You’ve probably noticed by now that the skills we practice in constructive rest are applicable to more than just your time resting on the floor. In fact, the skills of pausing, becoming aware, undoing a habit, and directing yourself in space can be useful in all aspects of our lives, and help lead us towards change that we often desire, but don’t know how to achieve. In recent weeks, Alexandra and I have both discussed the ways in which the Alexander Technique has changed us-- the ways we have grown through and with this technique. Well, the fun never stops, and the Alexander Technique continues to teach and guide me through life’s changes!
My recent journey has involved navigating the many glorious and confusing changes that come with pregnancy. As my mind, body, and emotions adjust to growing a new life, I’ve had to take a closer look at many of my habits, including habits that I thought were “good,” such as practicing constructive rest! Lying in semi-supine is not as accessible to me as it once was, though I do still practice it in shorter segments. At first, this change felt like a loss to me. I love constructive rest! And I’ve practiced it several times a day, every day, for over five years now. Without my time in semi-supine, I felt irritable, uncomfortable, and ungrounded in my daily activities. That is, until I took a closer look at how I was using myself throughout the day, with or without a chance to lie down.
The ability to grow, adapt, and redirect is visible to us in so many aspects of the natural world. To me, this photo of the cactus captures a sense of expansion in all directions as the plant grows upwards and outwards towards the sun.
I came to realise that I could still find a sense of grounding and undoing in many other positions throughout my day, as long as I still designated the time for “constructive contemplation.” I can stand at my window and look out, while releasing my legs and deepening my breath. I can sit in a chair and feel my sit bones, and immediately sense the support of the ground beneath me. I was not limited in my abilities to release and undo, but my belief around how to let gowas limiting me. Thankfully, I noticed this, and was able to make a change.
The point of this anecdote is, there’s more than one way to let go. Even if you’ve found a GREAT way of undoing that usually works for you and leaves you feeling better, there are still other ways. By giving myself permission to try something new (and let go of a practice that I cherish) I allowed new possibilities for myself. Semi-supine will still be there for me when I want to explore it, but I will no longer be dependent upon it in order to let go, because I’ve found other ways. My hope is that you will discover other ways, too, both in semi-supine, and elsewhere.
Kateri & Alexandra