Results tagged “balance” from Hilary King's Blog

Use the Alexander Technique While You Walk

When we have lots of rain and in particular when leaves or ice are on the ground, paths can become treacherous, as my own path gets at this time of year. It is very tempting to tighten up our legs muscles, ankles, the muscles around our hip joints and probably our neck muscles as well. Most of that tightening is done in anticipation of a possible fall and this can be tiring - and is rather a waste of energy! If we feel ourselves slipping, then bracing ourselves at that point can sometimes be helpful but we don't need to brace for long periods of time 'in case'.

This doesn't serve us. In fact, tightening our neck muscles reduces the information we can obtain about our balance, and locking our ankles and hips also interferes with our ability to fine tune our balance. I often look at young women wearing stilettos and wonder just how they manage to cope on slippery paths, because they are already thrown off balance because their hips knees, ankles and backs are pushed into unnatural positions by their high heels.

It is always helpful to think about the way we walk but it is particularly important when paths are slippery. You can help yourself by walking along with awareness and your neck freely lengthening, as you have learned in your Alexander Technique lessons, so that you obtain maximum information about your balance from the tiny movements your head will make as you move.  When you also allow your feet and legs to move and support you freely, without excessive bracing, you will probably feel far more comfortable and secure.

This small child is alert and poised, with her back freely lengthening, quite naturally.  Her head is balanced on her neck in such a way that all her muscles are able to work freely and in co-ordination, so that the heavy weight of her head is transferred evenly right through her body, onto her sitting bones.

If the child is able to maintain this free and easy poise as she grows up, she will be fortunate. Most of us started out life with a similar, natural but unconscious, postural alignment but most of us lose it over time. Many people start Alexander lessons in order to improve their posture and reduce back pain.

In Alexander Technique lessons we can begin to reclaim this birthright, by learning to maintain our poise and increase our freedom of movement, through making conscious choices about the way we use ourselves during all our activities. Sometimes, we even feel younger again.