Category Archives: Alexander Technique

Olympics Team GB Equestrian Gold, Silver & the Alexander Technique

August 6, 2012 – 9:52 pm

Fantastic to see the Olympic Gold medal achieved by the GB Showjumping team – Nick Skelton, Ben Maher, Scott Brash and Peter Charles – following the nail biting jump off against the Netherlands.  Fortunately, unlike far too numerous to list, England football penalty shoot outs, the Team GB Showjumping team won!  I remembered watching Nick Skelton in the 1980s competing and so it was especially great to see him achieve Gold today.  And that on top of the Silver medal achieved by the GB Eventing team last week involving William Fox-Pitt, Nicola Wilson, Zara Phillips Mary King and Tina Cook.  Well done Equestrian Team GB!!!

All my life I have been fascinated by the beauty, the unity, the strength and grace of horse and rider.

Poise of the rider is one of the fundamental pillars of good horsemanship.  Recently, I have been having a course of horse riding lessons with a new instructor.  She was interested to learn that I was an Alexander Technique teacher and asked me lots of questions about it.  Because it is a technique embraced by many riders she had initially thought that it was developed within and solely for the equestrian field.  She was surprised to hear that FM Alexander, the founder of the Alexander Technique was an actor who was trying to resolve his breathing and vocal problems.

But she re-iterated its importance to riders and by the end of the lesson said that I had been far easier to teach and was picking up riding skills and building a good relationship and partnership with the horse far quicker than most riders.  ‘Every rider should have Alexander Technique lessons’ she exclaimed.  ‘They’d be far easier to teach’!

The whole issue of finding one’s seat in a poised, fluid and dynamic way which gives a sense of expansiveness through the rider to the horse through all transitions is eased by learning the Alexander Technique alongside taking riding lessons.  But why is that?

When we sit on a horse we bring with us all the habitual thought and postural patterns that we have accumulated thus far.  That includes how we slump at a desk with eyes focused on a computer screen, or collapse into an armchair.  How we hold the reins will be conditioned by how we habitually hold our knife and fork, our toothbrush or a pen!  These patterns of tension become a way of being and we take them into riding a horse.

As riders, we may know and have been told countless times that good posture is important in horse riding.  Consequently, we may put in huge efforts to sit up straight, look out and keep the heels down.  But it isn’t natural to have to make such an effort, it is hard to maintain it, it doesn’t bring the best out of the horse and to top it all, it can be painful.  Believe it or not, natural poise and good posture should be and feel effortless, like you see in a baby sitting with its head beautifully balanced on top of its spine, with a sense of calm and aliveness in its eyes.

If you find that you struggle to sit up straight without a lot of effort it is not that you are lazy and not working hard enough, or are not strong enough and need to do more exercises.  It is just that you have, over the years, got into habits which have led to your postural mechanisms getting out of kilter such that the wrong muscles are doing the wrong jobs.  Jobs for which they are not best suited.  You might be making huge muscular efforts but the results aren’t great and there is a lot of unnecessary stress and strain going on.

With the help of an Alexander Technique teacher you can begin to breathe a sigh of relief.  You will gradually learn how to consciously prevent unnecessary tensions, stress and strain and how to encourage your natural poise to come through again.  Your poise has not been extinguished, it is in you as your birthright as a human being and can, be allowed to blossom again.

You will learn a process of thinking, moving and being which will not only enhance all the activities in your life, but crucially as a rider, will enable you to ‘find your seat’ and explore new depths of beauty and unity in riding.

The next HITE ‘Improve your Seat’ workshop is from 1:30 – 4:30pm on Saturday 6th October at 10 Harley Street, London W1G 9PF.  Designed especially for riders, you will gain insights and experiences through the application of the Alexander Technique on how you can find a comfortable posture and even seat on the saddle and discover a more harmonious connection with your horse.

For further information and to book your place click on HITE Improve Your Seat Riding and Alexander Technique Workshops today.

By claireathite | Also posted in Horseriding, Olympics | Comments (6)

Alexander Technique and the Olympics

July 27, 2012 – 5:35 pm

Have just finished with my last Alexander Technique client in Harley Street for the day and walked through Cavendish Square and onto Oxford Street.  Yes – you CAN feel the difference!  The energy and numbers of people filled with excitement, anticipation and expectation of the Olympic Games is palpable.  And that it is not raining, just now, is a bonus!

