“I am free to be here now”
‘People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures’, said FM Alexander.
Information and knowledge are useful. Putting these into action is even more useful. Committing to doing this action one, three, or ten times a day – then you’ll really start to notice the benefits.
As many of you know, one of Alexander’s major discoveries about us mammals is that the relationship between the head and spine govern the coordination of the rest of us. Yes – all of us! Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual – we don’t separate – its all one thing – our Self.
Blossom on my morning walk today
“I am free to be here now”
How we do one thing, is how we do everything. Old Zen saying.
I’m keen on paying close attention to how I do the dishes, and if I notice I’m starting to clench my jaw, tighten my neck or brace my back I can release the excess tension and steer myself in a good direction again. I”m not trying to do it ‘right’, I’m not trying to put myself into any particular position – I’m attention to this moment now, and choose the best direction for my whole self to move into, balance, breath and body.
I’m pretty sure now (after 30 years of self-observation and Alexander lessons and nearly 2 decades as a Teacher) that I do the same tension pattern when I’m putting my socks on or folding clothes.
The more I practice, the better I get at paying attention to myself when washing the dishes. The same awareness is trained and pops up with alerts and news flashes when I’m brushing my teeth and see the same tensions surfacing during this activity.
So now that I have really worked on myself and my coordination and movement plans for dish washing, I can use the same principles for teeth, socks and clothes. The benefits start to multiply and proliferate.
I can’t teach you ‘how to fold you clothes’ I leave this up to the wonderful Marie Kondo. What I do teach is how to become aware of, and become friends with, your habits. Then to see if we can weed out the unhelpful ones, and ready the soil and mind for the ones we want to nurture and water and tend them multiple times a day… then we can really reach our goals.
This last week I have worked with people playing the piano, someone using their computer, breathing issues, chopping herbs with shoulders, sitting and turning, pillow usage and rolling over in bed. I love the variety of my work – and of course, this was all online.
“I am free to be here now”
Being here now, is a beautiful part of training our self-observation or self-consciousness. The more we are able to take care of how we do ourselves whilst we do our chosen activity, the more we are in a place of choice. And choice is really only possible here and now, in this moment.
Do you like to choose what happens to you?
Would you like to learn some principles which can help you in many circumstances?
You can choose the activity and I’ll find a way of working with you and together we’ll find more ease, balance and stamina for you in your chosen activity.
I’m so enjoying the variety of people I’m working with, and wish to be as helpful as I can to as many of you as I can.
So today I’m wanting to ask if you would like to work with me and try an online session? For free!
