[Estimated reading time: 2 minutes.]

This is my first post on the blog in topic of self improvement, healh and self growth. These issues are of great interest to me also in context of being a musician. My plan is to create more content about it. What do you think?

This week let’s talk about well known Alexander Technique!

During my studies of Master Programme at HSM I have participated in Alexander Technique seminars with teacher Barbro Olsson. Few lessons with her was a short journey through technique which I’ve already superficially known from a teacher Jadwiga Śmieszchalska and previous ergonomics seminars at school.

All meetings with Barbro was interesting and enjoyable. We have started from basics: posture, keeping a head. All exercises was based on thinking and asking myself questions: Where is my body/arm/head/leg etc.? What movement I want to do? What is happening during a movement? How can I move to do not overload my head/neck/arm etc.? Great and fun was playing with feathers and baloons to improve our body balance. And the balance is a key word for implementing an Alexander Technique. Interesting was a suggestion from Barbro that for all of her commands we should not react immediately. First – we should think, than do. We should apply it to everything!

Thinking of holistic approach to life I find it important to achieve a balance. We know about life-work, food, health, social media balance etc. The same problems of achiving balance we have as a musicians. How to make our practicing schedule right? Do I remember to have a good sleep, time for meals, drinking water, go for a walk, have a day rest? Alexander Technique can be treated just as a method of avoiding a pain, tensions and stress. But for me seminars with Barbro was also a time for reflection about my life balance.

I’m a proponent of small seps in changing habits. You can implement Alexander Technique ideas from today!

1. Start from a few minutes of lying on the mat in the evenings – to relax and « scan » your body: close your eyes, how do you feel, do you have any tensions, pains? Take a few long breaths throught the nose.
2. Keep attention on your posture during practicing on your instrument. How do you hold it? How do you move your arms? Where is your head? Do you raise shoulders? If you stand – do you stand with weight on both legs?
3. For bass players: how do you carry an instrument?

If you are curious abot AT, I highly recommend you to find out more information about it, there are a lot of sources in internet, including video-classes. Why not to try? 🙂

/Monika