Get Lucky with the Alexander Technique

Photo by Djalma Paiva Armelin from Pexels

About 15 years ago, I came across this article on how to develop the skill of being lucky. I immediately related it to the skills we learn in the Alexander Technique.

"Findings have revealed that the thoughts and behavior of unlucky people are responsible for much of their misfortune," according to research by Richard Wiseman. What are the traits associated with being lucky? Being more aware, less tense, and less anxious. These are all skills we develop in the Alexander Technique.

The article says that unlucky people are so focused on a particular activity or task that they don't notice opportunities. Lucky people see what's in front of them, not just what they're looking for. In the Alexander Technique we practice using a "unified field of awareness," which is being aware of what's going on inside yourself as well as what's going on outside. Unlucky people practice tunnel vision. As your awareness opens up to include things that aren't your immediate goal (i.e., unified field of awareness), you more easily notice chance opportunities that would otherwise have slipped by you.

Unlucky people tend to be creatures of routine, according to the article. Being able to escape from the pull of habit is a trait we develop in the Alexander Technique. The process we use encourages people to stop themselves before going down the path of habit and then consciously choosing how they'd like to respond to a situation.

Lucky people are more aware of their intuition. Many times, people react so quickly and automatically to a situation that they're already in action before they're aware of what their intuition is telling them. The article says that lucky people, "are interested in how they both think and feel about the various options..." In the Alexander Technique, we make it a practice to pause before reacting so we can have time to think through the options and choose the best course of action. That gives us time to listen to our intuition. Granted, some situations require a quick response, and, in time, this pause prior to action can become instantaneous.

Wiseman states that lucky people create lucky situations with particular skills. We develop some of these same skills in the Alexander Technique. Maybe learning the Alexander Technique could make you luckier.

---