Personal Growth Series: The Alexander Technique

>> We are very fortunate to have our speaker today, John Baron, who is our Alexander Technique
teacher in our school. The first thing you may notice about John is that he has a British
accent. And that's how you know he's trustworthy. I mean, I don't know about you, but--so I
cannot not trust somebody with that accent. But in addition to his accent, I found John
to be an amazing teacher. He's very smart, very knowledgeable, and he's very good at
guiding his students. So for those of you who haven't already signed up for the Alexander
Technique course offered by Google University, which is taught by John, I strongly encourage
you to do so, soon, today. And something off from John's bio before I bring him up. John
has taught the Alexander Technique since 1985, back when even I was young, even me. Now John
has taught in Italy, Germany, England, and California. He's the co-director of the Alexander
Technique--Alexander education center, in Berkeley, California. And he has taught various
workshops and in Universities and colleges, including a credit class in Cal. State, Hayward.
He devised his Kines-Tech program and an in-house postural re-education training program, which
has been commissioned by various Bay Area corporations, including the Firemans Fund.
And prior of teaching the Alexander Technique, John was a professional actor and the founder
of a publishing company called Marketing Media. And my friends--my friends, please welcome
the amazing John Baron. >> BARON: Hey, hey, thank you, thank you,
Ming. Good. So, I wanted to--of course to thank Ming and also Google for organizing
today's talk and also for having the foresight to bring the Kines-Tech project, which is
a program based on principles of the Alexander Technique, and to Google employees. So today's
presentation on the Alexander Technique is going to explore the scale of this work and
begin to look into its practical applications, okay, good.
>> Wait, before I begin, I'm going to let my neck be free, my head be forward and up,
my back lengthen and widen. >> BARON: Wait a minute, stop.
>> Wait, wait, wait hold on, I can't hear you, stop, okay, can we talk later, that would
be great. >> BARON: Okay, so you--you might be wondering,
you know, what's going on here? You know we've just seen someone working at their desk and
dealing with some of the routine task which--while responding in a slightly stressful way. And
you saw me playing the--the role of the golfer attempting to hit a ball--it's a foam ball
by the way, it's okay--over an imagined bunker on to an imagined green, and--while at the
same time, voice saying a typical in a dialogue that's familiar to golfers, "Don't go in the
bunker. Don't go in the bunker," okay. Then we heard someone playing a cello. You know,
rather well, I'd say. And--oh, and incidentally, this cello too is--it's a 17th century cello.
It's [INDISTINCT] cello played by the world-renown cellist of the Cypress String Quartet, Jennifer
Kloetzel. So and at the same time, we're looking at this--this poster on the screen. And we
see that this is, an in-house poster promoting a course to Google employees that brings the
Alexander Technique into a corporate setting. It subheaded, you know, personal growth and
pain management. So apropos, although it's been known for a long time that this educational
method has director therapeutic benefits, just last month, a detailed study on 579 subjects,
published by the British medical journal, and it concluded that lessons in the Alexander
Technique reduced back pain by 85% and that these results actually lasted over a one year
period so that the effects lasts long term. So extending the scale, even further--I'm
now going to read a couple of brief quotes of this work. First, by a famous American
educator and philosopher then by a well-known British author, both of whom worked with Alexander,
and lastly by a well-known actor. Okay, so this is the first quote. So, "It--" the technique
of Mr. Alexander, "--bears the same relation to education that education itself bears to
all other human activities." And that's John Dewey. And the second, "It is now possible
to conceive of a totally new type of education, affecting the entire range of human activity
from the physiological through the intellectual, moral and practical, to the spiritual." And
that's Aldous Huxley. And the last one, "The Techniques many benefits for actors include
minimized tension, centeredness, vocal relaxation, and responsiveness, mind/body connection,
and about an inch and a half of additional height." Okay, that's Kevin Klein. So, the
reason I'm presenting the scale and the myriad applications that this work has is two-fold.
