How a Technique that seems to be about Posture can help with Stress and Anxiety
Claire Coveney
If you have ever experienced stress or anxiety (there won’t be many of us who haven’t), you will probably recall a feeling that came with this. Even thinking about this now you may notice somewhere in your body that tells you that you are feeling stressed or anxious. Maybe your shoulders have become tense or your breathing has changed. Perhaps you notice your heart rate increase or a feeling or ‘butterflies’ or discomfort in your digestive system. In extreme states of stress you might become irrational, angry, feel unable to breathe or think straight, feel faint, nauseous or unable to sleep.
The Alexander Technique will teach you some simple tools to help change some of these symptoms of stress and anxiety. Changing these symptoms can allow your mind and body to return to a calm and balanced state so that you can begin to break the cycle and change your reaction to the stressful situation.
The Alexander Technique can never take away the stressful situations of life, however what it can do is give you tools to change your reaction to the stress. So you can have a real choice about how you can be in these situations.
This can be really empowering. The situation might be stressful but you don’t have to be.
Photo by Yosi Prihantoro on Unsplash