Day 48-54 and 55
Hello - I'm not going to cover much of days 48-54 in part because I missed some of them and last Saturday we had a snow day - lots of snow, FINALLY! For some reason winter seems to be optional this year.
Here are a couple of things from the long time I missed:
Awareness - do wrong knowingly, then you can change
However, last night is worth discussing in depth (not that other nights weren't but....).
I was so wiped out by the time I got to class I didn't know if I was going to make it through (no, we still don't have my physical issues dealt with and under control and I'm getting really tired of it). But I was the first to arrive - C put me in the chair and rolled me into primary and then tried to pop my butt off the chair - wow...nope, not happening. My knees wouldn't do it - which may have been the problem, they weren't really supposed to, but being so tired I was (of course) defaulting to my usual.
After about 15 minutes of working backwards (standing, primary, to sitting) I finally got the feel of it and came out of the chair by going down and not engaging my upper body and forcing things up. By then my time was up and I was told to LAY DOWN! No argument from me.
I took over the little bed of yoga pads that J had set up as she came in, grabbed a blankie, and went to semi-supine. I think I slept on and off honestly. I remember hearing C talking to J and Ch but I was fading in and out I think.
By the time everyone had their turn (there were only three of us last night so we had some good solid turn time) it was a little after 6:30 and C started reading to us from FP Jones book. She read the introduction, which was not written by Jones - but was a great overview. By then I was sitting upright again and feeling much more myself and I offered to read. Let's face it, reading out loud for long periods of time is hard - she agreed and handed me the book and her reading glasses.
I read the first chapter aloud - I really do get much more from the reading if I am reading - so I admit, I was being totally selfish. One thing I really loved about the book was that it talked about Dewey and Huxley and how they were AT pupils but even they, some of the greatest writers in the world, couldn't put the AT feeling, actions and what it did for them, into words. I feel much better about myself knowing that.
We took our break and J, Ch, and I went and made tea and sat down at the table. I really do love break time, our chats become very personal sometimes - but this is a personal work and we are learning and feeding off each other as learners. Ch asked J if she prayed every day, then he asked me. It was a great question and I'm not even sure how we got to the topic. J said she prayed every day while she was in her car on her way to work. Ch laughed, so did I as I admitted that I do the same thing.
After break we worked on disengaging our arms from our shoulders and working from our back - not. easy.
We practiced this by trying to lift and pour a pitcher of water.
C and Ch got into discussion of being in primary vs. being in a secondary to manage the weight of the pitcher. I could see both sides. As I watched each person it was interesting to see some of the preparation that wasn't supposed to be happening. I poured left handed, as my right arm is being stupid again for reasons unknown. It wasn't a big deal for me because after spending so much time before my radial tunnel surgery using my lh I took to it naturally again.
The pronation/supination of the arm/hand were the discussion. Lifting the wrist and being light (kinesthetic lightness) came down to C telling us to take the wrist up like a butterfly. Wow - yup, that worked. From there she talked about the "rounding of the corner" as the arm comes up and heads for and uses the pitcher.
She equated it to a BMX biker taking a curve on an angle, if you don't look and make adjustment in your body you never make the turn. Ch joked about our arm gaining all of their "g" force to make the turn - but it worked! Lifting like a butterfly and making the turn - yeah...
We then took that to the chair. As C had us each put hands on shoulders (wrists like butterfly) then declare our intention (in Alexander ways - in our head) to move that person. Our biggest challenge at that point was not being in contact with the person. We are all still at a point where we're learning how much touch is enough and how much is too much and I'll admit it does get a bit frustrating. Hands on and non-doing is so difficult for me! But C, in her infinite patience, got us all set up and going. She explained that we had to be like barnacles - attached and along for the ride. The barnacle doesn't move the boat, it just goes wherever the boat goes.
After we had all done each other she asked us to put hands on her, we each brought her to tears. She was so happy and so impressed not only with our touch but our INTENTION! It was really electric as we finished class.
Butterflies and Barnacles - who knew??
Here are a couple of things from the long time I missed:
Awareness - do wrong knowingly, then you can change
- Good habits lose something if they become uncoucious and sterotyped
- you have to recognize yourself
Awareness - unfocused condition, awake, unconcentrated
Attention - focused - putting a spotlight on stage, you take possession of whatever is in that light
Concentration - narrowing the field of attention
Perception - environment
propreception - self
- Head, neck, back responses ALL affect the rest of the body (think fear or startle response).
