Have you made some New Year Resolutions?
It can be very hard sticking to our New Year’s resolutions as most of them challenge an aspect of our behaviour – and we just want to go straight back into our usual habits.
Many resolutions are promises to ourselves to modify our behaviour and to let go of old habits that we want to change and we can help ourselves by using the Alexander Technique – yes, the AT, which is about far more than just looking after our backs or improving our posture!
When we learn the Alexander Technique we develop our self-awareness and learn to say ‘no’ to habits that do not serve us, so that we can have the chance to consciously choose how we want to move and act. This is directly applied in AT lessons to activities such as choosing to let go of habits of tension that interfere with the way we stand up or sit down for instance. Once we have stopped our old habit, we can then choose to stand up in a new way that allows us to move more freely and in a more coordinated manner. This often leads to improvements in our posture and a reduction in aches and pains but these are the outcomes of changing our habits.
If we hold onto our habits, we can’t change.
The same process can be used when we see some mince pies and want to have yet another one. We know that we ‘shouldn’t’ have one but often do it anyway without much thought. However, if we stop and say ‘no’ to reacting to that urge by immediately picking the pie up, we give ourselves a chance to reflect and make a conscious choice about whether or not to eat it.
This makes it much easier to continue to say ‘no’ to habits such as over-eating and can help us to keep to our resolutions and to let go of old habits.
The Alexander Technique challenges our habits.
‘We can throw away the habits of a lifetime in a few minutes, if we use our brains’
F M Alexander
Start the New Year afresh – Try it out for yourself!
Intro Workshop for Women – 10 March
Further info Phone Hilary: 020 7254 9206
Introductory AT lessons are available on a regular basis.