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The Alexander Technique - The Fundamentals of Change

The Alexander Technique is a quiet, simple and elegant discipline that deals with habits of tightening which we hold deep within ourselves, and carry into our lives. These habits, of default holding, become a kind of base or zero line from where we emerge into action. More importantly, they begin to define our sense of normality and comfort, and we feel a great emptiness if they drop away for any reason.

We use these habits in:

1) Non-actions like sitting or standing quietly, sleeping, breathing and so on.

2) Simple actions like walking, talking, washing our hands or having a cup of tea.

3) Complex actions like playing a game or a musical instrument, singing, dancing, acting, or working on the computer.

4) Dealing with crises or situations of stress.

The more important, critical, or stressful the situation is, the more strongly we use these habits to help us deal with it. After all, what else would we fall back on - in difficult times - but what is most familiar, normal and 'comfortable'?

It is important to remember that stress need not be caused only by negative situations. Many scenarios which most of us would regard as 'happy' - getting an award, organizing the wedding of our children, accepting that dream job - put us under heavy mental and physical tension.

We carry this unrealized and enormous tension around, like a malevolent Old Man of the Sea, and it gradually chokes off all the lightness, ease and grace in us.

It also causes a whole host of health problems like back, neck and shoulder pain, high blood pressure, tension headaches and so on.

Alexander lessons help us become aware of these deeply rooted tensions and release them, so that the body expands into its natural, elastic, balanced state.

The New Zealand. Centre for the Alexander Technique offers individual and group lessons that address a wide range of issues. The skills you learn in these lessons will make a remarkable difference to the way in which you approach your day, and the way in which you respond to the various things, good and bad, that life throws at you.

Padmini Menon is the only trained, registered Alexander Technique practitioner in New Zealand. She works with a diverse group of clients, who are looking to address a range of problems, from dealing effectively with back pain, learning to work at the computer without damaging oneself, to simply accessing a greater sense of wellness in one's daily life.

Sessions are usually individual, but she also conducts group lessons developed around various themes like back pain prevention and management, voice improvement, or dealing with performance anxiety.

She is based in Bangalore, but has travelled to Hyderabad, Chennai, Wellington and Wellington to conduct workshops and courses. This is a short clip which gives a brief description of how the Alexander Technique can help with back pain, and indeed, with anything else you want to do!

The Alexander Technique for Ease and Freedom

Padmini can be contacted @ +91 9341 220 759

E mail : nekfree@gmail.com