Why Having A Crisis is A Good Thing

When Covid-19 first started, my old back injury returned.

I had just had a terrible row with my partner – and was spending 16 hours a day at the office to avoid going home while figuring out how BodyChance could pivot in this pandemic. 

On my third day at the office - as I started to stand up - my lower back screamed “No”!!! 

I was hurting a lot, and moving was difficult.

This was not welcome news.

Although I always teach others that Alexander’s Discovery can never save you from your own silliness, I never expected my back injury to return. It had first happened 15 years ago as I was lifting my 4-year-old daughter while turning around – I got a weird and unwelcome feeling in my lower back. Next day, I couldn’t get out of bed.

But that was 15 years ago.

Now my humiliation was almost as severe as my returned pain. With all the knowledge I had – how was it possible that I could end up unable to move?

Luckily, the Japan emergency shutdown had started, so Studio lessons were closed. I could hide my condition from everyone but myself.

And yet, this crisis turned into a beautiful learning opportunity.

It only took one moment, and in a flash, I understood what I had been doing to aggravate my injury. It was my arms – all of my arms. I was subtly doing something that I had been advising others to quit – yet I could not see that I was doing it too… 

In the kitchen a week later, I went to do something and got a sharp pain; and in that second of pain, I clearly noticed how I was using my arms. I started exploring coordinating my arms, and it was like pushing a button – move them forward, no lower back pain. Move my arms back, pain. And so started a long journey of recalibrating my arms to the point that my back has now never felt stronger, clearer or freer from any tiredness.

If you are in crisis now, rejoice. 

It is an opportunity that does not come often – use it. 

Of course, my years of exploring Alexander’s Discovery left me with tools and awareness to slowly figure out what I was doing to make myself uncomfortable.

As I wrote previously – “Who Invented Social Distancing?” -

[English link: https://atsuccess.com/blog/2020/12/who-invented-social-distancing.html Japanese link: https://jeremychance.jp/201223-who-invented-social-distancing/]

- nations function like individuals. Using Japan as an example, I demonstrated how the pandemic increases national self-awareness of cultural behaviour. The return of my back injury function also led me to an increasing self-awareness of my behaviour.

Of course - you need to do the brain work.

And - you need to transform your behaviour.

Being hopeless and depressed will not lead you to an answer.

Being curious and self-aware will led you out…

Any kind of crisis - whether existential, emotional or physical – starts with examining how your mind is moving your body…

Every secret of your behaviour is demonstrating itself daily there.