Alexander Technique FAQ 亞歷山大技巧 常見問題
The following are frequently asked questions about the Alexander Technique. Also, my students share their personal experiences!
以下是常見的亞歷山大技巧相關問題，還有我學生們的經驗分享!
Q: Who's the Alexander Technique good for?
A: It's for anyone who:
~has aches or pains, e.g. in their shoulders, neck, back, hips, wrists, etc; and/or
~is concerned about or wants to improve their posture.
"I started doing the Alexander Technique because of back pain from playing the cello. I first tried massage therapy, physical therapy and acupuncture~but they all only provided temporary relief. Only the Alexander Technique worked to get rid of my back pain."
問：亞歷山大技巧有什麼好處？
答：如果你：
-身體會痠痛，如肩頸、腰背、髖關節、手腕
-擔心姿勢不良、或想要改善你的姿勢
"我是因為拉大提琴導致背痛，所以開始學亞歷山大技巧。我試過按摩、物理治療、針灸- 但這些都只讓我暫時比較舒服而已，唯有亞歷山大技巧能有效消除背痛。
Q: What happens in a typical Alexander Technique lesson?
A: The teacher guides you with her hands to do simple movements at a chair, e.g. sitting down, standing up and bending forward.
You'll also lie down on a table, and the teacher uses her hands to help you lengthen your body. If you have a specific area of pain, tell your teacher. She can give you advice on how to eliminate it.
"At the end of every lesson, I feel taller and lighter on my feet. It's as if the teacher has peeled off a layer of bad postural habit."
問：亞歷山大技巧課的上課方式是什麼？
答：老師會用手觸碰引導你做簡單的動作，像是站起、坐下、前彎等。你也會躺在按摩床上，老師會用手引導幫助你伸展身體。如果你身體有痠痛不適的地方，可以提出來，老師會協助你減輕或消除不適。
“每次上完課，我都覺得變高也變輕了，好像壞習慣都被剝除了。”
Q: What can I expect from doing the Alexander Technique? How will it help me?
A: You learn how to, on your own, effectively deal with aches and pains that crop up. Most aches and pains are caused by the way you're holding your body while doing everyday activities. The Alexander Technique teaches you how to more effectively hold and use your body, thus eliminating the cause of the pain.
"One day while walking up the escalator on the MRT, my left hip suddenly hurt. I first thought, 'Oh, I'm getting old!' But then I thought, 'Wait a minute. Why does only my left hip hurt, and not my right one? Why does it only hurt when I'm climbing up stairs? I must be doing something wrong on my left side...' I applied the Alexander Technique principles for the next 2-3 days every time I climbed up the MRT escalator, and like magic, the pain in my left hip went away and never came back!"
問：我可以從亞歷山大技巧學到什麼？它能怎麼幫我？
答：你會學到自己解決疼痛與不適等問題。大部分的疼痛都是起因於日常生活中我們如何運用我們的身體。亞歷山大技巧教你怎麼更輕鬆地去運用身體，消除疼痛的來源。
“有一次我在捷運的手扶梯上往上走，左邊臀部忽然很痛，我想：哎呀我老了，但我又想，為什麼是左邊痛，右邊不痛呢？為什麼上樓梯才會痛？一定是我左側做了什麼不對的事情吧？接下來幾天，我在走捷運手扶梯時，運用亞歷山大技巧，非常神奇地，我的左臀一點都不痛了! 而且這個情形再也沒出現過!”
Q: How much does it cost?
A: A single half-hour lesson costs NT1000. Pay in advance for 10 lessons, and the price becomes NT800 per lesson. (to encourage people come regularly for a period of time. Changing habits takes time.)
問：費用呢？
答：一堂半小時的課是NT1000元。如果預付十堂課可享八折優惠。(以此鼓勵大家持續規律的上課一段時間，因為改變身體的習慣需要時間)
Q: How many lessons do most people take?
A: 30 lessons is the recommended minimum to gain a basic understanding of the Alexander Technique so that you can apply it on your own.
"My original pain disappeared after 6 lessons over 2 weeks. That was over 2 decades ago. I've continued doing monthly lessons because it does me so much good!"
問：通常要上多少堂課才夠？
答：要對亞歷山大技巧有基本的了解，並能夠自己運用，建議至少30堂課。
“剛開始，我兩週內上了六堂課，背痛就好了。那是20多年前了。現在，我持續每個月上一次課，因為它的好處真的很多!”
Q: Why is it called the "Alexander Technique"?
A: It was started by a man named Frederick Mathias Alexander. In the 1890s, he was a Shakespearian actor in Melbourne. His career was going fine until suddenly, every time he stepped onto the stage, his voice would go hoarse. He went to see various doctors, none of whom could help. He decided to carefully observe himself in a full-length mirror stepping onto a box. He realized every time he stepped onto the box, he was throwing his neck back very slightly, causing his vocal cords to constrict. He then worked at undoing this action, and cured himself. Later, he moved to England, and further developed the Technique there, teaching others how to help people with problems rooted in "incorrectly" using their body. Today, there are certified Alexander Technique teachers in # different countries. They've all undergone a 1600-hr (3-yr) course.
問：為什麼叫做亞歷山大技巧呢？
答：它是由Frederick Matthias Alexander發展出來的。1890年代，他是澳洲墨爾本的莎士比亞戲劇演員。事業正起飛時，他的聲音忽然變得沙啞，看了幾個不同的醫生，也沒人能幫助他。他決定自己仔細地在全身鏡前觀察自己，他發現到自己每次唸台詞時，頸部會往後，頭部向後拉，使得聲帶收縮。接著更發現到，整個身體的狀態，都會影響到聲音。他花了大約九年的時間解決自己的問題。之後搬到倫敦，在那裡教學。並開設師資訓練中心。幫助大家解決錯誤使用身體的問題。至今世界上已經多個國家有師訓學校及亞技老師。他們都經過了三年共1600 小時的訓練。
Q: What's special about the Alexander Technique?
A: It's not a therapy, it's a learning experience.
It deals with the whole body. It emphasizes the head-neck relationship.
問：亞歷山大技巧有什麼獨特的地方？
答：它不是被動治療，而是主動學習。不管你是哪個部位不舒服，都要從全身來檢視。它特別強調頭頸關係的重要性，也是其他方式中少見的。
Jun-Ping Lo羅潤蘋老師
AmSAT Certified Alexander Technique Teacher
Graduated from Alexander Technique Urbana, 2002
Contact聯絡方式
Cell: 0916891028
e-mail: junpinglo@hotmail.com
