Letter from Boston Alexander Technique Lessons By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
姿勢矯正レッスンを受ける 毎日コンピューターに向かって研究している雅子さんにとって、疲れからくる肩や首の痛みは悩みの種。それに、バッグを右肩にかける長年の癖で、背骨が少し曲がっているのが肩こりに追い打ちをかけているようです。そこでついに、姿勢矯正のトレーニングを受けることにしました。

My job as a graduate student involves my working in front of a computer every day. Like so many other people who work with computers, I have experienced problems with pain in my shoulder and neck during work. Sometimes I've had to quit working with the computer and start reading in order to take the pressure off my neck. I've had trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position or finding a way to play the piano loudly without hurting my arm as well.

I've always carried my bags on my right shoulder and I believe that's one of the reasons my body has stiffened into a slightly lopsided shape. For about 10 years, I've been told that my right shoulder is higher than my left, and that my spine is slightly crooked as well.

I figured I couldn't do anything about the shape of my body, but I've tried many things to get rid of the pain. I've even gone to a doctor, but the only thing he could give me was some anti-inflammatory arthritis medicine. He told me to come back only if the pain was so bad that I couldn't sleep at night.

I couldn't believe that that was the end of the story, and that I couldn't do anything about it. It's true that massage feels good for a while — I have a number of massaging tools to help me — but it doesn't seem to fix the root of the problem, which is essentially bad posture. Since I wanted to get rid of this pain forever, I decided to take the advice of my boyfriend and start taking lessons in the Alexander Technique with him.

The Alexander Technique has long been known among dancers, actors and musicians as a way of training the body to move. It trains you to be conscious of every move, but completely relaxed as well.

The crucial part of the technique is learning how to position the neck in relation to the head and the body and how to connect muscle groups in the back. Incorrect movement is not only clumsy and inefficient, it can also cause pain.

The Alexander teacher places his or her hands on the student's body at all times and guides the student's movements. A highly experienced teacher can tell when the muscles are in the correct position. The student must then memorize what this position feels like. It definitely involves the conscious mind, but it's also a matter of establishing muscle memory.

The teacher does not manipulate the muscles or bones like a chiropractor does. There are no repetitive exercises for the student, either. Basically, the teacher guides the student's movements. The student is in a relaxed position, often even lying down. It's not painful, but it is challenging, since most of us have memorized an incorrect default position.

I've been taking weekly lessons for a few months now. My habits have developed over the course of many years, and I never expected to undo the damage quickly. I wish I could say that one visit is all it takes, but the Alexander Technique is not a quick fix in any sense. It takes time, and it also takes money, since it involves taking private lessons with a teacher who has had at least three years of intensive training.

What I like most about the Alexander Technique is that I have become more conscious of how I make everyday moves. I'd be the first to admit that I'm not the most graceful of people, and I've often exasperated myself (and others) with my gawkiness. I'm hoping that by making a conscious effort now, I will eventually learn how to move with natural grace.

I've also learned how to control my right shoulder so that whenever I notice that I have tension in my shoulder, I can release it. I never noticed before that the reason my shoulders were lopsided was because I was tensing the muscles all the time. I used to try to push my right shoulder down with force, but I realize now that I have to let the muscles relax, not put even more pressure on them.

I haven't learned how to adapt the technique to all situations, so I still notice that I feel pain when I type at a computer that is too low, or sit in a chair that is too soft or too hard. However, I have learned to stop and relax, instead of continuing to put pressure in the wrong way. I'm confident that in time, free movement will become natural to me.

Shukan ST: Feb. 26, 1999

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