I just discovered that International Alexander Awareness Week is October 18-24, 2010.
How fascinating that this is the very week I plan to launch Way Opens Center by offering Half-Price Half Hours (short introductory lessons) all week and Way Opens Wednesday, an evening open house. (official invitation to come.)
Synchronicity -- it's not just a theory.
10.01.2010
Up and Over It
Irish step dancing often makes me cringe a little, because although it is full of precision and power, it also looks like it produces painful tension in those who dance it. So what a wonderful discovery to find Suzanne Cleary & Peter Harding, creators of Up & Over It!, Irish step dancing for the postmodern age. The "We No Speak Americano" video has been making waves, with more than 2 million views on YouTube. But I like "3 Little Words" just as much, and it shows them using their whole bodies in a bigger way than the first one does.
Precision doesn't have to mean an increase of tension; dynamic freedom of movement can be fun!
Precision doesn't have to mean an increase of tension; dynamic freedom of movement can be fun!
Moving In, Moving Out
It's official: beginning today the new home of Way Opens Center is 22 South State St., Newtown, PA 18940. Or, at least after tomorrow it will be official, when I pick up my keys and begin the transition process. My new "landlord", Dean Dickson, will be moving out the furniture and sundry items from the space with help of some of his able-bodied clients. Dean is a psychotherapist who works with individuals, families and groups (interested? call him at 215-860-3450), and seems to be a very nice person, based on my limited experience of him.
So I have been preparing to move my necessary equipment -- table, stools, bolsters, mirror, books -- out of where it has been stored around my house and into the new office. Doing this has made me aware of how I've neglected this equipment over the past couple of years, and so naturally this has become an Alexander teaching moment for myself. The table needs to be cleaned and the wooden legs oiled and tightened. The mirror needs polishing, and just where the heck did I put the mounting bars and screws? The bolster is covered in cat hair and may need to be replaced if I can't get it clean enough. And, oh dear, just look at the state my little skeleton model has gotten into! He will not last much longer, I fear. Time for a newer, better model.
Neglecting our equipment happens when we are busy putting our energies into other places. From an AT perspective, this usually means applying energy in an unbalanced or misdirected way. But it can also mean just plain old ignoring ourselves or some part of ourselves, until we literally forget about it. When I first began Alexander lessons, I had almost no sense of my body at all. My awareness was so dim that when my teacher encouraged me to think about opening up and moving from my hips, I honestly had no idea what he was talking about. I thought my hips were the same as my hip bones, never suspecting that hips are big, generous joints that move! This is just one of the many ways I was disconnected from my physical self. It took me a while to reacquaint myself with my body and maintain a sense of my whole self as I moved through my life. Truthfully, this is a journey I am still on and hope to continue for a long, long time.
Meanwhile, I am uncovering all the accumulated junk stored on top of my table, wiping clean the dust and grime from books, bookshelves, etc. As I do this, I am reminded of how one of my students described her Alexander process: like an archeological dig. This is such a gem, and I use it often in attempting to describe what the Alexander Technique is. (I'm working on my "elevator speech" and will devote another post to that soon.) We have been conditioned to think of learning as a process of accumulation, but AT work is all about letting go of what is unnecessary, eliminating the interference we habitually infuse into even the simplest of activities, and unlearning our faulty thinking, so that we can become authentically dynamic in how we move and live and have our being (as an old Episcopal prayer goes).
I described this in an article I wrote in 2005 for Energy Times magazine. The link here is to an archived version on their website, which has been inaccurately reproduced -- the title they originally gave it is "Bold, Balanced Bodywork" -- and edited a bit (by someone other than my friend Stephen Hanks who originally commissioned it). Still, it gives a pretty good introduction to some of the principles of the Alexander Technique.
If fortune favors the well prepared, then it is important to be prepared in a way that is clear and unencumbered. Digging out from under the past three years of neglect of my equipment -- both animate and inanimate -- reveals to me some buried treasures I had forgotten about, some decay that cannot be reclaimed, and some new wonderments that arise because I have continued to grow as a human even though I haven't been teaching very much.
In this moment I feel enthused about opening my heart and my doors to new students and new neighbors in Newtown (aptly named!). I know how I feel because I can sense it in my body. For me, that would not be possible without having learned the Alexander Technique, the tool I discovered for digging out from under, so that I would not be buried alive.
So I have been preparing to move my necessary equipment -- table, stools, bolsters, mirror, books -- out of where it has been stored around my house and into the new office. Doing this has made me aware of how I've neglected this equipment over the past couple of years, and so naturally this has become an Alexander teaching moment for myself. The table needs to be cleaned and the wooden legs oiled and tightened. The mirror needs polishing, and just where the heck did I put the mounting bars and screws? The bolster is covered in cat hair and may need to be replaced if I can't get it clean enough. And, oh dear, just look at the state my little skeleton model has gotten into! He will not last much longer, I fear. Time for a newer, better model.
