Ends and means

FM Alexander brought a method into this world to teach people how to move more easy through life. The best of way of learning this more efficient way of moving happens in one-on-one lesson with an experienced teacher. Alexander himself demanded from his own students to read his books first before he used his hands to demonstrate what he wrote about. When we apply the Alexander Technique, we change how we think about movement, and bring sub-conscious habit into our awareness.

What we think about human beings and ourselves influences our movements through life immensely. Alexander promoted a holistic view of human existence, and used the term 'psycho-physical unity' in his books for this concept. When we imagine ourselves as split into body and mind, we lose the ability to rely on our perceptions to a certain degree. The mind develops an image of our body that does no longer reflect its actual structure, movements become complicated and inefficient.

Alexander identified one important 'cause' of what modern psychology calls 'body-mind disassociation', and termed this principle 'end-gaining'.

When the end is held in mind, instinct or long habit will always seek to attain the end by habitual methods. The action is performed below the level of consciousness in its various stages, and only rises to the level of consciousness when the end is being attained by the correct “means whereby".

The attentional focus shifts to an desired outcome, while the neural loop between motor control and sensory feedback happens automatically. The ability to automatically execute coordinated movement (motor learning) serves a useful purpose, dexterity certainly contributed to the evolutionary success of mankind. Whenever we consciously engage in learning motor skills, we switch this 'auto-pilot' temporarily off, which allows our movement to become more refined in what we want to learn.

Our auto-pilot allows for multi-tasking, so we can walk and talk simultaneously. We can 'layer'  complex motor skills, and easily forget how much time it took to learn any skill initially. The human auto pilot system can only be switched off to limited degrees, the Alexander Technique focuses mainly on the functions relating to the control of our musculo-skeletal system by intention.

The 'means-whereby' Alexander subscribes simply mean to move according our evolutionary design, by minimising our deliberate, yet sometimes subconscious, interferences with our anti-gravity responses. How can you achieve this? By directing your attention to how you do what you do, instead of focussing on 'getting things done', especially in learning situations.

Most of us spend the first years of their life like this, before we started imitating less efficient learning attitudes around us. The focus on the 'mind' in our culture quite systematically neglects the holistic aspect of any human activity, we lose touch with our human nature.

To a certain degree you can claim that Alexander Technique belongs to the cornucopia of 'back to nature' movements, yet not with a revisionist but an evolutionary approach. Instead of bemoaning the good old times, attempting to a recreate hunter-gatherer society or any other variation of the 'back-to-the-cave' idealism, AT teaches to deal with our ever faster changing environment in modern times.

Back to nature according to the AT merely means using our structure in 'natural' ways, refining our instinctual reactions consciously so that our habits serve us, and not harm us. Mankind survived under many different circumstances, often in communities with limited specialist medical knowledge and scientific interest. We tamed (or extinguished) the wild animals around us, reduced the need to toil for a living by technology, and forgot for a while that we're only part of nature, neither master nor slave of it.

'Security in numbers' provides a successful evolutionary strategy, and human history provides a lot of examples how this principle helped as well as hindered the evolutionary progress of mankind. In affairs of society the 'ends' still have more importance than the 'means'. The current 'war on nature' in its emanations as 'war on drugs', 'war on terror', 'war on anti-social behaviour', etc. reflects the obsession of society as a whole with the illusion of mankind and nature as opposites.

Similarly, end and means always go together. The primary focus determines whether an activity is done in an 'end-gaining' fashion or under consideration of the proper 'means-whereby'. When I get up from a chair in an Alexander session, my intention might be: Impressing the teacher, getting over and done with it, figuring out why I can learn something with such a simple procedure, planning my dinner, wondering if I switched all lights out, having a better look on a distant object, or even using my anti-gravity reflexes for most efficient movement.

If we attempt do something consciously, we still pursue a goal. Only the importance of this goal changes. By removing the fixed focus of attention on the end we stand a better chance to move in a more balanced way. If we stop caring for some moments about getting out of a chair, we become able to observe the quality of the movement involved, and gradually improve this quality towards ease and efficiency.

A walk in the park

Australia celebrated today 'Australia day', or how some call it 'Invasion Day'. It's a big family event, with activities and parades sprinkled around Melbourne's center, parades, music, stalls and all. AUSTAT provides the funding for an Alexander Technique stall, so I volunteered with some others to give the public a taste of our work.

For first time this year, I used my hands again, and with complete strangers! Well, with less panic it was rather an opportunity to have heaps of 'first lessons' in a row, meeting the challenge to get the permission to touch someone I just met.

