Summer Update • Aug. 2022
Sara Goldstein Studio
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HIGH SUMMER
The summer has been passing quickly as the days have been slow and leisurely. I taught classes and workshops this summer which is always a privilege and puts me in mind of my own patterns and habits. As an Alexander Technique teacher I hand out a lot of advice (okay, encouragement) to students and workshop participants about better ways of balancing and coordinating ourselves in our daily lives and in performance situations.
What about me? Do I follow my own guidance?
Well, yes and no.
Using oneself well isn’t a matter of holding on to an ideal. Rather, it is an invitation that is repeated again and again; to pause, assess, and make a choice that may lead to improved psycho-physical balance.
I catch myself on the couch, reading with two pillows propping up my head, which, of course, is compressing my spine. I think, “I could be lying on the floor in semi-supine.” But I allow myself the indulgence of scrunched up couch-lying. Later that day, the idea having arisen, I take a few minutes to take care of my neck and back and mind with a bit of constructive rest on the floor.
The other tendency is to catch myself in a slump (usually with cell phone in hand). Often, when we notice ourselves doing this, we yank ourselves into a straight posture. But that is just another unsustainable position; an overreaction.
PRESENCE AND PRACTICE: an Invitation
Try this exercise which you can do any time you find yourself wanting to improve how you are sitting or standing. Be patient with yourself.
First, just pause and notice.
Then, invite micro movements and minimal adjustments to occur on their own. One shift will lead to another, and then another, and after a few moments you will have un-scrunched your neck, broadened your shoulders, taken a breath, and found your support on the ground or the chair. It’s fun to discover the ways in which you can unwind and reorganize, and it might be different every time!
There is no such thing as a right position but there is such a thing as a right direction
F. M. Alexander
Being an Alexander Technique teacher doesn’t make one a perfect example of equilibrium and poise. The invitation is always there, however, and anyone can turn their focus to how they do what they do any time. It’s a matter of presence and practice.
Enjoy the slow unwinding of summer.
ABOUT THE ALEXANDER TECHINQUE
The Alexander Technique helps us to function in harmony with our natural design and with greater efficiency and ease. Alexander lessons are recognized as a valuable resource to people of all ages, including performing artists, athletes, anyone with chronic or incidental pain or just wishing to improve wellbeing.
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