Welcome to lecture seven. In this lecture, we're going to look at tips for you to implement or procedures that you can use to improve your posture, poise, performance, voice production, breathing, and also to prevent strain, excess tension, anxiety, etc. So, let's start with the first procedure, which is Alexander's semi supine position. So, Alexander recommended that you lie down for approximately 15 minutes every day if possible. In this position called a semi supine. So to do is we want to lie on a firm surface.

So you don't want to lie on a bed because it's too soft. So the floor with a yoga mat, maybe on a carpet, or maybe lie on a towel So, again want to make sure it's a firm surface. Also, you can put a soft book on your head. So you can find a book that's approximately two fingers thick, because we don't want the head going back onto the spine. Also, we want to keep our eyes open. So you don't want to close your eyes and fall asleep when you lie on the floor.

You want to keep your eyes open and give yourself directions. And when I say give yourself directions, I mean you could think of the shoulders widening, think of the neck being soft, think of your face and eyes being soft. You can also think of the palms widening the fingers lengthening. You can think of letting the support come in via the pelvis, the shoulders and the head. You can also Think of the knees going towards the ceiling. And also you can think of the directions in the negative form where you think my shoe, I'm not tensing my shoulders, I'm not tensing my neck.

I'm not holding any tension. I'm not holding my legs, etc. So we want to release as much tension as much muscle tension as possible when you're lying on the floor. Also, we have our knees up like this to help release the lower back. So when the knees are up, it takes the pressure off the lower back. So for people with back pain, lower back pain, this is very good to practice.

Also, with the legs, we want to adjust the feet so the leg can balance by itself. Again, you don't want to be holding, holding your legs when you lie on the floor. You want to just balance the leg so it can almost balanced by itself. Additionally, you can get a chair and put your legs up on a chair here. So you would lift these onto a chair. This is also very relaxing to release tension in the legs.

So, what are the benefits? Well, the main one is for the spine for the neck and spine. When you lie in this position, the back can release tension, your deep spinal muscles can let go of all the tension that it holds. And it it's very beneficial for the whole torso, the ribs can move easier, and it's helps to calm down the nervous system. So, if you practice this every day, you should find that your you will be your coordination should be better, you feel calmer, your breathing is better etc. But you need to be persistent and practices.

So that Everything about the semi supine position. So the second procedure is the whispered Ah, Alexander developed a procedure called the whispered Ah, and it goes something like this. So that's a whispered Ah, so how do we do with data? Well, the first thing, the most important thing is we don't want to be throwing our head back. So we don't want to do something like this. Alright.

Alexander also found when he works with people that most people when they open their mouth, they actually throw their head back instead of letting the jaw drop. This is something you can practice when you're eating or drinking. Just notice what you Do you throw your head back? Or do you let your jaw drop? Alexander said, great benefits will accrue to those who don't throw their head back when they when they eat or drink or speak. So, back to the whispered Ah, we think of something funny to help release our facial muscles and our eyes.

Then we let the jaw drop. The tongue is just lying on the floor of the mouth. And we're going to whisper now. Also, what's very important is we focus on the exploration and the art should be highly controlled. So you should, it should be very steady controlled, whisper that's very important. Those two aspects that you focus on the exploration and you you control the the whisper dog as best as you can.

So let's let's try it again. And then you wait for the in breath. It's very important that you don't suck in breath like or you always wait for the in breath to happen by itself. Your in breath is a reflex. Most people don't realize this they suck in breath or they take in breath because they're afraid that it won't come. Alexander said that the in breath again is reflex and you must let it happened by itself.

It's much more efficient if you don't interfere with the in breath. So that's the whispered ah procedure and it's very good for your your voice. It actually improves your voice production. It improves your breathing. It helps you to release tension in the jaw and the neck area and Also, if if you work at a sedentary lifestyle, Alexandra was asked what's the best way to keep in condition and he said to practice the whispered Ah, if you you know if you work in an office every day and you don't get much exercise, at least with the whisper da, you get more oxygen into your system, which is very good for the brain and for burning fat in your body. So, this is something you can practice and it takes time to perfect it.

But But if you if you persist with this, you know, you will have some success with it. So those are my two procedures that you can use and practice to improve your condition.