ATI Exchange | December 2024

Copyright Notice Copyright © 2024 ExChange All rights reserved.

ATI ExChange is the publisher, but authors retain the copyright to their own individual pieces of work. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author.

Front Cover Image by Helen Chonofsky, Gaunts House, 2024 ATI Conference

Published by: Alexander Technique International

6510 Telecom Dr Ste 370 Indianapolis, IN 46278 office@alexandertechniqueinternational.org www.alexandertechniqueinternational.org

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Table of Contents Letter from the Editor

By Julie Mulvihill, PhD

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AT and Dynamic Movement with the Horse

By Margreet Bouwmeester

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Review: Body Mapping for Clarinetists: New Frontiers in Clarinet Teaching,

By Shawn L. Copeland and Jackie McIlwain Reviewed by Petrea Warneck

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Using AI and ChatGPT

By Joseph Weissenberg

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AI – attraction – hesitations – support – results

By Rosa Luisa Rossi

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Conference Reflection Collage Submissions from ATI Conference Attendees

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Review: Make Great Music with Ease, By Jennifer Roig-Francoli Reviewed by Caprice Boisvert

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The Power of Collaboration: Building an International Online Summit

By Imogen Ragone and Ariel Weiss

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Part Three: The Power of Story Telling

By Shawn L. Copeland

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Call for Artists

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Call for Submissions

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A Letter from the Editor Dear ATI ExChange Readers: The December 2024 issue is here and represents the diversity of its ATI membership as well as a range of possibilities that the Alexander Technique work can offer! From horse riding to AI, the work of our colleagues and friends in the AT community is flush with applications and insightful teaching ideas. The arch of the issue shows me what dedication and significance there is in committing to sharing our work. One of the articles in this issue has been a year in development; two of these articles are second or third installments of ideas that have been woven through previous issues. And yet another article has been published here as well as in an adjacent AmSat publication. All of these articles are the heart-felt offerings of their authors.

At the ATI Conference at Gaunt’s House this past October, I presented a workshop wherein I facilitated an activity that I adapted from Marsha Palludan called, “This is my voice.” My fellow CBAS trainees may remember her version of this exercise. Over the years, I continue to process through my own version of it with my students and in doing that I confront my own voice, my own complexities, and my own unsaid voicings. I wonder if you think about that and what has come up for you. What is your voice? Where? How? There are a few ways the ExChange can help you explore your voice and your voicings.

The ExChange has some important projects and questions. We are developing our archives and hope that you can assist in building them. Do you have old issues of the ExChange? We would like to digitize those issues in order to make them accessible through our website. We would also love to have digitized files of work you may have contributed to the ExChange over the years.

The ExChange is always happy to encourage and support your writing. I believe that the ATI membership has some really juicy nuggets of teaching and research to share with the community. The ExChange publishes what members of the community submit. Please accept my invitation to contribute your ideas, your voice, to the ExChange. In addition to written submissions, we also accept multimedia and image-based submissions. It does not matter what language you speak or how far along in the process you may find yourself, the ExChange is interested in your work and in sharing it with our community.

Onward,

~julie ATI ExChange Editor, exchange@alexandertechniqueinternational.org 4

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© 2024 Margreet Bouwmeester

AT and Dynamic Movement with the Horse

By Margreet Bouwmeester As a kid, I loved horses.

Every day a horse with a carriage came down the street where I lived to deliver vegetables and to take old veggies for compost. When I was eleven years old, I met my first riding horse. A few years later I had a job and could start with horse riding lessons. My love for horses has never stopped.

Because becoming a trainer was too expensive for me and my parents at the time, I did not fall into a career working with horses as a young adult. Instead, I had a full time job while attending evening school to study business. At the age of 50, I quit my job as a financial controller at the Dutch railways to start my own company, Alona for Horse and Human. This year is my company’s 25th anniversary!

