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Alexander Technique Over Skype: Bringing It All Home

By Omid Bahramzadegan

The Alexander Technique can be both easy and challenging to learn. It is so easy, because you don’t have anything to do. It goes hand in hand with nature, and all natural events are effortless. You might as well change the name to The Art of Resisting the Temptation of Doing Something [Yes!, from Leland]. However, it requires you to unlearn all you have learned through decades of your life. So it can be quite challenging. You can’t dispose of the habits which have rooted in your subconscious overnight [Here, the editor, Leland, disagrees. People break habits of a lifetime in a moment, all it takes is becomming aware of the habit so that you can decide if you want to break it]. And that’s why Alexander teachers always say that it’s a process, not a quick fix. Once again, it can be a piece of cake, because all it takes is to be open to noticing what you are doing, and maybe choosing not to respond to a stimulus so that you can think before you act in a habitual way. But doing so might be hard at times since we’re living in a world of stress and distractions. We can come to this conclusion that it has its ups and downs like the life itself.

 It has come to my attention that the words you hear while learning the Alexander Technique, are carefully and wisely chosen, and they deserve your utmost and undivided attention. Just before this session, Leland commented on my post. In his comment, he put emphasis on the words “allow”, and explained how different it was from the word “try”. This had a tremendous effect on me. It helped me understand I was trying to follow the instructions, instead of giving them permission to take effect.

This lesson, we covered everything, but mostly we worked on walking. Using Michael Jacksons dancing as an example, Leland taught me wonderful things about walking and the freedom of the swinging leg. He also used Tai Chi, which I’m slightly familiar with, and showed me how to shift my weight. In Tai Chi, you fully balance yourself on one foot, then you plant the free one in the direction you want to push, and you shift your weight to the other leg. This shift utilizes the laws of physics, and since the whole body moves smoothly toward a direction, it produces a lot of force, using minimum effort. It felt so good that immediately after the session I started practicing on my own. The next day I was walking and using things I had learned, when suddenly, I realized how stiff my neck and spine had become. It was an important lesson for me that whenever we focus on one part of the body individually, we might stiffen the rest. Perhaps the neck is the most important and we should never ignore it? In other words, it is like trying to do something.

In Alexander, the main habit seems to be “pulling down”. It is excess tension and we do it all the time, and more when doing things or responding to a stimulus. I tried to have a clear picture of pulling down, which I’m going to share with you. Imagine someone fires a gun behind you. Your response is pulling down. It’s a natural reaction of protecting yourself. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say a stimulus is a kind of pressure. But it’s interesting that even though you’re completely aware of what you’re doing wrong, and despite knowing the solution well, sometimes nothing changes. For instance, I was sitting today and notice that I was pulling down. I used everything I had learned, but nothing worked. Remembering Leland’s words, I started discovering and realized that fear of having a bad posture was preventing my body to respond to the given directions. I had a strong desire to look good in that moment, and couldn’t stop trying. As soon as realizing this, utilizing the Alexander Technique became possible. Maybe we sometimes assume that nothing changes by thinking, but we’re wrong. The body responds, whether we notice or not.

At the end of the lesson, Leland said that he had taught me as much as he could over Skype. I had planned to study the Alexander Technique for at least a year, and this came to me as a shock. I believe there’s still a lot more to learn about this fantastic knowledge with such a wonderful teacher. It was a great feeling to know that by the end of the week, I could have Leland teach me more and check me up for any wrong doings. We decided I would work on my own with Leland’s book, The Secret to Using Your Body, and then have another book once I had finished. But my gratefulness was at its height today, while I was walking home and feeling so light, free, and happy. My only regret is not being capable of convincing my friends to study the Alexander Technique. It’s a pity since they don’t know what they’re missing.

By |2016-02-06T18:40:56-05:00February 6th, 2016|Students' Blog|Comments Off on Alexander Technique Over Skype: Bringing It All Home

Alexander Technique Over Skype: Alexander Isn’t a Thing to “Do”

By Omid Bahramzadegan

The Alexander Technique is making more sense to me every session. I’m beginning to get a clearer picture of what I’m supposed to do, and ironically,Leland Vall Alexander Technique Tip 32 it is doing nothing. You may say it’s like the antivirus checking your computer. If you let it do its job, it will check every file. However, if you interfere and try to control it, there will be a conflict resulting in failure. The CPU of the computer is responsible for the antivirus. Same goes with the mind being responsible for the body alignment and movement. All I need to do is command my body. Nevertheless, you need to be familiar with the commands. Otherwise, it won’t do you any good.