Neglecting our equipment happens when we are busy putting our energies into other places. From an AT perspective, this usually means applying energy in an unbalanced or misdirected way. But it can also mean just plain old ignoring ourselves or some part of ourselves, until we literally forget about it. When I first began Alexander lessons, I had almost no sense of my body at all. My awareness was so dim that when my teacher encouraged me to think about opening up and moving from my hips, I honestly had no idea what he was talking about. I thought my hips were the same as my hip bones, never suspecting that hips are big, generous joints that move! This is just one of the many ways I was disconnected from my physical self. It took me a while to reacquaint myself with my body and maintain a sense of my whole self as I moved through my life. Truthfully, this is a journey I am still on and hope to continue for a long, long time.
Meanwhile, I am uncovering all the accumulated junk stored on top of my table, wiping clean the dust and grime from books, bookshelves, etc. As I do this, I am reminded of how one of my students described her Alexander process: like an archeological dig. This is such a gem, and I use it often in attempting to describe what the Alexander Technique is. (I'm working on my "elevator speech" and will devote another post to that soon.) We have been conditioned to think of learning as a process of accumulation, but AT work is all about letting go of what is unnecessary, eliminating the interference we habitually infuse into even the simplest of activities, and unlearning our faulty thinking, so that we can become authentically dynamic in how we move and live and have our being (as an old Episcopal prayer goes).
I described this in an article I wrote in 2005 for Energy Times magazine. The link here is to an archived version on their website, which has been inaccurately reproduced -- the title they originally gave it is "Bold, Balanced Bodywork" -- and edited a bit (by someone other than my friend Stephen Hanks who originally commissioned it). Still, it gives a pretty good introduction to some of the principles of the Alexander Technique.
If fortune favors the well prepared, then it is important to be prepared in a way that is clear and unencumbered. Digging out from under the past three years of neglect of my equipment -- both animate and inanimate -- reveals to me some buried treasures I had forgotten about, some decay that cannot be reclaimed, and some new wonderments that arise because I have continued to grow as a human even though I haven't been teaching very much.
In this moment I feel enthused about opening my heart and my doors to new students and new neighbors in Newtown (aptly named!). I know how I feel because I can sense it in my body. For me, that would not be possible without having learned the Alexander Technique, the tool I discovered for digging out from under, so that I would not be buried alive.
9.17.2010
Medicine in Balance
When I was was looking for office space, my friend Jeremi Dilworth recommended that I speak with Dr. Wendy Warner at Medicine in Balance. This was about the 10th time in 6 or 7 years that Jeremi had suggested I get in touch with her, so I figured it was high time I did.
Medicine is Balance is a wonderful practice that focuses on holsitic care, and several healing modalities are offered there. Dr. Warner is experienced, warm, intelligent, funny and caring. My "brief" meet and greet session, to see the space and introduce myself, turned into a 2+ hour conversation, which I found highly enjoyable. Although the parameters for using the available space didn't meet my needs, I feel like I have been blessed to meet several new colleagues in the area. I plan to return as a client, if not a practitioner.
If you live in Bucks County, Northeast Philadelphia, or even the Princeton/Lawrenceville area, you might want to check it out. Try not to take as long as I did. . .
Medicine is Balance is a wonderful practice that focuses on holsitic care, and several healing modalities are offered there. Dr. Warner is experienced, warm, intelligent, funny and caring. My "brief" meet and greet session, to see the space and introduce myself, turned into a 2+ hour conversation, which I found highly enjoyable. Although the parameters for using the available space didn't meet my needs, I feel like I have been blessed to meet several new colleagues in the area. I plan to return as a client, if not a practitioner.
If you live in Bucks County, Northeast Philadelphia, or even the Princeton/Lawrenceville area, you might want to check it out. Try not to take as long as I did. . .
9.16.2010
The Teacher of My Teacher
I never had the chance to work with Marjorie Barstow, but many of the best lessons I've had were with teachers who studied with her. They all have a lightness and power that I have learned to recognize. Here's a short video that shows what the Alexander Technique is aiming for, what a teacher does with guiding touch, and the amazing Marj in action. Enjoy.
9.15.2010
Back to School
As you may notice (but probably not, since I have 4, count 'em 4, people reading this), I have renamed this blog. That is because Way does indeed open, and today I decided on a new home for my practice.
As of October 1, Way Opens Center will be located at 22 State St. in Newtown. My "studio" is a small but charming room on the second floor, sharing space with a psychotherapy group. The energy there is quiet and serene, yet it is in the heart of town, right next to Allegheny Art, one of my favorite shops ever.
So the center is quite tiny right now, but it is a beginning, and it feels good. This time of year is always a fresh start to me. It always feels like a good time to initiate something (which is odd, given that as autumn progresses, nature begins to pull in, dry up, and disappear). Anyway, I have a designer working on a logo and image brand, and soon I will have fun helping to create business cards, flyers, and a website. Fonts! Lots of fun with fonts.
I am continuing half-time at Friends Council on Education as Director of Outreach and Development, so it's just fine if I start off with only a handful of students. I believe I will have just as many students as I can imagine (and handle).
