Create The Life You Want

How To Clean House Tension-Free - A Visual Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:40:00 +0000

Cleaning house is part of our daily life. Often times we create strain when cleaning, but really, it can be easy. Check out this visual guide for some tips and follow along.

This Way Hurts		This Way Helps

Avoid dropping your head down from your neck. Notice how this man's head is far in front of his spine.		Move toward keeping your head balanced on top of your spine, not hanging down in front of it.


Avoid losing the width of your torso when you reach for things. Notice how this woman has dropped her shoulders forward and pulled them in toward each other.		Move toward using the joints of your leg to squat. This way you can get closer to what you're reaching for without compromising your full length and width.


Avoid bending at the waist and locking your knees. Your waist is flexible, but is not a major joint or what you want to use to lower yourself.		Move toward getting closer to what you're working on by bending at your hips and keeping your back long and wide and integrated.

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Balance When Walking

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 03:30:00 +0000

This week's simple strategy is about finding your balance when you're walking so you can feel lighter and freer.

What most people do, without knowing, it is to lean backward slightly when they walk.

Check out the picture to the right. Do you see how the woman's leading foot is in front of her torso and head?

This means that her upper body is actually lagging behind and when she wants to walk she has to use a lot of effort to overcome gravity and move her body forward.

It's subtle and for most people it feels and looks right. But it requires you to use more muscular effort on each step. Over a day, a week, a year, or a lifetime this adds up to a lot more work and tension.

Walking can be lighter and easier.

Let's take the picture of the man. Notice that his torso and head are over his front foot.

Every time he takes a step, his torso is forward over his grounded foot. He has the bones and structure of his leg under him to support him. He's not leaning backward and having to overcome the pull of gravity on his back.

He's more balanced and his whole body is moving FORWARD which is the direction he wants to go. (Why lean backward when you want to move forward?)

So, in summary, your simply strategy is: let yourself move forward over your front foot when you walk.

Now some notes on this...

It may feel like falling forward. Be confident that your foot will always catch you. You won't let yourself fall on your face.

It may feel like you're too far forward in the beginning, even though you're really just balanced. This is because you're used to leaning backward and your brain has a faulty sense of what upright is.

It may feel like being an ape or a monkey. That's fine too. It's just different. It's not wrong. And no, you don't look like an ape.

Find your balance forward over your feet. See if you can work with gravity instead of fighting it. See if you don't find a bit more bounce your step.

And most of all, experiment, play, and explore. Have fun!

WebMD Talks About Easing Back Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:10:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

WebMD is one of the most-visited medical based websites for consumers out there. It's a go-to health care resource for patients around the globe.

In a thorough review of a study published in the British Medical Journal, WebMD concurs with the findings that incorporating the Alexander Technique into a rehabilitation plan for treating back pain vastly improves the rate of success and long-term recovery of patients.

The Alexander Technique helps reduce back pain by strengthening postural muscles, improving coordination and flexibility, and decompressing the spine. By working with a qualified Alexander Technique instructor you learn simple methods of retraining your body to improve posture and release pressure on the neck and back.

Related Articles:

Step #1 On The Path Out Of Pain: Awareness

Be curious. Be empowered. Be willing to change.

Making Room For The Spine

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Huffington Post Back Pain Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:23:00 +0000

In a recent article at The Huffington Post, Dr. Loren Fishman chronicled various alternative therapies for the treatment of and relief from chronic back pain. He champions the Alexander Technique as an effective process for learning how to make incremental changes to posture and other daily living activities as a method of alleviating back pain.

Dr. Fishman points to a study by the British Medical Journal where researchers have empirically proven that students of the Alexander Technique experienced relief from back pain at a rate of nearly seven-to-one those patients only receiving conventional medical care.

Related Article: Making Room For The Spine

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Open Up Your Back And Shoulders - Hug A Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:45:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

This week's simple strategy involves a little visualization. I want you to imagine you're hugging a tree.

A really BIG tree.

Stretch your arms out wide, as if you're going to give that tree a big hug.

Let your wrists and arms be soft and easy when you do this.
Remember, you don't need to grip the tree for dear life. :) You're just giving it a nice, gentle hug.

If you're tensing your wrists and arms when loving on that tree, you'll feel tension all the way into your back, which is, well, not good. So let's not do that.

Let your arms curve slightly in front of you. (See photo.)
Because your arms are attached to your shoulders, the forward hug movement of your arms causes your shoulder blades to curve forward every so slightly and gently.

With this movement, you'll find your shoulder blades also release away from each other. This in turn gives you more space in your back between your shoulder blades. And this feels great!

Let your chest be ever so slightly concave. We're not talking about completely collapsed here. You're just going to let your chest follow the curve of the tree. Let the tree push you back slightly so your chest isn't puffed up or forward.

Now after you hug your tree, it's time to gently let your arms come down to your side.

You'll want to let this action happen from your shoulder joints, which are further out to the side and further forward than most people imagine. (See diagram below.) Moving at your shoulder joints after your hug, will help you maintain the width and spaciousness in your back and this will help you feel oh so good!

You'll feel so good you'll turn into a full time peacenik, "hugging trees" wherever you go.

Yup. You'll want to... "hug a tree" before you type or bike, before you walk or talk, or before you sit or stand.

Incorporate this is simple strategy into your life and you'll find yourself feeling more peaceful and expansive!

Related Articles:

Step #1 On The Path Out Of Pain

9 Most Common Ways We Sabotage Good Posture

A Stretch To Bring You Into The Now

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Let Your Jaw Hang Free

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:24:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Letting your jaw hang free is CRITICAL if you want to relax your face, have less TMJ tightness, and reduce jaw clenching. And it really helps your neck feel better too!

If you free your jaw, you can free your neck! If you free your neck, you can free your back and body. If you free your body, you'll feel freer throughout your whole life because. . .wherever you go there you are.

There's no way around it. If you feel crappy in your body, you'll feel crappy in your life.

So now that we got that straight, here's one simple strategyfor you to work with to start feeling better right now:

Be aware that your jaw hangs at a 30° angle (approximately).

It is not parallel to the floor.

When you think your jaw should be parallel to the floor, you will tilt your head back and the muscles that hold your jaw up and keep your mouth closed have to do more work. And that, my dears, creates facial tension around your jaw. It limits the space in the TMJ (temporal mandible joint) and causes clenching of the jaw.

Create a new habit. Take a moment to pause in what you're doing and let your jaw hang free.

A little bit here. A little bit there. And before you know it, you're on the path to a great life!

Related Articles:

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9 Most Common Ways We Sabotage Good Posture

Do You Have Terrible Posture

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Hugh Jackman on the Alexander Technique

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:42:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Most of you know him as the X-Men’s Wolverine or Dracula’s Van Helzing, or Leopold to Meg Ryan’s Kate. But did you know that the actor Hugh Jackman says the Alexander Technique is a key part of his craft?

