The Alexander Technique

Have you heard of The Alexander Technique?

I had no idea what it was like but when I heard that it was a method to help let go of your unnecessary tensions and also to live in this very moment, I suddenly got very interested. Kate, a friend of Iain’s has been learning the technique and she is going to graduate from her course at Christmas this year. When I asked her to show me a little bit about the technique, she said okay and visited me yesterday.

She explained to me the general idea of this technique then I lay flat on the floor and she showed me how to let go of all the tensions in my body. She did this by gently helping each of my limbs to stretch long, especially so with the neck because the head is very heavy.

Rev. Mugo was out all day. When she came back and saw me washing dishes, she said “I can see the effect on you!” Indeed I felt much lighter in myself. My headache was gone and my stiff neck was gone. It was like magic. I felt much better, and actually I was so relaxed that I went to bed before 8 and slept until this morning! Somehow I haven’t slept enough recently so it was good to catch up.

About 16 years ago, I came across something a little similar in a workshop called “Kenji no Gakko” (School of Kenji Miyazawa, a storyteller and poet born in 1896. He was a sincere Buddhist.) However I didn’t dig into it any further at that time. I wonder if those people who held this workshop had learned something from the Alexander Technique.

I wrote this blog to show my gratitude to Kate. Thank you Kate!

posted by Edera