What is "Monkey"? | Alexander Technique procedure

Read this article in Chinese 本文中文版 >> HERE

Written by  Aik Hooi Lee

Happy Lunar New Year! 

2016 is the Year of Monkey. In Alexander Technique, we have learnt from Monkey for more than 100 years as a teaching procedure. F.M. Alexander called it "the Position of Mechanical advantage".

When you observe children, it is not surprising to find them in a squat or “monkey” position. Monkey or the position of mechanical advantage is a basic and instinctive movement which adults tend to lost this flexibility. Monkey is the easiest way to lower the torso in space. It is part of the natural way of sitting down and standing up, and prevent damage of the spine when lifting heavy objects.

“Monkey” restores awareness by activating our extensor system throughout the back, maintaining the integrity of the spine while bending hip, knee and ankle joints together to lower the torso in space.  This way of bending forwards protects the lower back, whereas the common pattern of misuse that many people fall into - crumpling forwards or aching the lower back and pulling the head back - compresses the spine and creates back strain.

You can notice that “monkey” is commonly used in many sports activities such as in martial arts, cricket, tennis, baseball, basketball, riding, weight-lifting, fencing, and etc… It can also be incorporated in our daily activities. For example: washing dishes, lifting objects, gardening, sitting, standing and many more. 

Although we call monkey a position, it is not a fixed pose. It is a dynamic relationship, in which the spine lengthens and the limbs can move freely.

In our upcoming articles, we will talk about how to use the principles of Alexander technique in practicing monkey. Stay tune!

photo credit: Witold Fitz-Simon