June 4, 2012

Perfect Posture with the Alexander Technique

I recently read an Elle article about posture. The author wrote about how she has always had bad posture and at 5’2″, she really didn’t need to lose any inches off her height. I totally empathized with her because I’m 5’1′ and my family and friends are always telling me how my posture is extremely poor. I’ve tried to do things about it in the past. I bought a back brace – honestly putting on a back brace is terribly restricting and uncomfortable. I tried yoga and ballet classes to help improve my posture. They worked for like 20 minutes after the class, but then I quickly went back to my old ways.

Alexander Technique via Belinda Mello

So, after reading the Elle article, I decided to try out the Alexander Technique. I did some research online and found that there are a ton of teachers in Manhattan that teach the technique. I decided to go with Belinda Mello because she had great reviews on yelp. I had my first class out of 5 lessons last night, and I really enjoyed it! It was an hour long, and Belinda taught me some techniques for every day routines like standing up, sitting down and lying down. The technique really focuses on movement and fluidity instead of being rigid or having “perfect” posture.

One of the first things she told me to do was to think about my spine as a unit with my head and neck leading the charge. I noticed that I constrict my neck and hold my breath a little when I sit down. Belinda worked on helping me elongate my neck so that I can breathe better and sit taller. She also noticed that my pelvis is very far forward when I stand. She repositioned it to behind to sit over my legs and immediately I stood up taller. She gave me some homework for this week and I am focusing on lying down and being aware of my body and the support that I get from the ground. In a way the technique is very similar to yoga and meditation where you focus on your awareness of your body. She also gave me some suggestions with my desk at work. I am now using some old books we had in the office under my feet so that my feet have support and hit the ground. I also had already purchased a Tempurpedic lumbar support which I am using higher up on my back now. I just bought a yoga blanket to sit on too because my chair slopes downward and doesn’t give me enough support on my tailbone. Overall, I was really happy with my first class and I am already noticing results at work. I will write a more fulsome review after I finish my fifth class.

Have you tried the Alexander Technique before? How do you improve your posture?