As mentioned before, the Alexander Technique is about self-discovery. In order for the discovery to take place, we need to stay aware of the body in each moment. Last session I learned that a common response to a stimulus is stiffening the neck. This session it was revealed to me that the cause of the stiffening is pulling down. To prevent pulling down, I need to think up, like all the trees and flowers pointing up,  and command my neck to be free, my back to lengthen, and my head to go forward and up. In the past I didn’t think it would affect my posture, but to my surprise, it does affect it, and through practice the effect will be almost instantaneous.

This session Leland said something very interesting. During the class I told him that my neck was stiffened, and he told me that it was good! When I asked why, he explained that it was a chance to find out what the cause was, and discover more about myself. Therefore, any moment of bad posture or pain, could be an opportunity for discovery. I believe this perspective is going to make a lot of changes for me.

By |2016-01-29T22:17:17-05:00January 29th, 2016|Students' Blog|1 Comment

Alexander Technique Over Skype: Is Alexander a Thing to “Do”?

By Omid Bahramzadegan

When I first wanted to start writing posts, Leland was very clear that he didn’t want an advertisement and mentioned it more than once that he wanted me to point out things I like, along with the ones I don’t. That’s what I’m going to do today. My seventh session started out by me telling Leland about discoveries I had on my own. Leland thought he had led me astray, because I was talking about how I controlled my posture during the past week. After reassuring him that he hadn’t, I explained that I wanted to approach my posture both directly and indirectly. Many actors or runway models, control their posture at the beginning. Sometimes there’s not enough time to prepare. Leland had a convincing answer and said that poor posture was a response to a stimulus, which could be people or situations. He pointed out that the chair plays the role of a stimulus and we practice not reacting to it. He also says that habit lives in doing, and by not doing, habit can’t live. It’s true without a doubt, but how am I supposed to stop a habit when I don’t know what it is? Leland insists on looking at things in a different way, and it helps, but sometimes it can be very confusing. As usual, on the day after the session I kept hearing his voice in my head and felt some changes. While walking yesterday, I imagined that my feet and forehead were moving forward, away from each other vertically, and the rest of my body was a little behind, with the spine pointing up. It was great. All in all, I’m so grateful for having the opportunity of learning the Alexander Technique with Leland, but I wish I could meet him in person rather than over the Skype.

By |2016-01-23T13:03:23-05:00January 23rd, 2016|Students' Blog|1 Comment

Alexander Technique Over Skype: Enjoying the Exhale and Too Much Other Stuff

By Omid Bahramzadegan

Learning the Alexander Technique has amazing effects. During the past six sessions, I’ve become more aware of my body. This helps a lot with locating the parts that are tensed. By releasing the tension, my posture improves, and so do my inner feelings. Other senses seem to have been sharpened as well. While eating, I smell and taste the food more than I used to. All in all, it makes life more enjoyable and provides new experiences.

It’s very easy to improve posture by using the A.T. Having worked on my posture for 12 years, I have pretty much used all the tips and tricks available online. For most of them, you are required to control your posture, which leads to other problems. Furthermore, most of them aren’t sustainable. But during the past week, I have had my best and most comfortable posture without having to control it. Comparing my past and present, I sit, stand, walk, and talk using less energy and find myself not even paying attention to them.

My sixth session was different because is was more complicated and almosCombined Wallt daunting. Instead of working on one subject, we worked on enjoying the exhale, the main part of the foot, walking, voice projection, movement of the arms and their relationship with the back, and leaning against the wall. While working on breathing, I couldn’t help myself and started to yawn. In Iranian culture, it is considered rude to yawn when someone is talking to you, because it may indicate that you’re bored. Sharing my embarrassment with Leland, he assured me that easy breathing can bKnee Swings Forwarde a signal for sleep.  I was inundated with all the valuable information and couldn’t focus on any of them. For about an hour after the session, I was just sitting by myself and thinking about the class. But Leland, being a caring and responsible teacher, sent me an email, advising me to just focus on enjoying the exhale and staying back. It helped a lot with the confusion.

Before writing this post, I waited for a day to see how the session would affect me. While working on the exhale, Leland mentioned that we speak on the exhale. I didn’t try to use it, but by just thinking about it, speaking has become somehow easier. The session has also affected my walk. Leland told me to lean against the wall with my feet a few inches in front of me. My back and butt were touching the wall, but not the head. Then he told me to pay attention to my head and feet which were in front of me. As I was walking today, I kept thinking about it and felt so much lighter than ever before, and of course, it seemed that less energy was being used.

