Day 9 and lesson
I had a lesson today before class. I initially went thinking that it wouldn't be anything big and maybe I shouldn't do actual lessons because...well..I'm having a lesson almost every day. Boy, was I wrong.
We spent time moving forward from the chair and moving down to pick things up in monkey. Freeing my neck is still a big issue when I'm getting up or moving downward. As we were picking up books it was making sure that the WHOLE body went, not just my neck. She reminded me that you just have to continue to be aware and inhibit. "I'm doing it again...stop...stop...stop it...." And after a time (sometimes a Loooooong time) it will stop.
We did some table work, which I needed desperately. Then we went to my violin. I'm still so torn up about my teacher passing away two weeks ago I didn't know quite what to expect out of myself.
As I started C asked me to keep my back (right) foot down, I was coming up to my toes and off the floor from the back foot. I was also way up with the instrument. She complimented me on keeping my front body far more open than I had been but asked me to keep my right foot planted on the floor. Also, we went back to lunge from Saturday. With left foot forward I needed to keep my weight over my leg, not shifted from side to side or way forward off the right foot, I need to maintain my balance and center.
C asked me to turn into myself a little. I didn't do exactly what she wanted, I think she wanted me to turn from the waist more to the right, but I really just shifted the instrument a little more forward than it had been. I played again....holy crap! We both stared at each other. C said "thats not quite where I wanted you to go...but it worked!" By coming out of the extended secondary I was putting my left side in and bringing the instrument and my shoulders/body into a more primary stance - with BOTH feet firmly planted on the floor, I had this amazingly deep, rich sound! It had to have been a mistake. Nope, we pushed the instrument back to a secondary and bam....thin, on top, floating sound. Then into primary - phat sound!
We cried for a second, it was really cool. By truly grounding myself and allowing that energy to come to me in primary I had found the heart of the sound that my instrument could give me. Keep in mind, I didn't really bring the instrument "down" as in more onto my chest, but just not so far out that the energy didn't focus. For some people that won't make sense, but one day I hope you may understand the power in that and the power in focusing energy and making a conduit to something so open and available that the energy and sound is allowed to work as it should.
Back to center
Back to grounded
Back to simple
Back to natural
When everyone arrived C read to us from "The philosophers stone" a diary of George Trevilan(?) who was a pupil of Alexander. It had a lot to say about how we think vs. our physical issues, I'd like to read it again. The idea that messages sent from the brain about doing things aren't really any different when you make changes is kind of interesting, the function is the same, the experience may not be.
We also talked about when you come to a person to work with them how it isn't you actually making them do something, like a chiropractor or massage therapist where they manipulate the problem to make it "better." With incorrect use the problem will only return, it isn't until the person makes the decision to make changes and you, as the teacher, allow them to do it do things then actually work.
Then we talked about a little anatomy...I'm gonna have to study.
And then Ch brought in a partner and showed us his passion - tango. Wow. Just...wow. It was remarkable to watch the conversation thru dance, really stunning. I wish I could do things like that I think it would be really fun, but I just cant see a "fat" girl doing tango and having it look that elegant and sophisticated. HAHAHAH!!! oh man....so much to do, so little time to do it.....
We spent time moving forward from the chair and moving down to pick things up in monkey. Freeing my neck is still a big issue when I'm getting up or moving downward. As we were picking up books it was making sure that the WHOLE body went, not just my neck. She reminded me that you just have to continue to be aware and inhibit. "I'm doing it again...stop...stop...stop it...." And after a time (sometimes a Loooooong time) it will stop.
We did some table work, which I needed desperately. Then we went to my violin. I'm still so torn up about my teacher passing away two weeks ago I didn't know quite what to expect out of myself.
As I started C asked me to keep my back (right) foot down, I was coming up to my toes and off the floor from the back foot. I was also way up with the instrument. She complimented me on keeping my front body far more open than I had been but asked me to keep my right foot planted on the floor. Also, we went back to lunge from Saturday. With left foot forward I needed to keep my weight over my leg, not shifted from side to side or way forward off the right foot, I need to maintain my balance and center.
C asked me to turn into myself a little. I didn't do exactly what she wanted, I think she wanted me to turn from the waist more to the right, but I really just shifted the instrument a little more forward than it had been. I played again....holy crap! We both stared at each other. C said "thats not quite where I wanted you to go...but it worked!" By coming out of the extended secondary I was putting my left side in and bringing the instrument and my shoulders/body into a more primary stance - with BOTH feet firmly planted on the floor, I had this amazingly deep, rich sound! It had to have been a mistake. Nope, we pushed the instrument back to a secondary and bam....thin, on top, floating sound. Then into primary - phat sound!
We cried for a second, it was really cool. By truly grounding myself and allowing that energy to come to me in primary I had found the heart of the sound that my instrument could give me. Keep in mind, I didn't really bring the instrument "down" as in more onto my chest, but just not so far out that the energy didn't focus. For some people that won't make sense, but one day I hope you may understand the power in that and the power in focusing energy and making a conduit to something so open and available that the energy and sound is allowed to work as it should.
Back to center
Back to grounded
Back to simple
Back to natural
When everyone arrived C read to us from "The philosophers stone" a diary of George Trevilan(?) who was a pupil of Alexander. It had a lot to say about how we think vs. our physical issues, I'd like to read it again. The idea that messages sent from the brain about doing things aren't really any different when you make changes is kind of interesting, the function is the same, the experience may not be.
We also talked about when you come to a person to work with them how it isn't you actually making them do something, like a chiropractor or massage therapist where they manipulate the problem to make it "better." With incorrect use the problem will only return, it isn't until the person makes the decision to make changes and you, as the teacher, allow them to do it do things then actually work.
Then we talked about a little anatomy...I'm gonna have to study.
And then Ch brought in a partner and showed us his passion - tango. Wow. Just...wow. It was remarkable to watch the conversation thru dance, really stunning. I wish I could do things like that I think it would be really fun, but I just cant see a "fat" girl doing tango and having it look that elegant and sophisticated. HAHAHAH!!! oh man....so much to do, so little time to do it.....
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