All of my work, therapies, exercises, and instruction are based upon understanding the effects and the concepts of body alignment, habitual patterns, breathing, and muscle tension.

These concepts have their root in the Alexander Technique of my Shaw Method training. Every aspect of my work will involve these concepts in one way or another, as they are the core and foundation upon which my work is built.

At first glance the concepts are so simple that we may assume we understand them and take them for granted. The truth is that they are so simple that we may often overlook them and underestimate how tremendously important they are to our body's health and basic functions.

Body Alignment

Imagine for a moment an automobile that was involved in an accident. If the basic frame is out of alignment, even if it has been repaired to make it serviceable, the car may likely pull to one side and prematurely wear the tires, brakes or other components that rely on the basic frame's alignment to function properly and in unison with the other parts.

Your body relies on many mechanical components as well, and is subject to the same premature wear when it is out of alignment. An injured knee on your left leg may allow you to rely more upon your right leg. Consequently, the muscles become stronger on your right leg and the proportion of strain on your right hip may increase.

It is not unrealistic to imagine that the one knee has now effected the whole body's alignment.

Habitual patterns

Muscle holding patterns or habits are often a learned behavioral pattern that we unconsciously set in motion. Our example of the injured knee again applies. Perhaps the left knee is injured and during recovery we rely more on the right leg, and set up a habit of favoring it.

After the knee has recovered, our habit is still to favor the right leg, and we establish a pattern that becomes our norm for walking, running, standing, swimming, and using our body in general. What we have done is to get comfortable with the mis-alignment and integrated it into how we hold and carry ourselves.

In order to modify or break these habits, we must first become aware of them. Often the habit becomes so second nature to us that we not only don't recognize it, but we feel more out of balance when we try to correct it. We've been out of alignment so long that it feels unnatural trying to move in a balanced and coordinated way.

Breathing

Becoming aware of your breath is fundamental to your ability to enjoy, and feel safe, and calm in the water. For example, when we are anxious in the water we tend to hold our breath and not be aware of our breathing. When we hold our breath it increases tension and affects our buoyancy. It also has an affect on our postural alignment, often creating an imbalance.

Learning to recognise your breathing patterns when in water will enable you to consciously become aware of your mind-body connection.

Slow, steady breathing relaxes the body and calms the mind. It will help you to cope with feelings of anxiety, and will allow you to remain in control. Breath control will help you to create calm and tranquillity within in the water.

Muscle tension

Muscle tension is often a function of stress, whether it is physically stressing a muscle through overuse or misuse, or mental stress channeled to muscles through a pattern of holding energy in them. It is easier to recognize that a muscle feels sore or tense when we can see the direct physical cause for the tension. I ran two miles and now my calf muscle is sore. Most people can understand that concept.

The more difficult concept to grasp is the muscle tension that one can hold in their neck, shoulders or pelvic floor. We haven't over-exercised or done anything physical, yet the muscles are tense, ache, and can restrict our movement or other functions. This type of muscle tension,based upon internalised stress, is the root cause of a majority of the physical symptoms of people living with muscle pain. The holding of muscle tension in a specific area of the body is often an unconscious holding pattern that we have set up but can't seem to understand or recognise in ourselves. We experience the effect, but somehow do not see ourselves as the cause. Many of the activities we do in our daily lives contribute to our muscle tension.

While some of my therapies are designed to relieve or reduce tension, my method of teaching swimming is designed to make sure that you don't move in a manner that creates muscle tension.

Applying the Principles

If you integrate the three ideas above and link them together, you can see that a pattern emerges. The held muscle tension can become a habit, the habit can effect body alignment, the body's mis-alignment can causes muscle tension /stress, and the process keeps repeating. No matter how you rearrange the variables, they always will have an interrelation with each other. If poor body alignment is the cause and muscle tension is the result, a habit will form. If a habit has formed and poor body alignment is the result, held muscle tension will have a roll in one of the two variables.

Whether you are interested in relaxation therapies to relieve or reduce tension, or you are interested in swimming in a manner that does not introduce undue stress on the neck and back, you will find that the concepts of held muscle tension, habitual patterns, and body alignment will come into play.

The common element in which to work and focus on these areas is the water. The water is the perfect environment to learn, understand, and apply these concepts.

With a desire to learn, and dedication to putting in the effort, you will learn to relax, trust, and most of all, enjoy the water, while you improve your health, well-being and maintain your fitness.