BREATHING COORDINATION

Breathing Coordination is a term coined by Carl Stough to reflect his discovery revealing the consistent synergistic operation of the muscles of respiration at maximum efficiency with minimum effort.

PAMELA BLANC

Pamela has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years. In 1998 she began studying with Jessica Wolf, an Alexander Technique teacher in NYC who had studied with Mr. Stough for over 20 years. Jessica introduced Pamela to Breathing Coordination and encouraged her to study with Mr. Stough. He had a 6-month waiting list and finally in April 2000 Pamela was able to have 5 private lessons with him. She had arranged to have more lessons in September of 2000 but his office phoned to cancel these and Carl Stough died in October of that year.

Pamela continued her studies with Jessica Wolf and in 2002-2003 enrolled in the first graduate-training program for Alexander Technique teachers at the American Center for the Alexander Technique. This program, The Art of Breathing, was taught by Ms. Wolf and focused on the principles of the Alexander Technique as applied to Breathing Coordination. The course title, The Art of Breathing, was a phrase used by F.M Alexander in an article published in The Auckland Star, New Zealand, July 20, 1885. Obviously, the Alexander Technique has always had an interest in how our overall coordination affects our breath.

Breathing can be both a voluntary and an involuntary activity.   Many of us interfere with our most efficient breathing. Some of us breathe shallowly, some of us "take in" huge amounts of air but exhale much lesser amounts.

The Alexander Technique is a study in how we use ourselves. We look to see how we are interfering with our best use. We learn to stop that interference through the principles of the Alexander Technique: Awareness, Inhibition, and Direction.

The Alexander Technique approach to Breathing Coordination follows the same principles.   Awareness:   Observation of ones breathing habits.   Inhibition:   Stop interfering with efficient breathing.   Direction:   Reason out the best means whereby to allow an inhalation to occur most efficiently.

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Click here for a full listing of breathing coordination teachers.