Balance and Vitality

During my fifteenth session, Alexis asked me what was new in my life, AT-wise. (She was much more eloquent than that. I just can't remember how she worded it.) It made me panic a bit, because all I've been doing is lying on the floor with my knees bent, and rectifying my slouch whenever I notice it.

Of course she wasn't referring to any AT homework, which would be more end-gaining than F. Matthias Alexander could bear. She was asking if I had seen any more results from my AT sessions "in real life".

Truthfully, I have been so busy that I haven't really been focused on it. I just found a fantastic flat and am in the process of preparing my dossier (which is like a full-time job). I was recently given a prestigious project to nurture at my main job. At my other job, I was given a mini-promotion. And the rest of my plate is full of little writing gigs, which is something I've wanted to do for years.

I thought about this question after I got home and realized that AT has played a big part in all of these new developments. AT has a thankless job -- its effects are so far-reaching that it's difficult to define what they are.

I don't know how or why, but I find that I've been more optimistic and relaxed about things since starting my AT sessions. That, in turn, has helped me to make some good decisions that have led me to my current place, which, while it's not perfect, is a big improvement from my life a few months ago.

The end-gainer in me wanted a list of positive effects of AT before my first lesson. Google gave me a very mixed bag of results: amelioration of backaches, removal of creative blocks, physical rehabilitation. It didn't make much sense at the time that sitting and standing would help get rid of backaches and make you a better violinist in one fell swoop.

Going through the process myself, I see that the Alexander Technique gives you the tools to be better at whatever you give your attention to, be it pain relief or your job search.