i think it might work to look up alexander technique teachers in your area and then contact them. they might know about current classes or be able to give you lessons. i was able to find someone near me, although i haven’t called her yet since i have no income at the moment and can’t afford classes, let alone private lessons.
but, i am lucky enough to have a little book on alexander technique, which i’ve found very helpful.
also, looking further into posture, breathing, body language, facial expressions, etc. sounds comepletely fascinating and full of amazing connections/discoveries.
i read an interesting article recently about ASL (American Sign Language). i have learned about ASL and Deaf culture in the past, and i was taught that Deaf culture is a much more direct, blunt one than hearing culture. this article made that clearer for me, since it was saying that the words we speak account for 35% of what we convey, and the remaining 65% is expressed through body language, facial expressions, gestures, movements, eye movements, and the use of our senses. and yet, as hearing people, we focus so much on the words we say, and not on these other non-verbal cues. by focusing on words so much, we’re able to avoid being too confrontational or direct, and it becomes easier to persuade someone, or to deceive someone. and this is why we may have lost our faith in our own intuition.
but in ASL, the words you express are done so with your hands, arms, and body… and facial expression is a huge huge part of it, as well as movement and posture. because communication through sign is so physical and visceral, it’s harder to fake being polite or whatever else. communication naturally becomes more honest and intimate.
if you’re interested, this article is in the july/august edition of Ode magazine. it was written by Ronald Ligtenberg.