First, to address widely held perception. Now this work is--it's something to do with
posture or at some form of body work. And secondly, to help--this one is understand
that it is not possible to package the vast scope and application this work has into,
you know, convenient sound bites or all-telling definitions. This work needs to be experienced
in order to be understood. This work involves understanding from the whole self not just
the understanding that comes from being given data and information alone. So, I don't wish
to spend our time today just giving you data and information about, you know, the history
of this work because there's like 120 years of it or about the amazing Fredrick Matthias
Alexander. I need not tell you that, you know, all of this information, it can be read at
Google so. However, if you would like to found out about how this work was developed, I recommend
you read Alexander's book which is called the "Use of the Self", and it also is available
on CD. So yeah, indeed, what we normally break down into separate segments of movement, in
motion, posture, thought, individual spirit, expression, energy, psyche, sensation, voice
gesture, et cetera, and how these aspects are consciously embodied, connected and choreographed
in the moment can be characterized in the Alexander Technique as the use of the self.
So what is it that connects us? You know, what centers an integrates us, so that aspects
of our self, you know, freedom of movement, ease of expression, coordination balance,
appropriate degrees of tension, harmony of well being, et cetera. They seem to come together,
in a particular moment. So how would our office worker, for example, find this connection
when dealing with the stresses, the stressors, that creates strange responses that we saw
when she was walking in, you know carrying her laptop on the phone and having a cup of
coffee in her hand at the same time. All activities that I've--I'm sure you've seen on this campus
a few times. People walking in, embodied in that particular way. How might our golfer
find the connection that could take bunkers out of play, at least in his own mind? And
our cellist, if we imagine the connection that's needed to bring to a performance, you
know, that technique, interpretation, connection to other colleagues, acoustics, find multi-skills,
connection to audience, et cetera. Imagine bringing all of this to a moment in time making
this kind of connection. And when things do not seem to come together, what is--what is
it in us that is aware of our disconnection? That's a big question. Let's start to explore
it practically and see where we go. In fact, what I want to start to focus on today is
a very particular connection. Okay, that's the connection of the head, the neck, and
the back. Okay, so we're going to do this practically, okay. And I just want--now, if
I can have this side of the room--in a little while--if I can have you stand while the rest
of this--the rest of us here observes exactly what happens to some of the people here as
far as what's happening to the head, the neck, and the back of this particular connection
because this is what we're just going to start to explore today, okay. So, if you can just
all stand like you normally do. Okay, okay. And you just sit down like you normally do.
Okay. Alright, so we're just observing what's going on there. Let's switch it around. Let's
try this side of the room. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Just a stand. Okay, the rest of us are observing
what's going on here. Okay and if you just sit down like you normally do, okay. So, what
do you notice? What happens to heads, necks, and backs? What happens to this kind of relationship?
You see at some people when they go to sit down, they oftentimes tighten their head back,
so the head weight gets thrown into the large neck muscles which tighten a lot of the muscles
in the back, tightens the lower back, et cetera. And other people do it very differently. Some
people have more collapsed responses where the thought is at stand, for instance, has
the weight being thrown down and being pulled back up again, cause whenever we have a collapse,
there's always an area of tension as to support the collapse so that the good news is that,
although tension--over tension--has a domino effect throughout the body. You know, if we
tighten here, et cetera, we're tightening other areas. Release also starts to have a
very positive effect. What I'm going to work with now is that I want to have a couple of
people come work with me. We've never had this work before, so that we can start to
observe, what goes on there. I know we had--some of you have agreed to do this just before,
so at least we had someone. Okay, but perhaps a couple of people, is anybody--yeah, please
come, great. So, yes, thanks, great. That was no problem. Okay, good. So if you can--I'm
just going to have you stand facing the cellist here. If you can come over this side, okay,
good. And, we're just going to observe this simple movement, so-called simple movement
that we do many, many times a day, just to see what happens--oh, and incidentally, this
movement is just an excuse. It's just an excuse to study the principles of the Alexander Technique.