I didn't have much time to foster any negative self-talk, only little time past without anyone coming to our stall. So instead, I gave the most simple explanation of the importance of coordinating movement with a 'free neck' I could come up with, trying to tap into the interests and circumstances the potential students were in. When I got the impression that the 'sales talk' worked, I offered hands-on experience to demonstrate what ever tiny idea I started with.

Of course, there's often the hidden doubt whether the hands will work, as some people can be really hard to move. Although sometimes I noticed changes under my fingers, it doesn't mean necessarily that the student does as well, especially when the changes are quite subtle. So I can't really tell whether I encouraged many of my clients to take more lessons, but most left with contact information for the school, and I passed on my details to some as well.

From a mere business point of view I wonder whether this day in the park deserves the name success - like with any promotional activity there's a delayed response between action and result. But that's just biz thinking. If I ask myself whether it worth spending a day talking to and working with strangers I can only say: yes, yes and yes.

While I was working with charming, yet quite stiff 70 year old, someone observed me in my failing attempts to get him easily into standing. Now it reminds me of the interview I heard on Robert Rickover's podcast, where I think Sandra Bain-Cushion mentions that you sometimes need to unlock the legs to get the primary control working. This very fit fellow had only little movement around his hips, and I didn't manage to connect his head to the sitbones.

However, Jen, who graduated a year before me, encouraged me in doing what didn't seem to work, and after I attempted to explain what happened, the 'silent observer' jumped in. Although Eric had no clue about AT before, he described the blockage of energy he witnessed in terms worthy of an Alexander teacher. He introduced himself as a healer, mainly for emotional energy. We chatted for a while, yet we didn't work together. I get more and more convinced that a healing modality can usefully add to the portfolio of an Alexander teacher.

I got a bit edgy around 4:30pm, half an hour after the official closing time. Yet I felt rather wired than tired, giving half a day of my attention to anyone curious about it. I know I need to 'make money' sooner than later again, yet I learned I need to work to be happy as well, no matter whether money changes hands or not.

I programmed my ego once for modesty, so I might underestimate the ideas my hands left today. So I comment this rather from personal level, not worrying for a moment what I did for others, yet account for my own use.

About two month ago, I broke a metatarsal. About a month ago, after the healing process allowed me using both feet again, I strained my ankle as the lower leg muscles weakened a lot. I started unicycling some few days ago, but there's still pain and swelling around my heel. Today, I could still tell the story that happened to me and my foot, but even during squat demonstrations I didn't feel restricted any more.

No miracles here, enough rest laid the ground work, and getting active helped making my ankle heal. However, staying up most of the day made me forget about the variety of movement strategies that emerged with this handicap. First and foremost I enjoyed being what a want I be, a teacher. We wouldn't survive without curiosity, and anyone stopping at our stall brought some curiosity with them. To direct this instinct towards forward and up poses a challenge, which I happily faced today.

So I'd like to thank all those stepping out of their routine for a moment to inquire about the Alexander Technique. You reminded me to stay connected, and added a bit more meaning to my life. In a way, I got a taste of the right thing happening once I stop doing the wrong things, and I feel grateful for this experience.

A big picture

FM Alexander talked a lot about the 'self', using a term so familiar and vague that it can be difficult at times to follow his written words. In this diagram, I followed his openness for interpretation, offering three basic, interconnected realms that constitute together human existence. Whereas scientists may scruff about the use of the word 'soul', I use it refer to the emotional and spiritual aspects of life.

This diagram also shows the self in the centre as well as in the periphery, assuming that humans present always their self. The brain represents the intersection between body and mind, the heart the intersection of body and soul, and the guts connect soul and mind. Whole-hearted activity, conducted with the body, will arouse emotional gratification. Unprocessed emotions often affect our digestive system, indicating that the whole self needs better nourishment.

Individual awareness can be anywhere in this diagram, or everywhere simultaneously. Specialisation seems popular nowadays, it's easy to spot 'physical', 'mental' or 'spiritual' preferences among many people. At least in the Western world, it's the era of the mind.  Yet, by contemplating this little diagram not only your mind gets engaged- you need your body to receive this information, and your soul might resonate with it.

Other selfs intersect with a single one, allowing for connections between the body, mind and soul aspects in varying degrees. The connection is always between selfs, yet might incorporate only or mainly physical, mental or emotional aspects of life.

When I teach someone about the 'use of the self', this diagram serves as my experimental hypothesis. It covers all aspects of human experience, yet is simple enough to create a little bit more unity.

Welcome

Three years of Alexander Technique teacher training lay now behind me, and working as a professional teacher can start. I find myself in the middle, here and now, taking the next step in creating a living by handing over valuable information to those willing to get to know themselves a little bit better.

