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See New Article - A Leap of Faith
The Alexander Technique
by George I. ListerRecently, a student arrived for his first lesson and told me he had been doing some reading on the Alexander Technique and tried a suggested exercise, which helped him immediately. I, of course, was quite intrigued, so I asked him to describe this exercise and he told me that it was to 'Free your neck, allowing the head to go forward and up and the back to lengthen and widen'. I asked him if he would demonstrate and, after overcoming his embarrassment, he proceeded to push his head as far above his shoulders as he possibly could, severely straining the muscles of his neck. He also pulled his shoulders back, pushed his chest out and then pulled his head back, putting himself into a classic 'military' pose. I was concerned if he went further he might severely injure himself.
Herein lies the problem with learning the Alexander Technique. If we believe there is a better way to use our bodies, if we can be free and easy and have a beautiful, graceful, upright posture, if we can reduce or eliminate pain and discomfort, if we can enhance our endurance by reducing the overall tension with which we accomplish our tasks, why don't we do it? The answer is clear - we don't know or we have forgotten how.
The purpose of the Alexander Technique is to remind us of and to get in touch with the good postural habits and natural reflexes that are a part of each of us - we were born with them. During the course of a lesson the teacher will, through verbal and 'hands on' instruction, help the pupil to experience a feeling of ease and lightness that comes with an improved use of oneself and reminds us of freedom of movement perhaps not experienced since childhood. The student begins to recognize that postural habits, which may have interfered with consistent coordinated physical use, are within our control and the amount of tension used during a particular task is up to us. There is not just one way to go about our activities and with thought, consciousness and awareness, we become open to the many alternatives of physical use. It is with an understanding of these alternatives that clear postural decisions can be made.
Leaving yourself alone
by George I. ListerI am frequently asked "Just what is the Alexander Technique all about and why should I be interested in taking lessons?"
If one is curious about the Technique he or she may study the teachings and writings of Walter Carrington, director of the Constructive Teaching Centre in London and F. M. Alexander's partner. It was during one of Walter's classes a number of years ago that I first heard him use the words - 'Leave yourself alone with the intent of arriving at your proper shape and at your full height'. Of course I was quite familiar with this notion (if not the exact words), as I had enjoyed the experience of countless Alexander lessons and read many books and papers on the subject. But the meaning, the application, the essence of the concept had always been a bit of a muddle. For whatever the reason, Walter's words that particular day rang bright and clear and a new and remarkable pathway abruptly opened.
Learning to leave ourselves alone - precisely what we come to the Alexander Technique to discover. From our very first lessons, we are taught that if we don't interfere, we are perhaps able to realize the best of our physical, mental and emotional resources.
Of course, in order to agree to leave ourselves alone and not hinder our best use, we must be willing to consider the possibility of change. Our habits, our usual reactions to things, are very much a part of us - we've been practicing for a long time. We have come to rely on our habitual way of thinking and conducting our lives without taking much opportunity to consider whether there are useful alternatives. It's here that we might encounter difficulty. Things may have gone along quite well for the most part so what possible reason is there to make the considerable effort to think about change? Perhaps the answer lies in our consideration of ourselves if we ask the question - 'Am I functioning at my best and fulfilling my potential and, if not, how might I get there?'
If one is willing to ask this question, he or she is at the starting gate and ready to get on with the thoughtful process of considering where the winds of change might lead. Alexander called this process 'inhibition' - the decision to not proceed with business as usual. The choice to say 'no' is a difficult one. To abandon our reaction to a particular stimulus such as an order or suggestion, question or demand, to embrace the possibility that saying 'no' is not a fault or a failure, does not respect the normal or familiar pattern for many of us. We are trained and socially expected to respond quickly and certainly; we may feel that we are wrong if we do not. Alexander referred to this as the 'too quick and unthinking reaction'. However, in embarking on the study of the Technique, we are giving ourselves permission to consider our decisions and our methods of dealing with the complexities of our lives. It's risky business as, along the way, we are likely to encounter feelings and understandings not experienced for a very long time. However, with a willingness to experiment and a healthy curiosity, the study of the Alexander Technique becomes a captivating and rewarding experience.