This essay is about my experience with Centered Riding and the Alexander Technique. I combine these two practices in my work through Alona. I work with riders and trainers of

Photo By: Nikki de Kerf

varying stages of their horse riding journeys. I apply my training as an AT teacher in what and how I communicate with my students. I work with students while they are riding their horses and I believe the relationship between the rider and the horse is so special and particular that by working with one, I also work with the other. Training in both Centered Riding and the Alexander Technique have given me a wealth of experiences and understanding that I am excited about sharing with my students and with you!

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My Background I love everything about horses. At a young age I studied anatomy of horses as well as horse behavior, diseases, and saddles. I was an eager learner and had a good memory. Weekly, I had riding lessons and I loved to do trail rides in the woods, through villages and cities. I traveled with friends through the Netherlands on the horse with western saddles and a pack with a tent, a sleeping bag, some clothes, and horse stuff. That was so much fun!

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In 1992, I found an interesting woman who taught Centered Riding. I contacted her for lessons and I loved it. In 1999, Sally Swift, founder of Centered Riding came together with Wendy Murdoch, an apprentice of hers, to the Netherlands; I worked with Wendy in the instructortraining course to become a Centered Riding instructor. Learning has never stopped.

After a car incident with a neck injury, I found an Alexander Technique teacher in the village where my parents lived. I went to her for lessons every month. I knew about AT from the Centered Riding lessons I had; the basis of Centered Riding is Alexander Technique. And my lessons helped to get rid of neck pain and function better. In 2014, I had the opportunity to start with the AT Teacher course.

Every year I update my skills and continue to learn.

Alexander Technique is one of the sources of Centered Riding, along with Tai Chi. In 2014 after a long

© 2024 Margreet Bouwmeester

journey of learning about the rider and horse movement, I applied to be a Level 4 Instructor, the highest level of training within the Centered Riding organisation. It was an interesting and long journey. And it was a YES. That gave me the chance to start with the full time Alexander Technique training in Belgium. I loved it. I worked with horses on the weekends and did AT teacher training school Monday through Friday for over three years. I traveled regularly to the United States and met Tommy Thompson through a friend who trained with him.

Twice a year, I joined several days of Tommy’s training course with teachers Debi and Bob. I became a member of ATI because I loved the work of the teachers at Tommy’s school. Over the years, I have done so many additional training courses including human and equine acupuncture, equine cranio-sacral therapy, neuro linguistic programming, master and trainers courses, master saddle fitting consultant, as well as Franklin Method level 1 and 2 courses. All of 6

these experiences have contributed to my teaching style and philosophy.

My Pedagogy I teach from the point of view of the rider’s movement so it does not matter what style the rider might practice. I work with people who give horse coaching sessions and grand prix riders in the same course. My goal is to teach them to move together with the horse as a dance and to respect the movement and being of a horse. As a Level 4 Centered Riding clinician, I am certified to teach riders and instructors the Centered Riding principles so they can apply that in their teaching and training of the horse. It is amazing what a difference it makes if the rider works together with the horse in motion.

The Alexander Technique teacher training helped me to work in a more professional way with all kinds of horse riders and horse riding instructors. To stay with myself, stay out of judgment, and explore my observation skills are keys to my success as a horse riding teacher. I love my ExChange | December 2024

job as a teacher of riding instructors and can improve the relationships between the riders and horses I work with. The art of the choice is the mission statement for my Alexander Technique practice.

I believe the heart of Alexander Technique is that there is always a choice.

Every choice is a personal choice. This informs my teaching perspective and contributes to my belief that horse riding is about coordination and not about muscle power. In my teaching, I emphasize coordination not strength.

Because coordination is key, the AT is the best way to work with riders and horses. Personal (human) coordination is one thing but for Centered Riding, learning how to get a horse in a good horizontal and vertical balance is part of the practice.

