Thank you John, this article makes sense to me. I have had major courses of Alexander Technique lesson but only weekly (I do not think this was ideal - I would say 3 per week for shorter blocks would have been better). But I was never introduced to that idea. I also had occasional 3 day courses in a school. Then very long periods of no lessons or input at all. At some point I come back to asking the question, "what is the work" and find accurate descriptions and videos of genuine teachers of it really helpful. My relationship with the work / technique has always been fascination and very very slow learning / un-learning. There are those moments when I know I got 'the moment' and I am all joined up, bigger, taller and back in my back effortlessly and at distinctively noticeable psycho-mental-emotional-body construct ease. But then what you are talking about here makes sense. I wonder where it went. I am mystified. My attention is in all the wrong places like feelings or mere intellect without the intellect of the body psycho-physical that Alexander is all about. Then the best thing is to 'chill', just be glad of everything there is to be glad of. Throw it all out of the window because 'it all' is in fact nothing actually constructive. Then I can just remind my self that there is a better way and it wants to be. Just be patient. Be glad that I am not a collapsed cushion unable to move on the floor. The principles are always working, the work is just about seeing if I can't see what interference is going on and say no to it. Usually then I notice something hugely obvious and major like I fell down the avenue of trying to be right by normal mechanisms - I am in fact way back on my heels kidding my self I am evenly on my feet say. I can be happy just knowing that my truth is that I am in fact an upright man designed to be floor to sky, left to right, back to front and that this is me - where I really should be regardless of interference. This is an exploration in itself. Then I can very gently ask my self questions again. Have fun. What is the top of my spine region? How far up can conscious constructive control go? No straining or trying. May be one day more pennies will drop as moments of freedom join up. I love that it's all in there and that part of my dignity is to use my 'supreme inheritance' (F.M Alexander) - reason. Patience and intention and not end gaining!
This analogy is brilliant! This needs to be read slowly and repeatedly❤️
Thanks so much!
What a clear and well-organized blog, John. I hear myself a lot in your writings, but you also have a unique, lovely way of putting things .
You're definetly in there!
Thank you John, this article makes sense to me. I have had major courses of Alexander Technique lesson but only weekly (I do not think this was ideal - I would say 3 per week for shorter blocks would have been better). But I was never introduced to that idea. I also had occasional 3 day courses in a school. Then very long periods of no lessons or input at all. At some point I come back to asking the question, "what is the work" and find accurate descriptions and videos of genuine teachers of it really helpful. My relationship with the work / technique has always been fascination and very very slow learning / un-learning. There are those moments when I know I got 'the moment' and I am all joined up, bigger, taller and back in my back effortlessly and at distinctively noticeable psycho-mental-emotional-body construct ease. But then what you are talking about here makes sense. I wonder where it went. I am mystified. My attention is in all the wrong places like feelings or mere intellect without the intellect of the body psycho-physical that Alexander is all about. Then the best thing is to 'chill', just be glad of everything there is to be glad of. Throw it all out of the window because 'it all' is in fact nothing actually constructive. Then I can just remind my self that there is a better way and it wants to be. Just be patient. Be glad that I am not a collapsed cushion unable to move on the floor. The principles are always working, the work is just about seeing if I can't see what interference is going on and say no to it. Usually then I notice something hugely obvious and major like I fell down the avenue of trying to be right by normal mechanisms - I am in fact way back on my heels kidding my self I am evenly on my feet say. I can be happy just knowing that my truth is that I am in fact an upright man designed to be floor to sky, left to right, back to front and that this is me - where I really should be regardless of interference. This is an exploration in itself. Then I can very gently ask my self questions again. Have fun. What is the top of my spine region? How far up can conscious constructive control go? No straining or trying. May be one day more pennies will drop as moments of freedom join up. I love that it's all in there and that part of my dignity is to use my 'supreme inheritance' (F.M Alexander) - reason. Patience and intention and not end gaining!
Very well said Fergus. Thanks so much for the insight!