Joseph Pilates and F. Matthias Alexander had similar views of what had gone wrong with the overall health of modern man and, generally, what needed to be done to improve it. Both men strongly and sincerely believed that if their ideas were universally adopted, many of the problems they had identified would be solved. They also agreed on a great many specifics. To cite just one example, they both argued that it was of the utmost importance to have some very basic anatomical knowledge so that one could more effectively and efficiently use ones body in accordance with its design. Yet anyone who has had experience with their actual methods - the Pilates Method and the Alexander Technique - can testify to the fact that they differ dramatically in their approach. Why is this? And what are the differences in their methods? I believe the answers to these two questions can be found in their approaches to the relationship between mind and body. While Pilates and Alexander both saw a much closer connection between the two than was generally the case at the time they were developing their ideas. there was a crucial difference. In order to see this clearly, we will need to read a little of what each man had to say about the subject. Pilates wrote, ...the solution to our present-day ills lies in recognizing the fact that normal development of both the body and the mind is not possible by pitting the body against the mind, or vice versa. It is foolish to believe that one can perform effectively without working in concert with the other. Rather, by recognizing the mental functions of the mind and the physical limitations of the body, complete coordination between the mind and the body can be achieved. Pilates also wrote of ...the deplorable state of ignorance existing with reference to one of the simplest, if not the simplest, law of nature - balance of body and mind. The absence of its practical application in or present-day program of physical education and training must be addressed. Alexander might have agreed with this as far as it went, but he took things a step further. Through his work on himself in overcoming a vocal problem, and his experiences in helping others, Alexander came to the conclusion that it was not BALANCE of mind and body that was crucial, but rather absolute UNITY of the two that needed to be understood on a practical level. For Alexander, mind and body were simply two sides of the same coin. I must admit, he wrote in his third book, The Use of the Self, that when I began in investigation, I, in common with most people, conceived of body and mind as separate parts of the same organism and consequently believed that human ills, difficulties and shortcomings could be classified as either mental or physical and dealt with on specifically mental or specifically physical lines. My practical experiences, however, led me to abandon this point of view and...(my technique)...is based on the opposite conception, namely, that it is IMPOSSIBLE to separate mental and physical processes in any form of human activity. In his second book, Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual Alexander addressed the problem this impossibility of separation created for his writing: I am forced to use the words physical and mental...because there are no words at present which adequately express the manifestations of pycho-physical activity...I wish therefore to make it clear that whenever I use the word mental, it is to be understood is representing all processes or manifestations which are generally recognized as not wholly physical, and vice versa the word physical as representing all processes and manifestations which are generally recognized as not wholly mental. *** Pilates understanding of the importance of mind-body coordination can be seen very clearly in his approach to physical self-improvement. Over the years he developed a great many exercises designed to improve strength and flexibility. He also devised a number of ingenious mechanical devices to facilitate the specific targeting of muscles or muscle groups. He would tailor the use of these devices and exercises to fit the needs of the individual client. And he always placed a great deal of stress on precisely HOW each exercise was to be done. As an aside, Pilates also invented a bed he thought would help people sleep better and improve their posture as well as several chairs designed with the laws of nature in mind. You can see photographs of his bed - which appears to be a truly bizarre contraption - in his book Your Health. In his book Return to Life Through Contrology Pilates provides several photographs and a detailed set of instructions for a great many of these exercises. The emphasis is always on learning the precise way to perform the exercise along with instructions for proper breathing. More often than not, he suggests that the exercises be done very slowly at first, with only a few repetitions - often as few as three. Clearly he wanted people to use their minds when exercising their bodies so that they could be aware of precisely what they were doing, thereby gaining maximum benefits and avoiding harm. How different this is from what one often sees in a gym or fitness club where the emphasis is on quantify rather than quality and mindfulness is often completely absent. In the gym I go to, you can often see people exercising on treadmills or exercise bikes while reading the paper or watching TV. Pilates would have been horrified to see this. As, Im sure, would Alexander. In fact, Alexanders approach to fitness did not include exercises at all! He believed that what most people needed was the ability to consciously direct themselves towards a more efficient way of doing whatever it was that they already did. The idea of prescribing specific exercises, even if done correctly, would have made little sense to him. While Pilates urged his readers and clients to pay close attention to how they did his exercises, Alexanders approach was to teach his students how to pay attention to THEMSELVES in whatever activity they were doing. When they did this, he believed, they would naturally select activities that best meet their needs. Furthermore, because of his observation that most people tend to exaggerate harmful patterns of posture and movement when engaging in strenuous activities, the re-training needed to to improve your overall state of functioning is far more likely to succeed when it takes place under less demanding circumstances. While this certainly did not rule out physical exercises, his emphasis was always on improving they way one functions in ordinary, daily activities. And, in his view, that always consisted of both a mental and physical component. For him, thinking and doing were totally interconnected and in a very profound sense, what you think is what you get. As any competent Alexander Technique teacher can demonstrate, you can learn new ways to think about yourself, at rest or in movement, that immediately improve the quality of your functioning. The title of Alexanders first book, Mans Supreme Inheritance is a reference to our human capacity to think our way out of dysfunctional patterns of behavior. The majority of people go through life on auto-pilot most of the time and so they tend to repeat the same patterns of posture and action - whether they are harmful or not. When those patterns are harmful, Alexander believed the solution was to use our innate capacities for self-correction and self-improvement.(1) In an article to be published next month at Suite101.com, I will explore the strengths and weaknesses of Pilates and Alexanders approaches, and some of the ways they can complement each other. (1) It could be argued that Pilates understanding of mind-body unity went further than is evident in his writings. He certainly understood that whenever you use a muscle, you use it in relation to ALL of your musculature. It seems very likely that he also understood that when you strengthen a muscle, you also strengthen the connection between the mind and that muscle; perhaps this could be seen as uncovering and utilizing the underlying unity between mind and muscle. Looked at from that point of view, Pilates approach to fitness was to influence the mind-body unity via the bodily end of the spectrum while Alexander emphasized using the mental end of that spectrum. |