The only way the horse becomes balanced is by a good head, neck, back coordination. So AT helped me also with more knowledge about the horse. For me horse and rider create a dance

© 2024 Margreet Bouwmeester

together. To find the harmony between horse and rider is a process of learning. “When you let go of your goal the wisdom comes,” is a phrase I use when I teach. In the process you can think: Go out of your habit and create a new sense together with your horse. The horse is a mirror of the rider so finding personal coordination in balance with the horse leads to the horse’s coordination, a continuous feedback loop.

Photo By: Anke Felling

My Work I teach Centered Riding clinics and instructor courses as well as update courses. CR is created out of basic principles. These principles include: utilizing 7

a peripheral view, balance on building blocks (balance from bones perspective), centering like in martial arts, breathing, and the foundational principle is grounding and clear intent.

Once in a while, I teach a private riding lesson and then I use my hands to give directions, using the basics of CR and my knowledge of AT. This always depends on what rider and horse pairing will make a team.

This method is not fixed– never static–it is about activity and AT mixed together.

Observations without judgment means to open self awareness so that you can teach yourself new habits. Observe: see what is good in the rider and horse relationship and what they can do better. Teach: notice one thing at the time and use observation skills and AT to improve the rider. I use my knowledge about horse training in combination with AT, observing activities like transitions, halt, canter, circles to help them improve.

In order to highlight my use of Alexander Technique in ExChange | December 2024

combination with Centered Riding I will share some anecdotes from various stages of the training. At a first lesson, a rider told me her horse cannot do the canter to the right. I touched her lower back and used my hands to reposition her right leg and hip joint. By utilizing directions and intention, she could canter to the right. An intermediate level story includes olympic rider, Tineke Bartels. She asked me to teach a pupil of hers that might compete at the European championships for young riders. The pupil broke her neck C2/3 a year before and still had pain. Her doctor had told her that everything was alright for riding. With my AT skills I could help her and her breathing improved, her riding improved and her neck pain was gone. A last example is from a rider

with a lot of experience: A grand prix rider told me riding circles to the left was a challenge for her and her horse. We worked on spiraling and after one lesson she figured out her habit and improved her spirals to the left. So her horses could make nice circles to the left.

I have learned that the Alexander Technique is a great tool to help riders and horses. It has been a

great teaching tool for Center Riding. AT should be integrated into other activities like I have combined it with Centered Riding. It is a never ending learning tool for myself and my students. There are many good AT teachers all over the world. I hope to meet you in Dublin at the congress as it would be fun to share and enjoy the nice workshops and lectures, continuing our learning together.

Photo By: Nikki de Kerf

*** Margreet Bouwmeester studied Economics and worked for 32 years as a financial controller at the Dutch Railways. From an early age she loved horses. During her financial job she studies NLP, Chinese Medicine for human and animals and movement workshops Feldenkrais, breathing, Tai Chi and since 1980 Centered Riding because it’s main focus was about how the rider moves. She combines her Alexander technique with her passion for horses, riders and horse riding instructors and is teaching all over the world. She is a board member of the Centered Riding organization.

© 2024 Margreet Bouwmeester

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© 2024 Petrea Warneck

Review: Body Mapping for Clarinetists New Frontiers in Clarinet Teaching

By Shawn L. Copeland and Jackie McIlwain, 2024

by GIA Publications, Inc. Reviewed by Petrea Warneck

appreciated over the past years, I was not anticipating big surprises as I took my initial dive into the first few chapters. I was expecting to read them quickly and in “review mode,” given that much of the

“Body Mapping for Clarinetists” is the most recent addition to the library of books on Body Mapping that are produced from the work of licensed teaching members of the Association of Body Mapping Educators (ABME). When I was presented with the opportunity to review this new book, I was immediately interested. In fact, after a quick survey of my bookshelves, I discovered that over my many years as an Alexander Technique teacher and a member of ABME, I own all of them.

material is applicable to any kind of performer and is represented in some way in the other Body Mapping books.