On a past episode of Inside the Actor’s Studio, Jackman sat down with host James Lipton and talked about how he's integrated the technique into his work as an actor for better posture, breathing, and improved stage presence. Check it out...

Related Articles:

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Step #1 On The Path Out Of Pain: Awareness

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:44:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

In my introduction to this series on the "Path Out Of Pain," I posed the question: how do you have more ease and less pain and tension?

(If you missed last week's article, you can read it here.)

The first step out of pain is AWARENESS.

I know, I know, everyone talks about mindfulness and being aware. But to know and not do, is to not know. (I think that's a quote from Buddha, but don't quote me on that. :-)

Let's start with why Awareness is so key to you feeling better.

It's key because when you raise your Awareness (of your actions and reactions), then you can actually make a CHOICE to do something differently. When you're unaware, you just DO. No choice. Just habitual reactivity.

This is a big one. Most of the time we just react (move, speak, sit, stand, play...) automatically, not giving much thought to how we do it. Our reactions are habits, built up over a lifetime, and they just become what we do and we're not aware of choosing to do them.

This isn't all bad. Much of the time having things dialed in works pretty well for us. Habits mean we don't have to work out all the details every time we want to do something. When we take a walk or go to pick up a glass a water, for example, we just have the thought to do it and then go do it.

Where we get into trouble is when we're moving or behaving in a habitual way that's actually harmful to us and we're NOT aware of it. Because it's a HABIT we feel like everything's a-okay, but in reality we're using the wrong kind of muscular effort when carrying out the activity.

And what happens then?

Your posture gets compromised, you have tension, pain, injury, and a much more limited life. You know the score. And all because you weren't AWARE that you were doing anything wrong in the first place and kept "doing your thing" day after day in a way that was harmful.

Raising your AWARENESS of your physical patterns is a way to get out of this closed loop of doing the same thing, that feels right but isn't right, over and over again.

Here are some ideas to help you RAISE YOUR AWARENESS:

1) Give yourself time

Take time for yourself to notice what's happening. Don't worry. This doesn't have to take up your whole life. It's just a slight shift of focus every so often. But you do need to give yourself time for it.

Start with 2 seconds of awareness every now and again. It's not going to take you much time (clearly, just 2 seconds), but it is going to start you on the path to being much more aware. You'll start building your "awareness muscle." Try it. You'll like it.

2) Know what to be aware of

A great place to start your awareness practice is noticing where and when you're tensing.

Most of my students are completely unaware, in the beginning, of where or when they're tensing. All they feel are the symptoms - perhaps a sore neck, back, or shoulders - but they don't know what's causing it and that it has anything to do with a whole pattern of tensing that goes beyond the immediate symptom.

Key places to be aware of? Start with noticing the tension your neck and your back. (My next two articles will explain what to do once you're aware.)

It's also important to start being aware of when you're over tensing. Are there certain activities that cause you more tension than others? Deadlines, difficult conversations, public speaking, and working at the computer seem to be common triggers. What are your triggers? Start connecting the dots by being aware of when you create excess muscular effort.

3) Question your assumptions

Sometimes we're not aware of what we're doing that's causing our pain because it's a habit that's come to feel normal and right.

One way out of this is to question your assumptions. Ask yourself, if what you're doing, even if it feels right, actually creates tension? Do you feel light, open, and easy? If not, maybe your assumption of the right way to sit, for instance, is just that, an assumption, and you need to learn a better way.

4) Get expert help

When we want to change patterns that are causing us pain but are invisible to us (because they've come to feel normal) we need some outside eyes and someone who can really tell it as it is.

Sometimes we just can't do it on our own.

We need someone who knows what to look for. And we need someone who can teach us what to look for for ourselves. This is the fastest way to raising our awareness, changing our patterns, and getting out of pain.

And it's ultimately how we become proficient in helping ourselves feel great!

---

If you're feeling a little compressed, tense, or struggling with a pain issue, there has NEVER been a better time to start taking care of yourself. If not now, then when? Really. Don't blame yourself or beat yourself up for how you feel. You just need the right information to get you on the path to feeling better.

Whether you just want to stave off being hunched over as you age, want less tension in your life, or you've got severe pain issues, put feeling great at the top of your list. Schedule your complimentary assessment call. Click here to find out more!

3 Steps (Really!) To Creating The Life You Want

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:51:00 +0000

3 Steps (Really!) To Creating The Life You Want
by Amira Alvarez

QUESTION: How do you create the life you want (without pain or tension)?

QUESTION: How do you have less pressure and exhaustion and more ease, peace, and vitality?

QUESTION: And how do you do this easily, on a daily basis for consistent, long lasting results?

ANSWER: You let go of habits that don't serve you and you develop habits that support you.

Think of it this way... your life is the result of what you do, think, and feel on a consistent basis. If you change what you habitually do, think, and feel you will get different outcomes.

Makes sense, right?

Yet, most of us stay stuck in our old ways for three reasons:

1) You're not aware of your habits (and of having a choice to do, think, or feel something else.)
2) You don't give yourself time to change (and thus stay in a reactive cycle.)
3) You don't have any idea of how else it could be (and thus only see options you already know.)

So what to do if you want to break free?

This is where a little expert guidance and the "ARC of Transformation" comes in. (This is how my clients consistently create profound changes in their life - it's a combo of the Alexander Technique and my "Create The Life You Want" toolkit of strategies!)

The ARC of Transformation is: Awareness, Rest, and Conception.

A-R-C...as simple as 1-2-3.

And over the next few weeks, you'll be getting essays in installments that lay out in detail how to use Awareness, Rest, and Conception to dramatically improve your life.

In the meantime, in honor of Thanksgiving, let's start with this easy gratitude-awareness practice.

Start this practice by asking yourself: what are you thankful for in your life? (It's a question that can't be asked too often!)

Allow your list to include small and mundane things.
For me, right now, the "small and mundane" includes:
- the view from my kitchen window
- the birds at the feeder
- that I get to work from my kitchen table
- a comfortable chair
- a cozy and warm house

Allow your list to also include big things.
For me, right now, the big things I'm thankful for are:
- great health (not being in pain)
- a thriving practice doing what I love
- being of service to others and putting my talents to use
- my good friends, my clients, my frigging amazing husband, my family, and my whole life

I just got a huge jolt of happiness with that list. There was a dramatic shift in my PHYSICAL experience, by simply thinking about gratitude.

Once you plug into this, you can use it as a tool to create your own well-being. (Although in the beginning, it might feel like the shift is minor, over time you'll notice it more significantly.)

When you come up with YOUR list, what are you AWARE of? Can you sense a little physical opening when you let your mind run through your list of good things?

Compare this feeling, ever so briefly, with thinking about something that's a struggle for you. Can you sense the difference? Can you feel yourself come in and down when you're thinking about your troubles?

Shift back to gratitude and be aware of the difference in your physical response.

Keep up the AWARENESS of how focusing on what's good and what's working makes you feel. Use it as data and guidance. It's a great first step!

