Wednesday, August 27, 2003How we stiffen Surfing around (OK, killing time looking at stuff on the Internet) this morning, I came upon a excellent piece on misuse of the self, this time from an Alexander Technique perspective. Why Do We Tense Our Necks at a different kind of site, Ateducationresearch.com. Although it's got a clear Alexander spin, readers from the Feldenkrais world will recognize lots of stuff here.
The author is AT teacher Michael Protzel. He basically argues that misuse is the result of how a person commits his weight in standing or sitting. This is very basic, according to Protzel, since weight bearing is an activity that goes on all the time and influences all use for good or ill. And, he says, we can learn to recognize how we are doing it and begin to experiment with changing it consciously.
Here are a few quotes:
Clearly, we want to maintain the ability to move in all directions, through the full range of all possible movements. We jeopardize this flexibility,however, when we commit our weight the same way, day after day for years, without conscious recognition of either the weight commitment or the reactions it engenders. [page 13]
Were we willing to simply fall to the ground when the force of our own body weight knocks us off balance, there would be no need to tense. Tensing is a direct result of our intention to be upright. We tense for the explicit purpose of holding ourselves up. Tensing in this fashion is the best we can do to maintain uprightness given the circumstances. What we need to do is to change the circumstances. [page 24]
Noticing ourselves doing ?wrong? is vital to learning how to do ?right.? Our entire lives, we have been doing wrong while not noticing. In spite of this, we have always been successful at gaining the end of remaining upright. [page 26]
It's a well done essay, worth taking time to read and experience this 40-page PDF document.
- Posted by Tom Landini - 12:13:29 PM -
