Discover how cycling, barefoot shoes, and systemic constellations connect to healing, posture awareness, and living with ease.
Sunday Thoughts: Back in the Saddle (and Other Adventures)
Internally, it has been a full week – navigating decisions, new glasses, and shoe dilemmas.
Externally, I got back on my bike, welcomed a returning client, had a cancellation, enjoyed a walk in the park with a friend, and found time to read.
In my ongoing bid to simplify and question the “furniture of my life,” I asked: What still adds value? What can I let go of? What do I want to keep?
The bike stays.
Back on the Bike
Thanks to a tip from a friend, I found Green Bikes in Upperthorpe and gifted him my son’s outgrown but tired bike for repair. And then, after a long pause, I chose to give cycling another go.
When I was first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in the winter of 2023, I stopped riding – not as a conscious decision, but as a slow retreat. The bike sat beneath its cover and quietly rusted. My attention and energy were needed elsewhere.
Getting back on took a moment of quiet resolve. Service the bike, sit, steer, pedal.
A few turns later, I was coasting through the park on a mini‑adventure. My body knew exactly what to do – timing, coordination, balance. I softened my sitting bones to allow by pelvis and torso to be supported by the bike, found my natural easy length through my spine, and let the back of my legs lengthen and ease into movement.
This is the Alexander Technique in action: awareness, freedom, and ease in everyday movements.
New Glasses, New Angles
My new specs are taking some getting used to. They require a particular tilt of the head to line up with the clear‑sighted zone. A small roll of the head at the top of the spine – subtle, but it tweaks the natural freedom I have cultivated over decades.
I will keep them strictly for screen work. No tail wagging the dog for me.
New Shoes, Old Sensibilities
I mostly wear barefoot‑style shoes – minimalist, zero‑drop, flexible, these are consistent with my Alexander values (and interestingly Vivobarefoot Shoes were invented by the son of an Alexander Teacher – Sam Brennan. So at Alexander Technique Congress in the early 2000s we saw and bought the prototypes of these shoes – including zip-off soles! Recently I went to replace my well‑worn pair of running shoes (not Vivos), and was told the new version had a stiffer Vibram sole for “more support” as if this would be a good thing.
But I am not after more support from my shoes – I want freedom. So I left them in the shop.
Yes, I know I am not in the majority. But when a third of our body’s bones are in our feet, doesn’t it make sense to let them move? and freely?
(If you are curious about transitioning to barefoot shoes safely, I can help.)
Climbing Feet
My son, now a keen climber, needed his first real pair of climbing shoes. The tight, unyielding kind – completely opposite to what I prefer. And I appreciate they have a different job to do, it pained me to see his toes squashed and gait so altered. We left the shop with more questions than answers, and a plan to start simple.
Father’s Day, Complicated Love
On my morning walk I noticed families out together. Dads, kids, granddads. My heart lifted – and ached.
I miss my Dadda. He died when I was 29.
He was not perfect. But he was perfect for me. I honour him for his life, his service, his pain – and for giving me my life.
In systemic constellations work, recognising a father’s burdens, especially those rooted in war and loss, can be deeply healing. I will have spent years, as a teenager judging him and finding him lacking. But who am I to judge? I wasn’t brought up by a nanny whilst my parents travelled far and wide. I didn’t lose a brother whilst still at school, parents still absent. I didn’t go to war in my early 20s with huge responsibilities, fear as a daily reality and some horrific highlights. I didn’t wake up with night terrors for 50 years. How can I possibly judge? I am little and he was big. He was the adult, I was the child.
If you feel the pull to explore this for your own relationship with your father, I would be honoured to walk alongside you.
An invitation
If you and your body want some kind attention and gentle guidance away from struggle and towards more ease, now is a great time.
And if anything in this reflection stirred a thought or a question, I would love to hear from you.
Warm wishes
Lucy
If you are now ready to book a session, please choose a time and date here: https://lucyascham.com/whats-on/
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Alexander Technique?
The Alexander Technique is a gentle, educational method that helps you release unnecessary tension, improve posture, and move with more ease.
How do barefoot shoes connect to the Alexander Technique?
Barefoot shoes allow the feet to move freely, supporting natural movements and contribute to better balance. This complements Alexander Technique principles of freedom and awareness in movement.
What are systemic constellations?
Systemic constellations are a therapeutic approach that explores hidden family dynamics and inherited patterns. They help uncover unconscious burdens and restore balance in the family system.
Can cycling be part of healing?
Yes. Returning to activities like cycling can reconnect you with ease, coordination, and joy. Combined with Alexander awareness, it becomes a practice of freedom and gentle exercise. Although if you live in Sheffield, you’ll always be contending with hills, so learning how to use yourself well and not adding extra effort and strain, will help you manage your bike more safely too.
If you have any questions, or wish to experience Alexander Technique guidance on your bike and you live in or near Sheffield, let’s meet up: https://lucyascham.com/whats-on/
