For some people, aches and pains and concerns about potential damage to their back and joints mean gardening is not the pleasure it once was. If that is the case for you, this blog offers some tips to help ease the strain so that you can regain some of the pleasure.
Tip One – Pause before starting each activity to allow yourself to make a conscious choice to breathe out and let go of any tension. This helps to interrupt any habits you may have developed that result in using more effort than is needed.
Tip Two – Avoid getting drawn into the task in hand to such a degree that you lose all sense of yourself and your surroundings. To achieve this, think of maintaining a little distance between yourself and whatever is in front of you. Also, think of staying ‘back and up’ rather than being drawn forward and down. Notice that I have used the word ‘think’ of staying back and up and ‘think’ of moving away from whatever is in front of you, this is because what you want is a subtle movement that simply having an intention can achieve.
Tip Three – Allow your arms to connect into your back. The muscles in your back are big and strong and knowing that they support your arms can take some of the strain out of many gardening tasks.
It may be difficult to image the tips above making any difference when you are sat reading them, especially if you have not experienced the Alexander Technique previously. But, if you choose to stay curious and open to the possibility, next time you are out in the garden, you might just be pleasantly surprised. Here a few activities when it would be good to experiment:
- Mowing the lawn
- Pushing a wheelbarrow
- Planting
- Digging
- Hoeing
- Pruning
Tip Four – Rest for 10-15 minutes in a way that allows gravity to gently release any tension and ensure you are ready for your next session. This short YouTube clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhxMNou1Tfo. explains how.
If this post has sparked your curiosity and you are interested in finding out how the Alexander Technique can help you please email me at attbridgetbarr@gmail.com or call me on 07957 981240 get in touch using the contact icons
You may also like to sign up for blog updates which simply means you will receive an email letting you know when there is a new post.
0 Comments