ARE YOU FINDING TRYING TO HAVE GOOD POSTURE AN EFFORT?

Working with a client this morning, it reminded me of how I used to be. I spent alot of time TRYING to Do GOOD POSTURE! From my personal experience I can say it didn't work, I was just tense and my back and neck still hurt. This client was having the same problem until i got them to start to ungrip and they realised they would not fall to the ground or even slouch.
There is a lot of talk about the importance of good posture these days. You hear it in gyms, yoga sessions, Pilates and even the very popular barefoot running.


However when you say to people “Think about your posture” they tend to TRY and stand up straight, possibly holding onto their legs , heaving up their chests and even tensing their necks and pulling in their backs in the attempt to DO good posture.

We have a strange idea of what good posture is. We try and DO IT by putting ourselves in a position and fixing ourselves. Unfortunately most of the time we cannot maintain this and we tire and we might even injure ourselves doing exercise, as we are moving this tense body around.



So what is good posture ?



In Alexander Technique lessons I firstly state that one should never fix themselves in a position, whether sitting, standing or even lying down. If you do, you are fixing and probably tensing your muscles.



The force of gravity on us encourages our bodies to lengthen and widen and we have the potential to release and lengthen into activity eg: the movement from sitting to standing. We did this as a toddler and we can get back to it by thinking in a different way. See how good sportsmen and women use there bodies, they lengthen into activity in a very natural way.

Having good posture shouldn’t be a struggle and we should definitely not be using extra effort. With our minds we can change things and we can start to move in a more lengthening and widening way which will encourage freer breathing.



Firstly we must recognise if we are trying too hard. Are we gripping with our legs/buttocks? Holding our tummies in? tucking our tail bones under? Thowing our heads back?



If we can choose NOT to do those things we are half way there.



We then choose to lengthen and widen, not by DOING it or even using muscular effort but by thinking and allowing our bodies to move in a natural way.



In a way we are allowing gravity to take us up and be more springy like a toddler.



Why not get an Alexander Technique teacher to show you how.



For more information or to book an introductory session go to:



http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/

Its' getting cold out there......and we're getting hunched

Well winter is upon us once again but have you ever noticed what effect the cold is having on the way you carry yourself? Are you pulling your head into your shoulders and holding onto your shoulders tightly, pulling them up to your ears maybe?

The effect of this is actually the opposite to what we want. This tightening in the muscles restricts blood flow to the tissues. So wrap up warm and invest in a scarf!! Let your head just balance ontop of your spine, just like you did when you were a toddler and leave your shoulders alone, allowing your arms to swing forward and back as you walk.

TRY THIS: Imagine there is a cushion to either side of your shoulders and you don't want to pull away from those cushions. Better?


You maybe tensing your legs as well, choose not no to. Think of them as reaching down to the ground instead of pulling up and in. Try it for yourself.





http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/

Helping people to use their bodies more efficiently.

CAN I BE AS SMART AS MY SMART PHONE OR iGADGET? CAN I BE ihuman?

It’s truly amazing how fast technology is moving, I remember when my dad got his first mobile. The battery pack was so heavy he almost needed help to get it to the car.

These days we are surrounded by amazing Smart phones and tablets and find ourselves continuously plugged in.

However more and more people are getting ‘Computer Neck’, ‘RSI wrist or thumb’ as well as back and shoulder pain or even daily headaches etc. We blame modern technology but that doesn’t make us very SMART does it! We forget how we are using our own bodies in relation to these gadgets.

As I sit here typing this out it would be all too easy to get sucked in to my computer and my heavy head would drag my spine forward and down. Day after day that is going to have a cumulative effect and I’m going to struggle to get out of it. It might even effect the way I work out in the gym etc.


How many people do you see walking down the street dropping their whole neck column or poking their heads forward towards their iPads on the train? It’s a fun game but try not to be the ‘Posture Police’!

Could we evolve and spend a bit of time thinking about what WE are doing and how we are responding to this fast changing world.

We all had natural poise early on in life and we can get it back.

Luckily I was introduced to the Alexander Technique years ago, after suffering debilitating back and neck pain. I’m seeing younger and younger clients now suffering from technology induced pain. I teach them the skills to work much smarter so really it’s not WHAT you do but the WAY that you do it that counts!

An Alexander Technique teacher can get you out of these harmful habit patterns, it’s definately not about trying to have good posture ( I tried that and it hurt) but learning to move more efficiently and effectively and with very little effort.

Interested? Why not book a session today and start to move and sit  SMART.

http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/

A dancer's perspective of having Alexander Technique Lessons.

