The Primary Control: Some Personal Views

af Rivka Cohen 1999

Only when "direction in action" exists, can we move into space with the dynamic of the power of the opposition. Using the Primary Control in this way, we discover the unique option to move up into space by releasing the power of inner directions without necessarily tilting forward in space.

Introduction

The subject that I would like to discuss is called, "Aim up and stay back under all conditions, both in poise and in movement." These simple words contain the essence of the Alexander Technique. By "aim up" we mean, "to initiate a conscious activity regarding the use of the entire self." This guiding af direction along the body is steered by a mental order; and the guiding is both a mental and a physical act. These two respective acts naturally manifest themselves in one unified opereation.

And yet, for many years I have observed that groups of Alexander teachers from different parts of the world, as well as individuals from various training programs, interpret Alexander´s words quite differently. The more I am in the world of the Alexander technique, the more I understand that these varying interpretations are not simply a question of style; they reflect differencesn of conceptualization. People read the same words but interpret them differently. It seems, then, that the way we use our body mirrors our understanding of these words.

Normally, people don´t exerise any conscious direction in the use of themselves. What seems to be natural to them is in reality a misdirected behavior to which they are habituated. The result is that they tend to collapse or tense up - both phenomena being symptoms of the absence of an "up" direction. These forces of habit act on us unconsciously, and cause us to experience heaviness, downward pressure, fatigue, pain, and even debilitating physical conditions. We often see people who are "spineless" - i.e. without a solid back, stiff-necked, and so on. These conditions express psychophysical limitations that can be changed trough the discipline of the Alexander Technique.

There are many aspects of the Alexander tecnique. Often people who are attracted to the world of the Alexander technique are looking for an answer to some need. However, needs vary. There are those who want to improve their physical condition. Others lool for a resulution to a psychological question that may be reflected in their physical world. And there are still others who search for a disciplined system through which they can work on themselves in order to improve their entire being.

Alexander´s major discovery was to find the innate mechanism that is responsible for the use of the self, which he named the Primary Control. Thanks to Alexander, we know that the Primary Control involves the dynamic relation between head, torso, limbs, and feet that, when used well, produces changes at all levels of our being.

Befor discussing the Primary Control, however, I would like to say a few words about directions, and then about directions in relation to movement.

Directions and movement

When we talt about directions and movement from the perspective of the Alexander Technique, we recognize two different events. When we speak of directions, we speak of the flow in life in the body, which has sequence and timing. When it works well, it tends to expand the body into space in all directions within the limits of the body.

When speaking of movement, we speak of the motion of the body or parts of the body in space. Movement is where we take ourselves in space. It can happen in every direction we may choose (e.g., forward, back, up, down, sideways). We speak of two seperate events - direction and movement - yet they are inseparably joined in life. They are joined in life even when they move in opposite directions. For exxample, when we lower ourselves in space to sit, the movement is down; but the direction of the spine has to be aimed up.

Mechanical repetion normally will not improve the quality of ant performance. We need to apply constructive conscious control. Learning the principle of the Alexander Technique will help. In the words of Patrick Macdonald:

"I think it migth be useful to list the items taht, taken together, I believe make the Alexander Technique one unlike any other. They are:

Recognition of the Force of Habit

Inhibition and Non-Doing

Recognition of Faulty Sensory Awareness

Sending Directions

The Primary Control

If one meets a technique that has some similarirty to the Alexander Technique, run these five simple items over and see what is missing".

Primary Control

When we talk af the Primary Control, we recognize a complex of directions that when put in words says: "Allow the neck to be free to allow the head to move forward and up, for the back to lengthen and widen". Words are pronounced sequentially, but actions happen simultaneously. It is this coordination of opposing forces that allows the spine to maintain a constant upward direction all through the body.

The head is used well when opposing the torso. There is that inner movement in the body where the head moves ahead of the torso no matter which direction the head faces (head forward, down, or up in space); the head rotates by moving forward and up where the spine continues its upward movement. It is also very improtant to point out that the use of the feet on the ground plays an enormous part in the ability of the head to create and maintain that up direction in motion.

We need all these conditions for the primary control to work well. If one of theses parts fails to direct, then at that very moment the primary control is misused. However, when the hesd keeps moving away from the torso, it leaves rooms for the torso to be released up. This process is reached through conscious mental direction; that is, we use conscious inhibition in order to change the habitual behavior, while at the same time creating a new direction of behavior.

The "up" of the spine is the living part. In the proper dynamic, the head is forward and up, the spine is pointing up, and the ground is below us. However, plese don´t confuse ground with down! The gound activates the reflexes to go up . Ground brings power of opposition. This is what we call, "direction in action".

Of course we can choose to tilt forward so long as we create "direction in action". As Patrick MacDonald would often say in his classes, "Aim up to move forward, nor forward to get up."

Often we hear the sentence, "The head leads, the body folloews". This sequence, however, does not describe any opposing forces that create an upward release in the use of the Primary Control. Here, we emphasize that it is the upward direction of the spine that is the leading part. When we talk about directions along the spine, we want it to be understood that we are consciously creating an upward direction along the soine, even when the torso moves forward in space.

Practical Application

My approach to dealing with the change of habitual behavior regarding the way we employ the Primary Control is as follows:

First, one must use consciousness to change from an habitual unknown behavior involving misuse, toward instructing - actively and positively - the head to move in a forward and up direction, while allowing the back simultaneously to lengthen and widen and aim up and away from the head and the limbs. (One has also to include the knees moving away from the torso and hip socket while the feet are well grounded, allowing for their power of opposition.)

Obviously, during the process of the work to improve the use of the Primary Control, we also need to let go of many of the excess tensions in our use that exist and interfere through any part of our bodies. These tensions need to be taken into consideration. Although I notice them when teaching, I choose to deal with them after I have introduced - through my words and hands - the words and activity of directing. (And even as we advance, we must not just release, but release in an upward direction.)

Conscious Inhibition

As we develop pou understanding of the work, we begin to recognize the constant downward pressures in our systems; and having recognized these downward pulls, we choose not to do them. Then we must choose to behave in another way using conscious inhibition. Conscious inhibition is an activity that requires performing a certain response to stimulation, rather than the habitual one, through mental orders of the directions. In practice, we create a sequence of events that happens simultaneously.

Having a good back means knowledge and knowledge can be acquired. We acquire it through discipline. You learn to attend to where your back is in relation to other parts of the body. The relationship of the parts of the body to each other creates dimension. When relations work well in action, they work in circles where the spine "up" is an axis.

I choose to teach this way, but I recognize that there are other ways of introducing an improved use of the Primary Control. I have found that people hold tensions often to protect themselves against fearful, new situations. However, letting go of these tensions without an alternative concrete new direction can cause even greater fear and cinfusion.

"Aim up and stay back" is another way of describing Alexander´s Primary Control. Aim up is extnsion. Up is the power of life. Up is centrifugal. Up is away from down.