Sitting isn’t good for us; it’s simple enough to reason this one out, but just in case you are not buying the word on the street here is a the latest research.

On the other hand, we are often told to take time to ‘relax’.  Of course, differing situations call for different types of mindsets.  All and all, The slogans and the ‘education’ of western style of physical culture media changes too often for most people to stay tuned.  After a time, we find the massage therapist, manual body worker, physiotherapist or other practitioner that does our body good, and that’s that.  

But what is your view? What is your ‘take’ on the huge complexities of minding your body? How does this make a difference to what your interests and mode of work is?

Human attention is limited.  For those of us who choose to have a mobile connected device, our attention is often bombarded by limitless tributaries of information.  

Here is another less easy to digest or reason out result of research:

Exercise alone can not undo the effects of sitting styled living.

We do have control, we can direct part of our visual spatial attention in ways that do offer real results in how we can create positive movements as we work during the sitting hours. Most often that not, learning this process of directing our body in space can become the last thing that we want to pay attention to.  This may be because it doesn’t seem important until we hit pain and stiffness.   

Active attention to well-organised physicality in situations that seem sedentary such as sitting may not be something that we are habitually drawn to minding.  The game is ‘work hard and then take exercise’; if this game works for you, that’s fine.  But for people who’s work requires a very finely tuned physical organisation, such as a musician, and who often spend part of their work practicing without immediate financial reward, the ‘work then exercise’ game may not be a feasible one.

Learning the Alexander technique is a practical and unique way to learn to move with improved efficiency, yes, even when you are sitting at work!

Why? Because the focus is on Learning (read: becoming autonomous!) 

Learning this practice can improve breathing efficiency and body posture.  But, the planning and reasoning process that is involved in learning coordinated movements in time also helps in dealing with difficult people and challenging situations. 

For me, one of the biggest outcomes of learning and teaching this work has been the growing ability to focus on creative work that is often challenging and seems beyond what I can accomplish today.  To persevere is to find and refine your voice.  

The blues has become very important in my life, it’s depth overwhelms me as its simplicity boggles my mind.  I am attempting to learn it by diving in head first.  I want a solid physicality to be humbled by its sometimes violent beauty.  Sometimes I collapse under its weight; and that’s ok too.  It’s the blues.  I still love Mozart, actually, all honest expression gives me the feeling of the blues or and underlying sense of ‘voice’.  Learning to become more physically strong when it doesn’t seem to make a difference is a good way being with the blues and preserving too.

There may be many, what works for you?