The essence of every aspect of real life is encounter. We encounter things all the time. We meet others, and we live in close encounter with ourselves. There is no getting away from it: we are built for the purpose of encountering. And that makes us – and life – interesting, because there are always so many responses possible.

Unfortunately, we develop worn-out patterns in the ways in which we encounter others, in how we respond to them and to our own needs, and this limits our potential to enjoy life.  Think of how you relate to “boss”, to politicians, to friends, and even to members of your own family. Most of these patterns are habitual, and do not fit the individual purpose of any specific encounter. Understanding our responses in the way we engage with the infinite encounters that make up our lives is therefore the key to understanding life, and hence vital to any possibility for improving things.

The Alexander Technique sensitises us to our responses in any encounter – how we deal with objects, how we engage with others, how we attend to our needs. It gives us access to how we move, how we relate, and even to how we think. It teaches the skill of change, of taking charge of our responses in the moment, and this re-awakens our choice, flexibility, variability, and creativity.

© 2018 Barry Kantor