Last week I developed one of those random, weird pains and it led me to reflect on how we can use the Alexander Technique to help us with all sorts of everyday problems and challenges. I’d started to get an unpleasant sensation in my right arm that gradually developed into pain but only with certain movements. It felt as if a nerve in the upper arm was being pulled on like plucking the strings of a violin. I realised that the first way in which my Alexander Technique training helped me was that I didn’t panic! In the past I would immediately have become anxious and start catastrophising about what the pain meant and what it could develop into. Instead, by using my Alexander thinking, I was able to simply get on with figuring out how I could do certain movements without triggering a sharp stab of pain. I also found ways of resting my arm. The second way in which the Alexander Technique really helped was that I was able to continue to carry out most activities, finding slightly different ways of doing them, and preventing myself from tensing up in pain or anticipation. I must admit I was feeling quite pleased with how well I was looking after myself by the time I went to bed. However, I think I must have rolled over onto my arm in my sleep and I woke up in a great deal of pain. The next day I continued with my explorations of how to do all the things I wanted to do that day without endgaining (which always led to a sharp stab of pain). By the day after, I found I was pain free and easily able to do all the movements that had previously been difficult. All I could detect was a slight twinge in my arm if I made certain movements without thinking, and even this had disappeared by the end of that day. The third way in which using the Alexander Technique helped me, is that I believe it likely that I was able to prevent the problem from worsening. Often if we’re anxious and/or if we move in some habitual ways there is a tendency to aggravate an injury. Instead, everything I was doing (and not doing) helped create the best conditions possible to allow my natural healing mechanisms to get on with their job.
Of course, such a rapid resolution could have been down to chance, but there have been many other instances in my life when I’ve developed some strange pain or issue somewhere and where I’ve felt able to help sort myself out. Things tend to go wrong fairly frequently, especially as we get older but, in many cases, our capacity for self-healing can set us right again. What the Alexander Technique can give us is the ability to create conditions within ourself that are conducive to self-healing, rather than potentially aggravating or unnecessarily prolonging an issue because of our reaction to it (panic, fear, ‘gritting your teeth and pushing through it’ etc).
Clearly, it’s important not to be complacent and some health issues require medical attention. We may need medical treatment, or it may be that diagnosis can rule out anything serious going on. Also, sometimes, a diagnosis can set our minds at rest and enable us to help ourselves get better, such as when I broke my little finger.
I originally took up the Alexander Technique because I was looking for something that might be able to help prevent the serious back and neck issues that my family has a tendency for. These led to multiple, major surgeries for both my mum and brother. So far, I’ve been fortunate in avoiding the problems they’ve had to deal with. Again, I can’t know for sure how I would have ended up without having the Alexander Technique but I’m certainly very glad I did invest my time and energy in this effective, preventative method.
If we are unlucky enough to develop a chronic pain condition, the Alexander Technique can be invaluable in enabling us to manage our issue. We can feel empowered and prevent the vicious cycle of limiting movement and increasing pain. I know this from my own experience, where I have been able to work through periods of musculoskeletal pain using my Alexander skills and understanding.
There have been many other aspects of life where my Alexander training has made a big impact for me. Here are some of them:
- Overall, I’m a much calmer person, being more present more of the time. And because I don’t live almost exclusively in the future (my previous habit), it has much diminished my tendency towards ‘What if thinking’.
- It’s allowed me to take a step back and see the big picture and this has helped me both on a daily basis and in making important decisions, like realising when it was time to change my career.
- In times of crisis or challenge, my Alexander skills have kept me sane and safe.
- In recent years, it’s helped me take up running, to stick with it, and even enjoy it!
- I’m more optimistic. I’m also less dualistic in my attitudes. For example, when I first met my partner 20 years ago she would often infuriate me with frequent ripostes of ‘it’s not that simple’ whenever I expressed a view about how or why things are, or could be. Now I’m much less black and white – most things in life are complex!
The main benefits of learning the Alexander Technique are different for everyone. For some its about improving their performance (business, music, acting etc). For others, its mainly for navigating life, reducing stress and building more resilience and confidence. And, of course there is the wish to look after one’s health and wellbeing. These are just some of the reasons why I consider the Alexander Technique to be an essential life skill. I wish it could be taught to everyone at an early age.
If you decide to take up the Alexander Technique you will discover that it is not a panacea and it’s not a quick fix, rather it’s a reliable guide that we can use to effectively steer us through life.