Okay, this is not--I'm not about to show people how to sit down and stand up just for its
own sake. That wouldn't make much sense, okay, but we're looking at the connections. And
therefore we look at the connections by looking at the disconnections too, okay. So, if you
can start. David, would you just come sit down like you normally do. If you just face
our cellist there, okay, good. And just to stand like you--like you normally do. Okay,
great. Okay, and just come to the side. Then if we can have the other two volunteers to
do the same please. Just come, and to--okay, good, great, okay, okay and up we go, good.
So we have similar patterns going on here, but, did you observe anything in your selves
about what was going on with this connection that we're starting to study. This head, neck,
and back connection. Do we notice what was happening? So we have that thought to sit
down, okay. We have the thought to sit down and then we have an automatic response that's
connected to that. And for a lot of people, it's this tightening back and down. Okay,
this tightening of the head. What actually happens when the head gets tight like this
is that it puts so much pressure onto the neck and onto the back. And we start to develop
these habits, and they start to feel quite natural because habits feel natural. But when
we start to see that we put this much pressure on our selves, we start to realize that our
use, the way we move, the way we express our selves actually affects our functioning because
if we keep ourselves, the spine is so compressed through repeating these habits of tension,
we put too much pressure on our selves. And things start to--when you put too much pressure
on anything, it starts to break down. Okay, so if we can have you come back David, okay.
You just stand there as if you're about to sit down, okay, good. And if we just, just
face the cellist a little more over there--that's it, good. Now, for now, what I'm going to
start to work with is that I'm going to start to guide David through this movement here
because you can't tell people how to do something right when they have all of the--on top of
all the habits that put them wrong in the first place. We have to work with undoing.
And when we undo these habits, we start to see that good use starts to happen quite naturally,
quite easily. Okay so, can we put--can you put your feet just a little further apart
for now. Again, this is not the way to do it. So, so, I'm going to start to put my--my
hands here, on this, this area, this where the--just right on the--the spine goes into
the skull and what I'm working with here is, with my hands, I'm giving David the stimulus
to help release this whole area, this very, very, very, important area, okay. So, you
saw before, or perhaps you didn't, but that thought to sit down produced that retraction
of that head back and down. That puts a lot of tension into us here and here, okay. So
let's see what happens if I help you to not do that. Note, I'm not trying to tell him
how to do something right, but to recognize how he's putting himself wrong. Okay, okay,
so, I'm going to help you here. And just allow that neck to release, good, that's it. And
just allow those knees to float forward, that's very good, just let them go, good, that's
it. Let those knees go. Let the knees go, good, and we stay there. And by not putting
those habitual tensions, those habitual patterns on to himself, he's actually ended up, in
fairly decent balance here. So this again is this connection, this head, neck, and back
connection. So, I'm going put the hands on again, here. And we'll see, if I say today--okay
stand up please, stand up really quickly, stand up, yeah, immediately. See, we see that
thought that trigger the thought. When we're studying mind/body connection, we really want
to understand, what part the mind is playing in the moment, not analytically, but actually
in the moment. What signals have we learned to just give ourselves, consciously or otherwise?
So, that thought to have to do something right. That thought to achieve a goal, that wishing,
that wanting that--and that form of pressure can actually put our selves wrong. So, instead
of thinking that you have to sit down, I want you to think of something else, I want you
to think of allowing your neck to be free, good, and allowing that head to release just
in that forward and up direction, and I want you to think here, David, good. So, the old
thought is that you go there right? You go that way, and we get the, the butt going backwards.
Instead, what were going to work with is that we just going to change that thought. Okay,
so sit down, no, okay, otherwise that would just throw into gear that old response. And
instead, we're just going to think with my hands here. You're thinking up and the knees
go forward while you're still thinking up with my hands--yes, very good, let the neck
go free, good. Let the knees go forward, very, very, very good, yeah. And in this way, you
don't have to think about posture. Posture happens. Posture is an effect of the connection.
