Spinal thought 328. Whatever we do, be it a so called physical act like taking a step, bending, lifting, speaking, singing or a so called mental or emotional act such as thinking or feeling an emotion, the habit of tightening the neck and pulling the head back and down on the spine gets in the way of free expression and movement. After an Alexander Technique lesson when my neck was quite free, I noticed that as I went to speak, or concentrated on listening to someone, or as I started to think about something, the front of my throat would tighten. I used to not be able to let myself think about anything (other than paying attention to leaving my neck free, etc.). If it was something important to think about, like working out how I could organise this or that before some deadline, I used to have only the choice of either tightening the neck and throat and think about it anyway, or not getting the planning done. Gradually I came to see that thinking was like any other activity. If I could inhibit before standing up or speaking (FM Alexander’s original problem which gave us this work), why couldn’t I inhibit as I decided to think about something? Some thinking, brain activity, goes on all the time, but I mean a more directed thinking. Amazingly I found that if I kept my attention on leaving the throat free and open whilst choosing to think through something, I could think more clearly. I solved problems and organising became easier. I was also able to pay attention and listen better. I came to call this tension in the front of the throat the ‘thought trap’.
Posted on: Mon, 24 Nov 2014 09:44:54 +0000
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