I notice it as I drive. For no reason I find myself clutching the steering wheel for dear life. I notice it at my computer. My shoulders and neck are as tight as a drum. I notice it as I walk Oskar, hurrying along oblivious to how I use my body.
There is no excuse because I know better. For years I studied The Alexander Technique, a type of body work that focuses on the head, neck, back ratio, particularly how the head is balanced on the neck. The Alexander mantra, “forward and up” has been part of my psyche for years, and yet days go by when it all goes out the window. Ignorance is bliss, but since I know what to do, or rather what NOT to do, I pay a high price for this neglect.
The Alexander Technique is a process of undoing, rather than doing. It teaches us to inhibit a move until our head, neck and back are in synch. I love it for the same reasons I love Taoism, they are both almost impossible to explain, but well worth the effort to pursue because with perseverance, you will wake up one day and find yourself actually comfortable in your own skin, an unbearable lightness of being.
Don't take my word for it, watch this duck glide along, poetry in motion. No clutching, no tension, just gliding, a perfect forward and up. Easier said than done.
No comments:
Post a Comment