The Alexander Technique: Twelve Fundamentals of Integrated Movement

Contents
Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgments

PART I The Basics of Fundamental Movement

1 Introduction, aims, and a tropical tale

Visions of free movement – a tropical tale

Aims of the book

How this book came about

Evolution of the Alexander technique, and finding the whole elephant

2 What has been lost, and the twelve fundamentals of movement

Integrated movement – WHAT has gone wrong, and WHY?

Sitting is the new smoking

The five senses – one of the great myths

Changing our movement habits needs a change in thinking

Top-down vs bottom-up processing

Left hemisphere for the known, right hemisphere for the unknown

An evolutionary perspective puts the body first

Whole-body animal movement, the fulfilment of evolutionary potential

Introducing the twelve fundamentals of integrated movement

Time and space and rhythm

Seven new proposals for integrated movement

3 The fundamentals of structure

Lesson 1Waking up proprioception

Lesson 2We are fighting gravity as we move

Lesson 3Making your first changes towards a more mechanically advantageous structure

Lesson 4Understanding the different models of body mechanics

Lesson 5Control mechanisms of body balance and movement – the self-organization of the body

A summary of the engineering of the human body in nine layers

Appendix: Twelve teaching tips, and further reading

4 The fundamentals of awareness and thinking

Lesson 1Waking up external perception – tracking a visual line

Lesson 2Clear brain choices and “inhibition” – the key to changing brain patterns of body use

Lesson 3Interoception – the internal world of a hundred senses, and our reason to move

Lesson 4Where we think from – mind in the brain, awareness versus feeling

Lesson 5Whole-body awareness and embodiment – “liquid light”

Lesson 6Finding our spatial awareness – of our surroundings and of ourselves

Lesson 7Emergent integrated movement – discovering our fundamental bend led by focused vision

Lesson 8Exploring semi-supine – a position of active rest

5 The autonomic nervous system – why we need to work from quiet presence and awareness

The three states of the autonomic nervous system

The ladder from safety to danger to life threat

Maintaining a balanced life with self-regulation

Bringing the nervous system back to a place of safety

Recovery by climbing down the ladder

6 Finding the innate movements of breathing and walking

The evolution of our movement – finding the buried patterns

Lesson 1Natural breathing – finding the natural expansion of the torso

Lesson 2More breathing explorations

Lesson 3Finding our emergent rhythmic movement – walking and bouncing

PART 2 Linking brain and body with explorations of physical integration

7 The Initial Alexander technique, and a new model of postural alignment

Introduction to Part 2 – exploring Miss Goldie’s model of the structural body

The seven steps to a new body geometry

The five stages to Alexander’s path of discovery

Lesson 1How well is your body aligned with gravity?

Lesson 2Rebalancing the upper body

Lesson 3Making an integrated change

Lesson 4Rebalancing the lower body

Lesson 5Lengthening the back from top and bottom

Lesson 6Integrating directions within the expanded field of awareness

8 Single leg balance

Lesson 1Introduction to balance

Lesson 2The vestibular organs and the three directions of space

Lesson 3Finding our secure base – the ball of the foot and the sesamoid bones

Lesson 4Finding our secure base – the hip stabilizers

Lesson 5Finding our secure base – tilting the foot – the lower ankle joint

Lesson 6Placement of the feet – untwisting the leg spirals

Lesson 7Widening the hips with the breath – opening the femoral triangle

9 Spatial relationships and use of the upper body and arms

Coming into relationship with our world

Lesson 1The supportive torso

Lesson 2The shoulders and upper arms – opening the deep back arm line

Lesson 3How safe do you feel? Opening up the chest and armpits

Lesson 4Opening the forearm flexors

Lesson 5Gripping without grabbing – balancing flexors and extensors as we grip

Lesson 6Delicate movements of the hand

Lesson 7Spatial relationships in the arms in everyday life

10 Toned sitting – integrating the core muscles

Introduction – why work at sitting and standing?

Lesson 1Keeping the legs switched on while sitting, even at a desk

Lesson 2Sit to stand using the new alignment of the legs and feet

Lesson 3The anatomy of integration, finding our core muscles, and active hip folding

Lesson 4Finding the anatomy of integration by inclining back on a chair

11 Walking as you’ve never walked before

The standard model of walking

Lesson 1Stability enables mobility

Lesson 2Stability enables coordination – finding fully active feet

Lesson 3Stability and mobility enable torque – finding the power in your walk

12 Alexander’s biomechanics for expansion of the upper body

Introduction

Active, integrative stretching versus passive, single muscle stretching

Lesson 1Finding the supportive torso

Lesson 2Shoulders and clavicles

Lesson 3Opening, widening, and deepening the chest

Lesson 4Straightening the arms from both ends

Lesson 5Opening the top of the ribcage – the reverse whispered Ah

Lesson 6Classic Alexander technique procedures for arms

13 Precise, springy alignment in sit to stand and “monkey”

Lesson 1Anatomy and engineering play

Lesson 2Tilting the torso forwards into “monkey”

Lesson 3Balanced sitting – actively upright without bracing

Lesson 4Why the knees need to stay back as we tilt forwards to stand

Lesson 5Squatting and bouncing – testing our elastic resistance and mobility

Lesson 6Constructive conscious guidance and control – using Initial AT for yourself

14 Freeing the neck, and Alexander’s primary directions

Lesson 1Why we need to free the neck

Lesson 2Finding length and adaptive tone in the neck extensors

Lesson 3Primary control and directions revisited

PART 3 Living in a flow of dynamic balance

15 Catching a ball – inhibition in action

Introduction – discovering the core of Miss Goldie’s work

Catching a ball in seven stages

Fully responsive action for optimal coordination

Discussion points

16 New models of coordination and learning

Lesson 1Coordinating locomotion by using the whole-body intelligence network

Lesson 2Coordination of reaching and grasping in everyday actions

Lesson 3New models of learning a complex task

17 Embodied speaking

Introduction

Lesson 1Being present as you speak

Lesson 2Embodying the voice

18 Relating and attuning to people for putting hands on others

Introduction – we are not machines but self-integrating systems

How is non-verbal information transmitted?

Five key elements to bring about resonance with a pupil

Summary for hands-on work with a pupil or client

References

Index