The Alexander Technique: Twelve Fundamentals of Integrated Movement

Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. The Basics of Fundamental Movement
	1. Introduction, aims, and a tropical tale
		Visions of free movement – a tropical tale
		Aims of the book
		How this book came about
		Evolution of the Alexander technique, and finding the whole elephant
	2. What has been lost, and the twelve fundamentals of movement
		Integrated movement – WHAT has gone wrong, and WHY
		Sitting is the new smoking
		The five senses – one of the great myths
		Changing our movement habits needs a change in thinking
		Top-down vs bottom-up processing
		Left hemisphere for the known, right hemisphere for the unknown
		An evolutionary perspective puts the body first
		Whole-body animal movement, the fulfilment of evolutionary potential
		Introducing the twelve fundamentals of integrated movement
		Time and space and rhythm
		Seven new proposals for integrated movement
	3. The fundamentals of structure
		Lesson 1 Waking up proprioception
		Lesson 2 We are fighting gravity as we move
		Lesson 3 Making your first changes towards a more mechanically advantageous structure
		Lesson 4 Understanding the different models of body mechanics
		Lesson 5 Control mechanisms of body balance and movement – the self-organization of the body
		A summary of the engineering of the human body in nine layers
		Appendix: Twelve teaching tips, and further reading
	4. The fundamentals of awareness and thinking
		Lesson 1 Waking up external perception – tracking a visual line
		Lesson 2 Clear brain choices and “inhibition” – the key to changing brain patterns of body use
		Lesson 3 Interoception – the internal world of a hundred senses, and our reason to move
		Lesson 4 Where we think from – mind in the brain, awareness versus feeling
		Lesson 5 Whole-body awareness and embodiment – “liquid light
		Lesson 6 Finding our spatial awareness – of our surroundings and of ourselves
		Lesson 7 Emergent integrated movement – discovering our fundamental bend led by focused vision
		Lesson 8 Exploring semi-supine – a position of active rest
	5. The autonomic nervous system – why we need to work from quiet presence and awareness
		The three states of the autonomic nervous system
		The ladder from safety to danger to life threat
		Maintaining a balanced life with self-regulation
		Bringing the nervous system back to a place of safety
		Recovery by climbing down the ladder
	6. Finding the innate movements of breathing and walking
		The evolution of our movement – finding the buried patterns
		Lesson 1 Natural breathing – finding the natural expansion of the torso
		Lesson 2 More breathing explorations
		Lesson 3 Finding our emergent rhythmic movement – walking and bouncing
Part 2. Linking brain and body with explorations of physical integration
	7. The Initial Alexander technique, and a new model of postural alignment
		Introduction to Part 2 – exploring Miss Goldie’s model of the structural body
		The seven steps to a new body geometry
		The five stages to Alexander’s path of discovery
		Lesson 1 How well is your body aligned with gravity
		Lesson 2 Rebalancing the upper body
		Lesson 3 Making an integrated change
		Lesson 4 Rebalancing the lower body
		Lesson 5 Lengthening the back from top and bottom
		Lesson 6 Integrating directions within the expanded field of awareness
	8. Single leg balance
		Lesson 1 Introduction to balance
		Lesson 2 The vestibular organs and the three directions of space
		Lesson 3 Finding our secure base – the ball of the foot and the sesamoid bones
		Lesson 4 Finding our secure base – the hip stabilizers
		Lesson 5 Finding our secure base – tilting the foot – the lower ankle joint
		Lesson 6 Placement of the feet – untwisting the leg spirals
		Lesson 7 Widening the hips with the breath – opening the femoral triangle
	9. Spatial relationships and use of the upper body and arms
		Coming into relationship with our world
		Lesson 1 The supportive torso
		Lesson 2 The shoulders and upper arms – opening the deep back arm line
		Lesson 3 How safe do you feel? Opening up the chest and armpits
		Lesson 4 Opening the forearm flexors
		Lesson 5 Gripping without grabbing – balancing flexors and extensors as we grip
		Lesson 6 Delicate movements of the hand
		Lesson 7 Spatial relationships in the arms in everyday life
	10. Toned sitting – integrating the core muscles
		Introduction – why work at sitting and standing
		Lesson 1 Keeping the legs switched on while sitting, even at a desk
		Lesson 2 Sit to stand using the new alignment of the legs and feet
		Lesson 3 The anatomy of integration, finding our core muscles, and active hip folding
		Lesson 4 Finding the anatomy of integration by inclining back on a chair
	11. Walking as you’ve never walked before
		The standard model of walking
		Lesson 1 Stability enables mobility
		Lesson 2 Stability enables coordination – finding fully active feet
		Lesson 3 Stability and mobility enable torque – finding the power in your walk
	12. Alexander’s biomechanics for expansion of the upper body
		Introduction
		Active, integrative stretching versus passive, single muscle stretching
		Lesson 1 Finding the supportive torso
		Lesson 2 Shoulders and clavicles
		Lesson 3 Opening, widening, and deepening the chest
		Lesson 4 Straightening the arms from both ends
		Lesson 5 Opening the top of the ribcage – the reverse whispered Ah
		Lesson 6 Classic Alexander technique procedures for arms
	13. Precise, springy alignment in sit to stand and “monkey
		Lesson 1 Anatomy and engineering play
		Lesson 2 Tilting the torso forwards into “monkey
		Lesson 3 Balanced sitting – actively upright without bracing
		Lesson 4 Why the knees need to stay back as we tilt forwards to stand
		Lesson 5 Squatting and bouncing – testing our elastic resistance and mobility
		Lesson 6 Constructive conscious guidance and control – using Initial AT for yourself
	14. Freeing the neck, and Alexander’s primary directions
		Lesson 1 Why we need to free the neck
		Lesson 2 Finding length and adaptive tone in the neck extensors
		Lesson 3 Primary control and directions revisited
Part 3. Living in a flow of dynamic balance
	15. Catching a ball – inhibition in action
		Introduction – discovering the core of Miss Goldie’s work 291
		Catching a ball in seven stages
		Fully responsive action for optimal coordination
		Discussion points
	16. New models of coordination and learning
		Lesson 1 Coordinating locomotion by using the whole-body intelligence network
		Lesson 2 Coordination of reaching and grasping in everyday actions
		Lesson 3 New models of learning a complex task
	17. Embodied speaking
		Introduction
		Lesson 1 Being present as you speak
		Lesson 2 Embodying the voice
	18. Relating and attuning to people for putting hands on others
		Introduction – we are not machines but self-integrating systems
		How is non-verbal information transmitted
		Five key elements to bring about resonance with a pupil
		Summary for hands-on work with a pupil or client
References
Index