Panoramic Awareness

Alexander Technique Pain Relief Exercise

Get out of overfocus mode and reactivate neural pathways
for less effort and more ease

WHO’S IT FOR: Anyone dealing with chronic pain or stress, particularly in the neck.

PURPOSE/BENEFITS: Reduce tension and enhance range of motion. Recover effortless posture and natural pain-free movement by enhancing your spatial awareness and recovering a more intuitive sense of how to move your body through space.

WHEN TO DO IT: Anytime you’re struggling with pain or stress and tension and need a reset. Particularly good for when you need a reset at your desk!

Shift your awareness so your body can float upwards and find effortless, good posture

In this exercise adapted from Loch Kelly and Penelope Easten you will guide your attention beginning at the front of your body to create a sense of 360-degree panoramic awareness.

In order to do this, you're going to open your peripheral vision. Opening your peripheral vision is not moving your eyes at all. Your eyes will remain relaxed and comfortable in front of you. Try the audio version above or read the instructions below.

Instructions

  1. Begin by sitting comfortably with your eyes open and with a soft gaze directly in front of you to see what is behind the screen. 

  2. Now, without moving your head, bring your gaze slightly upwards to see what is behind the screen. 

  3. Take an interest in the space between what you're looking at behind the screen and the screen, still looking slightly upwards. 

  4. From that space, begin to gently expand your vision on each side at the same time, beginning to feel a sense of a panoramic awareness space in front space to the sides expanding the space to the sides at a pace that is comfortable. 

  5. Have an interest in the space between objects from this feeling of open space and begin to lower your gaze and look, just remaining undistracted. 

  6. Sustaining this expansive sense of awareness, observe how you can focus on a task and stay involved without the need to assess or inspect your thoughts.

  7. Notice how this seeing is similar to hearing. Your eyes receive the light reflected from that screen. So there's no need to go out to grab what's on the screen with your eyes. Seeing is receiving. It goes through your eyes directly to this open field of awareness from which you're able to focus effortlessly.