My Working DayFrank Kennedy teaches the Alexander technique, a method to relieve the pain and stress caused by everyday misuse of the body
I've been teaching the Alexander technique for over 30 years. I was the first teacher to introduce it into Ireland in 1973. I'm also the co-ordinator for the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique in Ireland. The Alexander technique is a method of correcting harmful postural habits in how people perform their normal daily activities.
Wrong habits such as slouching in chairs, crouching over desks and holding the phone between their head and shoulder can be at the root of many ailments including neck, back and muscular problems, repetitive strain injury, tension headaches, fatigue and stress-related disorders.
The core of the Alexander technique is learning to be more conscious in how we lead our lives. This is very relevant to stress. Many people react to stress by tensing up but that serves no purpose.
In a course of Alexander technique lessons, people learn how to consciously release tense muscles. They then learn how to consciously prevent muscles from tensing up when they come under pressure.
Essentially, people develop a degree of conscious control over how they react to difficult situations. I teach the Alexander technique in individual half- hour lessons. Through a gentle hands-on process, tense muscles are released. This allows the head to be guided up and the spine to lengthen.
In the same way, round shoulders are eased out. A person is then physically guided in how to sit, stand, walk and perform all their daily activities with good posture and movement.
What the Alexander technique aims to achieve is relaxation in action. This is tension-free poise in how people sit at a desk, drive their car or play golf.
Sessions differ from individual to individual. In one lesson, I might teach a person how to walk with lightness. In another, I would teach someone how to work at a desk with freedom and ease or I could be teaching a person how to stop holding their breath.
I teach people of all ages and from all walks of life. For example, dentists with neck problems from bending over patients, business people who want to relieve stress and strain, office workers with back pain from crouching over work stations, teachers with vocal strain, students who have developed rounded shoulders and slouched backs from hours of sitting at a desk, and actors and musicians who want to enhance their performance by being more calm and confident.
I'm fortunate in that I am able to work from my home in south Dublin which allows me to be more flexible in my working hours to accommodate people who need to see me after 6pm.
Helping people is very satisfying.
A further attraction to me is the diversity of people I meet in my daily work.