On the value of doing things differently

A new friend invited me over to their place for a cup of coffee and a chat. I looked at the map and discovered that it is, as the crow flies, only a couple of miles distant. By road it would be a tortuous half hour drive so, this being an island, I decided to go by kayak across the bay.

It was hard work paddling against the incoming tide and a strong headwind. At times while I was paddling my hardest in order merely to stay stationary let alone make headway, I did question the wisdom of of my decision. It became easier as I focussed my attention on the movement of my whole body, projecting my proprioception into the paddle propelling us forward.

My partner goes out on the kayak often to catch fish and collect mussels. His arms are twice the size of mine. Recently he came home and with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of one who has just experienced an ‘Alexander aha moment’, recounted how out on the water in bad weather, he had noticed himself hunching over in the kayak, head down, shoulders drawn together as he paddled into driving rain. Then the thought appeared:

“What would happen if…I didn’t compress myself?”

The next moment he was sitting tall and open and found himself paddling with greater strength into the rain. He was still soaked to the skin yet felt dignified - an equal to meeting the weather rather than cowering in its presence.

But back to today - I did not feel dignified as a drove my small craft across the bay. My technique is surely poor. But I did feel gratified when I landed on the small stony beach and wandered up the grassy path to the house on the point. At least the wind would be behind me on the way back. It wasn’t. But that’s another story.

If you are interested in findng out more about the Alexander Technique I invite you to join my next workshop on 8th December. Here’s a link to register: Here's what one of my students has to say about the Alexander Technique work:

https://events.humanitix.com/alexander-technique-introductory-workshop