Related Articles:

Step #1 On The Path Out Of Pain

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John Hopkins Medical Alert Recommends The Alexander Technique For Back Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:23:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore is a world-renowned facility with a historic legacy of distinguished health care. John Hopkins has recognized the Alexander Technique as a viable alternative to conventional health care for the long term treatment of back pain.

In a recent health alert at the Johns Hopkins website, doctors advocate the benefits of integrating the Alexander Technique into an ongoing treatment plan. When used as a pain management tool in conjunction with a medical physical rehabilitation plan patients seem to enjoy a higher rate of recovery.

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Listen in to an interview with Amira

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:00:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Back in late November I was interviewd by fellow Alexander instructor and blogger Luke Ford.

Luke quizzed me about my path to teaching the Alexander Technique, my philosophy on teaching, and how I go about authentically bringing the work to a larger audience.

Click below to listen to the interview.

Related Articles:

Hugh Jackman on the Alexander Technique

Be curious. Be empowered. Be willing to change

How Finding the Right Tool Can Bring You Gobs of Joy

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How To Magically Reclaim Time

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:34:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Have you ever been so rushed and busy that you wish the world would stop and you could have three more days (just to yourself) to get everything done?

Now that really would be magical!

I wish I could wave my magic wand and ABRACADABRA stop time for you.

What I can do is give you an awesome strategy for finding more peace in your body (and mind), even when pressed for time. (Which is what we really want, right?) It's more like MAGICAL-REALISM, yet it works like a charm.

So let's break down the situation.

If you're like most people, when you're under a deadline or have too much to do, you feel crappy. You get tense and maybe a little irritated.

You might even, (dare I say this?), start blaming people or situations for your stress.

We've all gone there. You blame the traffic, when really you tried to fit in one last thing before leaving. (I raise my hand and totally confess to being a recovering "one-last-thinger." Trust me, there's light at the end of the tunnel. There is another way.)

Or, maybe it's something like telling yourself "if he didn't keep interrupting me, I could get my work done," when in your heart you know that you put off starting the project and didn't leave yourself enough time.

And this, my friend, isn't good.

None of us want to feel tense or irritated or be someone who doesn't take responsibility. We don't wake up and say, "hey, I'd really like to be short with my co-workers today." That's just not how we operate.

We all have a vision of our ideal self and it's definitely not the late, stressed out, rushed maniac we become when pressed for time.

So, is how you are when you're stressed something you're actually choosing because you think it's helpful?

Or is it just a habit that's keeping you from your best self?

I, of course, am going to argue that it's just a habit (and one that can change). It's not your essential nature.

It's a yucky way you (and many of us if we're honest) keep ourselves stuck and medium...and trapped in a cycle of pain and tension.

We think we have to sacrifice our best selves and our comfort to achieve success.

In the short term we focus all our effort on our goals, like finishing the project before the deadline, getting all the errands done, being on time, etc.

Most people tell me they feel physically tense, mentally stressed, and emotionally a little desperate and down. It all happens at once and is interwoven. Yet you will yourself on, just trying to get to the other side.

I'm pretty sure this is a long way from your best self. So what to do?

Here's a simple way to begin reclaiming time - so you can DO more and feel great while you're doing it.

1 - Make friends with your best self.

Get clear on who your best self is. When you're at your best, and feeling great, who are you? (If it's been a long time since you've felt great, imagine who you'd be.) What does it feel like in your body? How do you behave when you're at your best? Come up with several words to describe this way of being. This is your best self.

(For me it's inspiring, expansive, joyous, and connected. I feel open and grounded at the same time. At my best, I'm able to enjoy all the people and experiences of my life.)

2 - Use my SECRET weapon. The 2-second stop.

When you're going about your day, give yourself frequent 2-second moments to stop. These are little moments, just 2-seconds (this I know you have) when you come to a complete stop and let yourself rest. Complete is the operative word here. No thinking about the next thing you have to do or where you're going to find the time. Just 2-seconds to stop and let yourself rest and release.

3- Bring your vision of your best self in. (See step 1.)

Now that you've taken a very medium moment to stop, bring in a vision of your best self. Let that fill you and guide you. Then slowly transition back into your work, bringing this feeling with you.

This combo works magic. Especially if you repeat it often.

Imagine doing this 3 or 4 times an hour. That's a mere 8 more seconds...and an easy way to get back to feeling in-the-flow and in alignment with your true, best self. And, of course, when we're in this flowing, aligned place we no longer feel the pressure of time. It's a little take time to make time strategy.

Play with this. Repeat often. Get in your groove and enjoy!

Related Articles:

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Don't Should on Yourself.

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From Burdened to Best Life

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:33:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Have you ever given up on having or doing something you REALLY, REALLY WANT?

Even if it's a normal thing, like stopping all the busyness of the day for a cup of tea or to go for a run or walk?

Often, we say we don't have time or other things are more important, and we squash our own wants.

There's the project deadline, so you can't have that chat with your girlfriend.
There's the laundry that must get done, so you can't walk outside and enjoy the fresh air.
There's what you said you would do for your (sister, brother, mother, family, daughter, son, spouse) and that trumps your Sunday afternoon nap for sure.

And the list goes on, yes?

We do this to ourselves. We make these choices ourselves. There is no evil overlord making us do it this way!

We make little choices, all day long, which deny our true wants and it certainly adds up.

We also make big choices to deny our true wants (though often unconsciously, but it's still a choice) that break our own hearts, like when we choose to deny our big dreams in our careers and relationships.

We decide over and over again, until it is a habit, to put our wants, desires, dreams at the bottom of the list.

And what happens when we do this consistently, over time?

We feel BURDENED. Like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. It's the proverbial monkey on your back.

It definitely brings you down (physically, mentally, and emotionally) and keeps you from that great life feeling.

You know that feeling? It's the one when you feel like everything you touch turns to gold, where life flows and is easy, when you're on fire and can joyfully conquer the world, and all is AWESOME.

Don't you want some of that? Don't you want to feel unburdened, free, easy, open, and living your best life?

So being a good witch I'm going to wave my magic wand and free you of this tyranny of bad choices.

But you must promise something to yourself to make the magic work.

You must follow the instructions of spell exactly.

No short-cuts. No sometimes. No just when you have time. That'll break the spell, at least temporarily.

Ready?

Here's the spell... Do What You Want All The Time.

The full instructions are:

Pay attention of what you're feeling. (This takes having your antennae out and present-moment body awareness.
Notice if this feeling is related to denying yourself a want and how that feels.
Remind yourself that you have a choice.
Act on the want.

Really that's the whole spell. It's amazingly easy (and hard) at the same time. I promise you. I 100% guarantee you. If you do what you want, consistently, every day, all day, that you will feel lighter, ease, more open, and free.

I can hear the retorts and shouts of: That's not pragmatic! I can't just drop my obligations and work! You can't always get what you want!

