A Basic Level of Comfort
The first thing we sacrifice...
It’s another minus week here in NYC. If you’re one of my students and you need to cancel a lesson due to the weather, just do it! More snow is expected on Friday so please don’t try and be a hero and trip and fall and get hurt on the way to a lesson with me. It’s really not worth it!
This “basic” announcement is also the theme for this week’s article. But before we get into the nuts and bolts of comfort, I thought I’d share a little story…
Chem 101
Going into my freshman year at Tulane, my dad - a college professor - took the time to heavily advise me on what courses to take during my first semester. Given that I didn’t know what major I was going to pursue, he wanted me to have a basic course selection that would allow me to either pursue medicine or business. After about an hour of research, we landed on a smattering of STEM intro classes… including chemistry. 🤯
On my mom’s side of the family, chemistry was the one class that everyone struggled with in college. Hearing the word “chemistry” was known to cause dinner time screeches of, “Not Chemistry! Ahhhhhh”. This was accompanied with a Kevin McAlister double cheek slap obviously.
So when I got to Tulane and attended my first lecture, I was determined to get an A in the course. As I sat down with the book, I did something that I had never done before with a text book. I read each sentence - one at a time - and refused to move on to the next sentence until I had fully understood the concept.
What a novel idea, eh?
On the second page of the textbook, I came across a curious paragraph. In 3 sentences, we were given a very high level description of how the periodic table worked - specifically with regards to the classification of metals. Something about this paragraph made me stop.
I didn’t really understand why this information was being mentioned, so normally I would skim such a paragraph and tell myself that I’d return to it later if needed. But instead of doing that, I read the paragraph again - gasp! I didn’t understand something on the first try! - and decided to commit the information to memory. This information would later prove to be the foundation of basically everything in the entire course.
If you’re curious, you can read about oxidation reduction reactions here. You’ll see in this page that the information is put in a huge bold grey block right at the top of the page. In my chemistry textbook, it appeared almost as a footnote. So not only is it important to read everything in a book, but maybe…just maybe… the editors of the book should consider making the most critical bits of information as BIG, BOLD, and BEAUTIFUL as possible.
Had I missed this one little paragraph, I would have been lost. I probably would have muddled through the course, fallen behind, and not recognized that the best course of action to catch up with class would have been to start over from the beginning. Starting over is something we are all reluctant to do at one stage or another… that’s ego talking and learning and ego do not mix well!
As I’ve gone on to study the Alexander Technique, I have found that there are two types of lessons out there; the ones where the teacher tries to meet my “current” level of knowledge and the ones where the teacher assumes I know NOTHING. We all need to progress in our studies, so I don’t want to dismiss a lesson on “the feet” for example, but the lessons that assume nothing and start at the beginning in the most foundational ways are ALWAYS the best. Finding the right balance is a tricky art.
Back to the Beginning
I have poor vision. My prescription strength is -13 in both eyes with a little astigmatism in the left. It means that I’m right eye dominant and have a life long relationship with wearing glasses.
When I get a new pair, I spare no expense because I’m freakin’ blind and wear this things all the time. As a kid, my prescription strength was much weaker and I could get light metal frames that have nose grips to secure the glasses. I liked these very much and never really felt any feeling of discomfort from them.
But by the time I was 24, my lenses became so thick that the spec shop couldn’t cut the lenses thin enough to go into a metal frame. It was time for me to “upgrade” to a thicker plastic frame. When I got these frames, I reluctantly put them on and was shocked at how heavy the frames felt on my nose1.
I immediately complained to the shop that something was off here and I was told that given my poor vision, this weight was unavoidable and I would have to just get used to the frame. I wasn’t sure what to do about it, so I took their advice. Within about an hour I had a headache but by the next day the headache was gone and things felt fine2.
Fast forward 8 Years…
When I began my Alexander Technique lessons, I decided to switch to contact lenses. After feeling tension leave my neck from my lessons, I felt how the glasses would causing me to grip up. This decision had little to do with the weight of the frames and the pressure on my nose and more to do with the fact that my glasses were constantly slipping down my nose.
This slip gave me the sensation that my glasses were falling and I would instantly stiffen my neck to try and keep the glasses up. Switching to contacts felt TERRIFIC and I found it much easier to balance my head on top of my neck. I stuck with contacts for years but unfortunately, there’s an increase in dry eyes and - at least from what eye doctors have told me - an increase in risk of retinal detachment as the eyes are deprived of oxygen.
Uggghhhh. Getting old is GARBAGE sometimes.
It’s been several years now that I’ve been back to wearing heavy plastic frames. I’ve noticed that when I buy a new frame they fit my face and do not slip. But with wear, the plastic will slightly change shape and the slip down the nose returns.
Lately, the slip has increased to the point where the frames fall off my face when I look down. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I’M UNCOMFORTABLE AND IT’S STOOOOPID TO CONTINUE WITH THIS.
ummm. sorry about that….
So what should I do? I’m clearly not comfortable and this is clearly stiffening up my neck and face. Should I buy a new frame? And spend $1000 every 6 months?!?
Nah… Let’s just do a quick search on Amazon…
Hrmmm…
This seems easier…
TA DA!!!
These little rubber do-dads solve the problem of slippage. They don’t solve the problem of weight on my face, but man oh man it’s just easier to walk around now. And with this adjustment, I feel less of a need to brace in the neck.
And that’s a very welcome change.
Comfort Comes First
One of the first things I am asked in a good Alexander Technique lesson is, “Are you comfortable?”. This question is tricky to answer for people in pain because they are absolutely NOT comfortable EVER, but it still should be asked. These little niggling bits of discomfort will block us from releasing tension and can create issues over time.
I will leave you with a few things to consider:
Does it feel like you will slip out of your chair?
Is your keyboard slightly out of reach?
Can you actually read the print in your book?
Do your shoes ever so slightly pinch your feet?
Are those jeans just a liiiiittle tight?
Is your pillow just a little too tall?
Are your feet slipping during your lie down?
Is your head unable to rest on the book during the lie down?
If you have pillows under your arm during a lie down, do your elbows feel like they are slipping?
Basically, Does your environment feel like it is fighting you?
If you feel this and it is something that happens persistently. FIX IT!
Get In Touch
If you’re in NYC, you may learn more about my private teaching practice at johndalto.com.
If you’d like to book any lesson time with me, you can find my booking link here.
My current frames weight 33 grams! Most of that weight rests on my nose.
Things were not fine. I just got used to the discomfort and no longer noticed that the procerus (nose muscle) was constantly bracing.