Learn How To Unlearn With The Alexander Technique
By Flora D. Kuemmel

The Alexander Technique is an educational process developed by F. M. Alexander at the turn of last century through personal observation of how he was using himself habitually and how this subconscious use interferes with general human functioning in daily and specialized activities. Paradoxically, the Alexander Technique is not about learning something new but unlearning that which is counterproductive to our well-being or even potentially harmful to us.

This can be understood in the larger context of human EVOLUTION—development of our upright posture and human consciousness. It took millions of years for humans to be fully erect on two legs and, with that, to develop our rational faculties, the brain and the intellect.

In the early stages of development, human actions and reactions were mostly instinctive. The world was dangerous and the senses had to be very keen for survival. But in our civilized societies we live in a relatively safe environment where finely tuned senses are no longer as important for survival as they are out in the wilderness.

So what happens to humans when their life is relatively safe and does not depend on acute awareness? Through the generations, our senses have fallen dormant and under-used, and we now perceive the world in a very limited way.

We have lost the acuity of the six senses, especially a sense called the kinesthetic sense, the sense of our bodies in space. This sense is a spatial feedback system with the environment and very important for body-awareness, a critical component of complete self-awareness and optimal functioning.

We have lost the direct connection with the innate intelligence of our bodies and started acting habitually, relying on patterns of behavior that are passed from one generation to the next, but which may not be the most beneficial to the organism.

In order to regain a complete sense of self and to live to our fullest potential, the sensory apparatus has to be reawakened through a process of recognizing habitual patterns, inhibiting our learned response to stimuli, and reconnecting with a natural response in an intelligent and useful way.

Through awakening our senses, we begin to cultivate acute awareness in daily life and function in a more holistic manner. Learning to unlearn habitual reactions which are not helpful for our health and well-being, the Alexander Technique gives us the tools to use our conscious mind to develop our human potential.