Top Ten Reasons Why Men Don't Want To Learn The Alexander Technique

The Alexander Technique has been in existence for well over a hundred years and it has proved tremendously successful in helping people overcome back pain, breathing problems, poor posture and stress. So why is it that more women than men choose to learn it?

1. The majority of Alexander teachers are women. So what if F.M. Alexander was a man and, to be precise, a mans man? A rugged individualist with an enduring love of horses and horse racing, he developed his Technique because it was his nature to be proactive and contribute to the solution of his health problems. Regrettably, he also had his sensitive, intuitive side, and this is shared by a lot of women (and men) who have since trained in his Technique.

2. Alexander teachers are vegetarians who do yoga and want to save the planet. As a breed, AT teachers are socially responsible. Still, there are plenty of red meat eaters among them. There are also sports people, martial artists, musicians, actors, body builders, computer nerds Overall, theyre rather like the rest of the population. (They can even be sexist at times!!!.) But theyre committed to helping people maximise their sense of physical wholeness and well-being.

3. Real men prefer to tough things out. Why, when some professional output could make it so much easier for them to achieve what they want? But then, real men dont go to the doctor. They may complain, but they can put up with pain and limitations of movement. learning the AT it would mean learning different ways of thinking, and going, about their everyday physical activity. It could mean making an enduring commitment to their physical well being.

4. Real men dont do self-care. Men do health and fitness; women do self-care. In fact self-care, far from being fluffy and flaky is about broadening your vision and developing your health and fitness strategy so that it best meets your goals. The AT can help you keep meeting those goals long-term, without boredom or injury. It can also give you a broader perspective in other areas of your life.

5. Real men dont do alternative therapies. How many men do you know who are up for colonic irrigation??? In reality, the AT is not a therapy, it is a progressive re-education in the art of activity without injury. So people who learn the AT are not patients or clients, but pupils which might be even worse. Also the AT is not about getting it right (or wrong), so it doesnt foster the competitive spirit.

6. Its not macho. The AT is not like football. It is not practised in a pack, in a noisy, smoke-filled, alcohol-fuelled atmosphere. It is practised one to one, with a teacher who is sensitive to the pupils individual make-up. An AT teacher is attuned to the pupils body and encourages the pupil to become increasingly aware of how they can maximise their fitness activities while protecting their body from wear and tear.

7. You cant work off your aggression that way. Absolutely right, but it could help you reduce it, more or less spontaneously over time. The AT reduces stress levels and can make you feel good about yourself. It teaches you how to undo muscular tension. The knock-on effect is that physical the freeing up makes most people able to divest themselves of a lot of psychological tensions, surprisingly easily.

8. It could involve deferring to your partners superior judgement. There are plenty of men who slump in an armchair and say to their partner: Your postures terrible. You really should do something about it. They may even be right. But The Little Woman cant be expected to know whats good for you. She might have problems, but youre fine just the way you are. Different rules apply.

9. It could make you look better. Sure, youre committed to going to the gym and working out. The Alexander Technique wont give you a six pack, but it will get you looking taller, straighter and broader across the shoulders, even leaner; so you can get a huge return on a very small outlay of effort.

10. You cant get up a sweat doing it. Unfortunately you wont need a good shower; so it wont result in extra bear hugs for your partner. Sad because sweaty men always seem to be affectionate men. Nor will you wake up the next morning with aching muscles. But you may find that you look taller, straighter, broader and even leaner. Its not a more is more thing. Its about achieving maximum results, in the gentlest, subtlest way possible.

(C) 2004 Annie Kaszina

Annie Kaszina Ph D., MSTAT, is an Alexander teacher and coach who is passionate about helping people overcome the limitations of injury. She has an abiding interest in martial arts, and works with a number of delightful male, and female, pupils. She enjoys helping people achieve physical and emotional lightness.

For more information about the Alexander Technique, visit http://www.nopain-gain.com You can contact Annie at email@annie-kaszina.com

Find out more about Alexander teachers in your area by visiting http://www.stat.org.uk

Guided Meditation Yoga Meditation Guided Meditatio

Move Your Body, Move Your Mind

Keep your knees locked! Hold your arms straight until they hurt! If you feel pain, good for yousomething is happening

Ah, the soft and tender words coming from my militant hot-yoga instructornot exactly soothing. Isnt yoga supposed to be relaxing, you ask? Not the kind Ive been doing for a while. I prefer to think of it as bootcamp yoga: an hour and a half dripping with sweat in a very hot room, often practising next to someone who had too much garlic at dinner last night, contorting myself into positions that make my head want to explode, while feeling murderous towards the teacherwelcome to my form of heaven.