By |2016-01-23T12:16:52-05:00January 15th, 2016|Students' Blog|1 Comment

Alexander Technique Over Skype: Staying Back while Walking Forward

By Omid Bahramzadegan

This session we worked on walking. The practice of walking is quite different from walking normally. Leland broke down the process and guided me through each step. I put one foot forward, shifted my weight, and then swung the other leg. It was like learning to dance. Leland told me to think about the standing leg. I felt more stable and balanced standing on one leg, and enjoyed the other foot landing softly. This helps a lot with bad knees like mine. If shifting weight and the landing of the foot happen simultaneously, the knee receives a lot of stress. They say an average person takes about 5000 steps a day. Imagine what happens to our knees if we don’t practice walking properly.

In the beginning, I was trying to learn some tricks and techniques as fast as possible and improve my posture and body language. But Leland once told me that the Alexander Technique is about discovering who you are. I’m an energetic guy who talks and walks fast. So it would be only natural to imagine me rushing somewhere. This can be the main source for stiffening my neck and leading to distortion of my posture. Just like a speeding jet plane, which closes the flaps for a higher speed, I would pull myself down to walk faster.Knee Swings Forward

Leland told me to be happier with where I am with each step and I would still get to my destination. He kept repeating “stay back” when I was walking around theroom. As usual, I didn’t notice any significant changes during the session, but about half an hour later when I was walking to a coffee shop, I found myself walking gracefully, with a lot of poise and confidence. I noticed that my glutes and hamstrings were doing most of the work, my standing leg would stay on the ground for a little longer, my steps where lighter than before, and my knees didn’t hurt. I could comfortably look around and enjoy things around me. It felt like taking a walk in the park, but with a destination in mind. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve decided to walk to work tomorrow.

By |2016-01-23T12:16:11-05:00January 2nd, 2016|Students' Blog|Comments Off on Alexander Technique Over Skype: Staying Back while Walking Forward

Alexander Technique Over Skype: Boxing, Children, Pulling Down, & Everything Else

By Omid Bahramzadegan

Before talking about the session, I’d like to use boxing as an example. In boxing, for a powerful punch to be delivered, the integration of all muscles is needed. Power originates from the ground, travels through the body, and is delivered with the fist. If one muscle or joint works against the flow of the energy, the punch won’t be strong. The same thing happens when you want to sit down or stand up. In the Alexander Technique, I’m getting familiar with the function of my joints and the direction they move. If it is done naturally, you will feel lighter and will move more easily and comfortably.

I think most of us are born with this knowledge about posture and movement, but somehow we misuse our bodies in the modern life and develop harmful habits. I realized this since starting lessons by watching children, and I think they would be perfect models to learn from. However, you need to know what to look for and it is only possible through taking an Alexander Technique class. It is so elusive that most people won’t even notice it.

This session, after watching me sit or stand, Leland would repeat the action and showed me how I made it more difficult for myself to perform the task. He told me to put one hand on the back of my neck, and I felt how my neck muscles tensed up during sitting and standing. It became crystal clear how unnecessarily I pull myself down. Under no circumstance should the spine shorten while bending. Of course it’s a privilege to have professional eyes watch me carefully and point out my mistakes, but by checking my neck, I can practice more on my own.Leland Vall Alexander Technique Tip 41, Head & Torso

It’s not quite clear what has change during the past month, but my neck and lower back pain, which were my usual companions, are barely felt. I think it has improved my confidence as well. Posture and confidence positively correlate. When you feel more confident, your posture improves and vice versa. In my opinion, the Alexander Technique works on both simultaneously. It’s very obvious that people notice me more than before. I have developed an insatiable thirst for learning more and find it sort of difficult to wait one week for the next session.

By |2015-12-26T20:21:26-05:00December 26th, 2015|Students' Blog|Comments Off on Alexander Technique Over Skype: Boxing, Children, Pulling Down, & Everything Else

Alexander Technique Over Skype: Finding Confidence

By Omid Bahramzadegan

My third session was kind of a revelation and opened my eyes to some significant facts. I thought I knew pretty much everything about the Alexander Technique and just needed a little guidance and practice. But each session proves me wrong. I used to ask Leland whether or not I did something right, and he always insisted on not using the word “right”. Instead, he used “better”. I didn’t know why until now. Right means there’s no room for improvement. But the Alexander Technique tries to help with self discovery. It is limitless and people will have different experiences.

