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Week 4 Summary: Cause, Effect, and Non-Doing

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When faced with an unwanted effect, most people try to correct it by adding something new. The Alexander Technique takes a different approach: instead of treating the symptom, it looks to remove the cause. If a problem is self-created by the way we organise ourselves, then changing that cause allows the effect to disappear.

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Alexander realised his own vocal difficulties were not medical or educational but were caused by how he used himself. He saw the same pattern in others: their difficulties often came from the way they went about their activities. By learning to stop creating the cause, the effect could vanish too.

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This connects closely to the concept of end-gaining, going directly for an outcome without regard for the means used to achieve it. End-gaining distorts our coordination and creates misuse. The solution is non-doing or inhibition, the conscious decision to pause before reacting. This pause creates space to organise ourselves, to re-channel our energy, and to act with clarity rather than compulsion.

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As teachers like Margaret Goldie reminded her pupils, the Technique is not about suppression or passivity, but about choosing not to rush into automatic reactions. This opens the possibility of new responses, continual growth, and genuine freedom.

 

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Takeaway

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The Alexander Technique teaches that instead of trying to fix unwanted effects, we can remove their cause. Much of our misuse comes from end-gaining, the drive to go straight for results. By practising non-doing we pause, prevent automatic reactions, and create the space to act with greater ease, clarity, and freedom.

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