Antique View of Alexander on TV along with his portrait
Julia Messenger
Robert Rickover
I can only imagine how terrible the AT explanation was - but as you say, sometimes any publicity is good publicity.
Robert Rickover
For those of you with BBC iplayer, The Antiques Roadshow on BBC1 tonight had some relative of FM getting a valuation of a portrait of him It's about 7 minutes into programme. Unfortunately the view of what the Alexander Technique is from both valuer and relative is as antiquated and blurry as the picture of the man. The concept of "Head Forward and Up" is discussed and acted out in a ghastly fashion. Oh well, I suppose any publicity may be good publicity at some time...
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Robert Rickover
Robert
For those of you with BBC iplayer, The Antiques Roadshow on BBC1 tonight had some relative of FM getting a valuation of a portrait of him It's about 7 minutes into programme. Unfortunately the view of what the Alexander Technique is from both valuer and relative is as antiquated and blurry as the picture of the man. The concept of "Head Forward and Up" is discussed and acted out in a ghastly fashion. Oh well, I suppose any publicity may be good publicity at some time...
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John Coffin
| Hello list; I haven't seen it yet and don't know how bad it is. I think we have to realize that dismissive, trivializing publicity is not harmless. For every person who even seeks information, there may be a dozen who will actively spread a negative take on the Technique. Frank Ottiwell described to me how ACAT New York anticipated the 1969 Harper's article on the Technique. Printing up piles of directories and pamphlets. The article was headlined 'Take Inches Off Your Waist,' and he didn't recall a single student coming from it. |
School for F.M. Alexander Studies
Here is the second of a planned series of article on the application of the AT to yoga which I have posted on our web-site http://www.alexanderschool.edu.au/the-school/alexander-technique-blog
David Moore
School for F.M. Alexander Studies
330 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy VIC 3068
sraj
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Keith Bacon
On 20 May 2013 06:45, School for F.M. Alexander Studies
>
> Here is the second of a planned series of article on the application of the
> AT to yoga
Keith.
sraj
The reality is that yoga as we know it is neither ‘eternal’ nor synonymous with the Vedas or the Yoga Sutras. On the contrary, modernyoga was born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is a child of the Hindu Renaissance and Indian nationalism in whichWestern ideas about science, evolution, eugenics, health and physical fitness played as crucial a role as the ‘mother tradition’. In the massive, multi-level hybridisation that took place during this period, the spiritual aspects of yoga and tantra were rationalised, largely along the Theosophical ideas of ‘spiritual science’ introduced into India by the US-origin, India-based Theosophical Society, and internalised by Swami Vivekananda, who led the yoga renaissance.
In turn, the physical aspects of yoga were hybridised with drills, gymnastics and body-building techniques introduced from Sweden, Denmark, England and other Western countries. These innovations were creatively grafted on the Yoga Sutras – which has been correctly described by Agehananda Bharati, the Austria-born Hindu monk-mystic, as ‘the yoga canon for people who have accepted Brahmin theology’ – to create an impression of 5000 years worth of continuity where none really exists. HAF’s current insistence is thus part of a false-advertising campaign that has been going on for much of the 20th century.
http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2010/how-%E2%80%9Chindu%E2%80%9D-is-yoga-after-all/
Yoga may result in knee injury ......
Dr. Ashok Rajagopal, chair man of the Bone and Joint Institute in Medanta, The Medcity warned that practice of certain yoga like vajrasana may cause damage to knee joint and require total knee replacement. He said that many yoga gurus have been performed with total replacement of knee for pain and inability for smooth movements.
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Keith Bacon
On 22 May 2013 17:19, sraj <sra...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Something to consider is the biomechanics of yoga poses. Touching the hands
> together over head as shown in the picture can actually cause forward head
> carriage and an over engagement of the upper trapezius muscles leading to
> posture imbalances.
ever more about how I use my body and mind. I can bio-mechanically
evaluate them for myself.
A yoga pose is not designed to change your posture directly but to
release harmful tension - although not all people that do yoga succeed
at this. If the one you mention puts the head in a 'bad' place it is
working on releasing tension and increasing proprioceptive awareness
in the arms, neck or shoulders or other places.
> ... Long time yoga practitioners are getting hip and knee replacements
There are some people who seem to do rather maniacal forms of yoga! If
people want to train as contortionists and compete to outdo each other
then this is more akin to gym or other sports injuries. I've met very
few such.