In a period of history where our environment changes at increasing speed, the adaptability of our nervous system is tested like never before. While I took my first, cautious steps on this planet, mankind's collective knowledge and imagination helped man to walk on the moon. Like a baby leaving the womb, some humans left, if only for a short time, the nurturing environment they grew up in.

Since then, everyday living of many of us has been pervaded by the digital evolution. TVs gained colour, VCRs allowed recording, phones lost their dials, and then their wires, compact discs threatened vinyl, computers replaced typewriters and calculators, networks emerged that connected these technological developments to exchange information instantly around the globe. In 2010, an iPhone combines TV, VCR, phone, music player, computer and internet into a tiny device that fits into most pockets.

Technology not only became more powerful and ubiquitous, but also much easier to use. Ten years ago, when I published myself the first time on the internet, I used a fairly complex setup. I had a small SUN workstation, installed a variety a free software components, created mechanisms to automatically update my changing address, designed a layout and graphics for the website, secured everything as good as possible against hacking. It took me several days before I could write the first article, and by then I had run out of steam for a while.

I still spend maybe a couple of hours to set up this site, yet this time I could focus on content and design instead of some technical nitty-gritty. Progress, like predicted in Moore's law, seems to contradict common sense, yet it reflects my in-depth experience with technology in my relatively short lifetime. Just twenty years ago, showing someone a photo meant handing them a hardcopy in person. Nowadays you can made any photo instantly available by uploading to the web, or sending them to the phones of your friends.

Learning how to operate digital devices has become an important cultural skill required for the 21st century. Congratulation, by reading this article online you demonstrate skills which were unknown just a generation ago, and are as yet only mastered by a minority of people globally. Our attraction to moving pictures on ever smaller screens requires a conscious approach to prevent negative effects on our overall sanity. A broad visual field and widespread attention helped mankind's survival throughout most of its evolution.

As former IT professional, I learned about the negative side effects of too much concentration towards screens from my own experience. I forgot to attend to my proprioception when I worked, which led to regularly tense neck and shoulders, and sometimes minor back pains. In my job, I used my specialist knowledge to make the computer systems easier to use, or extend the functionality. Yet keeping myself fit and healthy at the same time didn't work. No matter how many how-to manuals I wrote, I had yet to find the operation manual for human beings.

FM Alexander's books probably don't really deserve to be called operation manual for human beings, his writing style fits better into his times than the 21st century. His ideas, however, are simple and compelling enough to initiate a process of self-discovery which is suited for the challenges of modern times. By changing the way we attend to our movements, or more specifically by maintaining an optimal relation between the head and the rest of our body, movement becomes most efficient. Synergistic movement prevents deterioration of our health and might even alleviate symptoms of disease.

You need to know only few things to operate a web browser. You need to be able to type in web addresses, need to know how a link looks like, and how to activate it. On top of that, knowing about google, wikipedia, facebook or twitter gives you new choices what to do with the internet.  In a similar way, Alexander Technique only teaches you how to move more naturally, but you still choose what to do with this skill. Our physical structure evolved in very different environment from the modern world, it takes a bit of consciousness to move in this new world without accidentally harming yourself.

Evolution provides humanity with an extremely flexible, permanently changing nervous system. Each heart beat, each breath leaves its traces in the network of our brain, consisting of more neurons than stars in our universe, each of them connected to up ten thousands of other neurons. We literally incorporate our history with the shape of our bodies and patterns of movement.

The Alexander Technique uses the neuroplastic nature of our brains. By changing the way how I keep myself upright while I'm working with a computer I can work for longer, without ending up with tense neck and shoulders. It me took a while to become aware of myself in activity again, and like any other skill, there's no limit as how good one can become. Changing our habits means changing the way we move, and vice versa.

If you wanted to explain someone how to use a web browser, the easiest way would be by showing. The same applies to synergistic movement. Once we have lost the ability to move naturally to a degree, we can't imagine how easy movement can be, yet we still can be shown. If the parts of our body interact in the way they were optimised for, we create synergistic movement, limited only by our imagination. As an Alexander Technique teacher, I can show you with my hands what I understand as synergistic movement, and find a way for you to bring this way of moving into your life.

Don't worry, learning the skills involved in the Alexander Technique doesn't require any advanced knowledge of neuro-science or IT. My lessons involve show and tell. Unfortunately, many of the things considered common knowledge about our functionality as human being prove factually wrong. I want to use this blog to write about the human nature, linking my experiences with ideas about consciousness and scientific research. Doing more with less sounds incredible at first, yet it can become part of your daily experience.

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