I'm going to ignore that for now. And I'd like you to as well.

Just put that pragmatic, kill-joy part of you to the side for an itty-bitty bit. (If you need more inspiration to leave it alone, ask yourself how that feels to think "it's not pragmatic to get or do what I want." Do you feel the tightening and bracing inside? Is that helping you feel great? No, I didn't think so. You willing to explore letting that go as you go after feeling great? Okay, onward.)

Actually, the spell action steps can be even easier. Simply... Do what you want most of the time.

And if you need to start out with a baby-step spell... Do what you want as often as you can.

The more you do what you want, the better you'll feel. Start off just once a day saying 'no' to the pragmatic and 'yes' to your real wants.

Here are some examples to get you thinking (and feeling):

You get a signal (from your body) that you'd really like a glass of water, but you're on your way to take the trash out. Put down the trash, go drink your glass of water. (Simple, eh?)

Your buddy calls and asks you to play tennis and that sounds fantastic, but you're behind on your business to-dos and feeling all tense and stressed and you really should put another hour in. Say 'yes' to the tennis. You'll come back inspired and more efficient and zoom through your work.

You drive past your favorite cafe and think "wow, it's been a long time since I sat and read there" and your heart sinks a little. You turn the car around and put off the errands and go enjoy a cup o' Joe.

Notice how you feel (body, mind, emotions) if you deny your wants.

Notice how you feel (body, mind, emotions) if you say yes to your wants. It's a BIG difference.

Practice this spell of doing what you want in all sorts of little ways. Choosing one thing a day will start lifting the spell of burdensomeness that you're under.

Happy magic making!

Related Articles:

Help for Happiness

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4 Giant Misconceptions About Posture

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:13:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

People regularly come to me and say, often in a guilty voice, "I know I have terrible posture. I should try harder to sit up straight. My husband/wife/mother/doctor is constantly telling me to sit up straight. I just can't seem to do it. And my back is killing me..."

It's like the posture police are after them.

They think they're damaged goods, permanently stuck hunched over forever, and feel forever watched and judged.

I'm here to say, that's simply not true.

You can learn to have good posture and the ease and openness that comes with it. You just need the right information and a system for integrating it into your daily life. You need a strategy given to you in bite-size pieces so it makes sense and is doable.

You certainly don't need judgment.

You don't need the posture police and admonitions to sit up straight. (Can we all say thank god in unison?)

Better posture is a result of changing your conception of what posture is and how to have it, not striving harder. So let's start that process right now and re-frame some of the giant misconceptions people have about posture.

1) Posture is NOT a dirty word, but there are better words.
Alignment, BALANCE, connection, and coordination are all better words.

When the voice of the posture police starts railing at you in your head, just say no!

Try this tip: Leave judging yourself behind. Stop the internal voice that says "sit up straight." It only causes tension. Ask yourself instead how could I be better coordinated, balanced or aligned? How could I be more integrated or connected?

2) Posture is NOT a held position.
We are animals made for movement. Allow for it. Even when sitting for hours at the computer, you can find a bit of movement whether it's changing your foot position or getting up entirely to stretch.

Try this tip: While keyboarding simply notice that your whole being, and your ribs especially, can move gently with your breath. Envision your ribs moving easily, like those of a sleeping cat or dog.

3) Posture is NOT a right position.
It's not about sitting or standing only is one way. And it's certainly not about the rigidity of "shoulders back, chin up," although many people have this misconception. We can do modern dance, we can fix plumbing, we can curl up on the couch (as I am doing now as I write this) with excellent coordination and alignment. All different positions, all fully possible, all potentially good for your health.

Try this tip: Drop the idea that you have to pull your shoulders back and hold them there. It's not how we are designed and will just cause you incredible amounts of back and neck tension. Our shoulder blades curve forward ever so slightly and are not meant to be "straight". Let yourself experience their natural curve. And no this doesn't mean slumping.

4) Posture is NOT just physical.
Posture is an expression of your whole being. For instance, when you're depressed (or tired, overwhelmed, confused, or judged) you tend to collapse or contract in on yourself. It's a posture that serves to protect you in the moment, but it can be harmful physically, mentally and spiritually in the long run.

Although this posture may have become a conditioned habit, it will not serve you when you're wanting to be in a different mood. It's important to be able to choose to express your actual feelings and not be locked into an old habitual posture pattern. Having this kind of choice gives you the possibility of true freedom of expression.

Try this tip: Start noticing how your mood and posture are related. Don't try to fix your mood or posture directly - just notice the relationship.

This is the beginning of a new conception of posture and will help you change. Effortlessly.

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Why Thriving Is Better Than Sustainable

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:11:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

"Sustainability is the capacity to endure."

I read this wikipedia definition and thought:

"Couldn't we set the bar a wee bit little higher? Couldn't we also thrive?"

For me, life here on planet earth is really more than just enduring. I need to THRIVE. Don't you need to too?

The sustainability movement is about making choices now to help the earth endure.

It's the same for us on an individual level, except I think we (and actually the earth too) can do more than endure. We can thrive!

That's the vision I hold...for myself and for everyone I teach.

Think about it...

If you are sacrificing your health and well-being now to "get the job done," is that really thriving (or even sustainable)?

If you're hunched over the computer or find your body rigid from stress,
is that really thriving (or even sustainable)?

If you're listening to your "inner critic" and letting it drive you into a frenzy of perfectionism, striving, or worry, is that really thriving (or even sustainable)?

What you do over and over again, your habitual choices, determine your outcomes.

I ask you, gently and kindly, are your choices leaving you feeling exhausted, tense, or miserable? Imagine what next week or 20 years from now is going to feel like.

It's time to get out of your cycle of reactivity and start creating the life you want! It's time to making positive choices that really add up.

It's just like recycling...if you recycle one piece of paper that's good. If you recycle all pieces of paper that's even better. Each time it's a choice... until it simply becomes what you do and you wouldn't dream of throwing out a pile of paper. It becomes your new habit. Yet it started by making a small and informed choice. You made that choice for yourself and for the planet and it pays off.

Want to know one powerful choice you can make now to feel better in your body and mind?

Make a choice to respond differently to your internal self-talk.

Every time your internal voice says something like...

- "hurry up you're late!"
- "what do you think you're doing?"
- "you'll never be good enough, you might as well not try."

...choose to ask yourself: is that helping or is that hurting?

This is the first step toward calming your inner critic and releasing out of tense and struggle. It's a powerful question that will stop you in your tracks and force you to re-think your habitual reactions.

Ask it once, that's good. Ask it it over and over again, that's even better! Learn to make it a habit and you'll be well on your way to thriving!

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9 Most Common Ways We Sabotage Good Posture

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:55:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Want to know what gets in the way of good posture? It's probably not what you think. It's certainly not a lack of will power or muscle strength. Here are the 9 most common ways we sabotage our posture.

