How to Improve Alexander Online

Like every Alexander school in the world, BodyChance has been discovering how to deliver our training online. 

For over a century, Alexander’s Discovery has been helping all kinds of people how to overcome confusion in what they do physically, mentally and socially.

One of the challenges online has been our inability to touch.

When you come to a Studio lesson, Alexscovery teachers use touch to communicate directly to your postural systems. It’s part of the magic of an Alexander lesson, but how do you convey that magic online?

The first message is you can.

You do it through precise analysis and accurate information.

For example, in a lesson yesterday, a Yogini complained that during an asana, one side of her felt stiff, while the other gave no such problem. Ordinarily, I would use my hands to guide the Yogini’s movements as she did her forward thrust. The guidance helps a person kinesthetically recognize what they are doing by experiencing a different action, then comparing that with the original.

But I can’t put my hands through a Zoom screen.

What can I do?

I can make precise analysis and give accurate information…

I noticed immediately the difference between the movement on the right side (which hurt) and the action of the left side (which didn’t).

When she started on the right side, the first action of her whole system was to overextend the hip joint, causing her upper body to fall back putting the centre of gravity behind her hip joints. When this happened, the Yogini was effectively falling backwards, then making a tremendous effort in her front torso and legs to stay forward. 

It was a whole lot of work for nothing.

On her left side – who knows why? – this didn’t happen. Therefore, she had none of the tightness. She felt much easier. 

Once this is understood, it is easy to change.

This kind of precise analysis of movement gives you the ability to be effective online. With a clear understanding like this, you can help your Self and your students make changes and catch the thoughts that disrupt the harmony of your design.

And of course, the first step is to study your design. 

This is what my BodyThinking Online course offers. And as a special bonus to anyone who purchases it this month, I am going to include the many seminars of the just completed Golden Week seminar.

Yep, sessions with Cathy Madden, Malcolm Balk, Lucia Walker, Greg Holdaway, Lindsay Newitter and Sharyn West are included. This is fresh, with topics like:

• using stories in teaching
• creative online warm-ups
• analyzing workstation online
• running analysis and preparation
• analyzing activities
• how Zoom can affect coordination

I’ll offer this during May, and then withdraw it for good.

Check out BodyThinking Online here:

https://bodychance.mykajabi.com/store/oTZvjLye