And it's this connection that we're starting to explore. This head, neck, and back connection
which Alexander called primary control. In that this is an integrating force. It's like
[INDISTINCT] integration. And when we're aware of this, when we're aware of that connection,
and therefore and also aware of the disconnection, so that we can easily reconnect, then nature
does its job. We don't have to think about doing posture right. To posture means to fix.
We want to get away. We want fluidity. So, I'm thinking stop and I'm thinking, okay,
if I have that thought stand up, I'm just going to say stop to that. And instead of
thinking that way, okay. We're at the [INDISTINCT] pulses to go there. Instead, I want you to
think where the balance is, which is up, good and stay with my hands, good. Stay with hands,
good, good, good. And we start to see that there's much more connection there. And you're
starting to explore the idea of using appropriate force for an activity. See, we can tolerate
a certain amount of what we call misuse. You know certain amount of the disconnection but
not too much. And the more we're able to--like, take this little example, and your using much,
much less force and tension for this activity. And then you take it to all of your other
activities, more complicated activities, you know, more fun activities or working into
the working environment, that really we start to use our awareness to prevent a lot of unnecessary
results that come from disconnection. Good, thanks. Can we have someone else? Can you
tell me your name? >> Vanessa.
>> BARON: Hi, Vanessa. Thanks. Good, so can you just remind us? We're just going to go
through this process of sitting down, good, okay. And to stand, good, so, I'm seeing quite
a--using this part, the lumbar spine, okay, you're using that area, that tightening, that
putting force on your self there. And what we want to encourage is to undo that--some
of that tension there. And instead, we'll find that if we don't tighten here, the hip
joints would just work very fluidly. Good, and just help me out too if you can just put
the feet a little wider part just for now, okay. I start off this way but this is just
for small practical, good. So the same thing, you see, I'm going to be thinking just taking
this movement here. I'm going to be thinking here, good. You're thinking with my hands
and you allow the knees to go forward, instead of the butt back and the neck is--very good.
That's very, very, very, very good, yeah. And, by not tightening these areas, posture
happens. So this whole area of where the spine meets the skull is very, very important. And
the more that we undo the tension, we start to connect to that awareness here so that
we're aware of the head being nicely balanced on top of the spine. But of course, when we
become over tensed, we loose sensitivity because it--over tension affects that proprioception.
Good, let's put the feet just a little--knees just a little wider apart there, good, good.
Okay, Vanessa, so my hands are there to just help you think. Good, that's it, good, okay
thanks. >> VANESSA: Thanks.
>> BARON: Good, okay, let us, I'm going to use you for another little part of this, okay?
I'm going to borrow one of the chairs here. And--good, and, we started to look at that
connection again, this head, neck, and back connection. And I want us to understand too
that when that's happening, when we let that happen, how that really isn't integrating
principle and how the movement of the arms and the hands readily connects to that. So
I'm going to go through this little rigmarole here. I'm going to sit down, okay, and if
I can--if I can get you to come up and put your hands on my shoulders. Okay, a little
forward, yeah, those people can see. Okay, now, if for instance I'm sat like this and
my spine's balanced and very, very fluid, I said, when I come to make movements with
the arms and the hands, they connect to that, just like it's a movable architecture. And--but,
when I actually find myself collapsed, I'm just falling down a little bit here. Yes,
my backs a little rounded. And now, I'm going to just move my arms and put them on the back
of this chair, okay. So that--okay, so what happens?
>> It tenses up. >> BARON: It tenses up, right.
>> Quite a bit. >> BARON: Yes, and if you the hands back again,
okay. Now, I'm going to do another thing. I'm going to do the thing that people are
being told to do, which is sit up straight, which ain't a good idea, okay? Look what happens
if I stiffen the spine, a lot of people might think that this is good so-called posture.
And now I come to move the arms again, what happens?
>> Yeah, it tenses up. >> BARON: It tenses up again. So--but a lot
of the time, you see people are moving from these extremes of over tension and over collapse.
