ABSTRACT
Aesthetic experience is available to us not only when looking at works of art. It is also available through direct physical perception in everyday experience. Somatics is a field that builds on the observation that physical sensations, emotional feelings, and cultural conceptions are usually fused. The somatic perspective provides a basis for aesthetic experience that is more profound than one based solely on (visually) experiencing art, depending on how we define art. In this chapter, the author discusses the somatic practices can heighten our physical experience by strengthening this awareness and thereby improving design quality. He focuses on the Alexander Technique because it has been called the grandfather of somatic practices and because it is the system of which the author has the greatest knowledge. The built environment, especially the common chair, can interfere with the proper coordination of the head, neck, and back.
