Wednesday, April 26, 1978
A. Had directions on the table
One thumb on the neck, giving “neck back” direction, and the other thumb under the jar, giving “head forward” direction.
B. when giving length to the spine from her position, it is useful to sometimes place one hand on the lower abdomen to keep pelvis from “curling up at the base”.
Working on [classmate]:
C. When lifting someone onto the table, keep hand a back of head. Until the person is down and has allowed some “head up” direction. Then,
1. Legs up and back to the head
2. Carefully observe body lines visually.
3. To take shoulder out, begin at the hip joint. Are hands underneath (on or near sit bones) and are hands on top of pelvis, giving message that the pelvis belongs to the torso.
4. Slide hands to middle back, at the base of rib cage, underneath and weight on top, giving up and back lengthening and widening directions with spatula hand.
5. Remembering always your own direction. If person is very heavy, do not go under too far, stay on the edge.
6. Move one hand between shoulder blade and spine, always continuing the lengthening process (you aren't students) and as that occurs, hand which was under middle back can slide along to arm of student continuing the widening and lengthening process.
7. The hand which was between the shoulder blade and the spine slides out. Taking care not to pull on neck and on the tip of the shoulder.
8. Return to give head directions.
9. Remember to breathe at all times.
The objective is to help the student to maintain length of spine. The teacher helps the student to work through the restrictions of his/her particular body, which inhibit that lengthening and widening process. It is a facilitating process, not a fixing process.
D. when one shoulder is lower and the body seems to tilt, it may be due to shortening through that side at the hips/ribs. Work that side first.
E. At completion of a lesson, Judy says she “forgets” because “If I remember what you look like today, I won't see you the next time.”
Idelle Packer, MS, PT, mAmSAT, certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, has been creatively exploring its broad application for over 35 years. In her private practice, Body Sense, in Asheville, NC, she teaches the Alexander Technique in context of physical therapy assessment and rehabilitation. She authored the chapter on the Alexander Technique in Springer Publishers’ Encyclopedia of Complementary Health Practices (1999). Her current passion is Contact Improvisation, a somatic and athletic improvisation form, to which she has been joyfully integrating the principles of the Technique over the past fifteen+ years.