Where’s the Floor? or How to start your AT self-study

After your first lesson you may will be considering some new ideas about your balance and posture. You may also be more aware of your breathing and overall approach to coordination.

Here’s the #1 idea I’d like you to play with between lessons - it’s a question: “where’s the floor?”

I may have shown you a simple diamond-shaped diagram of the four focuses of your new Alexander Technique approach: Support, Freedom of Motion, Freedom of Breathing, and Direction. Support is the keystone at the bottom.

Support is also thought of as grounding. When we feel grounded, we feel steady on our feet, at ease and in balance. A strong sense of support comes from the perception that the floor is solid and reliable. Without pushing your feet into the floor, you can feel the quality of the surface you are standing on. You can tell if it is soft  (if you are on sand) or solid (if you are on a hard floor). You can sense the resilience of the material you are standing on - do you sink down a bit or is the resistant surface immediately there?

Some people like to use the image that the floor is moving up to meet their feet. Take a moment to notice that the surface you are standing on is consistently supportive - reliably supportive. Asking yourself the question “where’s the floor?” helps bring your balancing system into a quiet, easy state - it is reassuring and focuses you in the present.

As we get older, we may lose some of our sensory appreciation through our toes, but our heels remain sensitive to feedback about pressure. But no matter what our age, we can play with aiming our heels backwards and downwards from our ankles. I like to remember that my heels are wide and have contact with the floor on the outside and the inside at the back of my foot. Another wonderful Alexander Technique teacher, Meade Andrews, says,”50% of your weight moves through your heels into the ground, 30% moves through your big toe and the inside of the ball of your foot, 20% moves through your 5^th toe and the outside of the ball of your foot.” Try it out!

by Gurdjeiff
(thanks to my colleague Teva Bjerken for sharing this with me and with so many of the actors she teaches)

Through Alexander Technique lessons we learn to sense the space around us with more liveliness. We cease forcing our way through the world. We no longer retreat or collapse. We delight in moving through space, filling space and having space fill us. Spaciousness is temporal as well. We do not rush because we can go as fast as we choose to, will vigor! Or we can pause with an inner sense of buoyancy, quiet yet active, alert, ready - in balance.

Please note: I would like to correct two omissions from my interview:

William Conable is one the most important teachers that I trained with, he profoundly influenced my understanding of the Alexander Technique as well as the skills needed to teach.  He continues to be my mentor.

I would also like to acknowledge the many Physicians, Osteopaths, Physical Therapists, Massage Therapists and Vocal Coaches who have referred students to me over the years - links to some of them can be found in the Resources page of this site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GbwzqT9piU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXmimtk381U&NR=1

Alexander Technique Fans of NYC & Brooklyn

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A Simple Solutions experiment to try right now:

1. Close your eyes and think of one of your daily worries or feelings of self-doubt. Notice how your breath is affected by these thoughts. Let your eyes open and notice where you are looking – down?
2. Close your eyes again and think of someone who cherishes you, or something you are proud of. Notice how your breath is affected. Let your eyes open and notice where you are looking – out or up?
3. Now with your eyes open, notice the firm support of the floor and your chair. As you get a sense of the “down”, allow the top of your head to aim “up” as you let the back of you neck, your throat, your whole back soften to move and expand with your breathing. Is your attitude now more like #1 or #2?

Postural response to intention and belief is an ongoing process. If we are willing to pause briefly and realign our attitude with the reality of the present moment, we can regain the poise we need to express our hope, our strength and our pride.

Can you stand up and stretch or get yourself a glass of water?

Thanks for sharing a simple moment of ease.