As a teacher and especially as one who trains others to take on the responsibility of teaching, I am firmly committed to 'Leaving ourselves alone' as the foundation of Alexander's work. Without it, without allowing ourselves to touch that wonderful, graceful part of us, nothing else will work well. Armed with the knowledge that with consciousness and motivation we have the ability to do our best, we arrive at the spirit and vigor of the Alexander Technique.
Walter
by George I. ListerMy teacher Walter Carrington died August 7th.
I met Walter during the summer, 2000 when I attended a 'Teachers' Refresher Course' at
the Constructive Teaching Centre in Holland Park, London. I had been warned that he would not be teaching this course as he had done a long year's work, taught the refresher course the week before, was 85 years old and deserved a rest.
He showed up every day.
What a marvelous and unexpected treat. Walter welcomed everyone, taught many private lessons and each day gave a 'turn' to every attendee and teacher on the course. I was captivated as he brought life and energy to Alexander's writings. The atmosphere was one of grace and respect - for the work, for Walter, for the staff teachers and for each other.
The experience of the refresher course gave me a big boost; I came away feeling validated about my teaching, believing I was heading in the right direction. Frequently, seminars or courses leave me a bit skeptical, questioning the value of my time and effort. Not at CTC. Every day was exciting, compelling and full of dignity and good humor.
I have returned often to Lansdowne Road both as a visiting teacher and as a student participating a second time in a refresher course. Every journey has included at least one private lesson and many in-class 'turns' with Walter. Through the years I've gotten to know him a bit and value his kindness and gentleness. Although our separations were sometimes many months, he recalled precisely where we had left off.
Most recently in July of this year, I returned to CTC as the director of my own training course. I had scheduled a lesson with Walter as did my wife Sally (this was to be her first with him), and was disappointed to learn for health reasons he might need to cancel one or both. Fortunately, he pulled through, was teaching as usual and made time available for both of us. Sally's scheduled lesson was Thursday, July 21st, the day of the failed terrorist attacks. She was delayed on the tube and risked being disappointed, missing this long awaited opportunity. When I mentioned to Walter that Sally was late, he assured me not to worry and everyone pulled together to make sure she got her lesson.
When I received the news that Walter had died, I was sad but not shocked. He was 90, had had a bad fall the previous week and the prognosis was not good.
Walter and the people associated with him have meant a great deal to me and to my career since we first met five years ago. His work, his presence will continue to be a part of my life and his talks are required study in the curriculum of my training course. Anyone who has attended the training or refresher courses at Lansdowne Road may think of Walter as he enters the main room at noon, sits in the straight backed wooden chair by the door, and brings us with him as he journeys through Alexander's work. When I read his talks, when we chat about them in my training course class, I am transported to that room. I hear his voice and marvel at the understanding, elegance and humor with which he approaches this work.
On a very personal note for Sally and me - our reflections on our final lessons with Walter will remain a shared powerful and at the same time sad experience. He was only a number of days from death and his work was clear, compelling and inspiring.
I have been most fortunate in my career in the Alexander Technique to have met, worked with, learned from and gotten to know a few of the great teachers and inspirations of my profession. Two are now gone - Troup Matthews and Walter Carrington, and they leave a legacy which will be a challenge to sustain. I will be forever grateful to have known them.
Page 124
by George I. Lister
Not long ago, we had the pleasure of hosting a visitor to our training course who had taken many Alexander lessons and was considering studying to be a teacher. She was visiting courses to begin the process of deciding where she wished to spend the next three years. She was a lovely addition to our course that day, and seemed to enjoy herself. She contributed to the ongoing discussions and made herself available as a willing “student” for the trainees.
