Noeline Levinson - New Year Habits

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Happy New Year to all the grown up readers from the Alexander technique.

What bad habits have you slipped into?

The New Year begins with many new year resolutions, to slim down, to stand taller, straighter to get into great shape health wise and how many of us actually fulfil any of our resolutions? Motivation is the biggest issue. Pain can really be our friend, even though it seems to be a foe. I have seldom had a client come to see me who was not in considerable pain. And sure enough as soon as they are no longer in pain then back to their old habits they go. Our old habits are just waiting for us to lose our mindfulness and they step right in and take over once again.

Our habits take on many masks, whether it be the way we move or behave, eat, speak and think. These habits are under attack today by many gurus who tell us to think positive thoughts and those who tells us how to eat healthier and then there is me who tells you how to stand and sit more comfortably. We are all attacking the human habits of behaving. We must change these habits to be more productive but are we motivated to do so, are we in enough pain?

Alexander said that we needed to ‘inhibit’ the habit. Now what on earth does that mean? Well, it means we need to insert a ‘STOP’ before we do something we always do. So just before you sit down using your neck and back instead of your legs, STOP and think, is there a better way to do this? Just before you reach into the fridge for the last slice of cake, STOP, and think, is this good for me? Just before we scream at our child, STOP and think, is this the best way to get what I need done? All the time you put the STOP in, you are inhibiting the habit, you are not just on reflex reaction you are being mindful. You are thinking before you react to a stimulus. This is the way to create change. To inhibit the habit, to stop living on automatic pilot and start to think about what we are thinking, saying, doing, and being. Now is the time to be thinking on these things. Re evaluate what has not worked for you up to now and start a course of changing it.  If you suffer with headaches maybe you can look at your environment to see if there is something you are doing to create that. If you suffer with stiff shoulders and neck, maybe you are inadvertently creating that by not sitting at work in the best way.

The Alexander technique seems to be about creating good posture, but it is much more than that. It is not just about the habits we use in movement, but also all the habits we exhibit throughout our lives and creating a STOP, a moment to address them and decide how to change them is most useful.

We think we know it all, but we need help. We need someone on the outside who can remind us,  someone who can see exactly what we are doing  and someone to enlighten our way.

Step lightly, be spritely and have a different year, full of change for the better.

Best of Wishes
Noeline, your friendly Alexander technique teacher.

www.alextechnz.com
 

Published 11th Jan 2012

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