And what we want to become more and more aware of is our use. How we use, how we move, how
we express our selves. Let's try something else. If you put your hands on my shoulders
here, okay. Now that I'm connected a little more to this head, neck, and back connection
to the fluidity of the spine, I'm going to put my hands on this chair, just there, okay.
And I'm going to pick this chair up like that, okay. And, what did you--what was going on
here? >> Just as everything else, it's smooth without
tension. >> BARON: It's smooth without tension, right.
This is so important for people when they're going through an activity like our office
manager. Okay, thanks, yeah, thanks a lot. So it's--the demands of working in an office,
you know, can be easily dealt with. But if we actually bring these patterns of misuse,
these patterns of tension and over collapse into like our modern day environment into
the office worker, we can unconsciously be putting so much unnecessary strain and stress
onto ourselves. And it doesn't make a lot of sense. So what makes sense is to learn
to not do that to ones self, okay. So if I come over and ask Amira and--so Amira is here
to help today, but she's also a teacher of the Alexander Technique and some of you already
know her because she also comes and she's a kinesthetic trainer here. And Amir, just
tell us a little bit about your own background and story.
>> AMIRA: So, I came to the Alexander Technique from a background in project management. I
worked at a Tech company. And I worked long hours at the computer. And let me demonstrate
how I work long hours at the computer. I don't know if you can--well, you can see me. So
I would start off trying to sit up straight, like John just demonstrated. Kind of like
this, okay, very tense. And then as the day progressed, I get tired because that's un-maintainable.
And I'd go some place like this and then I'd go some place like this. And I'd find myself
like this for the rest of the day. And as you can imagine, working like that for long
hours is not good for you. And I ended up getting quite a lot of shoulder and neck pain
as well as tension in my forearms and my elbows. And what put me over the edge was when I lost
feeling in my fingertips. And the thing that got me functioning again without pain was
the Alexander Technique because it taught me about this head-neck-back relationship
and how important that is to maintaining poise while you're working. When I learned to coordinate
that head-neck-back relationship, I no longer did the things that were causing me the pain.
So then the pain went away. And now I'm an Alexander Technique teacher, that's my story.
>> BARON: Tada. >> AMIRA: Tada.
>> BARON: Good, okay. So we've been looking at a relatively seemingly simple motion of
someone standing and sitting. We looked at movements of the arms and the hands and how
the arms can be easily integrated. We've been looking a little bit of the task of working
in an office and dealing with, you know, phones, laptops, et cetera, et cetera. And now, we're
actually going to move on a little bit more into, let's say, very, very challenging situations
like playing an instrument in a performance. And Jennifer who actually is going to be--as
I mentioned before, she's part of the Cypress String Quartet. And they're going to be playing
near here at the Montalvo Center in a couple of weeks, yes? You want to say a little more
about that? >> KLOETZEL: Yes, actually we have a series
at the Montalvo Art Center. >> BARON: Okay.
>> KLOETZEL: Eight concerts this year, late Beethoven and then some contemporary works
as well. It's very interesting. It's not much bigger than this. So it's a wonderful place
to hear music and it's very visceral place to hear music. It's in Saratoga. So it's not
that far away. >> BARON: Good. So would you like to just
explain a little bit about how the Alexander work and how this specifically this head-neck--this
connection that the works given you and how that's played for you in your work?
>> KLOETZEL: Certainly. Let's see, I came to the technique. Actually, I found John Baron
as my teacher about four years ago, I think, because I've been having some pain a few--not--minor
injuries, nothing debilitating but enough that it bothered me. And I wondered what was
going on because I felt like I was fairly tension-free when I played. But yet, these
things kept happening. And if you all have seen cellist play very often, you'll see that
when they play higher or when they play very passionately, they're often like this. I mean
this is a pretty standard look. But this is not a position of power because you've collapsed
your back. And so John and I have been working a lot about how to still stay connected to
the music and to the instrument and not do that, and allow the neck to be free, and the
back to be, you know, to widen and lengthen, and still be able to get around. You'd be
amazed at what you can do without having to be that close to it. So that was my initial
foray into the work with John. And then two years ago--two and a half years ago, I was
pregnant. And I actually worked with John through my entire pregnancy. I was touring
up until two weeks before I gave birth. And as you can imagine where the cello lies that,
you know, what do you do with the cello? So once a week or every two weeks or so when
I was in town, I would work with John and we would sort of manage, figure out, you know,
what the tendencies are because for me, what it's about is what I tend to do if I'm nervous
or if I'm feeling out of balance which I certainly did feel when I was pregnant, you know. When
there's all of this extra weight here, what do you do? So that was maybe the most extreme,
you know, use I was learning about there. >> BARON: So it wasn't just up and down the
cello, it was backwards and forwards. >> KLOETZEL: It was backwards and forwards
as to how do I move around. >> BARON: Uh-huh.
