The Alexander Technique and Tai Chi
possible, and your questioning of what needs to open as wide as possible. When you realize what it is that needs to release to allow the turning to continue, then the turning movement can occur effortlessly. Notice that in this process you have redirected your attention from what you feel you have to do, to what you can undo instead.
The process I describe in the previous paragraph can be a very useful tool by itself. However if you also consider that the tightness in your hip (in this example) does not exist in isolation, then you have a chance to find out some very interesting things. Tai Chi (and Alexander) principles tell us that "if one part moves, every part moves." The tightness in your hip is really part of a pattern of use of your whole self, perhaps even having emotional associations. Part of that pattern of use is the relationship of your head to your body. In all this fooling around with hip joints, it is not rare to forget the first principle, to free your neck so that your head can move freely, relieving the downward pressure on your torso, then amazingly to free the movement in your hips. The Alexander work is an ordered redirection of our attention to the whole of ourselves - no matter what the presenting cause of difficulty.
Conclusion
I hope these paragraphs have given you some ideas that you can use on your own to begin to experiment. If you find this discussion interesting, you can find your way to Alexander teachers all over the world by going to the Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique at http://www.alexandertechnique.com. I am listed under the Alexander Technique International (ATI) link on the page: "How can I find a Teacher?" Also be sure to check out the Annual Barstow/Alexander Technique Institute at http://wwwbarstowinstitute.com for an 8-day workshop in June, where I teach each summer, along with a number of excellent teachers. Please don't let the location in Crete, NE scare you. It really is a lovely, quiet place for intensive study, and a lot of fun too. (Crete is near Omaha, Lincoln and not to far from Kansas City.)
If you find this discussion interesting, and have observations or questions, please feel free to email me at StacyG@drizzle.com (I'm in Seattle!).
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