As it turns out, there were many aspects about those opening chapters that encouraged me (and reminded me) to slow down. I took the time to re-read some sections, to explore what I was reading more thoughtfully and redirect my energy from expectation to curiosity. The authors do remain true to the overall content and teachings of the previous books, and they give credit where credit is due – to the work of

Having read and referred to these earlier Body Mapping books many times over the years (Body Mapping for: flute players, oboe players, violinists, pianists, trombonists, singers, dancers), I had certain expectations for this Body Mapping book for clarinetists.

Though I was curious and excited to see what would stand out and be a fresh outlook from the Body Mapping publications I had

© 2024 Petrea Warneck

Barbara and William Conable, authors of the earliest books on the subject: What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body and 9

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How to Learn the Alexander Technique. However, this new book presents the information with some new language, fresh ideas and explorations, and in a very personal way where we learn something about the author’s own journeys and discoveries. Alas, my expectations of the book were being happily challenged.

these concepts is approachable and welcoming. One example is the analogy of “the flashlight or the floodlight” and how they work together, related to attention, awareness, and concentration. The way in which the authors present this idea is clear and simple and, even for someone new to this material, could easily be applied and passed along to students (any kind of student).

Jackie and Shawn have written a book – a working guide – that is organized beautifully and is to a large extent applicable to any kind of musician. With exceptions that are very specific to clarinet pedagogy and issues related to the logistics of playing the clarinet, you could read much of the book and replace the word “clarinetist” with any kind of musician. That said, the clarinet-specific explanations are very clear and thorough. By including “New Frontiers in Clarinet Teaching” in the title, this book stands out as a valuable resource for any clarinet teacher, any music teacher (attention: band directors!), and teachers of the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping who are working with clarinetists.

From the chapter about attention, these words resonated with me immediately and I found myself re-reading this several times: Training attention will allow you to direct your intention. If you aren’t talking or thinking about it, you aren’t training it. (page 46) The organization of the material in this book is worthy of mention. The book has six main sections, each with several chapters. At the beginning of each chapter there is a list of “Objectives” for that particular chapter, which then unfolds in the order in which they are listed. Many chapters include one or more activities to try, related to the topic at hand. The authors have labeled these “Experiences” and, while they are in bold print and easy to identify, it would have been a nice touch to have them in a list form – perhaps at the end of the book – so one could return to them easily without searching within the text. In most cases I found the experiences to be fun and engaging, and also quite easy to understand and follow. Further, the authors include personal anecdotes in italics throughout the chapters, with their initials provided for identification. This is a nice personal touch, and it reminds the reader that the authors

The opening chapters do a great job of setting the reader up for the whole of the book. The authors provide clear and concise definitions and explanations about somatics and Body Mapping, and they draw the connection of these concepts to the Alexander Technique. They take time and care to explain habits – understanding them, creating them, changing and learning from them – in the section titled: “Preparing for Change.” The next section, “Attention” not only explains and defines awareness and attention, but also discusses “attention strategies.” Their use of language to explain

© 2024 Petrea Warneck

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are empathetic and have their own “experiences” to work through.

specific to being a clarinetist. Chapter 14 entitled “Breathing,” includes extremely indepth information for clarinetists in particular.

Section 3 is entitled “Body Mapping: Mapping Balance.” This is the part of all of the Body Mapping books that describes the body map in detail, using images and diagrams. Jackie and Shawn begin this section with a few chapters explaining joints, muscles, balance and posture. Then chapter 7 is where the Body Mapping “sequence” begins. While most (if not all) of the other Body Mapping resource books begin with head/neck and work through mapping the rest of the body from there, the sequence in this book starts from the ground up, beginning with the feet. Brilliant! I lighten and ripple upwards from my feet just typing these words.

Section 5 offers the most clarinet-specific information of the entire book and would most likely be of interest only if you are a clarinetist or another wind player and if you are trying to understand and to help a clarinetist (again calling all band directors!).

The authors go into detail on various pedagogical topics and have done an excellent job of discussing the known issues of clarinet pedagogy with detailed mapping of the structures involved to play successfully, artistically, and injury free.