At HITE we are really looking forward to the Olympics Opening Ceremony.  Not so much for the ceremony itself but because it marks the start of the Games that have been 7 years in gestation.  We want to see the athletes, the A-W of sports from archery to weightlifting (there is no X, Y or Z!) and perhaps like many others endeavour to discern what makes the greatest great.

What are the ingredients, in what quantity, regularity, combination and timing?  Natural talent, childhood motivation and encouragement, or was it an ‘I’ll show them’ attitude?  Hours, days, weeks, months, years; a lifetime’s dedication to get to this moment – the starting line.

To how many other people, projects and distractions has one built up the ability to say, ‘No’, in order to focus on the ultimate glory of Gold at London 2012.  In the Alexander Technique, knowing what we do not want is as important as knowing what we do want.  The saying ‘no’ comes first in order to open up the space and the pathways for what we do want to be realised.

How much does nutrition matter?  From Jamaican Usain Bolt who got Olympic gold at Beijing and broke the world record for the men’s 100m on a pre-race meal of chicken nuggets, to the claims from Serbian male tennis gold-medal-seeking Novak Djokovic that eating gluten free has helped to improve his energy and form.

The men’s 100m sprint is somehow absolutely mesmerising.  Who is the fastest man on the planet? Usain Bolt said yesterday that if he wins the Gold in London 2012 he will become a legend.  This is what he has been preparing and hoping for; the years of dedication will all be over in less than 10 seconds – and that’s about the length of time it would have taken you to read this sentence.  Everything must work at this moment.  The reaction from the starting pistol, the burst of strength and sheer power, the co-ordination, flow, energy, obsession and determination all coming to the fore.

But as Alexander Technique teachers we will also have our trained eyes open across all of the sports for the ‘Primary Control’ working within the athlete.  The ‘Primary Control’ is the unique head-neck-back relationship which is the lynchpin of the Alexander Technique for optimum performance – be it in sport, music, acting, business and our daily life.  It is not only available to Olympic athletes but is the birthright of all of us.  It is that natural, flowing co-ordination that you see in a young child where movement appears flowing and effortless.  It is when mind and body are in an inseparable state of dynamic poise, which helps us to reach our potential in all of our ventures whilst maximising rather than jeopardising our health and well-being.

So on that note, HITE would like to wish you all the most fantastic London 2012 Olympic Games, and we’ll keep you updated with our insights as they progress.  And do send us your observations and comments.  If you are interested in improving your running, cycling, swimming, horse riding, or any other of the Olympic sport, by learning the Alexander Technique, then contact us today by email info@hiteltd.co.uk or tel +44 (0) 20 7567 8461.  You won’t regret it!

By claireathite | Also posted in Olympics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Top 15 Benefits of Learning the Alexander Technique (AT)

April 17, 2012 – 10:05 pm

1.    Alexander Technique is ‘Common Sense’  … when you think about it.

  • AT is based on the principle that our ‘use’ – the way we do what we do – affects our functioning (mentally and physically) in all of the activities in our lives.  It does not require a stretch of the imagination to realise that the way in which we, for example,  stand, walk, bend, sit at our computers – affects our health, performance and well-being, but we are often so busy getting things done that we don’t think about how we are doing them.  The AT is about re-discovering our natural poise, the poise that we are born with and you see in young children.  It is, one of the foundations for good health – alongside nutrition and exercise.

2.    The Alexander Technique helps us to look, feel and perform to our best – male or female.

  •  As a woman, it helps us reveal our natural beauty, grace and elegance.  As a man it helps us to be our naturally handsome selves with an assured presence.   Male or female you may find that you are calmer, more composed and deal with difficult situations better – and that people notice.
  • This is not something which is superficially achieved with a combination of stress, strain, pulling in stomachs, plastic surgery, and expensive make-up and clothes.  It is the ‘looking good in whatever you wear’.  Onlookers may wonder how you do it, or what it is about you that they can’t put their finger on.  After lessons, friends may say. “you look well”, or ask “Have you lost weight?”
  • In essence it could be said that the AT helps us feel more confident about ourselves and our abilities, and makes us more attractive to others.  We come across better.

3.    Alexander Technique  is scientifically proven to work: 

  • Significant long-term benefit from Alexander Technique lessons for low back pain sufferers has been demonstrated in a major study published by the British Medical Journal on 20th August 2008 at Link to British Medical Journal BMJ Randomised controlled trial of Alexander Technique lessons, exercise, and massage for chronic and recurrent back pain
  • To summarise
    • 24 AT lessons proved to be most beneficial
    • Six lessons followed by exercise were about 70% as effective as 24 lessons
    • Long-term benefits unlikely to be due to placebo effect
    • Lessons were one-to-one, provided by experienced STAT teachers
    • This was a randomised controlled trial
    • 579 patients with chronic or recurrent low back pain; 144 were randomised to normal care, 147 to massage, 144 to six Alexander technique lessons, and 144 to 24 Alexander technique lessons; half of each of these groups were randomised to exercise prescription.

