Introduction to the Technique Alexander (Techniques for actors)

 
This fundamental problem this guided and dealing with the Technique Alexander, a method that comes being recognized for 100 years like a notable and unique effective technique from reeducation of the body and the mind. 

Brief history F. Mathias Alexander (1869 - 1955)

 Was a professor and Australian actor. Originally it developed to the Technique Alexander like a method of vocal training for singers and actors in 1890. While Alexander was developing his method of voice training, he fell in the account that the base for all success of a vocal education was an efficient and natural operation of the respiratory mechanism. In such a way that, in the training of voice, Alexander one concentrated mainly in helping the breathing mechanisms so that they work more indeed. Since to its approach of the mechanisms of the breathing, some of the students of Alexander, who had gone with him for a vocal training, noticed that their respiratory difficulties also improved.

These improvements were recognized by medicine doctors who began to send to their patients with respiratory ailments to visit Alexander by their aid. Of this form, F.M. the Technique of Alexander of vocal training development towards a technique that it denominated “respiratory re-education"

Alexander also is shortage that the breathing and the vocalization comprise of how the body works of integral way. The habitual breathing and the vocal landlords are a frequent part of landlords of general coordination. In fact, many ailments that we see involved in form located in the body, for example: pain in the low part of the back and “RSI”, they are often symptoms of extensive routine landlords of a bad coordination. Thus it is as people have founded the Technique “vocal" of Alexander who helped them with his problems of breathing, therefore a number of their students found that its method of respiratory reeducation helped them with other physical difficulties. Basically, Alexander has developed a method to know how consciously to change the bad habits of coordination (Coordination, includes movements, positions and breathing.). He has included/understood that the mind and the body work like a unified organization, this was rather a rare understanding for his times. Alexander found that the customs, are habits “physical" or habits “mental”, they are by nature. It observed how we create approaches that our activities determine how we coordinated ourselves to make those activities, and, also, of how excessive habits of tension and an inefficient coordination affect how we felt and we thought. In a short period of time, Alexander later developed to his technique from a method of vocal training to a method of respiratory reeducation and in a comprehensive technique of reeducation psychophysical.

Its technique takes care of coordination psychophysical of the entire person. Or what it called “more concisely; the use of body".

 The following thing tries. It tries to breathe with the high part of his chest or with the low part of his abdomen. It tries walking or moving the arms while it breathes in some of these forms. It walks, or it moves his arms differently when it changes his breathing? Or it delivers an attack conscious to change the way in which it walks or the way in which it maintains his neck, or tries to grasp his arms strongly: These efforts alter to their breathing or voice? What has if these are current efforts -- efforts what you do all along but are unconscious of it is doing which it? Habitually we deliver attacks excessive most of the time, but we are generally ignorant of we are doing which them. Stress excessive somewhere of the body is usually part of a long landlord of a bad habit of coordination.

How the habits affect our operation. How the habits are developed?

 We can see how the habits are developed observing the movements of a boy. You drink them are born with a set from fundamental landlords from coordination “programmed" in its nervous system. This primary standard works efficiently and easily with the human structure. An example of this natural efficiency of the human mechanism can be seen with a drink who spontaneously feels by itself. It drinks generally of 12 months feels naturally very straight. In fact, he is simpler and more natural for it drinks to sit down right that stops a typical adult who supposedly walks with fallen shoulders “relaxed" in a landlord postural movement.

As the boy grows, usually he begins to imitate odd habits by they surround which it, like the parents, their close friends, and teachers. These “imitations" usually they become permanent and the boy probably will lose all conscience than he is doing. The boy also can experience uncomfortable injuries or other experiences take that it to determine habits inefficient. These habits can become constant interfering with their fundamental and natural coordination. These positions can interfere and affect in their muscular development, including the development of excessive tension, how it moves, how it breathes, and how its position and alignment are developed. More important still, the senses of the movements and balance of the boy (and adult) can become slanted to trust long terms; permanent habits. These senses are not able to work as reliable guides for an efficient coordination. Although the boy or adult could possibly feel that something bad with their movements, position, or other aspects of their operation, their senses imply in coordination so become altered by their habits that finds it cannot trust those senses when tries to make changes in its improvement.

When continuing interfering with its habits stress can be causing in him a constant but the boy or the adult finds difficulty for “stop" their habits, feel like relative and " good” with them.

The habits badly adopted alter our general sensorial feedback.

They alter our perceptions exceeds what is to feel “good".

These altered perceptions and concurrent feelings affect all what we do which involves our coordination. And all the activities, as much “physical" or “mental”, they involve coordination, or the way in which we make use of us.

Learning the Technique Alexander. What it is learned with the lessons on the technique of Alexander is a method unique and practitioner to stop and to change habits. This process of learning allows to the sense of coordination of each to retake his “perspective" natural.

The instructor who teaches the Technique of Alexander makes make to the student basic movements he smoothly guides while it with the hands. With this guide, the student undergoes one more a more natural and easy coordination, without the continuous interference of the habits. The repetition of this experience of natural and fundamental movement stimulates to the internal mechanisms of coordination so that they become more accurate. This develops its ability to choose answers to the stimuli, coordinated more and not so stressful.

The student is able to change habits of long data. The Technique of Alexander does not consist of exercises, practices or psychotherapy, either in spiritual techniques of treatment. She is also different from the manipulations of the corporal work. Instead of to consider to the body like a set of " pieces" separated to " work" individually, an enabled good instructor altogether observes the coordination landlords, that include postural landlords of tension and, how a student thinks on the movement and the active movement about itself.

 Benefits This procedure of learning can have many benefits, including easier movements, better alignment, more natural breathing and, which is more important, the development of abilities to treat the habits on a general base. The fundamental improvement in the trustworthiness of the information of sensorial appreciation that it takes place with the lessons with Technique of Alexander can have significant and positive effects in an ample variety of conducts and abilities, including the ability to learn. This technique can be of much aid for people who suffer of chronic pains, excessive stress or hurt. It is also used with the actors, to improve action techniques. Some universities and conservatories have incorporated the Technique of Alexander in their regular programs. John Dewey, American philosopher, studied the technique during 35 years.