Do I enjoy torturing myself this way three times a week come rain or shine? NO. Do I often get into the hot room and want to run out the door screaming? YES. Do I pay a lot of money to go through this torture? YES. Am I glad I do it? ABSOLUTELY.

You may be scratching your head in confusion at this point and I totally understand why. But when I tell you the real reason I do this exercise regime three times a week religiously, suffering and cursing the entire time, youll understand where Im coming from.

At the age of 36, Ive gotten a bit wiser when it comes to health and taking care of my body. Gone are the days of starving myself or overeating and then punishing myself through exercise. Believe it or not, I absolutely love exercise now. Not because it makes me skinny (nothing will do that due to having the pulchritudinous physique of my shapely Jewish female ancestors which I have come to learn is purely genetic). However, regular exercise does keep me at a healthy weight for my size and stops me from obsessing about my body and food (except during PMS when my body and mind are overtaken by some form of alien life who temporarily makes me think that chocolate is in itself, an entire food group and that excess water in the tummy area is a must-have).

The reason I love exercise now is how it makes me feel AFTERWARDS. You see, after I leave an exercise class, I am transformed. No matter how crappy, miserable, sad, or angry I am feeling before I exercise, for some incredible reason, I consistently feel energized, positive, relaxed, and peaceful after a good workout. And so do many of the women I know. Now we know from brain research that exercise boosts serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter in our brains, increases endorphins; chemicals in our bodies that make us feel happy and neighbourly, and relaxes our muscles, which in turn, relaxes our mind.

I encourage all of my clients to follow a regular, three-times-a-week exercise regime of their choice as the first step in improving their mental health. I have not met one single person who has adopted this healthy lifestyle habit who has not greatly improved their mood, productivity, and reduced stress in their lives as a result. I know we hear it over and over again about exercising regularly, but being the stubborn self-willed person that I am, I have finally accepted that other people are wise when they espouse this concept and its not a conspiracy to make me conform to some strange cult.

I have witnessed countless womens mental health improve vastly from including regular exercise into their lives including recovery from depression, anxiety, disordered eating, post-traumatic stress, and many other issues.

I especially recommend regular exercise for women who are suffering from the effects of being in any kind of abusive relationship where they were systematically stripped of their dignity, sense of worth, and faith in their abilities. Vigorous exercise in this case, especially something like kickboxing, can be extremely empowering and help you to overcome feelings of worthlessness and toxic shame. Through the act of exercising, you can transform a negative self-concept into one of power, strength, and awareness of your abilities and gifts.

In my therapy practise, I have discovered that many women are weighed down with depression or anxiety and that what is often underneath those labels is suppressed anger and/or grief. Being in our bodies and expressing ourselves physically through regular exercise is a fabulous way of releasing emotions that have been stuffed down for a long time.

exercise can be extremely helpful in moving our feelings up and out of the body and can thus free up energy and leave us feeling lighter, stronger, and more peaceful and in control of our destiny.

There are so many wonderful, exhilarating, and enjoyable forms of exercise out there. Check them all out, try them out, and find the one(s) that you feel the best doing. Experiment and have fun!

To end, Ill leave you with some very inspiring reasons for working out regularly

Esthers Top Ten Reasons to exercise regularly:

1.Time for yourself- you get to leave all the people and things that you feel responsible for behind for a time and just focus on yourself

2.Lifts your mood and helps you feel more positive

3.Stops you from obsessing about your body size and shape (in most cases- if you are really prone to this, try a form of exercise that focuses on how you feel on the inside; not how you look on the outside- focus on becoming strong and feeling good emotionally).

4.Gives you a sense of routine which can help you feel more grounded emotionally

5.Gets you out into the world connecting with people you may not meet otherwise

6.Increases your self-esteem as you grow stronger and feel fit

7.Normalizes metabolism which helps you gain or lose weight depending on what is best for your body

8.Improves your sex drive- not a bad side effect, huh?

9.Makes you nicer to be around because youre happier, healthier, and calmer

10.Helps you get out of your head and into your body; this is great for us thinkers and analyzers

So go hop on a bike, take the dog out for a walk, or crank up the stereo and boogie up a storm in the living room - youll feel better as a result!

Esther Kane, MSW, Registered Clinical Counsellor, is the author of Dump That Chump: A Ten-Step Plan for Ending Bad Relationships and Attracting the Fabulous Partner You Deserve http://www.dumpthatchump.com, and What Your Mama Cant or Wont Teach You: Grown Womens Stories of Their Teen Years http://www.guidebooktowomanhood.com Sign up for her free monthly e-zine, Womens Community Counsellor, to uplift and inspire women at: http://www.estherkane.com

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