In his book Man's Search for Meaning, the Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, Dr Victor Frankl, wrote a very good description of what Alexander meant by the word inhibition:

Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our happiness.

The main direction to prevent the habit of pulling the head back is:

1. Allow the neck to be free
       so that
2. The head can go forward and upwards
       in order that
3. The back can lengthen and widen

It would take too long to look at every movement we make, but the following principles can be applied to working at a computer, driving a car, running and swimming, or to any of the thousands of activities we do.

• Always inhibit your first reaction to give yourself time to think of the most effective and efficient way of performing any given activity.
• Give your directions before and while performing the activity.
• Be aware of any old detrimental habits that might creep back as you are performing the activity.
• Don't be too goal orientated to get the task completed.
• Enjoy the moment.
• Always be prepared to pause again to reconsider or re-choose the way that you are performing your action at any stage.

During his years of discovery, Alexander realized that the body, mind and emotions did not only affect one another, they were in fact inseparable – he referred to this principle as psycho-physical unity. This fundamental principle of the Alexander Technique, which states that the body, mind and emotions are merely different facets of the same entity, means that if we change one thing we change all of them.

The habit of rushing from one thing to the next is a problem that not only affects us physically, but it also affects us mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Feeling that we do not have enough time affects us mentally: by over-stimulating the mind, eventually causing mental blocks, an overactive mind that gives us little or no control over persistent unwanted thoughts, and endless worry for no reason. It affects us emotionally, because it can cause us to lose control of our anger and react irrationally, which eventually can damage relationships with family or friends. It can affect us spiritually, because it prevents us from being in contact with the peace and tranquillity that should be the very essence and foundation of our lives. Stress prevents us from 'being human' in the truest sense of the word and turns us into doing machines, which in time will start to break down.

It is important to differentiate between doing things quickly and rushing our movements: there is nothing wrong with doing things quickly, it is constant hurrying that harms us.

... I began to notice that my everyday life became more of a flow and much less of a struggle. After a month or so, I began to notice how restless my mind was, constantly telling me I was not good enough or that this or that was wrong with my life. Over time, practising the technique seemed to help me quieten my mind, and the more peaceful I felt, the more I could see how much out of control my thoughts had been and how much I was constantly reacting to my own thoughts.

I began to see clearly that there was a definite correlation between the amount of mental activity that was going on in my head and how tense my back muscles were. I still have Alexander lessons today, not because of any back pain, but because there is always something I can learn about myself that can improve the quality of my life and consequently the lives of those around me. One of my pupils once said to me that since he started to have Alexander lessons everyone around him at home had changed for the better. The family, however, were adamant that the only change that had happened was within the man, who had become much more pleasant to live with. Even in business meetings and other social situations, the atmosphere can be much more harmonious and efficient if those participating are calmer. When working in companies I have certainly found that people are able to think more clearly and as a result can be more creative with their ideas after a course of Alexander lessons.

The experience of the Alexander Technique actually puts you in touch with your own true essence, an experience that some people may not have had since childhood. It can give us the power to alter our consciousness, which can allow spontaneous gratitude to take the place of negative thinking; since our consciousness has no limits, there is no end to how attentive or appreciative we can be of this amazing existence. The more aware we are, the more alive we will feel and the greater our capacity to enjoy life will be. ...