When class ended, I spent a bit of time with her to talk about the day. Her first and only comment about her experience was “You only said forward and up a time or two. I like it better when teachers say it a lot.” When I asked what “forward and up” meant to her she replied, “You know, neck free head forward and up” demonstrating by moving her head vigorously from side to side. I had the impression that she added a bit of unintended muscular stress and tension to the directions “neck free, head forward and up.”
It seems clear from Alexander’s writings that he found no amount of excess muscular stress or tension would allow anyone to free the neck or direct the head to go forward and up. These “directions” are states of being that become available when we learn to access them. Perhaps there’s a contemporary issue with the word “direction.” It’s possible we take it a bit literally, something to be followed unconditionally and without much consideration.
John Dewey in an introduction to Alexander’s Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual states that the principle of the Alexander Technique is so badly needed because:
“…in all matters that concern the individual self and the conduct of its life there is a defective and lowered sensory appreciation and judgment, both of ourselves and of our acts, which accompanies our wrongly adjusted psycho-physical mechanisms. It is precisely this perverted consciousness which we bring with us to the reading and comprehension of Mr. Alexander’s pages, and which makes it hard for us to realize his statements as to its existence, causes and effects. We have become so used to it that we take it for granted.” *
The difficulty in studying the Alexander Technique (which Dewey believed everyone should do) is that we tend to bring along our usual thoughts and considerations, judgments and reactions. It seems likely that our training course visitor had certain preconceived notions about head forward and up. Perhaps if she were able to let go of these predetermined ideas, she would be open to experiencing something other than what she expected.
Of course, our visitor is not alone in this experience. It seems that many of us are tightly attached to our habits, and rather than consider the difficult and challenging alternative of letting go, we continue our usual journey, often with the murky understanding that we are not making a very good choice. about how to proceed.Since our habits are customary, how do we give ourselves the opportunity to look at things in a different way? The answer to this question is crucial to the understanding of the Alexander Technique, and it is what I stress in training teachers.
Alexander provides a statement about the process that allows us to reconsider our habits on Page 124 of the Mouritz 1996 edition of Man’s Supreme Inheritance. In the section titled “The Processes of Conscious Guidance and Control,” Alexander describes what he calls the four essential stages “in the performance of any muscular action by conscious guidance and control.” This seems to be a key to Alexander’s thinking. Virtually everything that we do includes muscular action, so it appears Alexander is suggesting that if we follow these steps, we can be in control of all our activities. Perhaps the best way to proceed is to reevaluate Dewey’s observations and not try to do these four steps in our usual way; but rather to give up anxiety, anticipation and muscular effort, and replace with little expectation and lots of curiosity.
Step 1: the conception of the movement required. Alexander acknowledges that our lives are filled with purpose, and he never disavows the importance of intention and goals, without which we would not get far.
Step 2: the inhibition of erroneous preconceived ideas which subconsciously suggest the manner in which the movement or series or movements should be performed. Using the term “inhibition”, Alexander suggests we not proceed in the usual fashion, allowing us the opportunity to detach from our habitual patterns. In the preface to this same book, Alexander states that “the use of the inhibitory processes is the necessary first step in the reconditioning of human behaviour.”** Only through the practice of stopping and reconsidering can we hope to liberate ourselves from our habits. The challenge is enormous. Our lightening quick reflex to stimuli is a valued characteristic of the growth and development of recent civilization, and we are reluctant to apply anything that we fear may slow us down.
In his writings, Alexander indicates that in order to be clear that we are not carrying along unintended ideas, thoughts, and methodology we must stop and take time to reconsider. Frequently, we have the luxury to take a great deal of time before continuing on with our actions; but at other times not quite so much. The inhibitory process of stopping and not proceeding with the normal and familiar action needs to remain in place regardless of the time we have available. Both my personal and teaching experience have shown that we can get so good at inhibiting that we learn to abandon what we don’t really need. Rather than inhibition becoming a time consuming burden, we learn to use it as a tool to help us function more efficiently.
