Beginning is easy
Alexander Technique for kids
In today’s world, many kids don’t have a carefree childhood anymore. As a result, many children suffer from concentration problems, muscle tension, headaches, stomach aches and sleep disorders. One of the main things our kids are taught is to spend hours and hours and hours sitting down.
But movement is essential for developing a healthy spine and strong postural muscles. In today’s world, many children are not spending enough time moving their bodies.
The Alexander Technique can help children to get to know themselves better, to experience the connection between their minds and bodies and to enjoy learning new things and moving their bodies.
Pilot project at a school
Together with a team of Alexander Technique teachers, I carried out a pilot project to teach the Alexander Technique to schoolchildren at Vienna’s Sacre Coeur primary school in the academic year 2004/2005. The project was entitled “Aller Anfang ist leicht” (“Beginning is easy”) and received government co-funding by the Fonds Gesundes Österreich. For three months, a team of Alexander Technique teachers taught ten sessions of 1.5 to 2 hours to first- and third-grade students.
The teachers and after-school educators also received Alexander Technique lessons, and sessions and parent-child workshops were offered to get the parents involved.
Goal
Encouraging positive posture habits in schoolchildren and getting teachers and parents involved.
As soon as the kids and their teachers realize that there are ways for them to control the way they feel, they are in a position to develop a healthy relationship with themselves in the long term.