Are you 16 or older? Do you live in a suburb or rural area? Do you have places to go? Chances are, you drive! Have you thought about how you drive? If you’re sitting in a bucket seat, is your back shaped like a “C”? Is the headrest dictating where your head should be? Are your arms tired? Are you sore after a long trip?

You need to consider using the Alexander Technique!

The AT teaches about the head-neck-back relationship and how being conscious of your alignment can alleviate a lot of discomfort. Let’s explore that relationship:

Assuming you are seated, let your feet rest on the floor about hip width apart. Put your hands under your butt. Feel the bones pressing into your hands? Those are your sit bones. Slid your hands out from under your sit bones and see that they press into the chair just like they did your hands. Let your sit bones and feet form a strong base that allow your spine to lengthen. Let your hands rest lightly on your upper thighs. Let your eyes see the room and let your neck undo enough tension that your nose drops slightly. Breathe and look around. You are balanced and poised. You can lean, turn, and reach with minimal effort. You can breathe and have an awareness of what’s going on not only in front of you, but in your periphery and behind you.

Now that you know how to maintain your dynamic poise, let’s talk about how to experience more freedom of movement while driving. Spend some time just sitting in your car--while it’s parked--to try a few adjustments.

Is your seat tilted back? This might force your neck and head to jutt forward. Try straightening the seat slightly and notice the difference. Do you feel your sit bones beneath you? Is it easier to reach and turn towards the back seat? If yes, then this is a better seat position for you.
Are you sitting in a captain’s chair or bucket seat? These seats tend to encourage the pelvis to tilt back, forcing the spine to curve and the shoulders to slump. Try sitting on a cushion. If you don’t have something on hand that’s appropriate, you might try ordering a cushion. I have the embarassingly named “Tush Cush.”

You might want to try something like this.

Are you able to breathe more fully, reach, and turn in your seat? If so, then this is a good option for you.

3. Do you need to tilt your seat forward slightly? Give it a try and see if you are no longer

rolling back on your sit bones.

4. Now that you are more upright with a long spine and the freedom to breathe and move

more easily, you will want to adjust your mirrors and possibly the steering column.

Try this for a day or two and notice if you sense a difference? With any luck, you’ll feel more relaxed and less tired after a day in the car. Let me know how it goes!

This is the sort of activity an Alexander teacher can work on with you. If you are interested in trying a lesson, contact me!