When You Least Expect It

 

I arrived home from work today tired, but in a relatively relaxed mood.  I was certainly ready to play my guitar.  I began working with Missy Vineyard's Inhibitory Directions for which I have gained an even greater appreciation for by working with her book How You Stand, How You Move, How You Live: Learning the Alexander Technique to Explore Your Mind-Body Connection and Achieve Self-Mastery.

I was working with not holding on and not playing the guitar.  Working for brief periods of time so as to maintain my focus, I was ready after one of my short breaks to return to the guitar.  Instead I chose to do a lie down. I was amazed at the tension I was holding in my back, particularly the middle portion of my back.  Once again illustrating how difficult accurately being aware of my use is.  When I returned to the guitar, it was if a was a new man.  Working with the AT directions again as I played I took a break to begin writing this. Wondering if it was indeed time for another lie down before I returned to the guitar again, I decided to go ahead and play.

After playing for just a few minutes, the thought about doing another lie down returned again.  Trusting my thinking, I chose to embrace the idea and hit the floor.  Again, I was surprised at the level of tension present.  I know I need to pay better attention to how I use myself when I type, and now the proof was in my back.  Refreshed I returned to the guitar.  Deciding to improvise, a fun idea arrived.  Playing with this for a while I then completed my practice.

A bit amazed that both times before I hit the floor to do the AT lie down, I felt fine.  Yet both times the presence of unnecessary tension was revealed.  Obviously I have more practice ahead of me, as I learn to use myself with the Alexander Technique.

And so it goes...