Step 3: The new and conscious mental orders which will set in motion the muscular mechanism essential to the correct performance of the action. Each of us has our unique pattern of thought and action. Alexander seems to suggest that through the process of inhibition we give ourselves time, and with that time we can encourage the thoughts that will allow the neck to be free, the head to go forward and up, the back to lengthen and widen, and the knees to go forward and away from each other. These instructions to ourselves (or directions, orders or wishes) are crucial to the proper functioning of the whole system, and they help us to not rush and not careen thoughtlessly through life’s activities. We must take care that the directions do not become ends in themselves, but rather available states of being which we have given ourselves permission to choose.Step 4: the movements (contractions and expansions) of the muscles which carry out the mental orders. And now after carefully considering the previous steps, we get to decide what to do about our original intention. It’s possible the road to that objective won’t look the same as it did, because once we stop to reconsider, we may find that we have many choices about how to proceed. In the end the Alexander Technique is about taking time to think, and once we do take that time, we find that we have room for choice.
Ultimately, the choice to embrace Alexander’s few steps helps to liberate us from our reliance on our usual and habitual ways of doing things. On our training course, we often acknowledge Alexander’s four-step process to help keep us on a thoughtful and reasonable track. The suggestion, usually simply referred to as “page 124”, serves as a valuable reminder of what is essential to each of us in the study of the Alexander Technique.
© George I. Lister 2008. All rights reserved.
Endnotes
1. Alexander, F.M. Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual. London, Mouritz, 2004, xxv.
2. Alexander, F.M. Man’s Supreme Inheritance. London, Mouritz, 1996, xiii.
Gravity/Anti Gravity
by George I. Lister
From a talk by George I. Lister at The Northern California Center
for the Alexander Technique - March 2007
Newton’s third law of motion states that “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” We can demonstrate this quite easily by stepping off a boat onto a dock and observing that as we move in one direction, we need to be very careful as the boat will tend to move in the opposite direction. We have created the action that takes us one way while the same force at the same time sends the boat the other way.This identical force is called gravity and is what allows us and all living creatures (and everything else), to maintain our place on the planet. Gravity will act as the influence which will keep us from drifting away. Whatever we or any other object weighs is the force in one direction and the earth will respond by giving us an equivalent amount of energy in return. In order to take advantage of all this we must be in equilibrium with the forces of nature.
Living beings all come with some amount of movement. We walk, we crawl, we swim we fly and, as in the case of trees and plants, although usually not moving from one place to another, expand and get longer and broader.
In regards to Newton’s theory, this makes the plight of living beings quite tricky as, in order to be in sync with gravitational forces, we must at all times use ourselves perfectly. Of course, most beings living on the earth do just that. They are absolutely suited to their environment and, although they may not always appear so, they are moving in perfect balance with the forces of gravity. Fish and sea mammals move through water, birds and other winged creatures fly through the air, trees and plants grow towards the light sometimes over, under or around other objects. Land creatures move over their terrain in a beautiful ballet of grace and elegance. It is a well synchronized world, moving and flowing in harmony with the natural environment of the earth.
This equation pertains to the human species as well who, unfortunately through the ages, has managed to learn to be unsynchronized with his environment. Rather than acknowledging and using it as an accommodating force of nature, we have come to consider gravity our enemy – something to be struggled with and fought against. The challenge is that no matter what, be it extravagant power and strength techniques, overwhelming propulsion or any of the advances science and technology bring to us, while living on the planet Earth, we cannot escape the force of nature that holds us together and in balance – the force of gravity.
And according to Newton, the rule of gravity says that we will only get back what we put in.
Now imagine that you weigh 150 pounds. If the theory stands, the energy you will receive back from the Earth will exactly match what you weigh so that you will be receiving in return 150 pounds worth of energy which you can use to come to your full height and to propel yourself from one place to another, sometimes at astonishing speed. This presupposes, of course, that all your physiological resources are working to their optimum and you are not wasting energy by interfering with the natural balance of things. If you are not in balance, you will be demanding more of the Earth’s resources than it’s prepared to give. This is when the struggle sets in. The more we labor to find an appropriate upright stance, the more tension we introduce into the system therefore demanding more and more of gravity. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we struggle, we are only entitled to exactly what gravity knows we’re offering and, in this case, it’s 150 pounds.