My favorite part of this book is Section 6 “Mapping the Whole Self.” Jackie and Shawn have taken the time and care to bring everything together in these final chapters about mapping “the self.” They address performance anxiety, emotions, language and emotion, neuroplasticity, learning vs creativity, managing distractions, perfectionism, comparison, imposter syndrome and, yes– even mapping your practice sessions. They define the self-map and they provide questions for one to ponder, in order to work on and discover your self-map:

Our feet serve as the sole connection (get it?) between our bodies and the ground. The entire load-bearing system of the body depends on our feet to keep us upright, allowing us to walk, run, stand, and balance. We must not underestimate the value of our feet and the connection to the ground. (page 73) Thus, the mapping order is: • The Foot • Knee • Pelvis & Hip joints • Spine (with relationship of head/spine) • Arms • Putting it all back together (including mapping clarinet playing as an element of primary movement) • Breathing

... you are working on your self map. Self mapping is a discovery process through which you come to know yourself more completely. It is sometimes a joyous process. It is sometimes a difficult process. Either way, you come to know yourself a bit better and understand what motivates the choices you make in your life and in your music. (page 203)

Within each of these sections there is, of course and rightly so, additional information

© 2024 Petrea Warneck

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build a deeper relationship with ourselves and arrive more easily at the self map. We also build trust in the material and the process itself. (page 208)

The authors share their personal stories of how they came to know and understand their own self maps and what they had to work through to make changes in their self map, where necessary. These stories are sincere and poignant, and the authors bring the reader to an appreciation of why it is important, why it matters:

Since I began my journey into this work decades ago, when I met Barbara Conable for the first time, I have read many books and articles related to body mapping. It’s great to have a new addition to the repertoire that brings fresh ideas and new language to the work that so many of us live by, teach from, and hold in such high regard.

Getting to the self map is the ultimate goal of this work, in our opinion, and it is the greatest application of the work of mapping. In truth, we debated starting here with self mapping. The chapters you’ve read to this point would then contain supplemental material to help you address the answers to the questions of self mapping. Perhaps we could have, but we felt that it would be better to take you through the same process we went through. By starting with the body map, we

Jackie and Shawn have created an excellent working resource for teachers and professionals in the clarinet world and beyond. I look forward to referring this book to my music colleagues, as well to my colleagues who teach the Alexander Technique and Body Mapping.

*** Petrea Warneck is a professional oboist and performs extensively throughout the southeast. She was first introduced to the Alexander Technique upon meeting Barbara Conable in the early 1980s, and she has been a devoted advocate of the importance to the mind-body connection and the health and wellness of performing artists ever since. Petrea is proud member of a long list of grateful graduates of Robin Gilmore’s training school, Chesapeake Bay Alexander Studies, and over the years she has also studied extensively with Sarah Barker. Petrea has had an active teaching career in music and the Alexander Technique & Body Mapping and, just recently, retired from her oboe teaching positions at Furman University and the SC Governor’s School for the Arts in Greenville, SC. She is happily continuing her affiliation at both schools, teaching the Alexander Technique courses that she created and developed over the years, which are a very popular addition to the elective course offerings for music majors and health science majors.

© 2024 Petrea Warneck

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© 2024 Joseph Weissenberg

aidin-geranrekab-bV_P23FXxhI-unsplash.jpg

Using AI and ChatGPT

By Joseph Weissenberg Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) I set up an experiment for myself. I set about to utilize AI to do some writing. I asked AI to attend to certain writing prompts. Each prompt is in bold face below and I generated them all myself. The blue text that follows the bolded prompt is the AI generated response. My experiment took me no time at all–it was remarkably fast. You determine the success of the AI generated responses and read all the way through to find my conclusions at the end of the article.

