Undoing residual head and neck tension: the origin of tension in the rest of the body.

Physical Advantages

The first and most obvious advantage of letting go of this excess tension is freedom of movement. This makes it easier to move, using less energy and therefore your movements are more efficient. Because it takes less energy for the same movement, it means you can produce more power when you need it.

The next advantage is that you reduce strain and reduce the risk of injury. And if you do injure or strain yourself, the lack of excess tension allows faster recovery.

Thirdly, the lack of tension allows your natural poise and reflexes to reemerge and reassert themselves. This means you will stand straighter and taller, naturally and without effort and it means that your movements will be smoother, more accurate and more coordinated. Most of us are not used to this when we first let go of the tension, so we tend to revert to old habitual movement patterns and to trying to put too much energy into our movements. So the second task of a good teacher is to coach their pupil into putting aside these habits of extra effort and distorted movement, that developed as a result of the tension, so you can get the full benefit of the freedom, poise and coordination.

Additionally, the lack of background tension allows us much greater bodily awareness. This leads to greater dexterity and accuracy and also to much better awareness as to when we are not using our bodies efficiently or healthily. Therefore it further guards us against strain and injury.

The lack of tension also frees up the ribcage, abdomen and diaphragm. This obviously makes breathing easier and also increases lung capacity. Furthermore, for singers, actors, performers, wind players and public speakers, it allows far better breath control. This means you can modulate your breath better and also make your breath last longer, especially for singing or wind instruments, and even for public speaking. Additionally, the lack of neck tension allows you to take breaths quickly and silently, making any form of performance that much smoother and better.

Greater torso freedom and lung capacity also means you can take in more oxygen. This means you can efficiently produce more energy and avoid lactic acid build up from inefficient metabolism. This means you will have more endurance in demanding tasks or energetic sports and more energy available overall.

Clarity

Obviously, if we can rectify this, relax and let go of background tension, then it relieves our brains of a lot of extra work and the blood flow will be redirected back up to the logical parts of the brain. This will obviously make our minds clearer, we will be more observant, less reactive and more responsive, think more constructively, optimise our imagination and creativity, and make better decisions. As a result, we feel more calm and relaxed, so that we have a beneficial upward cycle.

Confidence and Charisma

Our emotions affect our bodies, but also our bodies affect our emotions. When you can stand tall, naturally and effortlessly, and you can move with poise, ease and grace, it naturally makes you feel more confident.

When you are poised and relaxed, giving only the minimum attention to staying in optimum condition, you will find that you become more aware, present and in the moment. This means you are able to pay more attention to others, and to listen and connect with them more authentically.

However, when others see you like this, it also puts them at ease. Unconsciously, they can see that you are relaxed and confident within yourself. People will feel they can trust you, as when you are relaxed, it implies you have nothing to hide and that they are safe with you. People naturally feel that you are someone they can literally ‘look up to’ in other words, you are perceived as having greater presence and charisma. As a result of this, you will perceive how people respect you more and this leads to even greater confidence in yourself– another upward beneficial cycle.

Alexander was a reciter and actor who had lost his voice. He habitually pulled his head back in anticipation of reciting, which distorted his larynx. Looking in a mirror, he could remedy this by getting his head to go forward. However, when he found that his habits were taking over again if he was not observing himself in the mirror, he worked out that he had to trick himself out of anticipating what he was about to do. This he did by deciding that he would not commit himself to reciting, but get himself into a condition where he could do it without distorting himself, and then decide to either:

Do nothing, except continue to maintain this good condition

Do something else instead

Or actually go ahead and recite anyway.

He had to inhibit his immediate desire to do what he had intended, and then get himself in the best possible condition before making a split second decision as to what to do next.

This takes a bit of practice and is much more easily learned with a teacher. However, it can gradually be developed into a flow state, where you are gently and consistently maintaining your optimum state and you flow into activity, as and when it is appropriate, often without having to think about it consciously. This is analogous to flow states or being in the zone, or letting your deeper wisdom achieve your aims for you as in the books The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey and Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel. It means you are present ‘in the moment’ and respond appropriately, rather than reacting habitually.

An example of this is when a friend of mine, a Black belt in Karate, was teaching me blocking moves. When he came to test me, he was somewhat surprised that my arms automatically made the right moves to defend me. I had gone calm inside, my perception was very clear, and I found myself responding freely and automatically.

I also found that my fellow teacher trainees who were musicians and singers (the technique is very popular with them) found that their playing and performance was a lot freer and effortless, and sounded a lot sweeter when they gently maintained their condition. They also found that they did not have to practise so much, and if they had not practised for a while, they could still perform as well as if they had.

The point is not to have to make the three choices every time, but to be in the right condition and in a flow state to make the right choice at the any time. If you are a sprinter, you don’t want to be delaying at the starting blocks, but you do want to be able to power off seamlessly at the right split second. Of course, if something significant changes at the last second, you want the option to do whatever is appropriate. The real point is to be in charge of your reactions and even your emotions. Rather than being driven by impulses and habits, you are continuously creating a space for choice.

Other than maintaining your optimum condition at the same time, there are only ever three choices:

Do nothing, do something else, or do what you originally thought of

By leaving space for something else or for not acting, you allow yourself to respond most appropriately to whatever situation you find yourself in, in the moment. After all, conditions change constantly.

How to Improve Your Performance Now

The quickest way to improve your performance with the technique is by one to one lessons with a qualified teacher. As I have found ways to speed up my teaching and make the Technique much easier to understand, you can improve your performance even more quickly by learning with me.

Most people can both gain and maintain the benefits of the Technique in ten lessons within ten weeks for as little as £500. For some applications, you may want extra coaching or return for occasional top-ups, though I always aim to make you self sufficient in the Technique as soon as possible.

Arrange a Free Introduction

You are welcome to a free introductory lesson, where we can discuss your needs and applications. I will demonstrate some of the principles of the technique to you, and if you play an instrument that you can bring with you, you can get an idea of how the Technique can help you with it. Feel free to call me on 07791 930028 or go to my About Lessons page to see what is involved.

N.B. Information about more specific applications of the Technique is coming soon.