The Alexander Technique is all about letting go.
This makes it seem as if the Alexander Technique is all about
relaxing, of letting go of all tension.
But then when I tell you that the Alexander Technique can be
used say, in pushing a heavy sofa to the other end of the room, or holding a
full shopping bag, it doesn’t make sense, does it? How does relaxing completely,
square with working hard?
The Alexander Technique is all about letting go, not of all
tension, but of excess tension.
Some tension is required when we're doing something that requires force - like this child kicking the ball.
What we don't need is the ever present tightness in us that we’re not even
aware of - as if we’re in a constant state of readiness to go into action,
even when we’re sitting quietly, or resting.
Try it. As you’re sitting and reading this, tell yourself to lighten up,
to relax a bit. There’s a pretty strong possibility that you’ll feel some
tension fall away. That’s the
tension we don’t need, and we're really not aware of the extent of its effect on us.
That’s what we learn to let go with the Alexander Technique,
