How the Alexander Technique Helped Me Learn to Drive

Driving is a great example of a psycho-physical activity. Both body and mind need to function at their integrated best for maximum safety and efficiency.

What is the Alexander Technique and how did it help me with my driving? In a nutshell, it is a method that teaches us how to do things in life with more ease. That ease greatly enhances performance and helps us to be more efficient. The technique helps us to reach an embodied and calm state of being, which is something any driver would benefit from.

Although having failed my bicycle test twice in fourth grade (I failed the theory, did not even get on a bike), I passed my driving test in Edinburgh on my first attempt with only four minor mistakes. At every step of the process, I noticed the benefits of my Alexander Technique training. With this positive experience I wish to challenge some myths around learning to drive being difficult. 

In a broader context, decisions like when to take on a new project or whether I should learn on an automatic car is already Alexander Technique at play. It is not just one activity, but a whole way of living in accordance with your personal needs and feelings at the present time.

Learning to drive is a big stimulus and can overwhelm the nervous system for many obvious reasons. Reactions to driving and dealing with the stimulus can provoke our body mechanics into forming movement and tension habits. Taught well, we will develop many useful skills in the process and, before we know it, we will be driving ‘on autopilot’. However, this cannot happen without a balanced nervous system.

Over-concentration and fear of failure are some of the factors that evoke the excessive muscular tensions that cause neck pain, strain in the shoulders and tension headaches. These small habits can contribute to the development of chronic pain over time. Relaxation is not the solution here, as you need to stay alert and active whilst driving. Here is how Alexander Technique can help.

Balanced Body and Mind

The skill of driving well starts from the way you enter the car – sideways but without narrowing and collapsing yourself. Most people do something interesting, looking like they really need a chiropractor to sort them out later. And then there is the sitting. Picture a driving posture bent into an uncomfortable hunch. Shoulders rounded forward, neck craning awkwardly, feet tiptoeing on pedals through discomfort... Do you think you reach the destination quicker when leaning forward a few inches? Are you safer in traffic when gripping the steering wheel tight? Will you avoid collisions by concentrating hard on the car in front of you?

These are all unconscious habits. When faced with a stimulus, we often raise our shoulders unnecessarily, tilt our heads forward for better vision, frown in concentration, hold our breath, and stay rigid in our torso. When we get more comfortable, we often go to the other extreme, where our bodies are overly relaxed, our minds wander and are not present, our torso slumps, and we fidget impatiently when we’re in a traffic jam.

If you recognise any of these, perhaps try out some Alexander Technique ideas to create balance for the body and mind. The six tips at the end of this article could help you to become aware and able to observe details both inside and outside yourself, giving you better alternatives. The main idea is to leave yourself alone, here, and now, and let the organism function as it naturally would if it was not disturbed. I’ll share some notes on my driving lessons and what I paid attention to.

Lesson Diary Notes

Lesson 1. One Thing at a Time

Right before my first actual driving lesson I was understandably feeling nervous, although I had sat behind the wheel a couple of times during the previous summer. When driving, I tended to feel something I could call ‘anxitement’ - a mixture of anxiety and excitement. One time I felt particularly tense was when I had a Land Rover coming up behind me and I was supposed to let everyone know I planned to park. My eyes fixed on the road and holding my breath, I parked without looking back twice. In Alexander thinking, we take that as not quite having the capacity yet to stop reacting to a stimulus. 

Lesson 2. Embodied Safety

Rather quickly I found myself learning to negotiate junctions. Again and again, we took the corners and repeated the manoeuvres. All along I felt secure as my instructor provided a perfect mix of stimulation and support. Putting yourself in a situation where you could be in physical danger requires safety. Having focused on my own emotional trauma healing for the past many years, I didn’t find driving frightening at all. Steering a wheel in a metal box is so simple and trivial after overcoming all kinds of inner demons, doubts, and fears. 

