Do you fatigue and stress easily? Do you have trouble concentrating?

One of the main tenets of the Alexander Technique is the concept of “primary control“, a phrase coined by Alexander to indicate the importance of freedom in the muscles of the head and neck. (If you want to read a really, really in depth article about primary control go here) He found that the body has no chance of coordinating and flowing in any activity while tension remains in the head and neck. When the neck is free and balanced, the body will order itself more easily.

Most of us respond to stress as any animal would, by going into the “startle position”, with the head pulled back and down, tensing the muscles along the spine, especially the neck. The next time you are really startled, notice how your body recoils and shortens from the top of your head down to your lower back. Yet animals usually revert to a natural, balanced poise when the danger passes. Their physical awareness broadens again to take in the big picture. Since humans are constantly under stress from modern life in general, we tend to stay locked in “startle”. We become habitually unbalanced and our physical spirit suffers.

Personally, I have trouble with concentration. My mind wanders easily, thinking almost compulsively. I’m sure many of you experience the same distracted state. The medical buzzword for this condition is Attention Deficit Disorder, which is a chronic state of distractedness. (And, of course, there are drug treatments for it. Big surprise!) It is a serious issue, especially for adults. However, I am not surprised at this trend, since we have so much to juggle to maintain our busy lives. We maintain and process huge amounts of information thrown at us daily by streamlined technology. Many in modern society live multiple types of lives; for example, raising children and working, often several jobs at once. Driving a car, stressful in itself, hogs a huge amount of time. On top of that, there are constant distractions from our technology; from TV, mobile phones, Internet and pagers. There is little time or space to nurture focus.

For me, forcing myself to concentrate causes stress in the eyes, jaw, mouth, neck and shoulders. This tension aggravates and fatigues me physically. It ends up foiling my attempts to concentrate. This is an example where the physical aspect of living is not only a response to stress, but actually creates and amplifies it. I am learning to concentrate without this physical habit. Primary Control, keeping my head and neck free and soft, is where it all begins.

For example, when reading a book, find a comfortable position, with neck and back supported and balanced. Let your eyes soften and widen, as if they are floating toward your ears. Soften your eyebrows, your jaw, your tongue, your nose. Let your neck release forward and up. Keep your eyes open, and notice the room around you. Fill that space with your awareness. Broaden your vision to take in the room without processing or thinking about what’s in it or what needs to be done. Now, when you begin to read, keep that softness in the awareness. Don’t shutter out everything but the book. It may be tricky to read and stay physically broad. It is for me. But, like riding a bicycle, it will become natural. It’s about balance, being physically present while your mind reads. Your eyes and head and neck don’t read; your mind does.

When the body is poised, it is available to be used for living with quality. When “primary control” is implemented, the whole body-mind-spirit follows and is freer. That physical freedom and balance in the body also raises the quality of mental activity, which is part of the body package. Meditative states are basically the practice of poised mind and body. When one learns to live in a more liberated, balanced state, one is free to choose almost any path from there, without hindrances of tension and poor body use.

I tend to think about life rather than live it. (or frantically live while thinking about other things) I feel as if I’m standing on the bank thinking about the course rather than practicing swimming in the river. The longer you stand on the bank, the more out of shape you get. You become a landlubber. Roots grow beneath your feet. The flow of the river becomes a scene viewed through a window and the skill of swimming in the flow is lost.

Granted, one cannot live without thinking about life. Planning is necessary to a productive life. But balance is the key. Do you ever feel lost in a group conversation, where you can follow but almost never add to it? Do you feel like a clumsy oaf when trying new things? The issue is probably that you are too far removed from the present, too much time spent on the bank watching the river flow by.

Body Language and Alexander. Here I refer to our own body’s language, the signals our bodies give us in response to events. Most of us respond unconsiously to most stimuli: annoyance, fear and anger all translate into the body directly. The goal is first to be aware of these reactions, then eventually control them.

Do you feel your body energy change when you pass people walking on the street? I feel a change in the “posture” of my neck and shoulders while passing people in my local public park. It’s a fairly safe park, so that’s not the problem.

I can be walking along merrily with a lanky flow in my body until I near another person or group. Subtle habits of fear tense in me: fear of what they’re thinking of me, of their possible judgments. A multitude of micro-anxieties clog the flow of my body. In a way I shut down. Yet I’m barely aware of it unless I tune in carefully, which I’ve only recently learned to do. I tend to look away or down the moment our eyes meet. I fear their rejection. This subtle reaction becomes the norm. I forget I ever knew the flow.

When I refer to the “flow”, I mean a state of physical and mental poise, natural and relaxed, from which one can move the body and mind in any direction. Many Eastern physical “arts” have a similar starting point for their practices.

I’ve been learning about Alexander technique for a few months now. Originally, this technique was used to help actors and other performers tune in to their body’s reactions to stress. But I am finding that it can help balance many issues whose primary symptom is held in the body. If the body is unbalanced and tense, the mind, being part of it, will certainly suffer as well. You may not be able to change the stress causing events in your life, but you can change how you, starting with your body, react to them.

An animal’s body reacts to surprise with a tensing of the neck and shoulders. This is called the “startle position”. Humans have a great deal of stress in their daily lives. Driving a car is the most common. Job performance is another.

Add to these the multitude of subtle stresses that can be created by the imagination. Fear of judgment is a huge issue for me. Growing up gay trained me to live cautiously. Those habits are deeply ingrained in my body’s life. I’m sure you also have some issues of self-consciousness, which inhibit the flow of your true self. Please feel free to explore these in your comments.

We all have inevitable stress in our lives. How we handle this bombardment is vital to health, to freedom and growth.

Learning your body’s language is the key. When you learn to stay relaxed and poised you are a more continuous person emotionally and intellectually. Concentration is better. Decisions are easier. Coordination is better.

Doing rather than analyzing is the goal. Being in the body rather than the mind is the path. One Alexander teacher emphasizes the importance of staying aware of the “live” situation around you as you become aware of the body, being in the room rather than in the mind while you move your arm or relax your neck. This way your neck relaxes without you “thinking” about doing it or “telling” it to relax. The difference is paramount.

These skills are particularly important for a musician. Speaking with the body is what musicians do. However, any human body can benefit from learning to better speak its own language.

We are bodies. Our body’s intelligence/poise gives continuity to our daily lives. And swimming in the river helps. So jump in. The water may seem cold at first, but it’ll warm up, and then you’ll feel more alive than ever.