The answer to how the Alexander Technique might help us in this equation is that by taking advantage of the principles of the Technique we learn to achieve balance. Many of us through the course of our lives have picked up habits that interfere with balance and take away the equilibrium our systems thrive on. We make ourselves feel that the most basic necessities of life – supporting our own weight and moving from place to place, are filled with pain and hardship. Through the study of the Technique, we learn that we can make choices concerning these habits, and that although our usual way of doing things may have been around for a long time, acquired habits are subject to change. When the interference goes away what’s left is exactly what’s supposed to be there, and the system re learns how to use itself in the best and most efficient way possible.
When I began my study of the Alexander Technique and experienced my first lessons about 20 years ago, I felt that my equilibrium had been thrown off and I had lost my sense of balance. It was astonishing that along with this sense of disorientation, I noticed that I didn’t have to hold on to myself to not fall on my nose. This flood of information was too much for the sense of things I had available at that time. As my learning experience developed, I realized that what I had at first thought to be a complete disruption of my balance system was, in fact, re learning and re adjustment of my body’s physiological comprehension. Alexander termed this “debauched kinesthesia” meaning what we feel as balance, uprightness, etc., is not always accurate.
It is the job of an Alexander teacher to help guide students through this period of adjustment. We own our habitual ways of doing things and the challenge of change includes being clear that new kinesthetic experiences are not necessarily wrong, just unusual. By embracing the principles of the Technique, we give ourselves the opportunity to experiment, learning more and more about ourselves along the way. It is through this learning process that the benefits of the study of the Alexander Technique are to be fulfilled.
A Leap of Faith
by George I. Lister
Published in the winter 2007 edition of the AmSAT News - the quarterly publication of the American Society for the Alexander Technique. Copyrighted - all rights reserved.Not long ago, during a lesson I was explaining to a student that according to F. M. Alexander we really don’t have to do much to find the wonderful grace and elegance of the proper use of ourselves. Good use is built into our system so all we have to do is not interfere and the whole thing will work just fine.
My student came to the Alexander Technique because he wanted to better himself. He seemed to be suffering from a familiar state of affairs - he believed that if he wished to make things better, if he wanted to have “good posture”, he needed to try harder. He thought that in order to stand or sit fully upright, he needed to pull things up rather violently, head and shoulders back, chest out, knees and legs locked. The prospect of doing none of this but instead, allowing the body’s natural upright processes to take their own course, was rather daunting and, it seemed impossible to him. His response to my suggestion to not do the things he was doing and see where it all might take him was “That’s a real leap of faith”.
And so it is a leap of faith – but, I believe, one that we have little choice but to pursue. If we wish to reach our full potential in supporting our very basic needs, if we trust that the resources to carry our own weight, to move from place to place and to perform the many varied tasks we ask of ourselves each minute of every day; then we must use ourselves to the best of our abilities and waste little effort.Years ago, during my first Alexander lesson with Troup Matthews, he and I were chatting and sitting on stools in the teaching room in his house on Macdougal Street in New York City. The room had the feeling of age and seasoning and it seemed to move gently with Troup as he walked about. The floorboards creaked with every step. I’d had enough Alexander lessons to know that Troup was going to stand behind or to the side, put his hand on me and by using some gentle magic, float me lightly and easily out of the chair. Troup seemed to know what I expected, and he did nothing of the kind. Instead, he told me to get myself out of the chair. Troup had changed the game plan. He had encouraged me to take the time to think - as a matter of fact, he insisted on it. Eventually, I got myself up. I have no idea how long that took, but, when I finally did rise, the movement had qualities similar to those I had experienced in my previous lessons.
“You’ve only got to wish for it, my boy,” Troup said. Perhaps that is what the Alexander Technique is all about - giving ourselves time to wish for what we want. And if we can get what we wish for, if we do have in us the stuff to make our wishes come true, that really will be a leap of faith.