My main objective for learning the AT is to have a great, confident posture which attracts women. This session Leland helped me have a better understanding of confidence. People and things around us are more or less compelling, and the less they affect us, the more confident we appear. After becoming aware of this fact, I realized why Leland says:”Deny the chair because you don’t need it.” This session he told me to love and appreciate the place I was, without getting attached to it. This concept immediately changed my posture and improved my focus. In the book The Power of Now, I had learned how important it is to try and stay in the present. This way it was so much easier.

Once again I practiced getting in and out of a chair. But this time was different. Leland suggested using my hands to point my directions. This helped me to point the spine and keep space between my torso and thighs while bending. It was very confusing and occupied my mind to the point that I forgot breathing. But it also helped me identify a very harmful habit of mine. While bending down, there is a tendency to bring my chest towards my knees, and it causes various problems. I had heard this sentence “release your head forward and up” numerous times, but it was only during this session which it finally made sense to me. Releasing the head forward and up causes the spine to point up and all the parts of the body start feeling better. More importantly, it is effortless. This could be by far the best thing I learned during all these years of working on my posture.

By |2015-12-19T16:26:41-05:00December 19th, 2015|Students' Blog|Comments Off on Alexander Technique Over Skype: Finding Confidence

Alexander Technique over Skype: My Second Lesson

By Omid Bahramzadegan

Today, I had my second session of the Alexander Technique on Skype. It started again with getting in and out of a chair. This time Leland talked about pulling the head down. Before this session, I always thought pulling the head down means that your chin sticks out and the back of the head comes down. But you can also pull your head down by bringing your forehead towards the floor. Leland tried different metaphors to see which helped me better understand the process. He described a harp of which all the strings were arrows, pointing towards the ceiling. As I walk, sit, or bend down, these arrows remind me of the right direction. The other example which helped me tremendously was that I was a soccer player who had the ball in both hands, holding it behind his head, and wanted to throw it. And the ball was my head which is attached to my body. When I imagined the curve of the ball being thrown, bending down became a lot more comfortable. Today Leland used a technique which I had never seen either in his videos or anyone else’s. He showed me how to put my knuckles under my ears, as if my hands wanted to jump up but they were stuck there, and as I bent down with my head going forward, my head released released. It made it clear to me on how far my head moved forward when I wanted to bend. It was like the gravity was reduced by 50% when I wanted to go down or come back up. The reason for this newly found ease is that when the head goes a little too far, then the back and neck have to work harder to pull it back up. I’ve had only two sessions, but when I watch videos about the Alexander Technique, I notice things that I couldn’t before. Having a teacher is by far better and easier than trying to learn on my own. Both my sessions were very good, but it’s amazing that each time and after a few hours, I appreciate the session even more.

By |2015-12-12T20:58:43-05:00December 12th, 2015|Students' Blog|Comments Off on Alexander Technique over Skype: My Second Lesson

Alexander Technique over Skype: My First Lesson

By Omid Bahramzadegan

I just had my first session of Alexander Technique with Leland. Since there’s no Alexander teacher in my country, I settled for the next best thing, which is classes on Skype. On videos I’ve seen Alexander teachers guiding their students with their hands, but on Skype we just have our eyes and voices. It was sort of challenging. Based on what I had seen or read about the Alexander Technique, I was expecting tips about my neck, but the session was focused on sitting on a chair and getting back up. When I watched Leland do it, he seemed weightless and comfortable. Slowly or quickly didn’t make any difference. But I found it pretty difficult at first. I exercise a lot and am pretty strong, but I became interested in Alexander  when I realized that if you perform such a simple action the wrong way, not only it may hurt you in the long run, but also it is like a hard workout and takes a lot of energy. Once every 5 or 6 times, I did it right and it felt great. This made me want to get the hang of it and apply it to my daily life. I realized some mistakes that I wasn’t even aware of. For example, I was pulling my feet backwards instead of pushing the floor. I don’t know how Leland was able to notice that by just watching me through the camera! What came to me as a shock was that I knew pretty much most of the Alexander Technique concepts and had tried them on my own, but never got any results. But during the session, his words seemed to affect my mind so much and my body immediately reacted to my mind and thoughts. The day after, I noticed that I felt my feet on the ground more than before. Walking felt more stable and in control. Perhaps the session triggers something inside the student and brings about some changes subtly.

By |2015-12-12T21:00:05-05:00December 5th, 2015|Students' Blog|Comments Off on Alexander Technique over Skype: My First Lesson
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