Category Archives: Daily reminder

Daily reminder

Alexander Technique ,Vision and our other senses

Do you ever notice your eyes ? Probably only if they are achey , feel dry or maybe if your vision is blurry.

Do you expect to have 20/20 clear vision all of the time ? If you just stop and think about it this is unreasonable. If you have an illness, are very tired or stressed why should you have 20/20 clear vision. Your eyes are part of your body. You cannot expect to have clear vision all of the time.

Start noticing what you are seeing. Your eyes want you to consciously see what you are looking at not think about something else. look at the photo of the roses really notice each leaf and the petals of each flower. It is very easy not to look at the details of what you are looking at. At the same time be aware of your body, your feet on the ground and your surroundings.

Blurry vision happens when the eye muscles are stressed and when this happens people get their eyes tested and they get some glasses. Your eyes then rely on the glasses and the following year you will probably have to have stronger glasses.

Would you like to change this and work towards weaker glasses or even get rid of glasses? To start with only wear your glasses when you really need them. Notice if you have the habit of putting them on every morning without even thinking do I need to wear them. Obviously only do this in a safe place and not when driving. Notice if there is a change in your vision. It may be blurry to start with but this may change over time.

It is also important to use all of our senses seeing, hearing, touch, taste and smell. It is helpful to be aware of all of them. No one sense is more important than another. When you go for a walk be aware of your body moving, feel your feet on the ground and expand awareness all around you. Also feel the wind on your face, see the leaves on the trees, hear the birds sing and smell the flowers.In the Alexander Technique we call this the means whereby being fully present being aware of our body, our senses and our surroundings.

Daily reminder

Walking and the Alexander technique

How do you walk? Do you ever think about it? It’s quite a balancing act . We all start to walk at about 1- 1 1/2 years old usually with the odd fall along the way. It is very helpful to notice how you walk start being aware of what you do.

So this is what to do :-

Stop Inhibit and Direct.

Expand awareness around you, feel your feet on the ground. Think up your body.

Notice which leg you usually start with – and try starting with the other one.

Fall into a walk – lead with the top of your forehead.

Swing your arms as if you are power walking.

Twist the upper part of your body not your pelvis

Think of the diagonal connection – your left arm and your right leg go forward at the same time. If you swing your arms faster your legs automatically move faster!

Look ahead, not down on the ground.

Use your peripheral vision and think behind you.

When you turn, move the head first look at something ahead like a curious child and allow your body to follow head leads body follows.

Use your senses feel the wind on your face smell the flowers and hear the rustle of the leaves.

Enjoy walking and moving your body.

Daily reminder, Running

Alexander Technique and Running

Did you know that you can use the Alexander Technique when you run? It will help you move with ease , improve your performance and prevent injury.

Steph Cook Personal Trainer and Rollerski Instructor  taking part in an Ultra Marathon in Berkshire running with ease and poise completing 50.6 km in 5 hours and 50 minutes in 30 degrees. She has had regular   Alexander Technique  lessons and uses it whilst running leading with her head.  She has had no injuries having completed another Ultra Marathon, 6  Marathons and runs regularly.

When you run you really have to move your arms to help your legs move and remember do not hold anything in your hands it will interfere with your use. ( The way you move ).

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Daily reminder

How balanced are you in standing?

When you stand are you balanced in an easy way for your body. How does gravity go through you? These stones on Holy Island (Lindisfarne)  are balanced or they would fall over.

How we balance all started when we stood for the first time and took those first steps to start walking. Our head balances on top of the spine like a ping pong ball with the hips knees and ankles in line below. We fell over as small children as we learned how to balance.

 

This easy effortless way of balancing gets interfered with as we develop  unhelpful habits  resulting in  tension when you stand and move. These habits keep us upright so we do not fall but there is a strain on our bodies. Many people lock their knees back in standing which pushes their hips forward altering the alignment of the spine and how their shoulder girdles sit on top of the ribcage.

Notice how much weight you have through your heels. Many people have  a lot of weight through the front of the feet but you need  60% of your weight  through your heels. So just notice what your habit is.

Learn to be poised.

 

 

Daily reminder

Noticing your body and expanding your awareness!

In standing just stop and notice your body thinking down your spine through your pelvis, down your legs to your feet. Feel the floor below your feet. Then think back up your body growing up like a tree. Your head is like a ping pong ball floating at the top of your spine.

Now expand your awareness all around you. Look ahead being aware of your peripheral vision, think above your head up to the sky, think behind you (if this is difficult place a hand on your low back and notice it) and then think out to the sides.

Expanding your awareness in this way enhances your nervous system.

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Daily reminder

Just stop and notice what you are doing as you read this article on your laptop or mobile

STOP AND NOTICE how you are using your laptop or mobile as you read this. We have habits which are out of our awareness.

If you are sitting  are you sitting in a slump ? Are you sitting on your sitting bones? Are your shoulders hunched forward? Are your feet wrapped around the chair ?

Sitting well using a mobile phone
Sitting well using a mobile phone

 

Sitting with good use with a laptop
Sitting with good use with a laptop

If you are standing is your weight equal through both of your feet? Are your knees locked back? Notice if your shoulders are hunched  and your neck is poked forward.

 

 

Daily reminder

How is your head balancing on your spine?

Notice how your head is balancing on top of your spine imagine it’s like a ping pong ball just floating.

Look straight at a mirror then  put a finger in the hollow at the back of  each ear and slowly nod your head. Notice where the movement is happening, this is your head neck joint. If this joint is tight it will affect your overall use, the way you move. Imagine space in the joint and fill it with oil. Doing this regularly will help you get more awareness of the atlanto occipital joint (head neck joint).

Daily reminder

Lying in semi supine

Semi supine
Semi supine is a daily practice that helps to improve your posture and calm your mind.

Why lie in semi supine? What are the benefits?

Your spine will re align itself

If you are stressed with adrenalin in your bloodstream semi supine gives your body the opportunity to remove it and let your body return to normal.

You stop which really is a challenge in the busy world everyone lives in .

You can practice your Alexander Technique Directions, Preventative thoughts.

When you get up in the morning your discs you have between most of your vertebra are fully pumped up but by lunchtime because of gravity all the liquid from the discs moves to the surrounding tissue. Lie in semi supine for 15-17 minutes and the liquid is reabsorbed. Remember to drink enough water because if you are dehydrated your discs will suffer.

Doing daily semi supine is a good way of helping to look after your back.

How do I do semi supine? It’s also known as Active Rest

Lie on a mat on the floor with your knees bent and you hands resting gently on your hips elbows out to the sides. Your head is resting on books so it is in line with your body. Be aware of the room, daylight, noises, the smell of flowers in the room using your senses. Keep your eyelids open.

Notice the contact of the floor below your feet, shoulder blades and pelvis and notice the books below your head.

Think the Alexander Directions as you lie there :-

Your neck is sinking down, the top of your head is moving away. Think along your spine asking it to lengthen and widen. Imagine your elbows are moving away from each other.

Think along your collar bones ask them to go out to the sides as you widen across the tops of the arms.

Think up thighs and shins to knees then up strings which go up from your knees to the ceiling.

Lie for 15 minutes daily.

Slowly get off the floor with awareness, standing and let 60% of your weight go through your heels. Scan your body and notice how you feel.