What Does Sense Training Look Like?
Taste Version
Happy Post Thanksgiving!
Apologies for not writing to you last week. I’ve had a dumb drawing in the works and sometimes the detail work really gets a bit more detailed than I think it will. I should have that for you by Monday!
For the last few weeks I’ve been thinking more and more and about what sense training is at a general level. It’s been helpful for me as a teacher of the Alexander Technique, but I think it also helps people understand that we are NOT here to exercise and work up a sweat NOR should we expect to “finish” learning the Alexander Technique.
We are training our sense of feeling and we hope to enjoy this process!
So rather than go into a bunch of details on what this process looks like to train kinesthesia (and the sense of balance), I thought it would be fun to share a video covering Thanksgiving’s most important beverage. No, not gravy…. COFFEE.
I’ve kinda gotten hooked on watching James Hoffman coffee videos on YouTube. The channel goes pretty deep into the world of specialty coffee and I like Mr. Hoffman’s way of presenting information. His videos do not feel cheap and clickbaity.
I recently came across a video where James Hoffmann guides a coffee novice through the world of decaf coffee to find a palatable beverage. Rather than just giving the taster - Tom Scott - a bunch of coffee, they engage in a process of discovery. They talk about every aspect of learning to taste and why they go through the process they go through.
Check it out! I don’t think you need to watch the whole video to get my point.
Takeaways
The video addresses a very fundamental question; how can we learn a way to experience something new and complex without being overwhelmed with information?
The tasting process is slow and methodical. There is humor in the process. And there is an acceptance that we need to find words to associate with the experience so that we can communicate that experience to others that are also training their sense.
Evaluations like, “this tastes good.” are not helpful in isolation. Instead evaluations like, “this is more bitter/sweet/acid than the last.” or “this smells of earth.” are the types of qualitative statements that help us learn what we like with a growing sense of confidence.
You may feel certain limbs feel stiff or heavy. You may feel bracing or a slight vibration in a muscle that feels like fingernails on a chalkboard. These types of statements are much more meaningful than “my knee hurts.” or “I feel like trash." because they give us the growing sense of confidence that we know why we feel the way we feel.
I think that’s enough for today’s post! Hopefully you’ve gotten a good fill of grub and loved one’s this week. I’m very thankful to each and every one of you that read these blogs. The process of writing this whole thing has been very important to me and I’m glad that I get to share it with YOU.
Does This Resonate With You?
These blogs are hopefully a way of helping you better understand yourself, how you function, and why things sometimes feel off in a general way. If these posts are helpful, I encourage you to subscribe, leave a comment, ask a question, or check out the archives for my previous articles. I like hearing from everyone and I’ll do my best to respond as I can.
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.