We tend to lock our minds and our bodies.
In reaction to a trigger.
Like…
An impolite person on the train keeps tap tap tapping you with her big overloaded bag. You look at her, hoping she’ll take the hint and stop. But she doesn’t.
By the time you get to your train exit you’re super irritated.
You talk to yourself: “I should’ve told her to stop hitting me. Doesn’t she know how to ride the train?”
Your back, shoulders, jaw tighten.
So, you’re in a prickly mood.
Big deal. It’s going to change.
That’s the law: impermanence. Like clouds in the sky - thoughts and reactions can dissapear and return.
But let me tell you something most people don’t think about. Ever.
To help you stay balanced:
Get curious.
About the way you react.
About people around you.
Curiosity bypasses the judge in your brain.
Ask yourself:
How can I be curious?
Curiosity is a state of awareness - one of the principles of the Alexander Technique. First, we simply become aware of how we're reacting. Get curious.
Then, once you're curious, this is a way to bypass the critical, judgmental part of your brain. It stops your first reaction. In the Alexander Technique we call this type of stopping inhibition.
Curiosity helps you transform your reactions into new and most likely more beneficial reactions. You'll be more available to direct your thoughts, rather than your thoughts directing you. This is the third principle of the Alexander Technique - direction.
It helps you stay present.
