Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
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Get in control
If we're experiencing a problem with our posture, aching back, neck or other discomfort, it's likely that we eventually decide we need some help from a specialist. And quite right too, if we cannot help ourselves get out of the situation, then it's a good idea to seek some expert advice or treatment.
Many of us however will go straight to the specialist without trying to see of we can help ourselves first. But you know, we are all better placed than anybody in the whole wide world, to help us. The reason for this is that we have the most amazing communication system already in existence that works all the time. I'm referring to our nervous system that connects every part of our body to our brain.
We are quite used to using this network of communication to command our body to walk, talk, make a cup of coffee, key a text message, change channels on TV with the remote, dance, run and play with the baby. We may also use our thinking capacity to solve problems, calculate, reason, analyse, choose and decide on situations. But in nearly all these cases, we are dealing with issues or situations outside of ourselves. We rarely if ever apply ourselves to changing a situation within ourselves.
If I asked you to make a tight fist with your right hand and provided you are normally healthy and blessed with the use of this hand, you could do it. Now if I ask you to relax your hand so that it's free and loose, you can do that too. Although I may have suggested you do this, the actual making of a fist or relaxing it originates from your brain and the messages pass through your nervous system to the appropriate muscles to either contract or release contraction. Such simple actions we take for granted but on consideration we see what a miracle of nature allows us to do this.
But we can use the same thinking/action process to make changes inside ourselves. If you can release or relax a fist, you can also relax your neck. Now this may be rather unfamiliar to you if you're not accustomed to doing it; this will be a new thought process. But you have the ability should you choose to practice it. You may not get an instant result but it will come with a little time and persuasion. Firstly we've got to practice applying that thought. Also, as the 'habit' of tightening our neck may have existed for many years, the muscles will take some encouragement to let go. But we are better placed than anyone else to make this sort of change within us. Yes you can use drugs, and we can also have a massage. But wouldn't it be better if we can sort it for ourselves? Do you like to be in control of your situation? I bet. But how many of us are in control of our neck muscles? Not many. Yet we have the necessary tools to do the job. We have a brain that's in command (a brain that we probably only use one seventh of and is capable of undreamed of amazing feats). we have the necessary nervous system to communicate the appropriate messages and we have the muscles that are all linked up.
Does your thinking+nervous system+muscles system work? Pick up a pencil and find out. OK. Tighten your fist and now relax it. OK. Now assume your neck is a little more tense than you'd like. Now think it to release. Maybe allow your head to roll forwards just a little to help the muscles in the back of your neck to release. Give it a little time.
You don't need exercises for this sort of thing. If you exercise your neck, you'll make it stronger and you'll be able to tighten it even more. What we probably want are neck weakening exercises. but they don't exist. Have you ever seen a toddler child with strong neck muscles, yet they have lovely freedom and great poise.
It's this sort of thinking that we use when we have Alexander Technique lessons. We learn how to inhibit or release harmful tensions and become more aware of our bodily balance and movement.
We all want to do something, but no-one wants to think. You may like to experiment and use more of what you're blessed with. It's a joy to be more in control. It only takes a little practice. When we get good at it, we'll probably be healing our own liver problems, digestive problems and cancer. But let's firstly start with our neck. It helps you feel good.:-)