>> KLOETZEL: But in--within a month after I gave birth I was back playing again and
touring. So again, I had to rebalance myself. So it's not something I learned very quickly.
It's not something that's fixed because especially in the--you know, the 40 weeks of my pregnancy,
every week was different in terms of how I was using my self. But I mean even today,
it's--everyday feels a little different. And at least if I have tools to sort of remind
myself that I'm not--one of my favorite things about Alexander Technique is the idea of end-gaining
or not end-gaining. So if you're always thinking, "Well, I have to do that and I have to do
that now," I mean even when I'm talking about that, my body kind of goes this way. So okay,
I'm going to stop. Oh okay, I already feel better. And then, you know, task at hand.
Here's what I need to do right now. >> BARON: Good, so that's just such a good
example of how someone makes this work their own and how it is really educational in nature.
Yes, you've come, you work with a teacher, or you're working here on campus within this
program about the idea is that this is a self care method.
>> BARON: Good, so that's just such a good example of how someone makes this work their
own and how it is really educational in nature. And yes you've come, you work with a--with
a teacher and you're working here on campus within this program and that the idea is that
this is a self-care method so that you'll learn to use this principles and--and adapt
them yourself to--to your own lives. I thought that when you were saying too about the going
through the pregnancy, that was a really interesting phase for us when we're working together because,
the--we really had to adapt very quickly to the, to the changes and--and especially in
the, you know, the last trimester it was really quite challenging so it was fun. Could--would
you like to say just a little bit Jennifer to about the--the technique in terms of a
performance anxiety and how you see that for--for musicians.
>> KLOETZEL: Well I mean, when we get nervous we tend to use our body in you know, ways
that aren't necessarily helpful. I'm constantly surprised even as much as I know now what
I'll catch myself doing, I'm not breathing. I had one student who didn't breathe whenever
she played and this was the, you know, she didn't even noticed she was doing it. She
turned red, you know, it's just--so coming back to those basics, I was like wow what
am I doing, I don't feel so well, oh okay if I'll stop and take a breath, or if I am--and
it just helps to manage the, you know, how you're feeling when you're under tremendous
pressure like that. So--so I'm thinking about it quite frequently, but I also feel like
I have tools to do so. Like, I know how to figure out what to stop and what to use and
you know. And not that it's perfect all the time. There isn't such a thing right?
>> BARON: Right. >> KLOETZEL: But fact that I have a better--better
sense of what to do. >> BARON: Yeah, perfection is an end game.
>> KLOETZEL: Yes it is. >> BARON: Yeah. Just trying to achieve something
that's, that's not, not realistic. >> KLOETZEL: Right.
>> BARON: Good okay. What I'd like us to do is to--if we can just put the Cello safely
aside and--good. And just going to go back over here again to--to the chair, yeah. Because
with--the mind goes to understand that this connection is very, very fluid. And with--with
the challenges one has to playing an instrument, especially at this level, it's really important
that, that one has that fluidity and that ease. So while we've been working, I'm just
going to take Jennifer to the chair here and good. So--we might just move very fluidly
around--around the chair here so that we have that ease and that connection and the--the
ease into--with the arms, the connection into the arms. So it is--this is not about sitting
up straight that really is such a--as I've mentioned such a--a lousy idea it really is
the idea of connection in ourselves. Because the awareness too that creates that connection.
