The Alexander Technique has had a huge impact on my life. I was in a car accident in my teens which left me with significant back and neck pain. I was in and out of chiropractic and physical therapy offices for 10 years trying to manage the pain and the loss of mobility. At the end of those 10 years I was convinced that this condition and my level of discomfort would never change.I was introduced to the Alexander Technique through my husband. His mother had been doing AT for several years and no longer wore orthodics as a result of the training. I decided to give it a try. The first session was a bit odd since we pretty much sat and stood the whole session with little to no verbal instruction. I had never worked this way. Chiropractic is so drastic and completely passive on my part and physical therapy was about learning and doing exercises. What differentiated the technique was that it addressed the root of my pain. It addressed my usage - how I walked, stood, sat, got out of the car, picked up my child, carried groceries etc. I learned to release in certain area, support other areas, inhibit a habitual movement, lengthen certain parts of my body or create width or space in other parts. These small, small changes accumulated and changed my behavior.
I did Alexander for three years and it truly has changed my life. I do not live with pain and I have regained mobility in both my neck and my back. The technique is not about fast results. But anyone who has tried to change a habit quickly will understand that change for life is not about speed, it is about process. The process of Alexander Technique and the results of that process will stay with you your whole life and change your path along the way.
