Quote of the Month: July 2014
“When you stop doing the wrong thing, the right thing does itself.”
This quote for me is a great example of just how well Raymond Dart’s developmental movement work ties in to the Alexander Technique. The human body, on some level, innately knows the most natural and efficient way to move. You can tell this by watching any baby or toddler learning to walk; they aren’t consciously thinking about how to stand, their bodies just find the right way naturally. As we age and begin to fit into society, we stop listening to our bodies and start second-guessing ourselves. We begin to feel self-conscious about one thing or other, and try to “fix” it by placing affectations on top of it. But none of these added habits are ever going to actually fix the perceived problem. The only way to truly return to our developmental ease is to begin to strip away the bad habits, to stop doing the wrong things. When the habits have been removed, the body’s natural ease and efficiency will kick in, and the right thing will quite literally “do itself.”
It’s interesting, and I feel important, to note that this concept is equally valid for mental and emotional habits. Notice I said “perceived problem” earlier? We all make constant judgements about ourselves and others, and these judgements can be detrimental to our overall well-being. You are your own worst critic, and it’s very possible that the problem you are so hung up over is not at all what is actually going on, nor even what anyone else sees. The idea of stopping the wrong thing can apply just as easily to stopping habits of negative self-talk – when was the last time you looked at yourself in a mirror and actually stopped yourself from thinking anything negative about what you saw? Learning to stop these “wrong thoughts” can have a dramatic effect on the way you perceive yourself and the world around you.
Forward and Up! is a Pittsburgh-based private practice offering quality instruction in the Alexander Technique in a positive and supportive environment.
