More often than not, our mind and body are at ends with each other. For this reason a lot of translating needs to happen. As a teacher, I take an indirect approach when working with my students.
Starting from the time of F.M. Alexander, hands on contact with the Primary Place of Balance or Movement has been the main location for translating information from your body to your mind and vise versa.
The Primary Place of Balance or Movement is located at the base of the neck where several nerve endings and major muscle groups come together. It is one of the many places that we can find connections to other parts of our self. And to go even further, we can make connections to our Whole Self. From here, there is the possibility for mind and body unity to occur.
Hands on work provides the both of us with tactile feedback. My hands can also be utilized by you as a point of reference, as you discover a new way of balance and support through Tensegrity.
As I have been taught, Tensegrity is tension with integrity. In other words, we are not spaghetti, but have the ability to live in a state of tensional balance, allowing for us to move with a sense of stability and a full range of motion.
In our lessons I also incorporate activity work, which provides you the opportunity to utilize and experience the work in motion, in your daily activities. This includes sit-to-stand, walking and activities that particularly intrigue you or you find difficulty with.
In this work I share my knowledge as a teacher does with a student, forever being the student myself. Whatever you take out of our lessons is up to you. It is your choice. You, as the student, are always in control of the lesson. You always have the power of yes or no.
As my teacher Debi Adams says, the Alexander Technique is for anyone who breaths!
Katie Beckvold 