This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Focal Dystonia, is published in a PDF format. It is written to address the problems of focal dystonia and poor technique in musical performance. What would have to happen for a performing musician with focal dystonia to be free of focal dystonia?
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)
Over the years I’ve written essays about musicians and athletes who have come to me in physical trouble. I’ve written about their first lessons, where I show them how to do what they’re doing differently and something clicks so profoundly, that they do their sport amazingly, or they play their instrument amazingly, and they STOP coming.
I’ve written in the past that I think that when an average athlete or average performing musician experiences their potential for greatness, “they may go running out of the lesson screaming”. It threatens their self image so much, they have to quit. (I had this happen with a very fine cellist recently.)
I’ve looked at what I believe happens psychologically in essays, and concluded that maybe in these cases it was a matter of self-worth. The athlete’s or musician’s self image wasn’t self-loving enough for them to accept how good they could become, and to pursue and complete their journey to great golf or great trumpet playing.
I want to take a different tact in this essay.
WHAT IF THE ATHLETE OR MUSICIAN IN PHYSICAL TROUBLE HAS BEEN FRANTICALLY LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION TO THEIR TECHNIQUE AND POSTURAL PROBLEMS CRIPPLING THEIR ABILITY TO MAKE GREAT MUSIC OR DO A SPORT EXEPTIONALLY WELL FOR SO LONG, THAT THEY CAN’T SEE THAT THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE TEACHER IS OFFERING THEM A SOLUTION?
What if he or she can’t frantically stop looking for valid help long enough to see that they’ve found it?
One of the most powerful psychological things that sets a person up for looking but never letting them find what their looking for, whether it be a loving parent, or a practical technique in a sport or on an instrument, is that the person gets stuck looking for salvation, doesn’t know they’re looking for salvation, and when it’s right before they’re eyes, can’t see or accept it.
THE ATHLETE OR MUSICIAN IS THUS STUCK IN A PERMANENT STATE OF LOOKING UNCONSCIOUSLY FOR WHAT THEY WANT MOST, AND WHEN IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, THEY WON’T ACCEPT IT AND USE IT TO HEAL PHYSICALLY OR PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
This means they can’t let the psychologist, or Alexander Technique, or God, or themselves give them what they want most, BECAUSE THEY’RE SO FRANTICALLY LOOKING FOR IT, THAT THEY CAN’T SEE IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM!
AND, THEY DON’T EVEN KNOW THEY’RE TRAPPED LOOKING FOR WHAT THEY CAN NEVER ALLOW THEMSELVES TO HAVE.
What is the loving healing solution to this problem?
However a person goes about it, by journaling, thinking it through, the help of an Alexander Technique Teacher, a psychologist, a spiritual aha experience, or all of the above, they need to bring to consciousness that they’ve been on a journey looking for what they want most and haven’t allowed themselves to have!
It is extraordinary how others can see what is driving us to do what we do, but we are totally BLIND to what is running our lives.
It is in this SEEING what we want most, that will allow us to stop and accept that we have finally found it, embrace it, use it, integrate it, and let it heal us.
I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING WORSE THAN NOT LETTING OURSELVES HAVE WHAT WE WANT THE MOST, WHEN IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.
