Body Language: A

An Excursion Through the Alphabet in Somatic Terms
by Thomas Myers

First we will explore the primacy of animal energy that leads the letter A...to be the first letter of the alphabet. A and its primacy suggest the originating energy of the somatic education movement...the Alexander Technique...in our clinical section we will explore...what is termed the A-frame stance."

Thomas Myers' first "Body Language" article briefly chronicles the beginnings of the letter A. Myers connects the genesis of the letter A with the Alexander Technique. A brief discussion of the birth of the Alexander Technique and the results of poor "body usage" is provided. Myers connects the primacy of the letter A with the "head-neck-torso relationship" that F. Matthias Alexander termed "primary control." He concludes this section with a discussion of head retraction, the role of the sub-occipital muscles, and a person's physical response to fear and how that manifests in posture. Myers focus turns to the A-frame stance for the clinical portion of the article. Myers provides the reader with a method to evaluate a client for the A-frame stance and suggests homework assignments for the client to help correct posture.

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