Instructions for Constructive Rest
When we have strayed from our natural balanced way of being we get signals. Maybe we no longer know how to hear them or their messages get distorted in our mind as a driver to ‘push though’ or ignore. Now more than ever in these troubled times and with a future that is unknowable (and therefore often scary) we need daily practices to reconnect with ourselves so that we restore our capacity to respond creatively. Creativity is not a “mind” activity. It is a whole body experience and there are many ways to give space for creativity to flow (walking is an activity that comes to mind that often helps my creativity flow again for example)
FM Alexander’s simple practice of what, in the trade, we know as “Semi Supine” is so simple and cost-free to do that we can overlook the huge value it can have to restore connections within ourselves.
It can be useful on different levels. Notice yourself at your desk unable to think clearly? Take 10-20 minutes on the floor, let go of all trying and slowly bring your attention to giving non-doing directions Notice your back hurting? Lie on the floor for 15-20 minutes, give space for yourself and the pain, use your mind to help your body begin the unlocking response and your spine lengthen a little. Tired or exhausted? Lie in semi-supine for 20 minutes and feel your body gasp with relief! (despite my instructions, even close your eyes if your eyes can’t stay open!).
Best of all, add this in to your daily routine as a preventative activity to promote your capacity to ‘un-constrict’ your mind and body and respond creatively to change.
Here is how
What you need:
A firm surface such as a floor with carpet, a blanket or yoga mat to lie on.
A few paperback books to rest your head on.
Possibly a blanket to put over your knees if you anticipate being cold.
Something to stop your feet slipping (I use cut up rubber carpet underlay but try anything with a rough texture)
Place some paperback books under your head so that they are supporting the bony bump at the back of the head (the occiput). The books should not be in contact with the back of the neck.
Place the palms of your hands on your tummy with your elbows on the floor. Let your fingers be soft, open and still.
Bend your knees so that your feet are drawn up comfortably close to the body. Point your knees towards the ceiling so that they are neither falling apart or together.
Your Feet should be far enough apart to enable the legs to balance with minimum effort (about shoulder width).
Weight Bearing Points:
Ideally your weight should be distributed between the following points:
Your feet (the heels and the pads at the base of the big and the little toes)
The back rim of your pelvis
Your shoulder blades
The back of your head
Your elbows
Keep your eyes open throughout.
Awareness is key
The purpose of lying in Constructive Rest is to promote a sense of calm alert within your self. This is not something that is created in the mind. It is a whole-being process: as the mind quietens so does the body, as the body opens and releases, so does the mind (and even those words imply more separateness than there is).
One key aspect that gets in the way of overall release is our unexamined thoughts. (It is not the thoughts themselves but the fact that we are unaware of the beliefs and judgments encoded in them).
So, when beginning your Constructive Rest practice each day, start with simple observation (remember to keep eyes open for this).
Observe
The sensations in your body separate from any interpretations. E.g. I am noticing a sensation in my lower back that I am labelling ‘stiff’; I am noticing an achy feeling in my knee (and I’m telling myself I shouldn’t have done so much gardening yesterday); I am noticing tiredness in my eyes (and I am noticing annoyance for not stopping work sooner) etc
Your breathing – see where you can notice movement in your body with each tidal breath
Your thoughts – allowing them to come and go like clouds passing by – noticing (without judgment!) any judgments
The sounds and smells around you
What you can see in your direct and peripheral vision
The sensations of where your body makes contact with the weight bearing points
etc.
When you feel present to yourself and your surroundings you can gently begin directing your thoughts to include your new intentions as recommended by Alexander (see below).
How to Direct your Thoughts
“Let the right thing do itself” FM Alexander
These are intentional thoughts that have NO EFFORT attached to them. It is worth saying this in another way: Think them, intend them but don’t do them.
Therefore don’t expect direct results – the benefits of these directions are accumulative and indirect. If you are expecting direct results (e.g. to feel something release) you may well be tempted to subtly make something happen. This only adds more unwanted tension as we can only do something already known. We are wanting to allow a fresh response that is unknown (at least to our conscious mind).
