Relaxation is essentiak
blog, Nick Chapman Alexander Technique

One Very Special Stress Trick You Can’t Live Without.

Seven-Eleven Breathing technique is a nice little breathing exercise I learnt from Pat Williams who is a Human Givens therapist.

We all get stressed sometimes, but it is the accumulation of stress overtime that is the danger. The people who come to my Alexander Technique practice or perhaps visit one of my Alexander Technique workshops haven’t usually integrated relaxation into their lives as a daily activity and this is like missing the main meal. We need to de-stress. The problem can be finding the time. That is where seven-eleven breathing can be a real help.

Just empty your lungs and on the in-breath count to seven, then just pause slightly before breathing out for a count of eleven. The important thing is that you are breathing out more than breathing in.

This will calm you down very quickly and should only take a few minutes. This is to do with the fight or flight response. If a tiger were to chase you you would take in more air than you would let out to pump yourself up ready for action and is a natural stress reaction that helps you deal better with what is obviously a dangerous situation. But we don’t get chased by tigers! True, but every stress and strain is a version of the tiger chasing you and all day long we inhale and exhale breath in the wrong amounts. By breathing out for longer we bring about a very real physiological change in the body which calms us down and clears anxiety. Try it now and every day to improve your stress levels and take control of your life again. Please share seven/eleven breathing with your friends and family and help to make the world a more chilled out place to live!

Npchapman

Nick Chapman is an Alexander Technique teacher in private practice.

He qualified as a teacher at The Constructive Teaching Centre Lansdowne road in Holland Park and is a member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique. He holds the certificate for teachers of the F. Matthias Alexander Technique. He was trained by W.H.M. Carrington.and D.M.G. Carrington. W.H.M. Carrington studied with Alexander and was the most influential teacher in the country. He is now a legend. His wife Dylis was also his teacher and was just as influential.

Nick Chapman is employed by Merrill Lynch and UBS as the resident Alexander Teacher.

Nick Chapman has considerable experience in the treatment of a wide range of musculoskeletal, stress and anxiety related problems.

He worked with the Odyssey Trust, where he used Alexander Technique and other relaxation methods for the relief of drug withdrawal.

He also worked in nursing homes where the nurses found great benefits using the technique for stress and the management of various physical problems from maneuvering and handling high risk patients.