Gerda Alexander

Gerda Alexander (February 15, 1908 – February 21, 1994) was a Danish teacher who devised a method of self-development called "Eutony". She was born in Wuppertal, Germany, but moved to Denmark in 1929.

Like Moshe Feldenkrais, she emphasized intelligence, sensitivity, and awareness rather than simple physical exercise.

Eutony

Alexander's "Eutony" claims to develop the ability to be aware and able to regulate muscular tone. The term was coined to express the idea of a harmoniously balanced "tonicity in constant adaptation to the state or activity of the moment".

Alexander as a young woman contracted rheumatic fever and endocarditis, suffering several crisis. This forced her precociously to create movement forms that did not complicate their affections. Long periods of rest stimulated her to investigate on herself looking for a "more economic" and more spontaneous movement form, starting from the learning of the tonic regulation to achieve further well-being. She postulated that it is "necessary to learn a little more every day about what we are that body in which we can lean on". By means of the observation and reflection on their students, their own ailments and difficulties in mobility, and the investigation on the neuro-psychological basements of the human being's movements, she molded her own method.

An Eutony session begins with a phase of "inventory" in which the student, through a series of "control positions" becomes aware of his/her initial state of muscular tone. Then by a means of physical activities guided by the eutonist, which may include the use of objects (balls, sticks, pillows) or the contact between the eutonist and the student, the latter gains awareness of different "principles" (see below). At the end of the class or session the student may be asked to repeat the control positions initially used to check the differences in both his/her states and awareness of them.

Eutony has a number of "principles" or methodological tools to be used in the classes or sessions that facilitate the student to recover the fluctuation of tone.

Such principles are:
* awareness of the skin
* awareness of the internal body space
* awareness of the bones
* conscious contact
* experience of transport (conscious straightening reflex)
* "repousser" (to reject-to push)
* active and passive movements
* micro-movements (movements of decompression of the articulations)
* control positions (sequences of movements that allow to evaluate the state of muscular flexibility)
* eutonic movement
* vibrations (voice and bones)

Literature

*cite book
last = Alexander
first = Gerda
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1981
title = Eutony; The holistic discovery of the total person
publisher = Felix Morrow
location = New York
id =

*cite book
last = Vishnivetz
first = Berta
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 1994
title = Eutonía; La Educación del Cuerpo hacia el Ser
publisher = Paidós
location = Buenos Aires / Madrid
id =

*cite book
last = Odessky
first = Alejandro
authorlink =
coauthors =
year = 2002
title = Eutonía y stress
publisher = Lugar Editorial
location = Buenos Aires
id = 950-892-164-1

References

External links

* [http://www.eutonia.edu.ar Eutony School of Argentina]
* [http://www.eutonia.org.br/ Brazilian Association of Eutony]

See also

* Feldenkrais method
* Alexander Technique
* Rolfing