That said, don’t stop something happening if it wants to. Let the right thing do itself.
Primary Directions
To quote Alexander again, these are said ‘all together, one after the other’.
Let my neck release…
So that my head can release [pivotally] forwards and away from my spine and pelvis…
And let my pelvis and legs release, so that my knees point up towards the ceiling…
Learn them off by heart (in that order) so that eventually you can ‘see’ the whole together – allowing each direction to simply be part of a whole profile – which is to allow your whole being to quieten and release accumulated tensions.
Start seeing yourself as something that is not ‘a sum of parts’. Let the labels drop away as you simply notice.
Other Possible Directions
Let my breathing be full and free
Let my belly be soft and unclenched
Let my elbows release away from my shoulder
Allow my jaw to release
Allow the back of my eyes to soften
Let the floor support me
What to do when you decide to finish
When you decide to get off the floor, take your time to think about how you are going to do it. Connect to your breathe first and hold the intention to keep it flowing throughout the movement.
Maybe start by rolling onto your side, coming onto all fours, and up to standing from there.
Then notice how you are feeling now
Is there any change in how you are feeling?
Maybe less constricted, less in pain? More ‘open’? Are you noticing any difference in your breathing… your clarity of thought? Has anxiety or stress lessened if it was there at the outset? Do you feel any calmer, more alert, something else?
FAQs
How many books should I use?
The height of the pile of books depends on many factors, e.g. the length of your neck, size of your head, curvature of spine. If you have too few books, your head will tend to tilt backwards (chin higher than forehead) and it will be difficult to encourage muscular release through the back and neck. If the pile is too high, your chin will press uncomfortably on your throat. The optimum height is somewhere between these two extremes. If you are having lessons with me, I will show you what is right for you.
How long should I lie down for?
It is best to do this for at least 10 minutes to give your body a chance to respond. I suggest generally not doing it for more than 20 minutes at a time because you want to stay alert and present throughout. If you are likely not to ‘allow’ yourself even 10 minutes, try doing it for 5 and make a choice about whether to stay lying down at that point. Don’t give yourself a hard time if you decide to get up! Celebrate making conscious choices.
How often should I do this?
I suggest making a daily practice of it. If you have back or other pain and lying down helps then I suggest you consider doing it twice a day.
I am pregnant. Is it still OK to do this practice?
Please check with your doctor about your specific situation. Generally it is safe (and beneficial) to do in the first 6 months of your pregnancy and then around that time the baby gets too big and puts too much pressure on your spine.
I have difficulty getting onto and up from the floor. Can I still do this practice?
If you are unable to get to and from the floor, you could use a sturdy table or even your bed with a board laid on the top. Please don’t risk being stranded on the floor!
I am doing this as a beginner and don’t really notice any difference after doing it. Why is that?
This could be an indicator of many things. Here are some:
You are new to this practice and haven’t yet fully understood the non-doing nature of the thinking (usually this practice is done in conjunction to having Alexander Technique lessons)
You are not used to sensing and noticing the changes yet
You have a more acute or chronic underlying condition that needs addressing by a medical specialist
I tend to fall asleep when lying down. Is that OK?
Falling asleep is an indicator that you are doing this when you body needs sleep. Try doing it at a different time of day. Also, pay attention to this - maybe your body is telling you that you need more sleep generally and you need to look into your overall life stye. If your eyes feel really tired you could start by placing your cupped palms over your eyes for a few minutes to exclude the light. I find this often makes a big difference to my eyes and you can’t stay there for long, or fall asleep as your arms will tire! Then continue as laid out above.
Is it OK to listen to the radio whilst doing it?
Overall it is much better to do this without any kind of radio, music or podcasts playing. Make it a time to rest your mind from stimulation. That said, whilst I don’t recommend it, there are no hard and fast rules so if that is what will get you lying down then do it! Please don’t watch TV or computer though - you would need to strain your neck to see - not helpful!