I am also going back to school a bit myself right now (but of course giving lessons is a form of learning). I recently began taking AT lessons again, this time with Ariel Weiss, one of Philadelphia's premier teachers. Only the best for me. The experience of taking lessons again after 8 or 9 years without any hands-on at all is worthy of its own post, so I'll describe that another time. Ariel is very good and I can feel our work together is refreshing and re-toning my skills. It's definitely helping me get my chops back.
In two weeks I embark on an 8-week course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at Jefferson's Center for Integrative Medicine, the first step in what I hope will be eventual teacher certification. This is the program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of my all-time favorite teachers and communicators. He and his wife Myla wrote the best book on parenting I have ever read, Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting. But of course Jon is best known for this amazing MBSR program, and the way he and his colleagues legitimized it within the medical establishment, and mainstream society as a whole.
Plus, in late October I'll be doing a 3-day training with Alaine Duncan, Director of Crossings and Crossings Healing Works. The workshop, called Touching Trauma, is about learning to regulate the system -- specifically the autonomic nervous system -- in the aftermath of trauma. Alaine is one of my absolute heroes, which might make her cringe, but it is true. She's a woman of great faith and courage who followed a calling to help veterans heal and reintegrate, both within and without. A talented acupuncturist, bright light, and fun Quaker woman, I aspire to be like Alaine. There, I said it.
Don't we all need positive examples in life? Maybe we each are that to someone else. I think what energizes me about the coming of Fall is that it is back to school time, and I love learning. I don't always love the way I learn, I often learn the hard way, but I remain curious and captivated as my life path continues to unfold. As way opens.
As of October 1, Way Opens Center will be located at 22 State St. in Newtown. My "studio" is a small but charming room on the second floor, sharing space with a psychotherapy group. The energy there is quiet and serene, yet it is in the heart of town, right next to Allegheny Art, one of my favorite shops ever.
So the center is quite tiny right now, but it is a beginning, and it feels good. This time of year is always a fresh start to me. It always feels like a good time to initiate something (which is odd, given that as autumn progresses, nature begins to pull in, dry up, and disappear). Anyway, I have a designer working on a logo and image brand, and soon I will have fun helping to create business cards, flyers, and a website. Fonts! Lots of fun with fonts.
I am continuing half-time at Friends Council on Education as Director of Outreach and Development, so it's just fine if I start off with only a handful of students. I believe I will have just as many students as I can imagine (and handle).
I am also going back to school a bit myself right now (but of course giving lessons is a form of learning). I recently began taking AT lessons again, this time with Ariel Weiss, one of Philadelphia's premier teachers. Only the best for me. The experience of taking lessons again after 8 or 9 years without any hands-on at all is worthy of its own post, so I'll describe that another time. Ariel is very good and I can feel our work together is refreshing and re-toning my skills. It's definitely helping me get my chops back.
In two weeks I embark on an 8-week course in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at Jefferson's Center for Integrative Medicine, the first step in what I hope will be eventual teacher certification. This is the program founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of my all-time favorite teachers and communicators. He and his wife Myla wrote the best book on parenting I have ever read, Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting. But of course Jon is best known for this amazing MBSR program, and the way he and his colleagues legitimized it within the medical establishment, and mainstream society as a whole.
Plus, in late October I'll be doing a 3-day training with Alaine Duncan, Director of Crossings and Crossings Healing Works. The workshop, called Touching Trauma, is about learning to regulate the system -- specifically the autonomic nervous system -- in the aftermath of trauma. Alaine is one of my absolute heroes, which might make her cringe, but it is true. She's a woman of great faith and courage who followed a calling to help veterans heal and reintegrate, both within and without. A talented acupuncturist, bright light, and fun Quaker woman, I aspire to be like Alaine. There, I said it.
Don't we all need positive examples in life? Maybe we each are that to someone else. I think what energizes me about the coming of Fall is that it is back to school time, and I love learning. I don't always love the way I learn, I often learn the hard way, but I remain curious and captivated as my life path continues to unfold. As way opens.
9.06.2010
What Was I Thinking?
I decided to launch this blog at Christmastime, just a week or so before taking on a second part-time job. Not the smartest move of my life. Two part-time jobs add up to more than one full-time job, as any reasonable person might have known. Consequently, this blog has never been very active, and has been lying dormant -- until now.
I am currently in the process of reviving my Alexander Technique practice, as well as offering private and semi-private birth and parenting classes, and Somatic Release sessions. This blog will be reinvented, too, most likely renamed Way Opens, the new name of my business -- Way Opens Studio.
From time to time I may blog about the adventure of building this business, but hopefully I'll be too busy actually doing that, and won't have time. Continuing Revelation will have to fall silent once again, but by Thanksgiving Way Opens will be well on its way.
I am currently in the process of reviving my Alexander Technique practice, as well as offering private and semi-private birth and parenting classes, and Somatic Release sessions. This blog will be reinvented, too, most likely renamed Way Opens, the new name of my business -- Way Opens Studio.
From time to time I may blog about the adventure of building this business, but hopefully I'll be too busy actually doing that, and won't have time. Continuing Revelation will have to fall silent once again, but by Thanksgiving Way Opens will be well on its way.
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