Primal Alexander Primer, Ep 11

In Primal Alexander, few concepts are as fundamental yet important as the Primary Concern. This deceptively simple principle serves as both a cornerstone of conscious practice, experimentation, and as a gateway to understanding how our attention shapes our experience. At its core, the Primary Concern asks a single, transformative question: “What happens to me when I _______?”

The Essence of the Primary Concern

The Primary Concern represents what might be called an experimental paradigm for self-awareness. Rather than focusing exclusively on external outcomes or goals, it redirects attention inward to observe the effects of our activities on our own use and functioning. This shift in perspective transforms any activity—whether teaching, playing music, practicing surgery, or laying bricks—into an opportunity for conscious observation and learning.

The question “What happens to me when I _______?” serves as a template that can be applied to any situation. For instance, “What happens to me when I reach for this coffee cup?” or “What happens to me as I put my hands on the computer keyboard ?” This framework creates space for noticing how our physical and mental state changes in response to different circumstances, thoughts, or actions.

CuriousThinking™

Working hand-in-hand with the Primary Concern is CuriousThinking™—the intentional practice of noticing areas of relative comfort in your body. When we combine the Primary Concern question with this curiosity about ease and ask “What happens to me as I pay attention to ease?”, we unlock a powerful tool for change.

This tool draws on both our sharp, intentional, analytical mind and the profoundly deep intelligence of our unconscious. Together, they stop us from forcing changes we think we need and instead utilize our attention in a way that supports natural healing, trusting our body to respond on its own.

This approach recognizes that while thoughts may wander unpredictably, we retain the ability to make conscious decisions about where to direct our attention. The power lies not in forcing physical changes but in choosing to focus on qualities like ease, expansion, or flow, and then observing the beauty of what naturally occurs as a result.

Practical Implementation

In practice, the Primary Concern becomes a tool for developing sensitivity to interference patterns. When our primary concern as practitioners—whether teachers, performers, or professionals—centers on what’s happening to us within the very context of our activities, we become more attuned to when our choices begin to interfere with effective functioning.

This awareness creates the possibility for real-time adjustment. Once we find ourselves “getting in our own way,” we can employ simple techniques to redirect our attention and allow our natural coordination to reassert itself. The key is having a method so accessible that recognition of interference can immediately trigger a constructive response.

The Paradox of Non-Doing

The primary concern illuminates one of the Alexander Technique’s most important paradoxes: that effective change often comes through non-doing rather than direct effort. When we pay attention to ease, we don’t actively create relaxation or force tension to disappear. Instead, we simply notice what’s already present and choose to focus on the ease that exists alongside any tension.

This approach honors the principle that we cannot directly control our body’s responses, but we can influence them through the quality of our attention and thinking. The Primary Concern thus becomes a bridge between intention and allowing, between conscious choice and natural response.

Educational and Professional Applications

For educators and professionals in any field, the Primary Concern offers a revolutionary approach to skill development and performance. Rather than focusing solely on external results or technical execution, practitioners learn to monitor their own state and use throughout their activities. This dual awareness—of both task and self—creates the conditions for sustainable, non-harmful performance while maintaining effectiveness.

In teaching situations, it helps instructors remain present and responsive rather than becoming caught up in performance anxiety or the pressure to produce specific outcomes. By maintaining awareness of their own use and state, teachers can model the very qualities they wish to cultivate in their students.

Conclusion

The primary concern represents more than just a technique or exercise—it embodies a fundamental shift in how we approach learning, working, and living. By consistently asking “What happens to me when I...?” we cultivate a practice of conscious observation that reveals the intimate connection between our attention, our thinking, and our overall functioning.

This principle offers a practical pathway to what F.M. Alexander called “conscious control of the individual”—not through force or manipulation, but through the skillful direction of our most controllable faculty: our attention. In a world that often emphasizes external achievements and outcomes, the primary concern reminds us that our most valuable knowledge may indeed be understanding how we use ourselves in the pursuit of our goals.

Through this simple yet profound question, we discover that awareness itself can be transformative, and that paying attention to the right things at the right time may be the most practical skill we can develop. The primary concern thus stands as both a foundation for technical practice and a philosophy for conscious living.

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