 |
Monica G
with Tom D and
Their Very Cute Daughter
(Bohème) |
A new way to keep you loving your
running and running longer and lighter is available to you. Or at least I am guessing it will seem new to
you. In reality, it has been around for well over 100 years. It places
lightness, ease and efficiency at the center of your runner’s skill set.
So if
you are an alumnus of that popular Tough Guy School of Running and are determined
to kill yourself with massive effort and the adrenalized tension that makes you
feel like a Real Runner, learning about this subtle physiological reflex is not
for you. If you want to quietly pass
that kind of runner at mile 5 of a 10K with a smile on your face and a kick at
the finish, keep reading.
Everyone can benefit from saying
farewell to stiffness and rigidity on the run.
Everyone can learn the simple skill of taking off the brakes. Everyone
can learn how to stop impeding natural movement and how to activate automatic balancing
reflexes that reduce effort exponentially.
It is not complicated. It is a simple, straightforward and
understandable physiological force. But when you tune in to it, you won’t feel
like you are doing anything. And you might get confused and disoriented at
first without all the pounding and panting that you have grown to associate
with a good hard run. You may think you are slowing down or running lazy. Until you check your watch.
I know from my own experience. I
started running in my late 30s and I am convinced I would never have survived
as a happy and uninjured runner, nor would I have had PRs into my 40s or still
be running in my 50s, without knowing about this basic physiological principle
of balance and coordination. And although I have taught it to others for more than 25 years, I still am amazed by the results I see in my students.
What is this perfectly evolved
physiological secret weapon that makes us feel as if we are defying the laws of
physics? It is the human Anti-Gravity Reflex.
We
are perfect in every way – until we tighten up!
YOUR RUNNING SUPER POWER
When a mom or dad watches their toddler
launch into joyous full flight, they see the little guy getting right under his
head, going right up, and then following that big head all the way to where he
wants to go. And if he falls down, he
doesn’t hurt himself because he’s not pulling down, he’s going up, up, up and
away! It is the most natural, efficient
way to move:
This Anti-Gravity Reflex, or ”Righting
Reflex,” works exactly the same when you are one year old, 20 years old, 50
years old, or 80 years old. It never
ages. And it is always working perfectly, as long as you don’t screw up its
functioning by locking down the delicate balancing mechanism that causes your
head to move up and stimulates a lengthening, flexible, elastic spine.
Enjoy the purity of this child’s head-neck-back
reflexes in this video clip, above. The dancers
were trying to follow the natural movements of the child. But what a huge
amount of their reflexive freedom and ease they have already lost access to as
adults!
“LET GO FLYERS!”
I train adult runners in how to use
this same natural reflex pattern to maximize running without strain and regain
the satisfaction and pleasure of the happy-go-lucky kid. I base all my form
work on the
Alexander Technique (AT). It is a proven method for achieving maximum
activity with minimum effort. It teaches anyone with a head and a spine to stop
locking them up and instead start floating them up, like the kid running with
headlong abandon.
As one of my students said, “It’s not
about keeping your head up, it’s about keeping up with your head!” It’s about
working with physics instead of working against physics. Working with this
beautifully evolved Anti-Gravity Reflex and floating up instead of fighting
with gravity by pulling down or pushing your way up. Memo to Runners: Physics is not only a good idea; it is the
Law. So show some respect, and don’t throw
away what our ancestors spent generations perfecting! Give up the effort and discover your inner
float.
And here’s what you’ll look like when
you do…
Kenenisa
Bekele, one of the greatest distance runners of all time, setting a world
record with efficiency and appropriate effort and making it look easy!
SO WHAT IS IT? AND WHAT IS IT NOT?
A question I sometimes get: Is Alexander Technique like Barefoot Running? Or Chi Running?
Or Pose Running? Or various other similar “natural running” techniques or
methods?
No, it is not. AT is not a “running
technique”. It is a unique way for you, an average human being, to learn the
basics about your natural reflexes. It gives you direct and conscious access to
these coordinating systems which you can then apply to your running or anything else you do.
You get a lot more “bang for you buck”
with AT since it will not only improve your running when you remember to free
yourself upward, but it also will reduce the stresses and strains of every
other thing you do in your life: from
handling a conflict with your boss, to washing dishes, to riding the charming
NYC subway system!