1. Misconstrued Balanced. If you don't know how to balance yourself properly, you're probably doing a lot of extra effort (see #2 below) to hold yourself up. This in turn pulls you out of shape and affects your posture. Learning how to balance effortlessly is a multi-step process that everyone can learn. The first step is to learn how to balance your head delicately on top of your spine.

2. "Over-Efforting." This is a matter of thinking that you need to do a lot of work to hold yourself up. Most people compensate for being out of balance (see #1 above) by using excessive muscular effort to keep their torso aligned or to keep their head up. In doing so, they create chronic tension and pain. Explore doing less work.

3. Exhaustion. When we're tired our muscles start to "give out" and they just can't hold us up any more. Instead of pushing through with will power and grit, take a 5 or 10 minute break. Lie down, take a nap, or meditate. Give yourself time to refresh. You'll feel so much better, your muscles will be able to do their job, and your alignment will improve.

4. Anatomical Mis-maps. Misconceptions of how we function anatomically can really throw off your posture. It's not necessary to know every last anatomical detail, but there are some key bits of information that can really help. For example, if you don't know where, when, and how to use your hip joint, you'll bend at the waist. This is one of the key ways we end up with poor posture. Bend at your hips, not your waist.

5. Rigidity. Most people think that good posture is about finding the right position and holding it. Good posture is less about this kind of "got it, now hold it" rigidity, but rather about learning a dynamic, easy way to balance in all activities. It's about continually finding movement, expansion, and balance whether we're dancing, doing plumbing, or typing at the computer.

6. Holding Your Breath. Do you find that you hold your breath when you concentrate? This is something many people do. It creates rigidity (see #5 above), limiting the movement of your ribs and the full extension of your spine. Allowing your ribs to move and your breath to go in and out easily can be learned. When you integrate this into your daily life it's like having an instant way to reconnect with yourself, expand, and have good posture.

7. Sticking With Habits That Don't Serve Us. Our postural habits developed when they were kids or teenagers. Sometimes we felt uncomfortable and just wanted to disappear, so we slouched and retreated. Sometimes we were taller than everyone else and we bent down to make ourselves the size of those around us. (Not me, of course, I've always been a shorty. ;-) Sometimes we were told to "sit-up straight" and we got stuck in a version of posture based on a lot of effort. Sometimes we were just smaller than everyone else, so we puffed up our chests to make ourselves seem bigger. We all develop postural habits along the way. But now it's time to start being the person you want to be. It's time to start changing the habits that no longer serve you.

8. Stress. When we get stressed we go into a startle pattern and contract our muscles. This is useful if there's a tiger and we need to escape quickly. It's a problem when this becomes a habit and becomes how we function in response to any minor trigger. Having choice in how to respond to the stress in your daily life will help you have better posture as well as an easier, more in-the-flow day.

9. Losing Present-Moment Awareness. When we get caught up in what we want to achieve and become future oriented, we often lose an awareness of ourselves in the present moment. We then don't realize when we start to collapse, drop our head forward, and lose our full stature. Staying in the moment, even as you go for your goals, will help you keep your alignment. Now this doesn't mean that you have to be constantly aware of your posture per se. Far from it. Lovely, easy, sustainable posture is a result of being gently aware of yourself and allowing yourself to be open and expansive at all times.

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Don't Should On Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:44:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

How do you want to feel mentally, emotionally and physically on a daily basis? This is one of the first conversations I have with the folks in my programs to get a sense of what they really want.

The next step is looking at what's getting in the way of having a great life.

Sometimes the thing that keeps them from feeling great is a daily habit of putting their "shoulds" first. I call this "shoulding" on yourself.

When we get stuck in all the "shoulds" of life, all the to-do's, the obligations, the things that have to get done, the grind, so to speak...we create physical, mental and emotional tension and pain.

Living in our "shoulds" may give us a sense of productivity, but it's also likely to take us out of living our true, authentic life.

Let's take the garden variety to-do list. It's full of "shoulds." As we all know, to-do lists are never ending. They keep growing, morphing, and developing. That's just what they do. That's their job. It's not their fault.

Does your never ending to-do list always come first? Before what you want to do?

I used to put my never ending to-do list ahead of everything. I made myself exhausted running around doing errands, writing one last email, pulling weeds, the laundry, anything but what I really wanted in the moment!

It makes me laugh now, in a sort of sad-embarrassed way.

Yet I know I'm not alone in this behavior. This is a very common pattern.

It's thinking that we don't have time to fill our cup everyday with what delights us, so we might as well work another hour.

It's thinking that we'll only be valued for what we accomplish and not for our true selves, so we do the laundry first or finish that report.

Part of feeling great physically is living with more integrity in all areas of our lives. If we keep delaying our happiness, to get one more thing done that we should, we are out of integrity with ourselves. We're not doing what we actually want.

This dissonance causes tension. Internal, emotional tension; mental tension in the form of negative self-talk; physical tension, both large and small.

This week try a steady diet of doing exactly what you want first, not what you should. See if you don't feel better all around, have more energy, and actually get more done. I can almost guarantee it!

Start now!

Enjoy!

Amira

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10 Tips To Make Airplane Travel A Breeze

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:16:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

If you feel tension on flights or you felt pulled in different directions, scattered, and stressed leading up to your flight, now is the time to come back to center and transition into a more connected, comfortable place.

Here are 10 practices that work for me.

1. Check in with yourself. How are you doing? What do you notice? Are you feeling calm, happy, at ease? Have you created any physical, mental or emotional tension or anxiety? Take a brief inventory. Don't rush it. Just be with whatever you notice. This simple process of checking in will help you come back to a more centered place.

2. Breathe with consciousness. Notice your ribs moving with your breath. No need to take a deep breath. Simply allow for your ribs to move gently. Breathe with this consciousness for a minute or two. This will help you let go of any tension you may have created getting to the airport or preparing for your trip. You're here now.

3. Notice the space around you. Use your senses to help you expand out of the narrow, focused thinking that people often go into when preparing for a trip. What do you hear? See? Feel? Smell? Notice details that you may have "shortcut" previously. This will help you enjoy the moment. There is always something amazing to notice, even on an airplane! (I also love to practice this on the drive to the airport. It's so much better than those looping thoughts about whether you're going to get to the airport on time.)

4. Get out of the "c-curve." Airplane seats are notoriously awful. They are designed to put you into a c-curve so you end up slumping like the shape of the letter 'C'. In fact, the head rest pushes your head forward and doesn't allow your spine to extend. Being stuck like this for hours creates tension for everyone. Fold up a sweater, or use a pillow if it's available, and put that behind your upper back . This will bring your whole torso forward and the headrest won't push into your head so much. You'll be able to gently expand out of the c-curve. (You could also bring an inflatable support like this one with you. But don't use it in the lumbar area, use it up by your shoulder blades.)

5. Let yourself rest. Check in to see if you're trying to have "good posture" or to hold yourself straight. Sometimes we create more tension when trying to avoid slumping. Allow your back to release back. Don't try to make yourself straight in a seat that's putting you into a c-curve. If you've put something behind your upper back as suggested in the previous tip, let yourself rest and be support by that.