That makes me think of people terrified of driving carrying a level of anxiety with them unrelated to the actual situation. Feeling safe and grounded, I was enjoying being challenged to experience those tiny, nerve-wracking butterflies. I know this is not the case for everyone.

Lesson 3. Fun

Even though the first two lessons had helped me gain confidence, I was still nervous before the third one. It took me about ten minutes of actual driving to recall all the numerous details I had to be aware of. And that was it – the rest of the time it felt natural, like it was something I had always done. We learned the different types of traffic lights and widened our driving area. In the second hour of the lesson, I drove all around Morningside, my neighbourhood in Edinburgh, and quite proudly drove myself home. Was that it? 

This was also the lesson that I started to be more aware of using the support of the chair, noticing tensions in my body and so on. I observed that pressing down the pedal required a physical effort that extended all the way to my back. Using the oppositional thinking method (foot forward, back backwards), I learned to integrate that movement with the coordination of my body as a whole. The whole process started to feel fun.

Lesson 4. Spatial Awareness

Managing to maintain my composure and feel confident in myself, I worked on my interaction with the surroundings. While securely occupying space, I also wanted to leave room for other cars to pass by. Setting these boundaries appeared to be difficult and emotionally connected to my personality. Balance, alertness, and being calm are such psychosomatic capacities. Most of the time, my judgments of space have been accurate ever since thinking it through.

Additionally, I discovered that I was checking the mirrors without registering the information. The mental process tended to jump to the conclusion that it was clear rather than remain open to any new information. In a way it is admirable how effortlessly the brain picks up new habits.

Lesson 5. Process-Orientation

In my fifth lesson I found myself staying calm all the way through. I enjoyed the process of making mistakes without overreacting and committed confidently to my intentions, fully accepting the occasional incorrect outcome. What other outcome do I need from learning when the process itself is so enjoyable? Naturally, I am aware that I cannot continue to pay for lessons indefinitely and must obtain my licence soon, but putting the end goal out of my mind for the time being allows me to concentrate on the process at hand.

Lesson 6. Know Your Limits

New car. Smooth and easy. After an hour and forty minutes of driving, I felt my blood sugar levels decrease. I became unexpectedly drowsy and a little disoriented, losing the ability to think with clarity. I was acutely aware of how my brain required fuel to remain alert and present for such a prolonged period. A sugar lozenge did the job.

Lesson 9. High Speed

Dual carriageway. Whoa – do you remember hitting your first 70mph (or 112km/h as I learned just after)? That was some rush of adrenaline - a pleasant and fun experience when not overwhelmed. Compliments to my teacher who took time to build my confidence, repeating that there is nothing to be afraid of, giving me reasons why, and reassuring me that I am completely prepared. Beautiful teaching. When I joined the highway, I was alert but calm. 

Lesson 11. Mood Impact

I realized that even though I was not completely independent yet, I could now drive but the novelty of driving had mostly lost its appeal. Also, feeling a little low due to recent work-related issues, I felt distracted by external concerns. It was as though my mind was not stimulated enough to be in the present moment. Worry had seized control. It is clear how being stressed lowers our ability to learn something new.

Lesson 12. Mental Capacities

I kept making mistakes despite being at ease. Didn’t stop at the stop line in my home street. Tried to slide slowly over. Didn’t signal when joining the bypass. Didn’t see speed limits. Twice. Didn’t notice cars overtaking me. Didn’t know when to join the roundabout – totally blanked! Didn’t look around when parallel parking. Breaking felt different, more sensitive. 

I found myself more exhausted and in a low mood. I noticed that my movements were not clean and automatic yet. Occasionally I became preoccupied with a conversation or my own thoughts, completely missing what was going on around me. To conclude, I was not looking far enough forward and had lost the ability to expand my awareness.

Passing the Test on the First Attempt

I then had three more good lessons with my driving instructor before spending a whole 3-month summer period abroad. In my home country Estonia, I got a legal certificate to drive with my brother. I tried hard not to adopt my brother’s many casual habits as an experienced driver. These would not have helped me pass the test. 

