Touching Without Touch

I watched his bowing arm as it moved across the strings. Something happened. I couldn't quite catch it, but it seemed out of place. So I asked him: "Have you got some idea of transitioning your arm as you stroke down?" "Yes! Oh yes, yes, yes. How do you know that?" I saw it. And I guessed that he was thinking something, overriding natural movement with a pre-conceived notion - I must control this moment, I must do something. I was teaching a group class in BodyChance. The discovery led to an almost existential enquiry, many people in the room nodding their heads and realising truths about how they lived their life. All from seeing a little movement. Teaching in groups involves drawing out conceptual frameworks that dictate to natural movement - the excitement for the group lies in identifying patterns of behaviour generated by beliefs that each realise also exist within them. Once you work in this way, make notes after your class. Use that information to teach an extended online audience through your blog, your email communication, in interviews or webinars - develop the skill of swinging your tongue to invite others into an intelligent conversation about posture. Hate the word? I don't, because I love the people who use it. They are innocently trying to do their very best, putting themselves into positions and not noticing how much increased tension this involves, so intent are they on being right. Why wouldn't you talk to them in ways that enter into the world they have constructed around them? You get people out of anything, by first going in there to fetch them out. It's no good standing outside the prison and shouting over the wall: "Hey, it's really great out here. Why don't you come out?" Well they would if they could but they can't. You need to go in. You need to show them the steps, the way out. Filling a website with descriptions of Alexander Technique is standing outside and shouting over a wall. The first contact any student has with you is verbal or audio, not kinaesthetic. It is at your website, in your flyer, reading your article. This process with start with words, not touch. That makes you a group teacher whether you recognise it or not. To succeed in marketing and selling your work, you need to succeed in communicating your work in ways that touch people, without physically touching them. Next month I plan to offer a daily workshop to show you ways to marry your teaching to your marketing and selling. Wake up every morning to a new teaching/communication task that will build the materials you have to both teach and market your Self. My November workshop will gear up to teach, write and communicate in ways about the work that touch other people. I will help you to construct and email seminar, an online teaching process that gives people an opportunity to experience what you want them to buy. For many Alexander Technique teachers there is a big divide between the teaching room and online communication. This is partly a result of being trained to work 121 (one to one) - having no need to consider the effect of your actions on anyone but the person directly in front of you. It's a luxury of an intimate relationship, but it isn't a recipe to build your business. Group teaching is a different dynamic. There is still someone in front of you - you still work one person at a time, but it's all together, one after the other. For 30 days I will be sending you out a new task that will relate group teaching to marketing your work to others. My intention is to work with you in removing any divide that currently exists between your teaching skills and your marketing and sales skills. Contrary to what you may believe, you have already been extensively trained in marketing and sales - you've been selling ideas, convincing your students in the teaching room to adopt new behaviours that are radically different from anything they previously conceived. That's pretty amazing. You are pretty amazing. What you can already do is incredible. Now come with me this next month and discover how you can leverage that ability to do two things: enhance your marketing and selling ability while simultaneously deepening your group teaching skills. Discover the secret of being a group teacher: marketing ideas that you want people to buy. There are two rooms: the people physically there, and the online onlookers who are listening beyond the room. All people. All in need of you. Sign up before October 27th, and I will extend your participation an extra month. You can do that here: http://atsuccess.com/membership-plans