4.    Alexander Technique gets at a root cause, it does not just treat symptoms – thus saving you time and money, as well as enabling you to reduce medication and  in some cases avoid surgery.

  •  The need for services from health practitioners such as physiotherapists, osteopaths, massage therapists, chiropractors will probably reduce or even disappear as you learn how to stop causing the problems in the first place.  In some cases, surgery may also be avoided.  You may also find that you are less reliant on medication, such as painkillers, anti-inflammatories and anti-depressants.

5.    No need to rely on Alexander Technique teacher indefinitely

  •  The AT is taught – clients are students rather than patients.  As a student you gradually learn to become aware of habits that might be getting on your way and how to prevent them.  Thus you are empowered and able to take responsibility in a positive sense and means that you are not forever reliant on external support.

6.    Learning the Alexander Technique is an investment – scientifically proven to be cost-effective

  • An economic evaluation published in the British Medical Journal BMJ (11th December 2008) has concluded that Alexander Technique lessons are an effective and cost-effective option for the NHS. BMJ Randomised Control trial of Alexander Technique Lessons – Economics Paper
    • The evaluation found that a series of six Alexander Technique lessons followed by an exercise prescription is more than 86% likely to be a cost effective option for primary care providers treating patients with chronic non-specific low-back pain.
  • You identify the root cause of problems while  learning this skill which allows you to understand the means to apply it in all activities for the rest of your life.

7.    No need to do special exercises:

  • We learn to think during our activities, not simply repeat old ways.
  • We can learn to apply the AT to sport / exercise /dance – activities of interest to us – enhancing our whole well-being rather than having to do boring exercises and find the time to fit them in.

8.    Not about doing more in our already busy lives, but learning to do less

  • It is not so much about doing more on top of what we are already doing, but about learning to become aware of, and not do what is not necessary in the present, and un-do the unnecessary habits of the past to allow our natural poise to shine through and improve our performance.

9.    Universal Appeal – helps us whatever our job, interests, activities

  • Because the AT works at a fundamental level of being a human being, it helps us regardless of our occupation, interests, profession, gender.

10.  Helps all aspects of our lives.

  • It affects all areas of your life because it works at the level of your co-ordination in all that you do.

11.  Doesn’t matter about age, helps us all avoid aging before our time.

  • We will all die, but surely it would be good to live fully until we do!  The AT helps us do that and learning helps us whatever our age.  George Bernard Shaw started his lessons with Alexander aged 78 with extremely beneficial results and I have clients in their 80’s who are delighted by their improved health and well-being and their ability to be more active and be in less pain.
  • On the other hand I have clients in their twenties who have already experienced debilitating pain and feel that they are aging before the time.  In fact, I was in this situation too and know the feeling!  Learning the AT can reverse this trend enabling us to live fuller lives and be far more optimistic about the future.  AT gives you back hope.

12.  Alexander Technique works indirectly rather than directly / specifically

  • AT, through helping us to re-discover our natural poise, provides a general improvement in our health and well-being through an improvement in the way we work.  Thus the cause of specific problems may go away.  In fact, health problems that we weren’t even aware that we had may go away indirectly, such as poor digestion.

13.  Can help us deal with a disability

  • If you are in the situation where you have a disability or disabling condition eg through polio, thalidomide, Marfan’s syndrome or through previous surgical intervention, learning the AT can still help you to become the best you can be by learning how to use yourself most efficiently.  This can make a significant difference to one’s quality of life.

14.  Benefits are experienced from day 1 and throughout learning.

  •  This education provides therapeutic benefits and often people begin to feel better from their 1st lesson, as well as having a transformation in their attitude through the realisation that it makes a difference.

15.  Helps give clarity of thinking and deal with all aspects of life

  • As we become more practised in observing and becoming aware of how our habits  may be detrimental to us, and practised at how to change them, we are able to be more honest with ourselves, more reasonable and better able to make positive choices. In short, it helps us be more aware of our choices and increasingly more able to make better ones.
  • In conclusion, learning the AT improves the quality of our lives – and we each only have one of them – and this is it!

For further information visit www.hiteltd.co.uk e:info@hiteltd.co.uk

By athite | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)