La rentrée

“The best results are gained when a pupil can disassociate himself from what is happening, as if he were standing on one side watching someone else being taught. If he can do this for a time he will find himself taking his proper part in the process, with an awareness that is quite different and greatly enhanced.” As I See It, Patrick Macdonald

Well in my case he is a she…and she is not a pupil but a teacher-trainee. And I came to this conclusion myself recently, before reading the Macdonald citation. This is how I decided to view my training going forward…as a dispassionate observer of what I am going through.

Here it is, la rentrée, the beginning of a new year of Alexander Technique teacher training. Now that I’m in my second year of the three, I am a teacher-trainee. New season, new chemical mix. My one other co-trainee, my pal, has gone. He is taking a hiatus. He will be back to visit from time to time. There are two brand new trainees. One visited us for a month; the other for a day. So, they are not strangers. It is fascinating for me to watch their first steps…their grappling essays at position of mechanical advantage aka monkey.

Now that I am in my second year, I am putting hands on, not just as an exercise, but for more “teacher-y” stuff, as my trainer says.  And as for myself, I must remember about movement–I have to take a step when guiding a person in and out of a chair, and this while not losing the connection, and while keeping myself forward and up. I must conquer my tendency to sway back when lifting my hands to place on a tall person, because when I sway back I both shorten my spine and grip in my legs. Not cool! 🙂

Monkey at TCAT from last spring…au revoir mon ami et à la prochaine…