In all of my group and private classes, relaxation of body, mind, and breath begins. And it begins through our physicality as we practice principles of, cues and tools for alignment. Alignment is constantly changing, shifting, reforming. To be able to feel the changes, and move fluidly from change to change, to be able to return to comfort is a great freedom.
Each group and private class, each workshop, is a practice and an opportunity to go deeper into:
alignment principles in movement, in standing postures, in sitting postures;
developing focus, attention, awareness;
diaphragmatic and whole body breathing.
We practice together:
Developing a soft, fluid body (joints that open and close, deep tissue that is yielding, shifting internal weight, relaxing the nervous system, maintaining alive responsiveness within a still body);
Emptying the mind (willingness to suspend beliefs, preferences, opinions, expectations);
Regulating breath (as our breath deepens and strengthens it supports the fluidity in movement and stillness);
Employing cues and tools for heightening awareness of old habits and engaging new alignment principles.
Having tools to RETURN to physical, and/or mental/emotional alignment frees up energy. It takes a lot of energy for our muscles to hold up upright, instead of our bones. Obsessive thinking, judging, and analyzing uses up a lot of energy. Returning to aligned movement and stillness, relaxed and quiet mind and heart restores all that energy for other creative uses.
It’s not necessary to “believe” in a practice. Rather, just do it, a minute here, a minute there, all day long, for results to be felt.
It’s easy to compartmentalize throughout a day e.g. now I’m doing this, now I’m doing that, and later I’ll have half an hour to do my practice. This habit of fragmentation keeps a practice separate from daily activities, daily life.
An effective practice is about returning all the time to principles of and cues and tools for whole body alignment so they integrate into all aspects of daily life: sitting, standing, walking, doing tasks, talking, listening, etc. For example, all day long, I return and return to some alignment principle, cue, tool. I choose one, and practice it all day long no matter what I’m doing, for example, keeping the outer edges of my feet in a straight line from pinkie toe to heel. Soon that awareness begins to reshape me. I choose another alignment tool, like separating the buttocks and pulling them back and up the back of the chair when I sit. I practice that action all day long as I become aware of my sitting habits. Through awareness of alignment principles, cues, and tools and integrating them into daily life, one’s whole being begins to embody the freedom and energy of relaxed and dynamic alignment.
For Class Schedules, to Schedule a Private or Semi-Private Class, please call or email me.
For Workshops Information, please call or email me.
FOR ASSISTANCE IN DEVELOPING YOUR OWN PERSONAL PRACTICE TAILORED TO YOUR LIFESTYLE, please call or email me.