a more or less intelligible explanation from the doctor, Alexander decided to fight his illness on his own, for which he began to study himself, his deep features.

At the heart of Alexander's study of himself was the law of cause and effect: every action must necessarily cause a reaction.

If a person suffers from any ailment, whether it be a headache, insomnia or arthritis, there is a certain internal cause corresponding to this.

This opposition for Alexander was precisely the loss of his voice.

The healing process

Then Alexander realized that the main cause of voice loss is incorrect movements of the neck and head, which, in turn, lead to incorrect posture, causing other diseases (including the probable loss of voice). Diseases appeared due to excessive stress on various groups human muscles that the body was not able to cope with.

Thus, the neglected state of the muscles and the chaotic nature of their movements, uncontrolled by a person, can undermine a person’s health, since a person’s muscles experience unrealistic loads even when a person is resting.

The idea of the methodology is contained in a phrase written personally by F. Alexander:

“By attempting to improve the functions of one’s own organ of speech and taking as a basis various methods, I noticed that a certain position of the neck and head in relation to the body ... produces primary control over human body generally".

The main reason for the incorrect position of the head and neck F. Alexander considered the habit of a person to hunch over, which dates back to the time of teaching a person at the school bench. If you observe the position of the head, neck and torso of children in the classroom, you can notice many different postures:

some children head down almost to the stop,
in others, on the contrary, their heads are raised excessively upwards.

Both cases are vivid examples incorrect position of the neck and head, which, under the influence of a strong muscular load, can lead to deformations of the posture and the adoption of this incorrect position of the posture as natural. And only a few children keep their posture even, and monitor the position of their head and neck.

In the absence of control over the location of the neck, a hump forms on it and, in order to maintain balance, the rest of the body takes on an uneven posture, a person begins to observe early stage deflection of the spine. In this situation, pain in the lower back is caused by disorders in the upper back, and therefore the treatment of spinal problems should begin with the treatment of its upper part, otherwise the cause of the pain will not be eliminated and the disease will appear again.

For correct operation respiratory, speech and digestion requires proper spine position, because very important nerves and blood vessels, which have a direct effect on the functions of respiration and heartbeat.

Alexander believed that people could solve many health problems with one simple rejection of the habit of throwing their heads back sharply with every irritation. To abandon this addiction Alexander himself aspired and tried to instill this aspiration in his students.

In order to maintain his own posture, a person is not able to constantly monitor the state of the position of parts of his body, and F. Alexander understood this very well, therefore he demanded from his students not so much control over the position of the head and neck as the harmonious coordination of movements made by a person in the process of life.

He believed that even the most hunched people should not despair and complain about fate, since the body has a physiological “wisdom”, thanks to which, after any violationsit seeks to return to a state of balance, posture seeks to take the correct form natural from birth.

However, this will never happen without the desire of a person to achieve a natural posture, to return his body to the correct shape, since this process requires painstaking work.

The same principle applies to the functions of internal and external bodies human - with the normalization of the form of posture, it normalizes and natural function bodies.

The degree of “wisdom” of the body, its ability to return to its natural state is directly related to a person’s dependence on medicines aimed at giving the body correct form – the higher the dependence of a person on drugs, the lower the “wisdom” of the body.

Frederick Alexander is sure that, in addition to extreme cases disease progression, a person is able to cope with it on his own, resorting tonotto drugs, but to a set of physical exercises.

For effective work according to the technique of F.M. Alexander from a man is required high level self-discipline and self-control, but efforts and contributions will be adequately rewarded excellent health and excellent health.

For a better understanding of the methodology, consider an action performed by a person from 10 to 500 times a day - sitting down . When a person slowly sits down, his kneecaps slowly move forward and down, and the heels are parted in different directions. When a person's body begins to descend, most people show an acquired habit of pushing the pelvis back, tipping the head up and down. lower part chest push forward. With these habits, a person causes tangible (if not catastrophic) harm to his posture. Natural movements for a person should be an even movement of the pelvis, the direction of the body is exactly down. In no case should the lower part of the chest be allowed to move forward, and the pelvis back. Take pity on your posture!

Rice. 1. - Movements of a person sitting on a chair

Figure 1a clearly shows the detrimental to posture, but the habitual manner of squatting for many people.

Figure 1b, on the contrary, shows the natural, but, due to the action of false habits, a forgotten manner of squatting.

The balanced position of the head is disturbed, which provides an excessive load on the neck of a person and is reflected in his posture.

For most people, unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to maintain an even posture at the moment when they are sitting in a chair. Usually people are so busy daily affairs that they don’t even think about posture and the consequences of an incorrect manner while sitting at the table. They sit down quickly, arching their backs backwards and pushing their chests forward.

To maintain posture, a person needs not to bend his back forward, arching his neck down, but to align his back and direct the body forward from hip joints so that the pelvic region moves with the back.

Also do not cross one leg over the other, as this will lead to excessive muscle tension. The best option would be to spread 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.