Proper meditative yoga is a rather different business.
I have inflicted some pains and discomforts on myself in the interests
of experimentation and speedy progress but nothing that comes close to
being a negative compared to the tremendous advantages. There is a
valid (fairly rare!) practice of 'sitting through pain' where the pain
is of the nature 'discovered' by Dr John Sarno - ie. a defence of the
mind against change. Sadly some that don't know about this seem to
think putting up with pain as you damage yourself is heroic.
Yoga is practiced by a lot of people with a lot of different
aims,beliefs and understandings. Done at it's best it is rather safe
and very life transforming.
To evaluate a yoga posture (or an AT procedure) as just something to
do with bio-mechanics is a gross over-simplification. Both (in part)
involve the use of awareness and the motor systems to stimulate deep
change.
regards,
Keith.
School for F.M. Alexander Studies
Hi Selvaraj
I will be writing an article on this subject later on this year.
There are many knee injuries caused by people attempting to sit in full lotus when they don’t have the hip flexibility to be able to do this.
My article will look at ways in which people without that flexibility can approach such a position as well as the common errors made in this endeavour.
I’m actually even more interested in people regaining their ability to squat as people do in cultures lacking chairs. Also intend to write on this subject.
David Moore
School for F.M. Alexander Studies
From: School for F.M. Alexander Studies [mailto:in...@alexanderschool.edu.au]
Sent: Thursday, 23 May 2013 7:37 AM
To: 'sra...@gmail.com'; 'alex...@googlegroups.com'
Subject: RE: [alextech-list] Article on application of AT to yoga twists
Hi Selvaraj
Regarding the lawsuit in America this is about the religious underpinnings of yoga.
In this regard Alexander’s aphorism is of interest. ‘ The essence of the religious outlook is that religion should not be kept in a compartment by itself, but that it should be the ever-present guiding principle underlying the “daily round” the “common task”. So also it is possible to apply this principle of life in the daily round of one’s activities without involving a loss of attention in these activities.”
Here are a couple of links to article which I have written in the past regarding the similarities and differences between yoga and the Alexander Technique.
http://www.alexanderschool.edu.au/the-alexander-technique/articles/82-why-yoga-at?catid=26%3Ayoga
David Moore
School for F.M. Alexander Studies
330 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy VIC 3068
From: alex...@googlegroups.com [mailto:alex...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of sraj
Sent: Thursday, 23 May 2013 2:20 AM
To: alex...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [alextech-list] Article on application of AT to yoga twists
Something to consider is the biomechanics of yoga poses. Touching the hands together over head as shown in the picture can actually cause forward head carriage and an over engagement of the upper trapezius muscles leading to posture imbalances. Yoga poses have never been bio-mechanically evaluated and in my work as a posture educator and YogAlign innovator, I am treating hundreds of people with yoga related injuries, postural dysfunction and chronic pain. Kids should be out running and playing and when sitting be in ergonomic desks that support the natural curves of the spine. The right angle positions of yoga like staff pose, seated forward bends and toe touching can be injurious to the human spine and contribute to poor posture habits. Long time yoga practitioners are getting hip and knee replacements from abnormal stretching of ligaments needed for joint stability. Teachers like Patricia Walden, Beryl Bender, Joel Kramer and Judith Lasater have had double or single hip replacements. This is no joke. www.yogainjuries.com
School for F.M. Alexander Studies
Hi Selvaraj
I will be writing an article on this subject later on this year.
There are many knee injuries caused by people attempting to sit in full lotus when they don’t have the hip flexibility to be able to do this.
My article will look at ways in which people without that flexibility can approach such a position as well as the common errors made in this endeavour.
I’m actually even more interested in people regaining their ability to squat as people do in cultures lacking chairs. Also intend to write on this subject.
David Moore
From: alex...@googlegroups.com [mailto:alex...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of sraj
Sent: Monday, 20 May 2013 10:16 PM
To: alex...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [alextech-list] Article on application of AT to yoga twists
Hi David,
Do you also attempt to help students learn to sit cross-legged? Sitting cross-legged is after all a basic yoga posture, something that many in our modern society may have difficulty in assuming. If so, how successful are you in this effort.
Regards,
Selvaraj