- Thinking and feeling can be faulty, just like sensory perception. We are not used to making our own kinesthetic observations
- Adaptation - children fall but dont often get hurt, why? Because they adapt as they go down. Old people are so worried about breaking something that they won't adapt, they dont know how to respond because they're not falling all the time - so it feels faulty.
- Directing in words - the aim of directing is a quickening of the conscious mind. The aim of meditation and self-hypnosis is a slowing down of the conscious mind.
- Directing is thinking, thinking is not directing
- to direct is to link a mental command, a tangible physical reality, and a sensorial feedback
- To direct is to decide
However, last night is worth discussing in depth (not that other nights weren't but....).
I was so wiped out by the time I got to class I didn't know if I was going to make it through (no, we still don't have my physical issues dealt with and under control and I'm getting really tired of it). But I was the first to arrive - C put me in the chair and rolled me into primary and then tried to pop my butt off the chair - wow...nope, not happening. My knees wouldn't do it - which may have been the problem, they weren't really supposed to, but being so tired I was (of course) defaulting to my usual.
After about 15 minutes of working backwards (standing, primary, to sitting) I finally got the feel of it and came out of the chair by going down and not engaging my upper body and forcing things up. By then my time was up and I was told to LAY DOWN! No argument from me.
I took over the little bed of yoga pads that J had set up as she came in, grabbed a blankie, and went to semi-supine. I think I slept on and off honestly. I remember hearing C talking to J and Ch but I was fading in and out I think.
By the time everyone had their turn (there were only three of us last night so we had some good solid turn time) it was a little after 6:30 and C started reading to us from FP Jones book. She read the introduction, which was not written by Jones - but was a great overview. By then I was sitting upright again and feeling much more myself and I offered to read. Let's face it, reading out loud for long periods of time is hard - she agreed and handed me the book and her reading glasses.
I read the first chapter aloud - I really do get much more from the reading if I am reading - so I admit, I was being totally selfish. One thing I really loved about the book was that it talked about Dewey and Huxley and how they were AT pupils but even they, some of the greatest writers in the world, couldn't put the AT feeling, actions and what it did for them, into words. I feel much better about myself knowing that.
We took our break and J, Ch, and I went and made tea and sat down at the table. I really do love break time, our chats become very personal sometimes - but this is a personal work and we are learning and feeding off each other as learners. Ch asked J if she prayed every day, then he asked me. It was a great question and I'm not even sure how we got to the topic. J said she prayed every day while she was in her car on her way to work. Ch laughed, so did I as I admitted that I do the same thing.
After break we worked on disengaging our arms from our shoulders and working from our back - not. easy.
We practiced this by trying to lift and pour a pitcher of water.
C and Ch got into discussion of being in primary vs. being in a secondary to manage the weight of the pitcher. I could see both sides. As I watched each person it was interesting to see some of the preparation that wasn't supposed to be happening. I poured left handed, as my right arm is being stupid again for reasons unknown. It wasn't a big deal for me because after spending so much time before my radial tunnel surgery using my lh I took to it naturally again.
The pronation/supination of the arm/hand were the discussion. Lifting the wrist and being light (kinesthetic lightness) came down to C telling us to take the wrist up like a butterfly. Wow - yup, that worked. From there she talked about the "rounding of the corner" as the arm comes up and heads for and uses the pitcher.
She equated it to a BMX biker taking a curve on an angle, if you don't look and make adjustment in your body you never make the turn. Ch joked about our arm gaining all of their "g" force to make the turn - but it worked! Lifting like a butterfly and making the turn - yeah...
We then took that to the chair. As C had us each put hands on shoulders (wrists like butterfly) then declare our intention (in Alexander ways - in our head) to move that person. Our biggest challenge at that point was not being in contact with the person. We are all still at a point where we're learning how much touch is enough and how much is too much and I'll admit it does get a bit frustrating. Hands on and non-doing is so difficult for me! But C, in her infinite patience, got us all set up and going. She explained that we had to be like barnacles - attached and along for the ride. The barnacle doesn't move the boat, it just goes wherever the boat goes.
After we had all done each other she asked us to put hands on her, we each brought her to tears. She was so happy and so impressed not only with our touch but our INTENTION! It was really electric as we finished class.
Butterflies and Barnacles - who knew??
Comments
Post a Comment