Another problem in maintaining one's own posture in normal condition is uneven distribution of muscle tension in the body (so-called dystonic tension). Dystonic tension can be observed in a person even during rest. Some people who do not monitor the position of their body experience dystonic tension even when performing such exercises. simple actions like lifting a spoon, turning on a light, opening a door, etc. Dystonic tension is caused by the inability of a person under the influence of an irritant to return to a calm state. After some of these situations, excessive muscle response becomes the norm for a person, and he loses the ability to restrain the activity of his muscles and return the body to a calm state.

Under the influence of excessive muscle loads the human skeleton is deformed and takes on an unnatural shape.

What to do in this situation, how to get rid of excessive stress?

F. Alexander proposes to do the following - bring the body back into balance with relaxation.

However, many people manage to achieve only partial relaxation, and muscle tension, albeit in a hidden form, remains. A person seems to be in a state of latent tension, and the slightest repetition of a stimulus returns him to a state of muscle tension. This situation is called “permanent deformation” .

There are two main ways to get rid of involuntary muscle tension:

complete disregard for dystonic tension,
return to a balanced state of rest.

First way less labor-intensive and consists in the adoption by a person of a state of passivity after work, or in the use of alcohol or drugs. A person in this case refuses everything that can cause muscle tension.

Second way much more difficult, but much more effective, and consists in changing motor habits in order to create the correct posture.

Posture Correction Exercise

Turn your back against the wall so that your heels are 5-7 cm from the wall and your feet are approximately 25-28 cm apart (as shown in Fig. 2a).

Rice. 2

Then, without changing the position of the legs, slightly tilt the base of the torso back towards the wall (Fig. 2b).

It is very important that the buttocks, together with the shoulder blades, simultaneously touch the wall.

If one part of the body touches the wall before the other, this will indicate about curvature of the spine .
If the back of your head touches the wall first, it will a sign of the habit of tilting the head back .

If you bulge your pelvis too far forward, then only the shoulder blades will touch the wall, but the buttocks will not. In such a situation, you should move your buttocks against the wall.

You may find a certain gap between the lumbar region and the wall, which will disappear as soon as you bend both legs at the knees, while moving the lower abdomen slightly forward and lowering the buttocks (as shown in Fig. 2c).

If after a while this position of the body becomes exhausting for you, this will indicate if you have serious posture problems.

While in this position, make sure that your foot has not dropped. If the feet are tight, then this can be corrected by pushing the bent knees apart.

Similarly, the correction of O-shaped legs occurs.

Extend your knees, but do not allow them to be fully extended. In a standing position, the legs should be in a slight bend. At the same time, a slight deflection should remain in the lumbar region.

Rice. 3

By spreading the feet, it is possible to detect some of the errors that appear during walking.

Place chairs with high backs on your left and right sides (see Fig. 3a) and touch thumbs chair backs with elbows out.

Start walking with your right foot: lifting your heel, slightly bend your right knee.

In this position, the weight of the body should shift by left leg so that a person can raise his right. Many may notice that they produce uplift right leg not by bending the right knee, but by lifting the right side of the pelvis (Fig. 3b). Later, you may notice this by feeling tension in the hand touching the back of the chair.

When going through the exercise, it should be remembered that the arms and upper body should not take part in the initial bending of the knee (the correct body position is shown in Fig. 3c).

At a further stage of walking, you should bend your knee until only the end touches the floor. thumb(Fig. 3d).

At the moment of moving the torso forward, the leg will begin to come off the floor, after which it must touch it with the heel. Only after that, the entire sole should fall to the floor completely. The knees should not be fully extended (Fig. 3c).

In the event that absolutely the entire sole touches the floor, then the bend in this area of \u200b\u200bthe lower back will be significant. By setting the heel and toes in this way, you will be able to reduce the risk of significant arching of the spine forward in the lower back.

Can I start using the Alexander technique on my own?

Yes, you certainly may!

First you should choose a place for classes that is convenient for you, where no one can interfere with you.
Next, you need to lie down on the floor, putting a book under your head.
Bend your legs so that your knees point towards the ceiling.
Your thoughts should be free from outsiders, you should not change the position of the body. Mentally say the phrase: "Neck is free, head up and forward." Thus, you will concentrate your attention on the neck and head area.
Next, mentally say the phrase: “Expand and stretch your back.” At the same time, you will begin to feel how your back, shoulders and shoulder blades straighten.
When pronouncing the second phrase, one should not forget about the neck and head. If it so happened that you still forgot about them - go back to the first phrase and concentrate on the head and neck, and only then proceed to work with the back muscles.

Keep in mind that you do not need to perform any action - by repeating these phrases alternately for several minutes, your body will reach a state of relaxation on its own.

In the future, when performing any action and experiencing muscle tension, you should repeat these phrases in turn, and your muscles will come to a relaxed state.

Each person is accustomed to perform certain actions in one specific way, without even taking into account the fact that the same action can be performed in several other ways. At the same time, before the action itself, a person goes through the stage of “expectation of action”, when the perception of the action is consistent with its expectation.

