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Week 3 Summary: Use, Functioning, and Making a Plan
In the Alexander Technique what you do is not nearly as important as how you do it.
The way you use yourself is the way you react, with your whole being, to every situation in life. This includes your movements, your thoughts and emotions. Good use supports good functioning, while poor use leads to strain and difficulty. For example, a pianist with wrist pain may think the problem lies in her body, but often the pain reflects her overall use, her habits of thought, and her emotional state. Improving use can transform functioning in many areas, often making problems easier to solve.
Alexander worked on his own use by observing his unnecessary movements, recognising his habitual misdirection behind them, and then replacing these habitual reactions with new conscious directions. He emphasised working with the means-whereby rather than rushing towards an end, and learning to inhibit the automatic desire to “just do it my way.”
Key terms in his work include: use, habits, direction, end-gaining, inhibition, means-whereby, psycho-physical, and instinctively. Each term reflects his insight that mind and body are inseparable, and that conscious reasoning can guide us towards freer, more constructive ways of moving and living.
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Takeaway
In the Alexander Technique, the focus is less on what you do and more on how you do it. The way you use yourself shapes all aspects of your functioning, from movement to thought and emotion. By observing your habits, practising inhibition, and choosing new directions, you can move away from automatic reactions and discover freer, healthier ways of being.
How I do something matters more than what I do.
Better use leads to better functioning.
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Quick Reference: Key Alexander Words
Use – The way you organise your whole self in activity.
Functioning – How your body and mind work, shaped by your use.
Habit – A repeated pattern that feels familiar but may not be helpful.
Direction – A conscious thought guiding movement toward ease.
End-gaining – Rushing to the goal without considering how.
Means-whereby – The process or steps that lead you to your goal.
Inhibition – Pausing instead of reacting automatically.
Psycho-physical – The unity of mind and body; never separate.
Instinctively – Acting from old habits without reasoning.
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