THE ALEXANDER WAY FOR PREGNANCY: WHY ALEXANDER IS IMPORTANT
Pregnancy is one of the most stressful experiences, both physically and emotionally, that a woman will live through. The physical problems posed by the growing baby, which profoundly alters the way most women move for several months, create the potential for many aches and pains, as well as more severe ailments such as heartburn and varicose veins. If your use is poor, then pregnancy will undoubtedly exacerbate all your postural imbalances, thus increasing the likelihood of problems. The Alexander Technique will help you to come to terms with how your body is changing, and to develop 'useful' postural habits to enable you to move as freely as possible. The improved use will also make it less likely that you will suffer the common complaints of pregnancy.
You will also be able to reduce your own stress levels by learning to monitor your muscular tensions and to unwind. This has a quietening effect on the nervous system, and has a beneficial effect on all the systems in the body: breathing becomes freer, blood pressure is reduced, and circulation and digestion are improved. Your stress threshold, i.e. your capacity to cope with stress, will gradually rise. This is invaluable preparation for the labour.
Pregnancy is often an emotionally challenging period. Alexander work can help you to understand the connection between your emotions and your body, which will help you maintain an inner balance and centredness. You will also benefit from the fact that your needs, as well as the baby's, are being looked after, as it is a common experience in pregnancy for all the focus of attention to fall on to the baby and for the mother to be ignored.
One of the positive side effects of pregnancy is that women develop an increased body awareness. This is partly due to necessity - the pure mechanics of carrying around up to an extra 9-13 kilograms forces you into thinking about how you are doing things - and partly due to the increased sensitivity that you gain from having a new life growing inside you. You could say that you have opened up a new channel of communication between the mind and body, which makes it easier to learn to 'listen' to your body, and to give directions. This new body awareness, coupled with the effects of progesterone, means that, on the whole, pregnant women learn the Technique easily, and habitually fixed patterns of misuse can change relatively quickly.
*28\346\2*
|