Therefore, when a person performs any action, even the smallest external irritation can cause its premature onset.

When a person is able to control his reactions and react at the right time, he will get rid of the dependence of expectation tension.

The new body construction that a person aspires to by applying the Alexander technique is nothing more than subjective feeling of the correct “waiting posture” .

Due to the fact that a person’s characteristic perception of his preferred reactions to stimuli occurs at the level of the unconscious, a person, according to Alexander’s method, must consciously work on the design of his own body in order to inhibit habitual, but initially not natural reactions for himself.

Initially, you need to plan new correct reactions to irritants. Over time, this habit will become a deliberate action. Then you will not need to think about each of your actions - they will be performed spontaneously.

When actions are considered, applying the Alexander technique, a person will be able to control his posture and thereby get rid of many unnecessary problems associated with his own health. published

The materials are for informational purposes only. Remember, self-medication is life-threatening, consult a doctor for advice on the use of any medications and treatments.

“Alexander laid not only the foundations for the promising science of involuntary movements, which we call reflexes, but also techniques of correction and self-control, which are an essential addition to our meager resources of personality education ”(J.B. Shaw)

The Alexander Technique is a method of showing people who are using their bodies incorrectly and inefficiently how to avoid these irregularities in action and in rest. By "use" Alexander means our habits of holding and moving the body, habits that directly affect how we function physically, mentally and emotionally.

F. Matthias Alexander was an Australian Shakespearean actor, he created his system at the end of the 19th century. He suffered from a recurring loss of voice for which there seemed to be no organic cause. Alexander spent nine years in careful self-observation in front of a three-winged mirror. Through self-observation, he found that the loss of voice was associated with a pressing movement of the head back and down. By learning to suppress this tendency, Alexander stopped suffering from laryngitis; in addition, the removal of pressure on the neck had a positive effect on his entire body. Working on himself, Alexander created an integrated movement training technique based on a balanced relationship between the head and spine.

Alexander believed that the prerequisite for free natural movement, whatever we do, is the greatest possible stretch of the spine. This does not mean a forced stretching of the spine: it means a natural stretching upwards. Students of the Alexander method work primarily with the formula: "Loosen the neck to allow the head to move forward and upward to allow more lengthening and expansion."

The goal is not to try to engage in any muscular activity; the student strives to let the body automatically and naturally adapt during the concentrated repetition of the formula: and in the lesson - when responding to the guiding movements of the teacher. In the lesson, movements taken from normal daily activities are worked out, and the student gradually learns to apply the principles of technique. The balance between the head and the spine provides relief from physical tensions and clamps, improves the lines of the posture and creates better muscle coordination. On the other hand, the violation of these relations gives rise to clamps, distortion of the lines of the body, spoils the coordination of movements. Alexander's technique lessons involve gradual, subtle guidance in mastering a more efficient and satisfying use of the body. The leader must be able to see various blocks that impede the free movements of the body, to anticipate movements with preliminary unnecessary tension. By directing the student's body adjustment in small movements, the teacher gradually gives him the experience of action and rest in an integrated, collected and efficient manner. Alexander's lessons usually focus on sitting, standing, walking, in addition to the so-called "table work" when the student lies down and in the hands of the teacher experiences the sensation of an energy flow that lengthens and expands the body. This work should give the student a feeling of freedom and spaciousness in all ligaments, an experience that gradually wean a person from clamps and tension in ligaments generated by excessive tension in Everyday life. The Alexander technique is especially popular among artists, dancers and people of completely different professions. It is also used effectively in the treatment of certain injuries and chronic diseases.

AN EXERCISE.

Now, while reading, you are sitting or lying down. Are you aware of how you hold the book, how your fingers and hand take on its weight? How are you sitting? Is your body weight evenly distributed between your buttocks? How do you hold your hands? Is there excess tension in the chest, shoulders, forearms, in the whole body? Can you change your posture to a more comfortable one. If so, this indicates that your body habits are not as efficient and satisfying as they could be. Because of these habits, we tend to sit, stand, or move in ways that are not optimal, comfortable, or beneficial; by getting in touch (that is, awareness) with our body, we can feel it. This exercise is not, of course, part of Alexander's technique as such, as it requires the guidance of a trained practitioner. But it can give you a sense of the dynamic use of the body that Alexander emphasizes.

Relaxation technique.

Can be used anywhere and anytime. Visualize clearly two crosses crossing your body. Mentally draw a vertical line along the spine - from the coccyx to the top of the head - and two perpendiculars to it: the first - from one shoulder to the other and the second - passing through the hips. Imagine that the cross is made of strong and flexible metal that flexes with your body movements. To relax, just let the cross fall into its natural position. In this case, the head and spine are straightened, the shoulders are at the same height, the hips are aligned. If you learn to mentally create such a cross - as if fixed in the air above your head - then in your arsenal there will be a very comfortable reception quick relaxation. At the same time, the head stretches slightly upward, the shoulders straighten, the arms hang freely, the back muscles maintain a straight posture.