Nadia is a copy writer.
‘I had known of the Alexander Technique for several years, but it was only after I was involved in a car accident in December 2010 that I took it up. The accident had left me with pain in my neck and back, but by gently applying this Technique I feel lighter and uninhibited to do certain movements that caused me significantly more pain and discomfort before.
Unlike Pilates or yoga, it doesn’t promise that you’ll be able to put your leg behind your head, because the Alexander Technique is not an exercise. But it does allow less or no pain when using your body to do practically any natural movement. It simply works because the very essence of its philosophy is based on logic.
Of course I can’t speak for other people, but I have felt a sort of spiritual sense to the Alexander Technique. I feel immensely relaxed during my sessions (I also have a wonderful teacher in Julia), but in implementing the Technique, I don’t feel the burdens and stress of everyday life. Everything around me is as it was, but I’m dealing with it slightly differently. And this makes all the difference. This Technique has taught me to think, for just a second, before I go to do practically anything: standing, sitting, lying, driving, reaching for something… everyday things. And in doing so, my body and mind feel more balanced.
The Alexander Technique has been teaching me to undo habits I’ve formed over the years, as well as overcoming post-traumatic pain from my accident. We all develop bad habits, which have negative effects on our health. So this Technique teaches a way of unlearning them. Choosing to implement this Technique is definitely a lifestyle choice, not a passing fad like many exercises can be.
In taking up the Alexander Technique, it has also made me question why I hadn’t done this earlier. It shouldn’t necessarily be used as a ‘cure’, once something (in my case, a car accident) has happened to you. It’s how everyone should be using their bodies all the time: in the harmonious basic way we used our bodies as babies and children.
As clichéd as it may sound, the Alexander Technique has the power to save you from yourself. I totally believe in it. No pain and everything to gain!