If as a runner you have ever had to face the grim
prospect of giving up this wonderful activity that you love, you will
understand the motivation and determination that led
FM Alexander to develop
the work that is now known as Alexander Technique. In the 1890s in Australia,
chronic laryngitis threatened to end his successful career as an eager young actor.
He sought help from doctors and voice teachers but none could give him anything
but general answers to his specific question: “What am I doing that is causing
me to lose my voice?” Through patient
self-observation and experimentation in his own home, Alexander discovered what
biologists were discovering in their laboratories: That the key to human
coordination is the freedom of the delicate balance of our heads on our long,
extending spines.
FM
Alexander in his 70s. He lived into his late 80s and recovered fully from a
paralyzing stroke in his late 70s by applying personally what he had taught
others about the physiology of human coordination and functioning.
HEY KIDS, TRY THIS ONE AT HOME!
Want to experiment yourself and have a
taste of your own natural buoyancy and resilience? Here is a simple way to
experience your Anti-Gravity Reflex.
Stand up and have a friend put their
hand on your head. (If you currently
have a neck injury, you can do this experiment to your friend instead.) Now
have them press down firmly on your head while you resist the pressure. After about 10 seconds, have them take away
their hand. What do you feel
happening? Which direction do you go? I
suspect you will notice yourself going upward.
You did not push up. You just went up and returned to your more natural
lengthened state.
So why would you want to be pulling
down on your own head while running? You
would only do this if you were not aware you were doing it. Would
a jockey tighten the reins on their horse when they wanted it to gallop? When
we are running, human beings are both the jockey and the horse. AT teaches you
to be a lighter-handed jockey so you can be a swifter little pony as well!
Monika
giving an Anti-Gravity Reflex reminder
to AT
teaching colleague, Barbara Curialle of the Mercury Masters
And
they’re off! Up, up and away!
HOW CAN I LEARN TO USE MY OWN ANTI-GRAVITY REFLEX SUPER POWER UNTIL I’M IN MY 80s?!?
By taking AT lessons with a certified
teacher of course! As an AT trainer with specific experience coaching runners, I
work both with individuals and with groups, and with runners of all ages and
abilities.
Runners
training for the Tryon Half Marathon in Tryon NC
with Monika after a recent AT running clinic.
“My head is a floating balloon!”
Although Tom and I now live in
Asheville NC, I see my NYC students for sessions on my frequent visits
throughout the year. I also coach one-to-one via Skype to give runners the
chance to practice the reflex skills they need out on the roads even while they
are in their homes or offices.
It’s no use having fabulous form on the
run and then dumping yourself like a sack of potatoes on a chair when not
running, putting pressure on organs, tightening joints, shortening muscles,
twisting your spine, and reducing the respiration and circulation necessary for
a positive post-workout recovery and a renewed vigor for running.
Fundamental physiological information,
instructive coordinating drills, and valuable recovery strategies are taught
and practiced. Eventually this new way of thinking, moving and being is
integrated into a very natural, pleasant and satisfying lifestyle both on and
off the roads.
To hear from other runners who feel
they have benefited from AT training,
click here. For additional info, call 212-327-2978
or visit Monika and Tom’s website at
FormFitnessFunction.com
Monika
midway thru the
2007 Empire
State Building Run Up
BIO:
Monika Gross has been a distance runner for 20 years, completing 12
marathons (with a PR of 3:21 in the 1999 NYC Marathon), three Empire State
Building Run Ups (with a best of 17:12), and placing 3rd overall in
the 2009 Rockefeller Center MS Climb to the Top. She has been a proud NY Flyer
since 1995. She and Tom met through the
Flyers and they were married in 2002 in Central Park beneath the Obelisk, a few
yards from where they first ran past each other on The Loop. Race numbers were
given to all the guests.
- Free introductory private
one-to-one Skype Pilates or Alexander session
- 15% off your single first
private in-person session
- 15% off your first package
of any of our sessions in person or via Skype
- Special rates for
individually designed Retreats for Flyers who want to enjoy Asheville and
train in the mountains of Western North Carolina
For more information on services for runners
from Monika and Tom, including retreats, private coaching, training schedules,
and Skype and in-person Pilates or AT training sessions, please click
HERE.
-Monika G.
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