Pause, observe, intend: A qualitative study exploring expert practitioners’ perceptions of how mindfulness and Alexander technique work synergistically to address stress

Abstract

Introduction: Mind-body disciplines provide effective self-regulation strategies in the face of stress, but the specific techniques and proficiencies of these disciplines are not well understood. The qualitative study presented here provides insights into this problem by documenting how expert practitioners understand the experience of engaging two holistic mind-body disciplines together to self-regulate when under stress. Methods: Seventeen expert practitioners who were trained and deeply invested in both mindfulness meditation and Alexander technique participated in semi-structured interviews, detailing their experiences as they recalled stressful moments. Results were analyzed with thematic analysis. We used a feminist approach in both interviews and analysis. Results: Our analysis identified three shared themes, each of which describes a skill set useful for managing stress: finding distance and time (pausing and creating emotional distance from the situation), observing (one's thoughts, emotions, body, and environment), and maintaining an intention (short-term and long-term). These themes provided a framework for comparing how the two disciplines function in practice. Differences lay in specific application, with participants describing mindfulness as providing a more nuanced approach to navigating internal narratives and emotions and Alexander technique as providing more fully developed tools for managing muscular and postural manifestations of stress. Conclusion: Dual-discipline experts can provide rich descriptions of the specific skills cultivated in mind-body disciplines, the advantages and limitations of each discipline, and how two disciplines can work together. Participants described specific ways that mindfulness and Alexander technique can work together to address cognitive, affective, and physical responses to stress, thus providing a comprehensive toolkit for stress management.