When speaking of awareness, in Alexander Technique terms, we commonly speak about the body side of the mind/body continuum. Your body is most available for observation and change. And, the body tells the truth.
Meditators often begin their session by becoming aware of their breathing, body tension, and meditation posture. The Alexander Technique helps all three. It does so in a more sophisticated, effective, and realistic way than the often heard “keep your spine straight.” Your body affects your mind, and adding rigidity helps neither.
The following excerpt is from Vajragupta. “Sailing the Worldly Winds.”
“How do we cultivate more mindfulness? Often in meditation we are encouraged to start with awareness of the body, and there is a good reason for this. The body (like the breath) is always there, and it is good to start by being aware of something quite simple in the sense of being immediately present in your experience. You can just sit and experience the body: its sensations, weight, posture and feel. You notice its pleasures and pains, energy and aliveness, tension or tightness. Body awareness helps begin the process of tuning into your direct, current experience, whereas thoughts and emotions can, to start with, be more subtle and elusive. Because there can be such a whirl of thoughts, there is more chance they will catch us out, whisking us away into a reverie about the past or an anxiety about the future. Awareness of the body, however, can help ground us in the present.”
“Awareness of the body” is where the Alexander Technique starts. Don’t miss out on this powerful tool, which can become a vital part of your meditation practice.
Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC
(917) 709-4648
Excerpt From: Vajragupta. “Sailing the Worldly Winds.” iBooks.
Image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net.—“Candle” by Janaka Dharmasena
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