6. Find your sit bones. These are the bony bits at the bottom of your pelvic girdle that we are meant to sit on. Go ahead and stick your hands under your tushy to make sure you're sitting on your bones and not just the mushy padding of your butt. You want your bones in contact with the seat. This will give you the structural support you need to support your torso and head. It might mean scooting your whole tushy closer to the back of the seat. Rest on your bones.

7. Take up your space. We often feel squished on airplanes. The seats can be very close together and our neighbors less than courteous with their elbows. More often than not simply being in such close proximity to others automatically causes us to pull our arms and shoulders in. This creates tension. Allow your shoulders to release apart, to the left and right, and think about taking up your full width and space. Keep thinking gently to the left and to the right and allowing for release.

8. Let your legs release. Let your thighs and the muscles around your the hip joint release. The hip joint is where the crease of your pants is. Many people tighten at their hips and pull their legs in toward their torso. This is an unconscious and habitual response that's accentuated by the limited space on airplanes. Even if you're tall and really packed in the space, it's important to allow for an opening in the hip joint. Releasing here will also help your back and neck.

9. Stretch! My favorite is to raise my hands above my head and stretch up enough to raise my ribs. Do this gently, without creating tension in your wrist and arms. When you bring your hands down, continue to allow your ribs to float and move with the breath. (See tip #2.) Do this often.

10. Simplify your process. Gently think back through your experience preparing for your trip and take an inventory. We often create unnecessary tension preparing for trips - whether it's running last minute errands, rushing to the airport, or stressing about little details we can't control. It can build up during the weeks, days, and hours prior to our trip and it quite physically sets the tone for your experience on the plane. What are one or two things you could do differently in preparing for your trip that would create more ease? Consciously choosing to make one or two changes will help you set a better tone for your next trip or even your flight back.

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Banish The Posture Police

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:56:00 +0000

I know that some people think I'm the "Posture Police." I'm not. Really. I promise.

Sometimes just the mere mention that I help people with their posture causes people to automatically throw their shoulders back, lift their chests up, and suck their tummies in.

I can tell they're responding to some internalized voice. It sounds something like: "This is the posture police! Throw your shoulders back and stand-up straight! Now don't move. And don't even think of breathing!"

I can tell that they're holding themselves so stiffly that they aren't really comfortable and can't really breathe. It's a completely unsustainable way of holding themselves.

At some point they're going to give up. Maybe the moment I turn my back. Maybe at the end of the day when they collapse from exhaustion. Maybe when their back finally gives out saying "no more of this!"

In any case, it's not a kind or balanced way of treating yourself. I'm more into kind and balanced... and sustainable. Like feeling great and being upright into your 70's, 80's and 90's.

To me good posture means being aligned, balanced, integrated AND dynamic, both in the sense of how we are physically and in how we live our lives.

It doesn't mean being held and stiff or beating yourself up internally with "posture police" abuse. There's a kinder and more effective way.

Want better posture? There is so much to what I teach but for now, explore this 2-step process for banishing the posture police and coming back into balance.

1) Think about what takes you out of balance and alignment in your life generally. Here's a short and incomplete list to get you thinking:

fear
stress
badgering yourself
being late or rushed
doing too much
confusion
exhaustion
worry
anxiety
anger
monkey mind
trying to make yourself into something you're not

What's one thing you can do to minimize these kinds of things in your life? What was the first thing that came into your mind? Write that down. Act on that. Make the change real.

2) Now think about what brings you back into balance in your life. This will be different for all of us. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

Being outside
Breathing fresh air
Quiet, calm environments
A great conversation
Giving yourself time
A good belly laugh
Connection
Doing exactly what you want...without guilt
Forgiving
Truth telling
Authenticity

Can you choose one thing to do today that brings you more into balance? What was the first thing that came into your mind? Write that down and act on it. Make the change real.

Choose more of these balance behaviors and you'll be less pulled out of shape. One choice every day toward balance and you'll be well on your way.

This is how you start creating the life you want with less pain, less pressure, better posture and much more happiness!

Enjoy!

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Stuck And Unstuck

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:24:00 +0000

Are you stuck?

Stuck finds form in your feelings, thoughts and body. It's all the ways we limit ourselves and keep ourselves from living large in the world. We recognize it emotionally as anxiety, fear, and nervousness, to name just a few. We hear it in our thinking as blame, judgement or the relentless badgering of we're not good enough. We know it in our bodies as tightness, bracing, pain or collapse.

Sometimes it's hard to recognize where we're stuck because it's just how it's always been or at least how it's been for awhile. It's the habitual way you're living your life. It's your "normal."

You know you could feel better, that you could be bigger in the world, that you could really shine more of the time. You know that in some ways you are settling, that you're limiting and squashing yourself. This is feeling stuck.

Of course, this isn't how it's supposed to be. Yet it's challenging to get out of your own way and get unstuck especially if your not exactly sure where you're getting stuck.

I've come up with a list of stuck/unstuck ways of being to help you recognize where you might be stuck. When you read them, notice which ones resonate with you the most and where you might be spending the large part of your time.

Use this compilation of "stuck/unstuck's" as touchstones to help you get unstuck

Throughout your day, notice how these "stuck/unstuck's" find form in you mentally, emotionally and physically.

If you find yourself on the stuck side more often than you'd like, ask yourself if you could let yourself be the unstuck version? What would that version be like, mentally, emotionally and physically? What would embodying unstuck feel like?

Stuck:	Confusion
Unstuck:	Clarity

Stuck:	Force
Unstuck:	Ease

Stuck:	Blame
Unstuck:	Responsibility

Stuck:	Rigidity
Unstuck:	Adaptability

Stuck:	Isolation
Unstuck:	Connection

Stuck:	Closed
Unstuck:	Open

Stuck:	Fixed
Unstuck:	Fluid

Stuck:	Trapped
Unstuck:	Free

Stuck:	Hard
Unstuck:	Easy

Stuck:	Problem
Unstuck:	Solution

Stuck:	Hurting
Unstuck:	Helping

Stuck:	Resentment
Unstuck:	Foregiveness

Stuck:	Anxiety, Worry
Unstuck:	Presence

Stuck:	Jealousy
Unstuck:	Generosity

Stuck:	Pressure
Unstuck:	Poise

Stuck:	Suppresion
Unstuck:	Release

Stuck:	Agitation
Unstuck:	Calm

Stuck:	Judgement
Unstuck:	Acceptance

Stuck:	Resistance
Unstuck:	Cooperation

Stuck:	Striving
Unstuck:	Being

Stuck:	Fear
Unstuck:	Fearlessness

Let me know how it goes. And if you want to get unstuck quicker, check out www.amiraalvarez.com

Enjoy!
Amira

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Letting Go Of Trying

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 21:13:00 +0000

Letting Go Of Trying

One of the things I often say to my students is "let go of trying to get it right." This is usually met with some version of confusion in the beginning. Here they are coming to me to learn something and I'm telling them not to try. Huh? Let me explain.

