Break

I'm off to Poland until the end of the year, so most likely I won't be posting much on this blog until I come back to London.

Remembering to play

When I visited LCATT recently I had a turn from the teacher who was very playful in her approach to teaching the AT. Last night I went on the OCG Aphorisms page and was reminded to remember to play.

I reflected on it in the context of the Alexander Technique. There's a wonderful space of possibilities open here. For me, the key word is spontaneity.

Today I began the guitar practice with directing attention to my body, then quietly proceeded with an empty string exercise. While doing this I went through the body scan: head, shoulders, right arm, left arm, the torso, hips area, right leg, left leg - going into details, also remembering the basic 3 AT directions.

It wasn't planned, yet it worked nicely. At the end of the session I remembered to play, but before I began: stop and listen to what is going on inside...

Reminding factor

A daily work with the breathing procedure is bearing its fruits. I noticed over the past few days that I am in general more often aware of my breathing, and also, more comfortable with it. This is a very welcomed development, but also a work in progress, of course.

Making myself aware of breathing as often as I can is not my aim here. The breathing itself became the reminding factor, like with the sensation.

Reaching the stillness

It's been a very calming and centering day - thanks to the guitar sessions and several lie-downs / exercises ... I'm also almost recovered from the illness.

I just had my favourite type of lie-down - gently scanning the body and ask individual parts to do nothing - to inhibit any muscular activity. The capacity to go into details and to maintain the attention for longer periods of time was available today. Just wonderful...

AT & Guitar Practice

Guitar Practice - what a wonderful field of application of the AT principles. One specific example of how I approached it today:

I was playing the series of notes on an empty string - the speed was within the comfort zone and I was able to discharge it without any apparent effort. Then I would double the speed of the notes.

It's interesting that although what was required was just to release the wrist faster, all my body would react to that change - I would suddenly hold my breathing, tense and collapse.

I approached it by giving myself the basic directions and to prevent collapsing while doing it. It wasn't really about achieving anything, just experimenting with the process and different ways of approaching this challenging exercise, however there were some positive changes in my coordination as a result of this application.

So, one recurring theme today was to lead myself slightly outside the comfort zone and observe how the body reacts to it.

This is good - it keeps both my AT & Guitar work fresh and interesting.

Hoovering

I chose to apply the AT more intentionally to one of my chores today - hoovering. I set myself to report on what did I notice:

- I was more in touch with my breathing than usual - it was neither free / effortless, nor very restricted / uncomfortable, as it tends to be.

- Doing it the kneeling position allowed me to use the hoover with less effort.

- Effort and tension is not needed for doing things well.

- I experienced a brief moment of joy and satisfaction - feeling settled and comfortable in my body, which is engaged in a practical task, but without being identified with it.

Illness...

I'm almost fully recovered from the chest infection that decided to pay me a visit recently. It'll probably take few more days to complete the last goodbyes, but at least I have enough mental energy to sit down at the laptop and create the post.

3 days ago I have read:

When you become ill, regard your illness as your teacher, not as something to be hated.

Later on that day, when I was lying down in bed at night, these words came back to me. I examined my reactions in the light of this quote. I noticed that my body is actually trying to resist the discomfort in the throat and the chest. As if by opposing it, by tensing, something could be resolved... I decided to be more present to the discomfort, and simply accept it. To respond.

What I described above is just one example of unnecessary energy wasting - perhaps the waste of the very force needed for recovery. Another example: inner complaining and being grumpy that I have to suffer so much! Poor me... Drip, drip, drip - energy leaking away again...

Did I learn anything from the process? Well, I'll verify it when I get ill again. Hopefully not very soon!

The process continues, and this illness seems to be important part of it.

The future

On the top of this blog it says: The other aim is to support my preparations for the AT Teacher Training in London.

So, what's the progress? I recently sent my Application Letter to LCATT and declared that I'd like to begin it in April next year.

At the end of my Application I wrote:

My Aim for this Course is to establish foundations for becoming an excellent AT Teacher.

Doing less ...

Few weeks ago I took the decision to limit the activities I engage in. Meeting groups, classes etc.

What do I actually need? What is sufficient?

I saw this clearly, and acted on this. Now I do less, but with more quality.

There's more space to rest & absorb the experience...

Breathing

Few days ago we treated ourselves with Monika to Effortless Living Practice program by Ingrid Bacci.

A good investment.

Although her approach is nothing new, really, it is NEW and it's good to be able to approach things I think I know in a fresh way.

The foundation of her work is sensing the body...

And then, there's tuning into breath...

I was never comfortable or into breathing exercises. Perhaps because I always found it so unsettling and uncomfortable to work with the breath. It's shallow, tense - and then, what is hidden beneath all these tensions? If there's one major are of weakness / for improvement in my use - it is THE BREATHING.

But then, of course the Use is the wholy body business and it doesn't only involve habits of the body, but also habits of the mind, and attitudes. Well, my attitude to working on breathing is changing...

I recognize the need to work with breathing on a regular basis - I wish to do it.

Effortless Pain Relief

My current AT related reading - recommended by one of the teachers at LCATT:

Not that I'm having any serious problems with pain. It's well and simply written, very engaging.