K31 — August 2010 — Alexander Technique

Intro: Yoga, Pilates, tai chi, meditation. All are activities that can improve your health by enhancing the mind-body balance. Now you can add the Alexander technique to that list. It's a very gentle practice geared toward improving your movement, posture and quality of life. Here's more from fitness experts at Mayo Clinic.

"Remember, you're not doing anything. You're undoing the unhelpful."

Undoing the unhelpful. That's a basic principle of the Alexander technique.

"It's a way of recognizing harmful habits of movement and posture, learning how to stop those habits."

Fitness expert Laurel Podulke teaches the Alexander technique. Dena Mamasis says the gentle practice of promoting mind and body balance has not only helped her move more freely and more comfortably, but it's also helped symptoms of essential tremor.

"My head shakes continuously. But with the Alexander technique, I completely relax and the essential tremor just disappears for a while."

It does not cure her essential tremor, but Dena says after a session, she's relaxed enough that symptoms lessen for a couple hours. You see, the Alexander technique was developed about 125 years ago by Frederick Matthias Alexander, a Shakespearean actor living in Australia. He developed chronic hoarseness and decided, after years of self-study, that it was caused by bad habits of movement and posture. The Alexander technique uses gentle movements and thought to help you undo those bad habits so you can move more freely and naturally.

"Often our habits cause us to compress or sink, which can create pain and strain. It can make us prone to injury. And the Alexander technique is a mind and body approach to bring the body back into balance."

For Medical Edge, I'm Vivien Williams.

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