Alexander and Du

The Du mai (Governing channel) starts out in the pelvis, runs up through the spine, and dives deep into the brain.

It is one of the first Qi pathways to form in humans.

Actually, "channel" and "pathway" aren't the best words here.

The Du mai is a "Sea", a vast reservoir of Qi. Other Qi pathways flow into and out of it.

It is a storehouse of energy, warmth, activity, and transformative potential. All physiological activities draw from it, and all manner of physical, mental, and emotional dysfunctions can arise from its blockage - like when the spine is compressed or misaligned.

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F.M. Alexander was born in Tasmania in 1869. His first career was as a reciter of dramatic and humorous content.

Unfortunately, he quickly developed vocal troubles and nearly lost his voice. No doctor could help him, so he conducted his own research.

He observed himself in the mirror while doing his recitations and noticed that his voice was at its worst when he adopted the postures appropriate to the characters he was portraying. In other words, when his body was contorted out of natural alignment.

Over several agonizing years, he worked diligently to improve his posture and body mechanics and thus restored his natural voice.

During the same period, he observed his fellow humans and found that the majority stood, sat, and moved in an equally defective manner.

He became a kind of missionary, teaching people how to restore proper skeletal alignment and use of the musculature.

In the process, he discovered that he could alleviate all manner of physical, mental, and emotional illnesses.

His technique (the Alexander Technique) is an evidence-based intervention taught all over the world today.

It begins and ends with a stacked and elongated spine.

I studied Alexander Technique as a teen. I've been thinking about it a lot lately while Hillary and I sit and recite our favorite gratitude ritual each morning.

I imagine the crown of my head suspended from a string attached to the ceiling. Then, one by one, I imagine the spaces between the vertebrae of my spine opening up, from occiput to tailbone.

Actor Kevin Kline wrote in 1990 that the benefits of the Alexander Technique included for him "...about an inch and a half of additional height."

I don't know about that. But I feel my voice become liberated, my muscles relax, and a soft vibration fills my spine and limbs.

I'm not aware that F.M. Alexander ever talked about the Du mai. But he sure knew how to free it.

Du mai

F.M. Alexander and client