I just received this testimonial from one of my clients whose been having lessons for some time:

"I began lessons with Mark because wanted improved posture and movement in dancing. After a few lessons I was very aware of a dramatic reduction in muscular tension, and I also began to completely re-evaluate my ideas on correct posture.


I continued taking lessons with Mark for a little over a year, and I believe that I continued to experience improvements throughout that whole period.

I believe that I have improved my posture from being forced and tiring to more relaxed and comfortable, and my quality of movement has also become somewhat more relaxed and flowing. I also find it easier to sit without hunching for longer periods, and find myself standing and walking much more confidently .

I found that I was also capable of carrying the principles taught across to my approach to yoga and other activities.

Lessons with Mark were interesting, and certainly of huge benefit to my dancing, posture, relaxation and movement, but I also noticed improvements in confidence in day-to-day life that I wouldn't have expected.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Mark's lessons to anyone with a body! "

Randal Boyd

 Why not try a lesson yourself:
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/

It's cold out there.........

Well winter is upon us but have you ever noticed what effect the cold is having on the way you carry yourself? Are you pulling your head into your shoulders and holding onto your shoulders?

The effect of this is actually the opposite to what we want. This tightening in the muscles restricts blood flow to the tissues. So wrap up warm and invest in a scarf!! Let your head just balance ontop of your spine and leave your shoulders alone, allowing your arms to swing forward and back as you walk. Can you not tense your legs so much also? Think of them as reaching down to the ground instead of pulling up and in. Try it for yourself.






http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/


Helping people to use their bodies more efficiently.

New research on Alexander Technique lessons for people with chronic neck pain

Press Release:

Clinical research has already shown that lessons in the Alexander Technique lead to significant reductions in the pain and disability associated with chronic back pain.1 Now a new clinical trial will investigate how effective Alexander Technique lessons are for people with chronic neck pain.

Neck pain is the second most common health problem in the UK, after back pain. In a national survey, 18 per cent of people said they currently had neck pain, with over half still in pain 1 year later. Furthermore, chronic (long-term) neck pain has been estimated to account for 1% of total UK healthcare costs.

The Alexander Technique is a taught practical method for self care and self improvement. There is clear evidence that lessons in the Technique lead to reductions in pain and stiffness, improved postural muscle activity, co-ordination, balance and movement skills.1–5 Lessons relate to the way we go about simple everyday activities and are based on the premise that how we conduct our daily lives has long-term consequences for our health and well being. Teachers combine spoken advice with special hands-on gentle guidance to help people reduce unwanted muscle tension and overcome poor habits of posture and movement that can cause or aggravate pain.

The £719,000 clinical trial is being funded by Arthritis Research UK, the UK’s fourth-largest medical research charity. The trial will compare the effectiveness of Alexander Technique lessons for chronic neck pain with usual GP care. In parallel, the trial will also look at the effectiveness of acupuncture compared with usual GP care. Like Alexander Technique lessons, acupuncture is known to be effective for chronic back pain, and both have been shown to be cost-effective for this condition, so there is good reason for including these two interventions in the new trial.

The study, which began on 1st October 2011, is being led by Dr Hugh MacPherson from the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. In this 3-year trial, 450 people with chronic neck pain will be studied. Patients will be randomly allocated so that one third will receive Alexander Technique lessons plus usual GP care, one third will receive acupuncture plus usual GP care, and one third usual GP care alone. The trial participants will be recruited from around 20 GP practices in York, Sheffield, Leeds and Manchester and their progress will be followed over a 12 month-period. They will be asked about pain levels, the effects of their neck pain on their daily lives and for their opinions about the care received.

As with the clinical trial into back pain, all the Alexander Technique teachers involved in this study are STAT-certified teachers. STAT (Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique) is the largest and longest established professional body of AT teachers in the UK and world-wide.

Although both Alexander Technique lessons and acupuncture are frequently used by people with chronic neck pain, neither intervention is widely available on the NHS. The study will address clinical and cost effectiveness as well as safety issues.

Dr MacPherson said: “Our research will provide data which will help patients, practitioners, providers and policy-makers make informed choices about care. If the evidence from the new trial justifies it, then both interventions should be offered routinely as referral options to patients within the NHS, which would mean that patients would no longer have to pay for these interventions themselves.”

If you would like to find out more how this could help you go to:
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/










ENDS

Notes to Editors

For further information on:

• the Alexander Technique visit www.stat.org.uk or contact Ilia Daoussi on 020 7482 5135

• Arthritis Research UK visit www.arthritisresearchuk.org. Note: You may also like to refer to the corresponding press release on this trial issued by Arthritis Research UK and the University of York

• the University of York Department of Health Sciences visit www.york.ac.uk/healthsciences

References

1. Little P, Lewith G, Webley F et al. Randomised controlled trial of Alexander Technique lessons, exercise and massage (ATEAM) for chronic and recurrent back pain. BMJ 2008; 337: a884.