Friends in Europe sympathize with me driving on the ‘wrong side’ of the road in the UK. Personally, I did not have any problems in switching sides as I do not have driving habits on any side. I have lived in the UK long enough (5 years) to find it natural. I suspect trained heightened awareness plays a role too.

Returning to Edinburgh made me more conscious of how much more stimulating the roads here are. However, thanks to being more stimulated here, I drive better.

Seven final lessons back on the left side of the road and I passed my test. I was extremely nervous the day before to the point of my knees hurting badly at night. A psychosomatic symptom I sometimes have with nerves. I dreamt about driving and slept restlessly. I could hardly bear the tension.

Maintaining a state of mind where I stayed in touch with the great opportunity this experience afforded me was what helped me to stay calm and collected during the test. It was not a punishment but a chance to show my skills. Being challenged, stimulated, and in the unknown are things in life I have learned to value rather than be afraid of. There is also a reward at the end in the event that I perform well: a driving licence in addition to a dopamine hit, the result of having achieved my goal. Oh, and – I did have a nice grounding Alexander Technique session on the morning of the test. It regulated my overexcited nervous system, bringing it back to optimal functioning.

Sitting in a car seat is little particular. See that you don’t develop bizarre posture habits!

Six Tips for Healthy and Safe Driving

1.     First, just stop for a moment after you get into your vehicle and check in with yourself. See if your body has the same needs in the evening that it had in the morning. Maybe the mirrors need to be adjusted now? Sunglasses, hats – am I comfortable? Do I have everything I need? Is this the only time I get to myself all day to take a moment to breathe? Check in with yourself and make small adjustments in the moment.

2.     Don’t leave your wallet and phone in your pockets. If you have something in your back pocket, you are likely to be out of balance. A front pocket stuffed full can be a limitation for the hip joint and restrict the movement of the leg. Am I sitting on both sitting bones? Am I leaning habitually on one side? Find some centre.

3.     Don’t make yourself small regardless of the confined space of the vehicle. See if your body would prefer inner space as opposed to narrowing and collapsing. If there is any excess tension in the neck, think of the length of the neck, for the head to be unlocked, balancing on top of the upright spine. This will help your entire torso expand into length and width.

4.     Find support from the car seat. It is comfortable and soft but not for collapsing into. There are ways to use a firmer surface, like gardening leaning pads on the seat or some ergonomic padding solutions, especially for longer drives. It is also helpful to remind yourself that it is the car doing the moving, going forward in space, taking your body along with it. Remembering this will help you put less effort into doing the driving.

Explore with different seat options..

5.     Allow your lungs to get air by remembering to notice the sensation of breathing. Think of the expansive movement of lungs being 360 degrees, full from top to bottom, side to side and all the way around. 

6.     See further into the distance using your peripheral vision. Listen further. Receive information as opposed to actively looking for stressors. The brain is processing all the data, and it does it better if you do not try too hard to see or hear. Try less and your body will thank you.

Some of these concepts may be clear, some probably need to be experienced to understand them better, all of them need some practice. Conscious activity is not about perfect posture but rather the whole use of ourselves. The issue is broader than just biomechanics or attention. Ideally, we wish for the ability to be present in a well-coordinated body and to function on reduced levels of reactivity. This is something to practise prior to your first driving lesson as there will be lots to take in as you go.

It takes about ten Alexander Technique sessions with an experienced teacher to develop more natural capacities and ways of moving. If you already drive and want to improve your wellbeing while driving, you may have to readjust your rear-view mirror as you find yourself sitting taller when thinking about Alexander principles. 

Big thanks to my driving instructor Steven Macdonald. His excellent teaching methods and intuition in dealing with people in a highly stressful situation made this whole process fun and efficient. I recommend finding a teacher with these qualities in addition to taking a few Alexander Technique sessions for your best learning and driving.