Alexander the Great

The demands of modern life make us stretch, bend, reach out, sit, stand and walk, all leading to stress accumulation in our bodies. But have we ever stopped to think that we might be clutching the bottle too tightly, stretching our arms more than we need to, slamming on the computer keys harder than required or even strumming the guitar too fiercely? Most bodily pain, especially that caused by repetitive stress, is a result of misaligned body posture and improperly tensed muscles.

To this end, the Alexander Technique (AT) of bodily relaxation, through a form of mind control, can help. AT is a method of pain alleviation that goes by the principle: ‘It’s all in the mind, so think that pain away’. “AT is not a therapy or a treatment. I would call it education or, rather, re-education,” says Bangalore-based Padmini Menon, India’s only registered AT teacher from the Alexander Technique College in Brighton, UK.

AT is a fairly simple muscle relaxation technique that aims to alter our muscle tension habits. It reminds us that we are exerting more force than required.

When chronic back pain, neck tension or Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) have cried out, AT has come to the rescue. But it is the musicians who have found most use for this technique. It not just keeps body pain away, but also improves the quality of their stage performances. It comes as no surprise, then, that the technique has been invented by nineteenth century stage performer, Frederick Matthias Alexander.

Alexander was a Shakespearean orator who tensed his muscles so much before each stage performance that he eventually lost his voice. Doctors gave up on him and said that they could not help because they simply could not identify the cause. Alexander then kept multiple mirrors in front of him, to watch himself perform. He saw that he needlessly tensed his muscles in preparation to speak recite. He then noticed that most performers tensed their upper torso before and during a music show or a recital.

Devising his own method of relaxation, he found that his voice gradually came back and he could also be a better orator by being more aware of his body.  

Menon gave a brief demonstration of the technique for Sunday DNA. Placing her palm lightly on the subject’s back, she told him to slowly loosen the muscles in that area and release the tension. She asked the subject to concentrate on different parts of the body and consciously relax the muscles. Her palm acted as a physical stimulus and her voice, the verbal stimulus.

“Most of the people who come to me are musicians trained in western classical as well as those with RSI. They become so  overworked that they cannot perform with finesse. AT helps them release the bulk of the tension,” adds Menon. 

She explains that the different patterns of body movements are embedded in the sub-conscious level of our brain. “As babies, we naturally tend to employ correct body movements while doing different things. But by the time we are seven or eight, we develop our own methods of applying muscular pressure for various tasks. We also end up following the same as we grow up,” she says.   

Menon cites the example of picking up a glass. “We tend to grip the glass tightly around the palm. This is actually not necessary,” she says, adding that we also tend to “over-support” something by expending more energy than needed. Staring too hard into the computer or contracting the forehead muscles are the most common mistakes we all are guilty of. 

AT helps let go of that extra tension and grip. To apply AT in everyday situations requires willpower and the desire to remain stress-free. As in the case of 47-year-old Sheetal Pai, (name changed on request), who was experiencing severe pain in her right shoulder while working on the computer. “An accident 12 years ago triggered the pain and came in the way of my work. I had heard of AT when I was in America and approached Menon here. It has been an intense experience. It not only helped me recover, but I also trust my body much more,” says Pai. She says that she now knows correct posture, and applies the right pressure on her muscles. Her bodily awareness has increased ten-fold, she says.

AT helps the body restore its natural balance. The technique increases awareness of bad body movements and helps correct them to get rid of any kind of stress.

Padmini Menon offers introductory courses of 15 lessons. Call her on 9341220759 or mail her at nekfree@gmail.com