Posts Tagged ‘Performing Musicians and Exercise’

This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Performing Musicians and Exercise, is published on this website in a PDF format. It shows the performing musician how to exercise without causing wear and tear to the body or compromise the quality of their performing technique.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)

THE UNSTATED PURPOSE OF THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE IS TO MAKE YOU BETTER THAN YOU ARE AT SPECIALIZED ACTIVITIES, FROM PLAYING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, TO RUNNING. What do I mean?

When most people go to an Alexander Technique teacher it is usually to stop hurting in the activity they enjoy doing. So, the expectations of the client are to stop hurting, and get back to doing what he or she wants to do at the pre-pain level of expertise.

IF YOU APPLY THE PRINCIPLES OF GOOD USE AND GOOD POSTURE TO THE ACTIVITY, THEN YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO BETTER THAN YOU’VE EVER DONE IT. Why?

If you do what you do in a way that does not cause you to harm your body, whether running or playing an instrument without doing physical damage, then the odds are you are using a superior technique than you have been using.

By definition, if you are not getting into physical trouble anymore in your specialized activity, then you have to be doing what you’re doing with great posture, without excess tension, and with the uniquely specialized techniques that are necessary for the activity.

The Alexander Technique teaches the certified Alexander Technique teacher how to apply the principles of great body use, great posture and great techniques to every activity that the client goes to the Alexander Technique teacher for.

This means that if you go to an Alexander Technique teacher because your forearms hurt when you play the piano, you will also be shown how to stop hurting your forearms when you write, use a computer, brush your teeth. You will also be taught how to lower the tension level in your whole body.

IF YOU LEARN NOT TO CAUSE HARM TO YOUR BODY AS YOU RUN OR PLAY AN INSTRUMENT OR SING OR WHATEVER, THEN YOU ARE BRINGING TO CONSCIOUSNESS ALL OF THE UNCONSCIOUS BAD HABITS THAT MAY HAVE MADE YOU GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO, BUT ARE NOW ENDING YOUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE WITH WHAT YOU LOVE.

When you were a beginner at something, you are usually in a hurry to get past the beginner phase of the activity and do it well. Being in a hurry usually shows up as tension and a compromised technique, which means after a few years you’ll start hurting.

The Alexander Technique helps you go back in time and do now what would have been great to do at the beginning. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU’RE SHOWN A BETTER WAY TO RUN OR PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, YOU CAN DELETE AND REPLACE THE INEFFICIENT HABITS VERY FAST.

When you incorporate these new techniques with a higher consciousness level of how you use your body, then you have no choice but do the activity better than you’ve ever done it.

I’ve watched great performing musicians and great athletes do what they do, and I could see almost instantly how they could perform or run and be faster without wear and tear.

When an Alexander Technique teacher shows you how to do what you do easier than you’ve ever done it, it is such a joyous feeling to be in the middle of realizing you CAN BE AS GOOD AS YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE.

It is an amazing feeling to realize that you’re not through learning, and that the Alexander Technique way of learning a new way to do what you love will free you of pain and strain and artificial limits on your talent.