Page 82 - Total War on PTSD

Each of us has a way that we move that is recognizable to those who know us. Friends or family may be able to discern who we are by the echo of our footsteps before we are visible. They may also recognize us from afar by our gait despite the fact they are not close enough to identify our faces. The way we move is as ingrained in who we are as our likes and dislikes. Or is it?
“I feel like myself for the first time in ages.” This is the experience of a Veteran during an Alexander Technique (AT) lesson. It's a movement re-education that teaches you to include yourself and your environment in your thinking before and while you move.
Over time we take on a different or less mindful way of “using” our body. A combination of age, injury and cultural demands creates interference in our natural movement. The technique uses gently guiding touch that allows you to experience a way of moving that does not include the interferences you have learned and taken on with time. Tightening of your musculature is a common reaction to fear and pain that prevents you from sensing yourself in your environment. One Veteran expressed his experience in a lesson, stating, “I feel more connected to the ground with my feet.”
How we move is more complex than the mechanics our joints allow. Our entire being, the combination of mind and body, are responsible for the patterns of movement each of us uniquely displays. The discovery of why we move the way we do becomes a large part of the work to be done when studying the Alexander Technique. It occurs when the different movement experiences you have in a lesson awakens something about yourself. Our movement patterns and our emotional state are closely tied together. For example, a person who feels pressured to get as many things done as possible in their day might move in a rushed fashion. Their breath might become shallow, their footsteps and hand movements quick, their musculature tight or held, and their vision narrowed. A depressed or sad person may move slowly; they may carry themselves in a collapsed posture, sigh frequently and not want to make eye contact with their environment. Someone fearful might be hesitant in their interaction with others, hold their musculature rigidly, strain their eyes to see, and function in a constant state of caution. An overexcited individual might have quick, short movements, a high-pitched voice, and rapid speech. Another
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