The Alexander Technique and Mindfulness are two disciplines that have many points in common, and their practice is very useful for managing physical and mental stress.
Both have the characteristic of working on the ability to be present, TA focuses on corporality, recognizing habitual patterns. With it you learn to stop and direct the intention of the body in space and in relation to the parts, in a specific way. It focuses on organization and coordination, updating the body schema. While with Mindfulness the ability to be present is also practiced, in addition, mental patterns and physical tensions are observed, focusing on listening to each of the senses at every moment. Acceptance and permission of what is observed allows us to release physical and mental tension.
It is this ability to exercise presence and the present moment that allows stress management, redirecting it, reducing its impact and stopping its escalation to more acute states.
Both use the practice of observation, acceptance and letting go. AT centered on the body and with an intention towards a physicality based on physiology and mechanics; Mindfulness focuses on the mental patterns and sensory information that gives permission to the lived experience.
Although each of them has its uniqueness and a precise objective, they complement each other in such a way that the practice of both allows for a fuller and more integrated awareness of the personal situations in which the stress we experience is triggered.Here is an article: Pause, observe, intend: A qualitative study exploring expert practicioners_perceptions of how mindfulness and Alexander technique work synergistically to address stress, by Patrick M. Johnson, Gabriella Minnes Brandes, Victoria Door, Rajal G. Cohen. Published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine. It analyzes the synergy between the two disciplines in stress management.
