New Book! And...why did Alexander call it "Re-education"?

Hey all,

Hope everyone is well and that if you are in the UK the heat is not too much for you! First, some news: I

helped write a book! In my role as a nutritional therapist and homeopath on the New School of Nutritional Medicine's practitioner team, I contributed to the writing of a fantastic book entitled "Rapid Relief Homeopathy" under the dedicated guidance or Dr Khush Mark PhD. The aim was to bring homeopathy into the 21st century and too make it accessible to everyone. Khush and the team have done just this, and the book is available from the New School's website here.

A question that comes up in Alexander lessons quite a lot is "is this the right head position for me?", or "Is this the right way to stand?" or variations on this theme.

I get it, I do - we want affirmation that we are doing something "right", that we are ticking the box, getting 10/10. My stock answer to these questions is (sorry, I know it's frustrating) is the slightly yoda-like "There is no right, there is only a little bit less wrong".

The Alexander Technique is a journey - you could almost consider it a journey in reverse. Why? because we are trying to find our way back to a time when we used our bodies more freely, when we didn't have habits that pulled us down on one side, or pulled our head back, or pushed our weight forward onto our toes. We all have this knowledge of what it's like to be free because (unless there is something congenitally wrong) we all had beautiful use when we started standing and walking, like these little ones (first picture from "Body Learning" by Michael J. Gelb, second picture from "Body, Breath and Being" by Carolyn Nicholls).

So we do our Alexander Technique lessons in order to have a "window" into what it means to be a little less

wrong. There is no such thing as a correct head position - we all need to look down at our shoes or up to the jam on the top shelf occasionally, but can you do it with a let-out spine and a free head-spine connection?

Carolyn Nicholls' book also contains images of what might happen if no re-education happens - the pulled down and collapsed bodies that we are used to seeing. Life can do this to us! But in contrast have a look at these photos of an elderly F.M. Alexander - first, to suit the season, walking on the beach (in his knitted swimsuit), second teaching a pupil. He remained upright and free right into old age; it is completely possible (thank you to www.alexandertechnique.com for the images):

So this is what I mean by the Alexander Technique being a journey in reverse, a re-education - we are looking all the time for little ways to apply the principles of the Technique in order to be a little freer, a little more connected to the ground, a little quieter in mind and body.

And to finish, a little more news: because of the imminent renovation works on our house in Wimbledon myself and my family will be temporarily relocating - hopefully around mid to late August this year, just while works take place. I am very much hoping to continue offering Alexander Technique lessons from our temporary accommodation. On this note, we are actively looking for affordable accommodation via local agents etc, but if anyone knows of rental accommodation in the Wimbledon area that will become available over the summer then please do get in touch, we would be happy to hear from you.

To re-education!

Marie