| Inhibition |
||||
| "The great phase in man's advancement is passing from the subconscious to conscious control of his own mind and body." — F. M. Alexander |
F. Matthias Alexander lived and taught of the end of the 19th century through the 20th. His Alexander technique is widely used to train world class athletes, entertainers, and everyday people to restore natural vitality, posture and coordination by using their body and mind in new and improved ways. Miss Larson explores with her clients the Alexandrian concept of ‘inhibition’—which can be best described as ‘stop, look, and listen.’ Alexander suggests that a conscious refusal to react in a habitual, reflexive, and stereotypical manner allows for truer spontaneity and freedom in action. This basic ability of man to interpose a delay between stimulus and response leads to surprising and rewarding discoveries. Alexander work is particularly valuable for clients that face vocal challenges or struggle with issues of extreme nervousness or tension. The term ‘inhibition’ is also used in neuroscience to describe a signal that deactivates a neuron which then prevents muscle contraction (as opposed to ‘activation’ which prompts a signal that can stimulate a contraction ). |
Freud also used the term to describe a suppression of an instinctive desire of the superego. These are both related to the Alexandrian concept, but his work emphasizes man’s innate healthy ability to prevent or stop harmful or reductive behavior. “Alexander’s concept is a matter of common sense---writ large. ‘Stop, look and listen’ is familiar advice. What Alexander did was to translate this advice into a practical technique based on natural functioning of the organism. He found that if one refused to respond in an habitual way the Primary Control {relationship of the head, neck and torso} would function properly, thereby ensuring the best possible balance of mind and body.” “In the final chapter of The Ascent of Man, Jacob Bronowski wrote, ‘We are nature’s unique experiment to make the rational intelligence prove itself sounder than the reflex.’ Bronowski implied that the success or failure of this experiment depended on the basic human ability to interpose a delay between stimulus and response. He pointed out that, ‘In Man, before the brain is an instrument for action it has to be an instrument for preparation.’ This ability to stop, to delay our response until we are adequately prepared to make it, is what Alexander calls inhibition.” —Michael Gelb, Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique. |
||