Recently I ran an Alexander Technique training session for a London-based executive communication and leadership training consultancy. It was a reminder of just how effectively the Technique can be harnessed in corporate and professional environments.
Central to the Technique’s application here is how it can empower effective non-verbal communication.
How we stand in front of an audience and project a calm sense of assurance and confidence. Not just in what we say but in how the unspoken language of our body communicates those aspects.
Can we engage everyone the moment we enter a room by owning the space we are collectively sharing by the way we carry ourselves?
How can we sit in long meetings and still feel comfortable and well supported thanks to a relaxed and yet alert seated position of our body?
Here are some of the elements we explored together on the day.
We began with a few moments of guided awareness. We worked with spatial awareness of the external world and internal awareness of breath. Where am I in relation to the room I am in? Where is my breath located within me – can I invite my outbreath to be deeper and longer? A few moments of self-guided awareness offer our nervous system something stable to orient itself to, helping us to be calm and receptive.
Then we looked at some actions, such as standing while presenting a project to an audience. How well are our bodies aligned with gravity? If stability enables mobility, how can we stand with presence and openness? We worked around recognising states of rigidity or collapse in ourselves and how to bring mental and physical changes to allow the body to self-support with less effort.
We then looked at the various aspects of sitting and how to develop support, freedom and efficiency in one of the most ubiquitous everyday uses of the body. What diverse uses we can make of a chair support in different settings.
We ended the session exploring presence, grounding and the importance of the gaze: refining awareness through visual attention, spatial orientation and embodied presence. How presence and grounding are all connected to our nervous system so owning the room must begin with work on ourselves first.
Introducing this group to the Technique was a real pleasure: this day was also a reminder of just how much fun it can be. There was laughter and humour throughout as we explored the many rich ways that we can engage and communicate.
