Great video. These topics can be so confusing, when different experts give different advice. Sometimes it’s not even a matter of different ideas, but confusion over language. My comment is about the word “engage.” I think when you say to move the hands or forearms without engaging the shoulders, you mean that the shoulders should not move as well. My Pilates instructor uses the word “engage” differently: he talks about engaging muscles to “stabilize” those parts of the body that are not moving in space during an exercise. It took me a while to figure out that this is not inconsistent with my Alexander training. Your forearm movement procedure is a great way to illustrate. It doesn’t take a lot of muscle work in the back to keep the shoulders steady while the forearms move, if I am not holding anything in my hands. In fact, I might have to inhibit a tendency to use those muscles to actually move my shoulders in space - those bossy shoulders might try to move my forearms for me. But when I hold weights and do the same movement, it becomes a bicep curl with resistance. To do this exercise well, I need to use some muscle energy to keep my whole torso stable (not moving in space) while my forearms move through space with the weights. If I “do nothing” in the muscles of my torso, it will get pulled out of place by the weights. So I need to find the right balance in all my muscles to do the intended movement efficiently, without moving other parts through overwork or underwork. This is where lessons come in handy: you can observe whether your students are overworking or underworking or some combination, and guide them to a better balance.
Yes EZB! Thanks for adding this clearer description of what I meant when I said "engage" (not to move the shoulders). Yet, another reminder of how, sometimes, we can use the exact same word as someone else, but mean something completely different-as is the case with me and your Pilates instructor. 😊 (And it never hurts to clarify or further describe what we intend at any given time.) Yes, lessons (especially in-person!) are great for learning more! Alexander Technique teachers are well known for giving students a kinesthetic experience of how their body can feel with less strain, tightness, and tension. Then we teach our students how their thinking can access these same easeful experiences on their own-even during the more stressful moments of our life. And this, my friend, is what I think is most amazing (and unique!) about this work. ✨ 🤗 Hopefully my TH-cam channel inspires a few people to seek out in-person lessons to try it out for themselves. 🤞🏼 😊
You are always right on. Thanks for being such a great communicator.
Thanks for your kind compliments! I appreciate your feedback! 😊
Great video. These topics can be so confusing, when different experts give different advice. Sometimes it’s not even a matter of different ideas, but confusion over language. My comment is about the word “engage.”
I think when you say to move the hands or forearms without engaging the shoulders, you mean that the shoulders should not move as well. My Pilates instructor uses the word “engage” differently: he talks about engaging muscles to “stabilize” those parts of the body that are not moving in space during an exercise.
It took me a while to figure out that this is not inconsistent with my Alexander training. Your forearm movement procedure is a great way to illustrate. It doesn’t take a lot of muscle work in the back to keep the shoulders steady while the forearms move, if I am not holding anything in my hands. In fact, I might have to inhibit a tendency to use those muscles to actually move my shoulders in space - those bossy shoulders might try to move my forearms for me.
But when I hold weights and do the same movement, it becomes a bicep curl with resistance. To do this exercise well, I need to use some muscle energy to keep my whole torso stable (not moving in space) while my forearms move through space with the weights. If I “do nothing” in the muscles of my torso, it will get pulled out of place by the weights. So I need to find the right balance in all my muscles to do the intended movement efficiently, without moving other parts through overwork or underwork.
This is where lessons come in handy: you can observe whether your students are overworking or underworking or some combination, and guide them to a better balance.
Yes EZB! Thanks for adding this clearer description of what I meant when I said "engage" (not to move the shoulders). Yet, another reminder of how, sometimes, we can use the exact same word as someone else, but mean something completely different-as is the case with me and your Pilates instructor. 😊 (And it never hurts to clarify or further describe what we intend at any given time.)
Yes, lessons (especially in-person!) are great for learning more! Alexander Technique teachers are well known for giving students a kinesthetic experience of how their body can feel with less strain, tightness, and tension. Then we teach our students how their thinking can access these same easeful experiences on their own-even during the more stressful moments of our life. And this, my friend, is what I think is most amazing (and unique!) about this work. ✨ 🤗
Hopefully my TH-cam channel inspires a few people to seek out in-person lessons to try it out for themselves. 🤞🏼 😊
Love the tips and guidance! 🙏🏻
You're so welcome Gina! 🥰 So happy you appreciate these videos!