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.