For most of us there is a strong relationship between trying to get something right and excess muscular tension. When we try to do something, whether it be getting to an appointment on time, crafting an important email, or even learning the Alexander Technique, most people automatically over-tense their muscles.

You may not be aware of this tendency, but check it out. Almost everyone I work with has this pattern.

The next time you're trying hard to get something right see if you're tightening your back or neck, clenching your jaw, tensing the muscles around your eyes, or holding your breath? These are some of the many ways "trying" manifests in the body.

The Alexander Technique recognizes that most people sacrifice their physical well-being in order to achieve their goals. This concept is so central to the work, we use a special term to describe it: end-gaining. This means going for your goals at the expense of the means or how you do it.

We go for our goal and ignore the unnecessary tension we're putting into it. Over time, we think we need this much tension. This becomes our automatic way of trying to get life right. It becomes our habit.

And to make matters worse, we tend to use this tensing-trying pattern to solve the problem of tensing, which as you can see is a vicious circle.

The great thing is that freeing yourself of this habit can really free up your whole approach to life. There is a different approach that gets you out of the vicious circle and into constructive change.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Notice when you're trying. You might be surprised at how often you go into a trying pattern. I still notice all my trying ways! I'm still on the path too and still noticing. Noticing is definitely the first step. Without noticing we don't don't even recognize the opportunity to change.

2. Observe, witness, recognize. Don't try to change or fix yourself just yet. Continue noticing and articulate for yourself what's actually happening. What is actually happening? What's tightening? What's tensing? What's heavy, locked, or compressed?

3. Ask: Is it helping? Ask yourself, is what's actually happening, helping or hurting yourself? Is what you're actually doing making the situation better? Or is it hurting you?

4. Ask again: Would you like to keep doing it? Or would you like to let it go? Asking these questions forces your mind to see the disconnect between what you're actually doing, the tensing for instance, and what you actually want, which, let's just say, is freedom, lightness, and ease. When this is abundantly clear, our minds (us) choose to let go of the unhelpful reactions because we see so clearly that it's not helping.

5. Repeat. Keep approaching your trying pattern with a gentleness and understanding that this trying habit is long standing and deeply held. Trying hard to fix it just gets you sucked back into the detrimental trying pattern. Try trying differently - with a kind, open, curious mind. That will give you different results!

Let me know how it goes for you on. If you're stuck, let me know on facebook or come in for a lesson to get hands-on instruction.

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Be curious. Be empowered. Be willing to change.

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 21:51:00 +0000

by Amira Alvarez

Be curious. Be empowered. Be willing to change. The story of F.M. Alexander is a wonderful case study in how finding freedom from harmful habits can help you do what you want with your life.

Alexander was an actor (Australian, 1869- 1955). Right when his career was taking off, he developed a severe case of hoarseness that stopped him in his tracks when on stage. It was, shall we say, a real career stopper.

Although his doctors could not find anything wrong with his vocal mechanism, they advised that he rest his voice. That worked. His voice came back. Yet every time he went back on stage, he'd lose his voice again. He found resting his voice was not a real solution. He figured it must be something he was doing on stage that was causing his voice loss. He doctors agreed but couldn't tell him what he was doing or how to change it.

Undeterred, he spent years (some say 2 years, some say 10 years, in any case, a long time) observing himself in mirrors and experimenting to figure out what it was he was doing that caused his voice to go.

What he found was that, although he didn't feel it, he tightened his neck and throat, pulled his head back and down toward his spine, and shortened and narrowed his back. (I find almost 100% of the students I see unconsciously do this as well when they go to speak but don't realize it. It's an unconscious habit.)

He figured that this pattern was certainly affecting his ability to communicate and must be why he was losing his voice.

Well okay, problem identified. Now how to solve it? Just stop doing it, right? Not as easy as it sounds. When he tried to stop this pattern, he found that he couldn't actually speak without going into his habitual pattern. He could stop the contraction to a point, but when he went to speak the words would only come out with all the associated contraction.

Again, undeterred, he approached the problem again. Ultimately he found that his pattern of tensing and overly contracting his muscles started even before he spoke. It started with just the idea to speak. In fact, he just had to think about speaking for his body to prepare with this tensing pattern.

From this experience he realized that to change his physical pattern he would have to change what and how he thought. He'd have to figure out how to send a different message. This was the beginning of the Alexander Technique, a method for how to send a different message so you can have different results in all areas of your life.

His method was a success. He got his voice and career back! In fact, the general breathing difficulties he had since childhood completely went away as well.

Once back on stage, back to his true love acting, he saw the same pattern of tension happening with other actors, though often with different symptoms such as posture issues and stage fright. He taught his fellow actors the technique and it worked for them as well. Intrigued by the results, he shifted his attention and built a career developing and teaching what is now called the Alexander Technique.

So what are the take-aways from Alexander's story?

1) Consciousness raising - it's not just a 60's thing. Physical ailments are often caused by something we're thinking and doing unconsciously. Raise your consciousness and you can change your experience. Remember, what feels "right" might not actually be right. Alexander was so used to tightening all over to speak that it felt right, but it was causing his vocal and breath problems.

2) Take time. Give yourself time to notice more than just your symptoms, but also what's happening to cause them. Get outside feedback from a mirror (helpful) or an Alexander teacher (much more nuanced, specific and quicker.) Alexander took his time - he spent years looking at himself in mirrors to validate exactly what was happening.

3) Do it differently. Completely giving up doing an activity that causes you pain is a great short-term solution. You'll probably start feeling better. But it's not a long-term solution and it's probably a bummer not to do the things you love to do. Learning how to do it differently is the way to go. Alexander had to re-learn how to speak, otherwise he just did the same thing, with the same results.

4) Be curious. Be empowered. Be willing to change. With a curious mind and a generous sense of personal responsibility, we can create new, more beneficial habits and in doing so, we can create the life we want. Don't keep doing the same thing hoping for a different outcome. Embrace the possibility of change. Alexander had all three of these traits: curiosity, personal inspiration, willingness to change.

And just for kicks, and okay, for a bit of name dropping, here are a few contemporary actors who have used the Alexander Technique to have more freedom when acting and thus perform better:

John Cleese, Lynn Redgrave, Annette Bening,
Hilary Swank, Paul Newman, Julie Andrews

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Help For Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:56:00 +0000

When I started learning the Alexander Technique years ago my life was anything but easy. I wasn't unhappy, per se. In fact, for all intents and purposes, I had a pretty good life: great job, nice house, awesome boyfriend (now husband), good friends, etc.

But I created a lot of effort in my life. Life seemed to always have a wee bit too much struggle and pressure. I always felt the need to strive to achieve all my goals and be a productive member of society, whether at work or in my personal life. (Sound familiar?)

