This is Part II of an ongoing series on “Directions,” one of the basic premises of the Alexander Technique.
Everything we get in the Alexander Technique and in life is the result of a process of direction. There is no result without a process behind it. If there could be such a thing we would call it Magic.
In his book Man’s Supreme Inheritance (1910)
Stopping the unconscious directions is what Alexander called “Inhibition.” It is usually spoken about also using the idea of “Non-Doing.” Inhibition or Non-Doing does not mean flopping into a lifeless lump, or relaxing or thinking into heaviness. It means not doing your old unreasonable mindless directions that have gotten you into trouble in the first place.
As F.M. Alexander further teaches, If we want to reeducate ourselves we have to break down our existing muscular habits by giving a series of conscious directions that replace the old unconscious ones. We have to focus on the new reasoned out directions and not concern ourselves with the desired result. If we do focus on “end gaining” and not the new reasoned directions, we will revert to using our old ways and be back in the old rut.
Its simple really (but not easy) the means yield an end, change the means and you can change the end result.
Related posts: Directions 1, Directions 3