How to Hold a Vulnerable Space

In a session - just yesterday - an ATSuccess member asked an innocent question:

“Do I need to be an expert of a student’s activity, to be able to help them?”

Intellectually it’s obvious – Tiger Woods’ coach doesn’t play golf like Tiger! Does that stop him seeing areas for development? Older, beer-gutted men are often coaching baseball teams in America – would these old guys survive on the field?

No.

All obvious. But not to the member asking. It’s there in his language, it’s there in his behaviour. The apologies, the bowing, the stuttering – moving one way, then the opposite – yes, but | no, but – then trying to go both ways at the same time.

Consuming masses of energy.

Stutter, stutter, stutter – a mind at war with itself.

An Alexscovery teacher uses their knowledge of natural movement, to invite a person to co-ordinate differently. Questioning their beliefs, and noticing what happens with their co-ordination as they change their motivating ideas. All part of an Alexander discovery (Alexscovery) process.

And genuine enquiry like this, usually unlocks a torrent of unexpressed emotion.

In this case, it did: the eyes opened, tears flowed, ideas shifted. All those on the session witnessing these changes, are moved to discover beliefs in their own lives that - just a minute before - they had not even questioned.

Can you create and hold a vulnerable space like this?

You can avoid that challenge – by thinking that an Alexander group, is about filling your time with plans, games, talks, activities, sharing, celebrations, discussions etc. Being a busy teacher, instead of a listening one.

While all useful - NONE OF THESE ACTIVITIES - are the essence how to run your group…

Here’s what you need to construct your group:

• Trust and agreement to search deep
• Understanding that it’s about the student’s agenda
• Recognizing the teacher’s role to mirror and reflect back
• The core knowledge of how behaviour is expressed by coordination
• The honesty of knowing your purpose to do what you want to; you decide.

Come and learn more with me on how you go about setting all this up.

Chancer’s Group Teaching Discovery Course