This e book, An Alexander Method Strategy to Psychotherapy, is printed in a PDF format. It explores the connection between bodily habits and beliefs that we stay by.
This e book can be on the market on all AMAZON web sites in a KINDLE format.
Situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
A couple of weeks in the past a guitarist got here to me from out of city, and we did 18 hours of Alexander Method periods in three days.
She has extreme focal dystonia in her left hand. At any time when she approached the guitar neck together with her left hand, her fingers locked up and her actions grew to become spasmotic.
By the point she left, she was starting to see that she might acquire management over her left hand, in order that at occasions the actions had been rather more mild.
I knew we couldn’t utterly overcome the focal the dystonia in three days, however it was a starting.
An apart right here: She raised the query as as to if there was neurological harm to the hand. In fact I couldn’t diagnose this, however we did check out different actions, like utilizing the pc keyboard.
We discovered she might kind completely simply on the keyboard together with her left hand, so we proceeded with the idea the focal dystonia was the results of an excessive amount of pressure and likewise worry, as soon as the lack of management began.
I lately acquired an e mail from her saying there was some enchancment.
I had her switching the guitar from hand at hand whereas we labored, to have her proper hand show find out how to play with out the lack of management.
In her e mail, she stated although the left hand was higher, it nonetheless jumped to the guitar neck completely uncontrolled at occasions. The arm twitched, throwing the hand in opposition to the neck and the fingers locking up.
I considered what she had written. All the pieces she stated she was doing was starting to repay, however there was one thing about the best way she talked about her left hand hand that bothered me.
SHE DESCRIBED HER HAND AND ARM SPASMING TO THE NECK, AS IF IT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN.
That is counter to the Alexander Method precept that the thoughts can have Acutely aware Management over the voluntary musculature.
Acutely aware Management within the Alexander Method teaches an individual to regain management over the voluntary musculature, by giving orders of allowance to a muscle or group of muscle groups, that don’t reply to the individual.
In different phrases, you inform your neck to cease hurting, it doesn’t, so that you come to consider the neck has a thoughts of its personal. This may occur all around the physique.
So, I emailed the guitarist again, that all the pieces she was doing is working and can ultimately free her of the focal dystonia.
BUT THERE WAS ONE THING SHE NEEDED TO REEVALUATE, AND THAT WAS HER WORDS SAYING HER HAND AND ARM WERE NOT UNDER HER CONTROL.
THEY WEREN’T, as a result of she had come to consider over a lifetime the physique does its personal factor at occasions muscularly.
IT DOESN’T!
In the event you come to consider the physique has a thoughts of its personal, then you’ll not have management over your voluntary musculature, since you consider you don’t.
We like to be proper! So proper, that we’ll show we’re proper even when we’re flawed and it doesn’t assist us.
THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE DEMONSTRATES OVER AND OVER, THAT IF WE TELL OUR MUSCULATURE WHAT WE WANT, AND IT’S POSSIBLE, THEN WE WILL REGAIN CONTROL OVER THE MUSCULATURE WE BELIEVED WAS DOING ITS OWN THING.
If you consider that you just don’t have aware management over a muscle, then that perception is Acutely aware Management turned the wrong way up.
I requested the guitarist to just accept she had Acutely aware Management over her left hand and arm, to just accept the hand and arm weren’t impartial of her thoughts, and to hold in there gently ordering her hand and arm to do what she desires.
She acquired it.