Develop Positive Body Language With Alexander Technique

By Author: Elizabeth Hurwitt
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I can tell by how he carries himself, by the slump in his shoulders, his bowed head, and his shambling gait. I’d been worried about him. He’s a nice guy, and he’s done me a lot of good, and recently, an important favor.

So I wanted to return the favor, and offered him a few Alexander Technique lessons as a thank-you. He didn’t immediately jump at the idea, but some months later stopped by and said, “I think I’m ready, I need to make a change in my life.” That’s all I needed to hear. I had a hunch he might develop positive body language with Alexander Technique.

At our first lesson, he told me his mother had always complained about his posture and told him to pull his shoulders back (he demonstrated, hoisting his chest, and shifting his shoulders into a model of military stiffness). I said that wasn’t really the way to go. We continued to work in our lesson on getting him to release his neck, and with that, to let his spine lengthen, while encouraging his feet to make good contact with the ground (“hold the floor in place,” I told him.)

After multiple times getting in and out of a chair ...
... in a new way, and some “letting go” work on the table, he looked at himself in our studio mirror in wonder. His shoulders fell in a beautiful, natural broad arc at the foot of his gently erect neck. His eyes were bright, and his legs and feet met the floor with new energy. “You’re a new man,” I said. He laughed with pleasure and surprise. “It’s like being a baby again, you’re teaching me to sit and stand and walk!” and all that was true. Most importantly, though, I was helping him to become himself unbowed by a lot of unhappy habits he’d gotten used to and that were literally bringing him down — down in space as well as in spirit.

Because now, on top of everything else, my friend was subtly but visibly taller.

I had to warn him, “All this won’t just ‘stay in place’ for long — and I don’t want you to try and ‘hold it in place,’ either. What we’re doing is teaching you to be constantly creating this condition of freedom. It’s a process you are learning that you can use yourself, to recreate yourself.” He walked me to the subway and I asked him whether he’d be able to meet the following week at the same time. “I sure can!” he replied, “I’m excited!” I was too. This is really the fun of teaching. Watching people develop positive body language for expressing freedom and well-being. “Don’t forget,” I told him, “stop every once in a while and ask yourself, am I going up? Or am I coming down.”

The word “up” is the most important word in our new language.

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BetteratBeing - Elizabeth Hurwitt offers Alexander Technique lessons in NYC, promoting mind/body wellbeing, pain management, improved performance.
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