Coming to Quiet

The Alexander Technique is many things: improved mechanics for more coordinated movement, better posture, less muscle tension, perhaps less pain or at least a way to modulate the pain.

The early teachers who worked with FM Alexander talked about operating from a sense of calm that began with muscles and skeleton, but went all the way to the nervous system, including the breath. Miss Goldie, one of Alexander's long-time assistants, called it "coming to quiet".

I have fond memories of my first experiences with "coming to quiet". My initial lessons were 3 hours from home, and I made the trek one Sunday each month and had a 2-hour lesson: the first hour Alexander Technique and the second hour singing. I was teaching music in a public school at the time and excitedly shared all the interesting tidbits with my teacher when I arrived. At some point, she would put her hands on my shoulders and say, "Now, we'll just forget all of that and focus on what we're doing here." And amazingly enough, I pretty quickly learned to make a switch. By the end of the lesson I felt light as a feather, and I could actually sing.

Being "quiet" is more than a state of relaxation. That's a term that isn't used much in the Alexander Technique, since often the idea of relaxation involves letting go of muscle tone so that muscles need to contract to be ready to work. I call it "melting into a puddle". Relaxing is often thought of as the opposite of tension, and it's a lovely state for awhile, but not very useful for getting anything done.

Let's make a distinction between tone and tension. The job of muscles is to contract or release. They work in pairs, so that when one contracts the other releases (think of the biceps and triceps in the upper arm or the quads and hamstrings in the thighs). The goal of the Alexander Technique is to find balance between the muscles so that they are at their resting length and ready to work. We talk about about more or less tone, depending on the task. In this state of readiness, the last thing you want is a major contraction to put them out of balance again.

As I continue to study, I've chosen a course with Penelope Easten, who spent several years taking lessons from Miss Goldie. She often refers to what she learned in those lessons.

"Miss Goldie taught me to come to a deeper level of quiet that was toned, awake and ready for action. Out of this calm quiet state the right thing did do itself! I found I was moving in new ways that were stable. I felt physically stronger, yet flexible. This also left me feeling emotionally stronger, and I found myself using different words to respond, creating a different atmosphere. 

The core of Miss Goldie's work was choice. From this calm space - this true stop - one can see with perspective and make a fresh decision." (from an email October 5, 2025)

This quiet place is a lovely state from which to operate. I feel a sense of having enough time to really look at the situation and make the best choice. There's no impulse or rushing to start or finish. There's also no stress in either body or mind, just a state of moving forward with confidence.

Getting to this "quiet" can happen through a guided experience (with a teacher or recording), through a breathing exercise, or through an eye tracking exploration. Perhaps you can find yourself simply sitting still in a chair and releasing the muscles while you engage with the space around you. Any way you find that quiet nervous system gives you a foundation from which to make choices about actions and reactions. This is the secret to the Alexander Technique. Getting there consistently is the journey of a lifetime!

For short experiences with coming to quiet, check out my Midweek Pause. New videos are released weekly on Wednesdays.

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