M02.09 Talking Niches

In Japan yesterday I was talking with a teacher inspired by a new idea – a specialist class. I listened enthusiastically to the idea, asked questions, but as we progressed I sensed a disease arising within me, and I wondered what that was about? In our work, we track information from wherever it arrives: from our eyes, our ears, our sense of magnetic fields, the rate of our heartbeat, our touch, the flow of chemicals in our bloodstream, the "sense" of the gestalt we are in – there are lists of senses on the internet and, depending on how you categorize them, the number easily exceeds 20 based on most systems utilized. So I questioned my sense of disease and wondered what hidden information it had for me? Then I identified it: concern. My friend's "idea" was just that: a mental artefact floating in an ether of unconsidered expectations. The thought arrived: "Oh please be careful. You can easily get lost driving this idea around the neighbourhood." Luckily, the car was still parked. The "idea" itself I liked. It had promise. Putting it into an Alexander context though – it was as though a musician was sharing a break-through idea on how to bring the bowing arm around the violin with more ease. It could be a great idea – but how does it relate to the whole? I call what I am advocating here a 12 Point Plan, and my linear presentation is simply a nod to the recent craze for 5 Tips for This and 7 Secrets for That, which is itself based on a biological need we have for order. However, the truth of my 12 Point Plan is that it is one plan with many aspects. Just as you are a unity, with many aspects. An excited viola player sharing their latest discovery about the bowing arm will be heard differently by an Alexander Technique teacher, simply because we are practised in asking the question: how is it related to the whole? This skill you all have now needs to be translated into making your business. Yet when it comes to this activity, everything you learnt about unity seems to fly out the window, and you get stuck on little details without grasping the holistic nature of the task at hand. So for those feeling overwhelmed or lost in the vast amounts of information I have already offered here – wasn't that often a familiar feeling when you started your teacher education process? It's normal. I made a conscious decision 7 years ago that I would become a master of business, marketing and sales. I am still in that process. I've had the similar experiences as I get familiar with this universe of practises and ideas. I decided to become a master, as I know this was the only way I could support my graduates taking this wonderful work into the world. So your way now is to read, to do the exercises, to be stimulated to make experiments, to keep asking the questions you can't find answers for, and to understand that this process is working to give you a holistic appreciation of what is required to find, keep and grow your student body. Back to my Japanese discussion. I asked a simple question: who is your niche? Confusion. Hmm…