>> KLOETZEL: But it's also not about just letting go.
>> BARON: Yes. >> KLOETZEL: When I first came to the work,
you know, when you go for a massage, you want to let go. But this if you let go, you fall
down. So you want to know how to use--use everything.
>> BARON: Yes, yes. It is exploring the--the [INDISTINCT]. So it really is learning again
the how to connect into ourselves. So, for instance if there's certain passages which
uncertain positions on the Cello which are better served by coming a little more forwards.
The certain one we're playing up into the high position, it is better to be able to
come back. But remember what we're doing before about the shoulders. It's so important that
they don't get tight and elevated because otherwise as well as it creating tightness
in all the extenses here, and it also affects how one feels. It affects the agility in the
movement. So we're looking for this connection to just give us this use, this good use. Good,
so I'm moving around here good. That's it, good. So, and now we're just going to take
that--that very nice use into--into a piece. >> KLOETZEL: Okay.
>> BARON: Going to play us a piece by Corado. >> KLOETZEL: Casado.
>> BARON: Casado, excuse me. >> KLOETZEL: Do you want to--shall I face
them or I face the wall? >> BARON: You can just face them, yeah and
just play for them, thank you. Okay. Thank you. God, good gosh.
>> KLOETZEL: Pleasure. >> BARON: Okay. Did people have any questions,
I'll be very happy to address them. You know, it's kind of nice not to have questions sometimes,
just let--just stay with the music. >> I actually was wondering, you--my appearance--you
appear very fluid in your body, which is one of your--how does this compare to [INDISTINCT]
in terms of how many hours you play the piece, what kind of discomfort you have after a period
of time that you don't have any longer, those sort of changes?
>> KLOETZEL: It's not that there, isn't still. >> Right.
>> KLOETZEL: You know, I'll still be managing things.
>> Can you repeat the question? >> KLOETZEL: Oh, could I repeat the question,
yes okay. >> Because you're playing an instrument and
it's physical. >> KLOETZEL: Right, so she was, she was asking
me how it's changed for me over the period of time that I've been working with Alexander,
and that I seemed quite fluid, and has that changed and can I play for more hours now
or something. >> Right.
>> KLOETZEL: I think I'm just a little more aware of when I've reached the peak of what
I cannot do. Like, if I've had enough for that time. But as I get older, I think it's
you know I kept thinking it's going to get harder as you get more, and more tense and
you get more set in your ways. So this has definitely made me feel younger as a player.
And more fluid, certainly. And I can sit for longer and play for, I mean, I'm often playing
eight hours a day. And that's you know, it's not that, that's not a problem. I don't always
love those days but, fact that I can manage everything pretty well, or notice. Actually
that's basically what it is, notice. Oh, I better think about that a little more, work
on that a little more, or you know, call John for another lesson and say "Why does this"
you know, I can't figure out what I'm doing here, and he'll often bring you know one idea
to me that oh, that changes my whole world and I--I started playing when I was six. So
you can imagine I have habits from a long period of time. And you know, I've had all
these great teachers. But actually, the technique has taught me I think more about how I use
my body than any of my teachers did. And why is my--why am I doing that with my foot, I
don't need a foot to play. That could be gone and I you know--but obviously, it's you know
contributing to something else there. Does that answer your question?
>> Yes it does, thank you. >> Can you tell me more about published studies?
>> BARON: Yes. >> KLOETZEL: Repeat the question.
>> BARON: Yes. He wants to know about the published studies. And this--the one I mentioned
before, it's just been published by the British Medical Journal. If you go to Alexander Study
and BMJ, and if you--if you pull out that study--the study was done by the South Hampton
University. And there have been other studies done and--and smaller studies than that in
the past. But that's been the most major study so far. Even though this works quite of--with--of
120 years old as I mentioned. Yeah, good. So, well shall--is that it? Good, let's end
it. Thanks so much for coming, thanks a lot, thank you, good.