“Every day a little death” goes the Sondheim song. Why not every day a little miracle? Messes up the prosody, but, really, why not? I was teaching a class at California State University, Fullerton recently, and noticed that one participant was non-sighted and that my presentation was highly visual. I adapted. I asked her to come forward to the center of the teaching space and meet my hands, our arms extended, elbows bent, and our palms facing one another. She complied. I asked her to free the heels of her hands as I did the same. What did you notice I asked? She said, my lower back relaxed. Brilliant. I asked her to free the palms of her hands as I did the same. I asked what did you notice, and she replied, my mid-back relaxed. Finally, I asked her to let her fingers melt away from her hands. She responded without my asking, my neck got freer. She, it goes without saying was extraordinarily sensitive. You can be as well. You can meet the hand of an Alexander Teacher and your minded muscles will understand I can do less here. I can meet you and give up some of my learned systemic bracing.
Muscles share their loads – always – and when one muscle frees the whole burdened system begins to free as well, a little here, a little there until the whole system sings. That’s how a lesson in the Alexander Technique works. You’re going to notice a difference. You’re going to sing a different song.
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