The semi-supine book problem: Why does effective lying down depend on solving it?

There's a right way and a wrong way to do the semi-supine.
The wrong way is without books supporting your head.
The right way is with the support of books.

But how many books are just right for me?

Start with 4 fingers' width, then see what happens.

How do I know when it's right?

Is your throat constricted? In that case, you've too many books.

Is your head falling back so that you're looking up at the ceiling behind you instead of straight over your head? Then maybe you've got too few books.

What's all this about books?

When you lie down in semi-supine, you need to place a few books under your head.

Have you read my first article?
"Semi-supine: the secret to building the stamina your Alexander work needs"

If not, I recommend you do that now. Even if you have, it wouldn't hurt to re-read it.

Why do I need the books?

Lying down well encourages your body to fall into place. As you stop trying to hold yourself up, constraining yourself into habitual mis-shapenness, your body stretches and frees up.

For most people, if you lie down without books under your head, your head will tip backwards off the end of your neck to reach the floor. That shortens vital muscles in your neck and back.

Lying down that way is much less effective. You lose out on the desired expansion, stretch and liveliness in your back.

How should my head lie on the books?

Your head should lie just as it falls.

If you followed the instructions in article 1, (and if your pile of books is approximately the right height) you will be looking straight up at the ceiling above your head.

If not, adjusting won't work: you need to roll over and start again.

How many books do I need?

Are you very sure you kept your head your head forwards the whole time you were rolling back? Right until your head was resting on the books?
(See article 1, point 7 of my description of getting down).

If not, try again: roll over and lie down again — with more attention this time.

If you are sure, and you're still looking up at the ceiling behind you instead of straight over your head, then you've too few.

… and if you're sure you kept your head your head forwards the whole time AND you're now looking straight up at the ceiling above your head, then you're doing well.

You've got it. When you get up, record the thickness of your pile. Always use the same thickness in future. Checking how many fingers' width is a good way to do this. (It's accurate enough and saves carrying a ruler).

Does the right thickness always stay the same?

It does change over time but rarely changes much between lie-downs.

If you've overdone things and gone too long without lying down you may sometimes need a little more the next time. Otherwise, it's safe to assume it will be the same as last time.

How do I place the books so my head lands on them?

When you're sitting in preparation for lying down, just casually place the books. Make no attempt to judge where they should be.

Stay with your first impulse. Don't change it. Second thoughts are rarely helpful. They usually carry a load of habitual mistaken assumptions. A careless first placement is far more likely to be right than second thoughts.

When you've rolled back into the lying position, if your head is resting on the books, you're fine. Don't worry if your head is lying on the edge of the books: if it's on it's on and that's all you need. Otherwise reach up and move them.

If you had to move the books, then you will then need to get back to the sitting position. Roll over (as I described in article 1) and start again.

One last thing.

Having rolled over, when preparing to lie down again, don't move your bottom. You've just worked out where your head will end up so don't change it by moving your bottom. You'd be amazed at how many people make this mistake (and don't even realise what they've done).

So now that you're happily examining the ceiling directly above your head, I'll leave you until next week.

How many times will you have lain down before my next newsletter?

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