How Does CranioSacral Therapy relate to the Alexander Technique?

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My clients often ask what is the difference between CranioSacral Therapy and the Alexander Technique. I discovered CranioSacral therapy about 20 years ago. I had no clue about my body at the time and being still wasn’t something I felt was necessary, it wasn’t productive; and isn’t that how we show our value?

After several CranioSacral sessions I began to experience my body in very profound and subtle ways. I was  experiencing a state of meditation or stillness inspired by the listening, nurturing touch of the CranioSacral practitioner. I was releasing deeply held tension. I felt less anxious and stressed; and I was more present with my family and coworkers in my daily activities. I discovered stillness was productive!

As for the Alexander Technique, after experiencing the subtle qualities of stillness through my CranioSacral therapy, I could be more deeply aware of my daily activities. I felt CranioSacral was a very necessary resource to move from and then acknowledge my moving habits and how to change them with the Alexander Technique principles.

F. M. Alexander, founder of the Alexander Technique, referred to his work as psychophysical, and I feel that CranioSacral therapy enhances the psychological piece through stillness, and acts as a resource to enhance the reeducation of  the physical components of the Alexander Technique.

 

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React/Unaware – Respond/ Aware?

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My car had to be towed last week, and as I was sitting there waiting for them to arrive, I  noticed how my stress of anticipated “perceived” events or situations created a bodily reaction. It seemed almost fearful as my belly tightened, I held my breath and started running around very unfocused or unaware.

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I felt I had to prepare in some way for the this new situation.

I started thinking about other situations where I anticipate an event and the thought of “what will be” creates an anxiety in my body and it says you must prepare. I don’t want to ignore it and suppress my emotional “reaction” which would just lodge in my tissue to come out at a later time. So what if I acknowledged the reaction and changed with “responding”. In the Alexander Technique principles we call that “pausing to give yourself time” to become conscious, aware, present in where you are and what choices you have.

Doesn’t this evoke a calmness, clarity and inner peacefulness that says I have time to make a choice that is healthy and productive? Changing anxiety to inner calm.

Sometimes our unwarranted perceptions and assumptions teach us about ourselves, we grow in that awareness of realizing our truth..

As I let my breath become conscious, I was calm as they arrived, we had a great conversation together as I rode with the driver with my car securely towed back home!

Changing my thinking in how I responded instead of reacting with fear created a very healthy and pain free experience.

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Benefits more than the physical stress of back pain

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“Talkback” magazine written for those who are interested in ways to relieve back pain conducted interviews with people who had experienced the Alexander Technique. They were surprised at how not only was their pain reduced or alleviated but their lives changed in ways they weren’t expecting. They had increased energy and did not feel as depressed. Our emotional health cannot be separated from our physical health. The Alexander Technique addresses the whole body, emotional and physical and therefore is more long-term and unitary.

Read the whole article here:

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I smile like a flower, not only with my lips

but with my whole being!

…Rumi

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