Star Wars and the Alexander Technique

A few scenes from the Star Wars saga that I found resembled very much the principles of the F.M.Alexander Technique.
I created this video during my training in the Alexander Technique and did a presentation to my fellow students.

There's also a German version available:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vRwEz8wnWDE

For more info on the Alexander-Technique see
http://www.stat.org.uk/
http://www.alexandertech.org/
and my own homepage
http://alexandertechnik.andreasdirscherl.de

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• starwars
• alexandertechnique
• alexandertechnik

[linshukla]

This is wonderful, Andrea!

I've been a SW fan since the 70s & also a practitioner of yoga, TM, & shotokan karate. Through all these I also learned many of the lessons mentioned here. "Do, or do not. There is no try," has always been a favorite of mine!

Now, as an actress myself, I've heard much of AT, and long to find out more. And to see this comparison of it with the joyous philosophies in SW, I feel I've come full circle!

Thanks so much for sharing this!

I'm going to try . . . no, do AT!

[andreasdirscherl]

Hey, great you enjoyed - cool and thank you!

I wish you a great 2009 and a good start in the AT!

[nodgie1]

Does the Alexnder technique teach that with more effort there'll be more success? or less success?

[andreasdirscherl]

It depends.

In my opinion the AT is seeking balance througout your body, your thinking and your psyche even.

So if you're more the passive type you will have to to put in more energy - - or effort - to the work. The majority of people however tend to "overdo" things so in those cases you definetely won't succeed with more effort. Here it needs less...

Also, as far as tenacity is concerned it definetely pays to invest a fair amount of devotion and energy to exploring the technique's priciples.

[coin4charon]

It's all Buddhism, what's Alexander got to do with it.

[andreasdirscherl]

I'n not saying that it's ONLY the Alexander-Technique, certainly there's much more there!

BTW: Have you seen the DVD "The Force Among Us" or History Channel's "THE LEGACY REVEALED"? Both are great documentaries about Star Wars Fandom as well as spirituality in the Star Wars universe. Very interesting! Buddhism is certainly one major influence...

[magosh13]

The A.T teach you how to gain the so called success with the minimal amount of effort needed for the job.

That is: by inhibiting your immediate response which is usually very tense and overdue and replacing it by a new set of "means whereby".

OK - that's in short :-)

[PennyJOC]

Get hold of a boo by Missy Vineyard on the AT - that will answer your last question . Of course the legs move when we stand - we move everything. But it is true we don't need to move our feet to prepare for standing or take a step.

[Mystefier]

I have a friend that quotes that line all the time and it annoys me because he can never explain what the hell he means. I guess I can find out by reading the Alexander technique. I mean how can a person stand up without moving their legs or pick something up without choosing to grip it?

[PennyJOC]

Love it! I have been quoting 'Try there is no try. Only do or not do' for years comparing it to FM's 'Trying is only emphasising the thing we do already'. Now I can direct my AT students to this site. Thanks!

PennyJOC