2. Cacciatore TW, Gurfinkel VS, Horak FB, Cordo PJ, Ames KE. Increased dynamic regulation of postural tone through Alexander Technique training. Hum Mov Sci 2011; 30: 74–89.

3. Cacciatore TW, Gurfinkel VS, Horak FB, Day BL. Prolonged weight-shift and altered spinal coordination during sit-to-stand in practitioners of the Alexander Technique. Gait & Posture; e-published ahead of print, 20 July 2011.

4. Cacciatore TW, Horak FB, Henry SM. Improvement in automatic postural coordination following Alexander Technique lessons in a person with low back pain. Phys Ther 2005; 85: 565–78.

5. Reddy PP, Reddy TP, Roig-Francoli J, et al. The impact of the Alexander Technique on improving posture and surgical ergonomics during minimally invasive surgery: pilot study. J Urol 2011; 186: 1658–62.

Tips for good posture. It doesn't need to be a struggle.

"4 Giant Misconceptions About Posture"

Guest Blog
by Amira Alvarez

People regularly come to me and say, often in a guilty voice, "I know I have terrible posture. I should try harder to sit up straight. My husband/wife/mother/doctor is constantly telling me to sit up straight. I just can't seem to do it. And my back is killing me..."

It's like the posture police are after them.

They think they're damaged goods, permanently stuck hunched over forever, and feel forever watched and judged.

I'm here to say, that's simply not true.

You can learn to have good posture and the ease and openness that comes with it. You just need the right information and a system for integrating it into your daily life. You need a strategy given to you in bite-size pieces so it makes sense and is doable.



You certainly don't need judgment.



You don't need the posture police and admonitions to sit up straight. (Can we all say thank god in unison?)



Better posture is a result of changing your conception of what posture is and how to have it, not striving harder. So let's start that process right now and re-frame some of the giant misconceptions people have about posture.



1) Posture is NOT a dirty word, but there are better words.

Alignment, BALANCE, connection, and coordination are all better words.

When the voice of the posture police starts railing at you in your head, just say no!



Try this tip: Leave judging yourself behind. Stop the internal voice that says "sit up straight." It only causes tension. Ask yourself instead how could I be better coordinated, balanced or aligned? How could I be more integrated or connected?



2) Posture is NOT a held position.

We are animals made for movement. Allow for it. Even when sitting for hours at the computer, you can find a bit of movement whether it's changing your foot position or getting up entirely to stretch.



Try this tip: While keyboarding simply notice that your whole being, and your ribs especially, can move gently with your breath. Envision your ribs moving easily, like those of a sleeping cat or dog.



3) Posture is NOT a right position.

It's not about sitting or standing only is one way. And it's certainly not about the rigidity of "shoulders back, chin up," although many people have this misconception. We can do modern dance, we can fix plumbing, we can curl up on the couch (as I am doing now as I write this) with excellent coordination and alignment. All different positions, all fully possible, all potentially good for your health.



Try this tip: Drop the idea that you have to pull your shoulders back and hold them there. It's not how we are designed and will just cause you incredible amounts of back and neck tension. Our shoulder blades curve forward ever so slightly and are not meant to be "straight". Let yourself experience their natural curve. And no this doesn't mean slumping.



4) Posture is NOT just physical.

Posture is an expression of your whole being. For instance, when you're depressed (or tired, overwhelmed, confused, or judged) you tend to collapse or contract in on yourself. It's a posture that serves to protect you in the moment, but it can be harmful physically, mentally and spiritually in the long run.



Although this posture may have become a conditioned habit, it will not serve you when you're wanting to be in a different mood. It's important to be able to choose to express your actual feelings and not be locked into an old habitual posture pattern. Having this kind of choice gives you the possibility of true freedom of expression.



Try this tip: Start noticing how your mood and posture are related. Don't try to fix your mood or posture directly - just notice the relationship.



This is the beginning of a new conception of posture and will help you change. Effortlessly.


Amira Alvarez is dedicated to providing the best learning experience for her students through innovative, comprehensive, and extraordinary effective programs designed to teach you how to have less pain, less pressure, better posture and much more happiness. Her students dramatically improve their performance and enjoy life more. Her weekly Knowledge is Power newsletter goes out to subscribers across the country and world. If you are ready to Create The Life You Want, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://www.amiraalvarez.com/
.
Want to try Alexander Technique for yourself in Brighton?
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/