Page 70 - Total War on PTSD

he was doing it did not provide a solution. He concluded that he needed to “not-do” what he was doing.
“Non-doing” is another basic premise of the Alexander Technique. Alexander realized that he needed to not suck in air, not lift his chest and not tighten his feet to grasp the ground. These interfering activities that he thought would improve his acting were, in fact, contributing to muscular constriction in his neck and around his vocal cords. This muscular tension was interfering with his voice. He later realized these habits were present all the time, not only while acting. These are two of the guiding principals of the Alexander Technique. One, we are unaware of what we do and two, the concept of “non- doing” — we need to “not do” that which is interfering with our natural movement.
Alexander thought he was preventing these interfering habits. He noticed, however, that when he began to speak, his old movement habits would reappear. The act, even the thought of speaking, was a stimulus for his old habits. He had to relearn how to use his voice, so it did not require him to perform his customary interfering movements. How he thought about his movement even before he spoke became crucial. His continued observations led him to discover a third important concept that has to do with the relationship between the head, neck, and back. Downward compression or over- extension of the head and neck determines how well we move. The tension Alexander created in his neck affected his entire coordination. If and when he would “leave himself alone” (not engage muscles not required to speak), he found he was successful in retaining his voice.
Alexander shared his discoveries with actors in his native Australia, where he became known as “The Breathing Man.” He soon realized that so much more than the breath was affected by the changes he was able to make in his habitual movements. In the early 1900s, he relocated to London, England, where he began to gain greater recognition for his discoveries. He found supporters in the medical and scientific community and began to publish. He was sought out by many in need and by those who wanted to learn and teach the work. He found he was able to teach his process of “non-doing,” and was
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