Monroe studying the book “Man’s Supreme Inheritance.”
More photos here.
Alexander teacher Betsy Polatin writes:
I have taught this technique to thousands of students all over the world, and people often ask me, “Should I swim? Or do Pilates? Or yoga?” I answer, “It’s not so much what you do but how you do it.” For example, in your yoga class, when you do any type of back bend, whether “Cobra” on the floor or “Sun Salutation” while standing, you want to be sure that you lengthen your spine first and then bend your whole spine, not just your lower back. This way you are using one of Alexander’s principles, lengthening, to improve whatever exercise you choose to do.
The Alexander technique doesn’t call for extreme measures that lead to unattainable results. Rather than only paying attention to your body through exercising for one hour a day and then slumping and ignoring your physical patterns for the other 23 hours, the technique teaches you to bring awareness to your movements throughout the day. You can incorporate simple tips throughout your daily routine to help you achieve your wellness goals.
You can do awareness exercises that bring conscious attention to how you’re using your body while moving or while staying still.
You can monitor your upright stance as you run errands or take an evening stroll.
You can pay attention to your feet on the floor as you sit at your desk throughout the day.
You can determine if you are using unnecessary effort in simple tasks such as brushing your teeth or pressing down the keys on your computer.