It's All Technique
Author: Leon Groom

The Alexander Technique was developed in the late 19th century
and its popularity became widespread. This technique by
Alexander was an actor from Australia who was born in Tasmania
and ended up living in London towards the end of his life. The
technique that bears his name is generally has to do with the
ability of human beings to change their habits. It was
discovered by Alexander and perpetuated by other authors who
took up his ideas and added to them. He first discovered the
malleability of human behavior in a self experiment related to
his vocation as a Shakespearean orator. The story goes that he
would often lose his voice on stage and finally decided to
observe himself with mirrors. Over time, he discovered that he
had certain tics of behavior that would occur directly before
he began to speak that were directly affecting the power and
staying time of his voice once he had begun to speak on the
stage. He became a teacher of this technique, first with actors
and later with more scientific individuals.

This technique is vitally important with a discussion on
Ergonomics.  When he first discovered the particular physical
tic that was keeping him from controlling his voice on stage he
referred to it as a problem with the way he "used himself." This
idea of "using" the human body rather than just inhabiting it
fully, of separating the mind away from the physical self,
changes the way people can view their own bodies and how they
use them on a daily basis in order to accomplish the tasks
necessary for their survival at work and at home.

Ergonomics and the study of the way in which the human body can
accomplish its work most efficiently has benefited greatly from
the inclusion of the Alexander Technique. Ergonomics can
identify the ways in which the American worker can improve
their comfort and efficiency, and this Technique can teach them
to look at their body less as a source of "me" and more as a
wonderful tool that can be manipulated very well or very
poorly. The most important use of this technique is to help
people make slight alterations in their patterns of movement
and work so that they can more easily and comfortably
accomplish their tasks. This technique provides the awareness
that is necessary for these changes in body and mind to come
about.


About The Author: Leon Groom writes about
http://www.ergo-items.com/armrests/ergorest/ergorest.htm,
http://www.ergo-items.com/cursor/vertical/vertical_mice.htm and
http://www.ergo-items.com