It wasn't effortless. It wasn't easy. And yet it wasn't horrible. It was an "acceptable" middle ground. I was succeeding in many culturally accepted ways. But there was a nagging feeling that the joy-effortlessness quotient was too low compared to the driving hard, goal achieving, upstanding, productive citizen side of my life.

Looking back, I am quite sure that this striving is what led to my physical pain issues. For me it was clenching my jaw day and night, daily neck and shoulder tension, back pain, and oh, just a little bit of nerve damage that I was trying valiantly to ignore and hoping it would just go away.

But then my fingertips started to go numb and tingling and, well, it became quite hard to ignore at that point.

So my pain brought me to the Alexander Technique. When I began I thought I was simply going to learn how to sit and move properly so I wouldn't cause myself pain. That did happen. I did learn how to feel great and not worn out, tense or in pain after working all day.

However, the process was less about the mechanics of how to move (though there is certainly a lot of that involved) and more about noticing when I went into my habitual patterns of tension that made me feel even the slightest bit ill at ease.

Although in the beginning I had almost no awareness of what was happening in my body until it was too late and I already felt serious aching, my Alexander teacher patiently started raising my kinesthetic awareness so I would notice the very beginning signs of tensing.

I started to see the connection earlier and earlier between what I thought and the response in my body.

Initially I had no idea how early my tension patterns were actually starting and it was true revelation when this became apparent. This knowledge gave me incredible power. It gave me the option to choose a different response earlier and not be driven by my habitual reactions. I could make a choice and change course before I was already too far down the path of feeling ill at ease. And so can you!

As my kinesthetic awareness got keener, I started to use it as an early warning system. Now something like this now occurs:

- Oh, look, there you are starting to clench your jaw.

- Well, now why is that happening?

- What are you reacting to?

- Oh, you're bracing because you're trying to concentrate too hard. (Insert your personal trigger here.)

- Is that what I want?

- Can I leave myself alone? Can I let me neck be free? Can I expand into length and width instead of contracting?

- Can I choose a different response? Can I concentrate without clenching my jaw?

Welcome to inside of my head :-)

Now this process happens quickly for me, almost without the words. It means that I notice and shift into ease over and over again at the very earliest sign of tensing throughout the day. As a result I've created for myself (and keep creating for myself) an easier, happier life. It's something that I choose. And keep choosing over and over again throughout the day.

I want to say it's miraculous because it often seems that way. But really it's not a miracle. It's a technique that can be learned. And it's what I teach. It's help for happiness!

The whole process starts with awareness. So today give yourself time to listen to what your body is saying. What are your physical reactions telling you? Start noticing and seeing if there's space for a different response. And enjoy!

Amira

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What If You Don't Know What You Don't Know?

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:14:00 +0000

If the Alexander Technique is a way to stop doing the things that are causing you pain and start doing what creates ease - physically, mentally, and emotionally - how do we do that?

Last week I outlined a series of steps that walked you through the basic process. (Click here if you missed last week's article: No More Struggle.) The second to last step was to "choose a different, more beneficial reaction."

You might have thought: "Sounds good. Now how, exactly, do I do that?" Yup, that's the million dollar question.

And the biggest stumbling block to answering that question is... that you don't know what you don't know.

If you don't know what creates ease, it's very hard to choose it as an option since it's not even on your radar screen.

For instance, if you have a tense neck and it's causing you pain, you might decide that releasing the tension in your neck would be a good option. That would definitely create ease.

So you make the choice to rub the back of your neck or take a hot shower - and that sort of works, but not really.

What "you don't know what you don't know" in this case is how to release the muscles of your neck, how to balance your head on top of your spine so your neck muscles don't have to do so much work, how the way you're holding your facial muscles and jaw is creating tension in your neck, and more.

Once you know these and other essential pieces of information, and especially once you physically experience them, then you have them as an option and can choose them. Before they weren't even on your radar screen! Now they are.

So part of choosing a beneficial reaction, is to actually have the new and better experience as part of your repertoire. Otherwise you're stuck in a closed loop of only doing what you already know and what you already do.

Explore moving out of your comfort zone of known experiences. Try something new. I'm not talking sky diving here. Something much easier (and safer!) Simply explore sending a new message to yourself.

When you feel pain, tension, or pressure, ask yourself "Is there another way?" and be open to the answer.

Other thoughts that spark new answers are:

Maybe I don't need to do that.
What other ways are there?
Could I re-conceive of this situation?
Could I leave myself alone?
Could I not react to this pressure, tension, or pain for just a moment?
Could I simply let it go? What else could you do or think?

See what comes up. What new options appeared? Explore and have fun.

Enjoy!

Amira

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No More Struggle. Try This Tip.

noreply@blogger.com (Amira) — Mon, 23 May 2011 20:04:00 +0000

Can you think of times during the day that really feel like a struggle?

Perhaps it's a deadline or being late? Or maybe it's bringing up a difficult subject? Or feeling overwhelmed by all the things on your to do list?

Have you ever wondered why situations like these cause you to feel pressured, tension or even pain?

Even though these situations are just what makes up our everyday life, we react habitually with tension: tensing in our minds, tensing in our bodies, and tensing in our hearts. All at once.

What if you knew how to break these habitual patterns of tension and were no longer stuck reacting automatically?

What if you had a secret tool that you could use whenever you needed it to get un-stuck?

Could you imagine how much easier life would feel?

Well, I'm going to give you that secret tool right now.

The trick is learning how to stop while in activity to give yourself time to check in and make a choice.

Simple as that. Stop and check in. Then make a better choice.

So try this:

1. Pick one thing in your life that makes you feel stressed. We're going to call this your "trigger."

Here are some examples of "triggery" thoughts:

"Egads, the house is a mess."
"I'm late."
"I can never get ahead. I'm so overwhelmed."
"Why can't he just do it?"
"I can't get through my emails."
"I'm so alone."
"I'm not (fill in the blank) enough."

Here are some examples of triggery activities:

Washing the dishes or chopping vegetables.
Reading something on your smart phone or laptop screen.
Trying to sit up straight.
Driving the car or being in traffic.
Trying to sit comfortably at the computer or when meditating.
Making a request of someone.
Competitive sports (and this includes when you're competing against yourself).

You can use one of these examples or pick one of your own.

2. Whenever you notice you're engaged in your trigger, use that as a reminder to stop.Sometimes I use the expression "let yourself rest" or "take a moment to pause" with my private students. Use whatever language works for you. The idea is to break the cycle of automatic reaction.

3. Now that you've stopped, notice. Give yourself a congratulatory pat on the back and notice what's happening in yourself. What's happening in your body? Where are you tensing? Are you trying to fix yourself?

And ask yourself: "Is that helping or is that hurting?"

4. If it's hurting you, consciously choose a different, more beneficial reaction. You can say "I don't have to do that" and see what options come up for you.

5. Repeat often and as necessary.

Enjoy!

Amira

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