Sunday, January 12, 2014

Wide Questions


The past couple days I've been wondering about the Alexander Technique direction of wide and what does this mean for me.   Here is what I have noticed so far.

What happens when I think wide at the hips?  I notice that my hips collapse inward as I sit on my stool.  Is this the nature of this bicycle-ish style seat on the stool or a result of gravity pulling me down? 

What happens when I think wide at the feet? I notice that my feet are not free, but seem to be holding what I suppose is my concept of the foot on the floor.  Simply thinking wide at my feet I notice the arch releases a bit, my legs appear to lengthen a bit to grow into my feet and even a slight release in the neck.

Can an elbow be wide I hear myself think?  Why not, there is a three dimensionality to the body is there not?

Can my neck be wide?  Is it? Is yours?

I recall having a conversation with an AT teacher about the hands and I understood them to say there was no width to the hands.  Did I misunderstand?  As I think wide in my hands I notice a sense of lengthening in my arms, similar to what happened with my feet.

The back is wide, but can I allow my back to widen and give my shoulders the space they need to be free?

What does it mean to be wide when I brink my guitar to my body?

The following morning while writing in my journal I wrote - What is wide?

Bringing my attention to my back I notice my shoulders scrunching inward towards my neck & spine, along with a slight "bending" forward from the "middle" of my spine.  Does this represent a concentrated & focused Patrick?  What happens to my concentration & focus when freed of this habitual tension I wonder?

Returning to my written journal with a bit more awareness about me I notice how I 'Grip" the pen I am using.  My right shoulder tense and this tension coming through the arm, hand, and fingers.  Is this some manifestation of control within me?  I always print for my words to be legibile.  I was atrocious at cursive, the nun giving my my pen the last day of class because I wrote so bad. Can I go back to my pen and print with necessary tension only?  How does this potential issue of control developed in a young child translate into other actions of my right hand such as holding a pick or using playing fingerstyle?   I am amazed at how questions of wide have developed into questions of depth.

Returning to my journal once again, I notice that I am beginning to assume a position to write.  Pausing to inhibit and direct, release my length, my width, where is the dynamism in my being?  Smiling to myself as I see that wide is so much wider than I ever envisioned.

Moving about as I prepare to practice Qi Gong I notice again the unneeded holding in my right hand.  Perhaps this is natural for the dominant hand?  Perhaps if I look for tension I will find it and it I look for release I will find this.  Better to direct for freedom, length, & width.

Later in the day while practicing guitar I think what is wide at the forehead?  I notice a certain scrunching towards the eyes.  Is this another manifestation of focused concentration in me?  As I continue to explore "wide at the forehead" I notice my mental chatters slows down.   At other times during the day when I do this again I notice the same. 

1 comment:

  1. Lovely deep awareness of all of you, Pat, helps all of me :)

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