Writing an intro about using AI for the Alexander Technique Teachers As technology continues to evolve, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into various fields has sparked both excitement and concern. In the realm of the Alexander Technique, a practice deeply rooted in personal interaction, subtle observation, and human touch, the introduction of AI presents unique challenges and opportunities. While AI holds the promise of enhancing our understanding and accessibility of the Alexander Technique, it also raises important questions about the role of technology in a field that values individualization, empathy, and the art of teaching. In this article, we will explore the potential fears and concerns that Alexander Technique teachers may have regarding the use of AI, and how we can navigate these challenges while preserving the essence of this time-honored practice.

What are the fears of using AI for Alexander Technique Teachers For Alexander Technique teachers, the integration of AI into their practice can evoke several concerns and fears. These fears often stem from the nature of the Alexander Technique itself,.

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Here are some of the common fears that Alexander Technique teachers might have about using AI: 1. Loss of Human Connection • Personal Interaction: The Alexander Technique is based on a hands-on, personal approach. Teachers might fear that AI could diminish the value of human touch and direct interaction, which are central to the method.

• Empathy and Intuition: AI lacks the ability to truly understand and respond to the emotional and psychological nuances of a student’s experience. Teachers might worry that this could lead to a more mechanical and less empathetic approach to teaching or writing.

2. Devaluation of Expertise • Replacement Anxiety: There might be a fear that AI could replace human teachers, leading to a devaluation of the years of training and experience required to master the Alexander Technique.

• Over-Reliance on Technology: Teachers may worry that students will rely too much on AI tools, which might offer quick fixes but fail to address the deeper, long-term benefits of personalized instruction.

3. Quality and Precision Concerns • Misinterpretation of Subtle Cues: The Alexander Technique involves observing and responding to very subtle physical cues. Teachers might fear that AI could miss these subtleties, leading to ineffective or even harmful guidance.

• Standardization vs. Individualization: AI often works best with standardized data. Teachers may be concerned that AI tools could promote a one-size-fits-all approach, undermining the highly individualized nature of their work.

4. Ethical and Privacy Issues • Confidentiality: The use of AI could raise concerns about the privacy and confidentiality of students’ data, especially if sensitive information is shared or stored digitally.

• Ethical Implications: There might be fears about the ethical implications of using AI in a field that is traditionally based on humanistic and holistic principles.

5. Technological Dependence • Loss of Traditional Skills: Teachers might worry that an over-reliance on AI could lead to a decline in traditional teaching skills and the art of observation, which are central to the Alexander Technique.

• Tech Literacy Barriers: Some teachers may feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed by the need to adopt new technologies, fearing that it could detract from their focus on teaching.

6. Commercialization and Accessibility • Increased Competition: AI could lower the barrier to entry for teaching the Alexander Technique, leading to increased competition and potentially lowering the quality of instruction.

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Cost and Accessibility: Teachers might be concerned that AI tools could make the Alexander Technique more commercialized, potentially making high-quality instruction less accessible to those who need it most.

7. Misalignment with Core Values • Philosophical Concerns: The Alexander Technique emphasizes self-awareness, selfregulation, and conscious control. Teachers might fear that the use of AI could promote a more passive, externally-driven approach that is at odds with these core values.

• Dilution of the Method: There is a concern that AI could dilute the essence of the Alexander Technique, turning it into a series of mechanical steps rather than a holistic process of personal development.

8. Job Security • Threat to Livelihood: The fear of AI replacing human teachers might also lead to concerns about job security, particularly if AI tools are marketed as cheaper or more efficient alternatives to traditional instruction.

While AI has the potential to offer valuable tools and support for Alexander Technique teachers and students, it is understandable that these fears exist. To address them, it is important to find a balance where AI can complement, rather than replace, the unique human qualities that are central to the Alexander Technique.

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Write about why you should use Ai for the Alexander Technique The integration of AI into the Alexander Technique offers teachers exciting opportunities to enhance their practice and reach a broader audience. While the Alexander Technique is traditionally taught through in-person, hands-on guidance, AI can complement this approach by providing additional tools and resources that support both teachers and students.

Firstly, AI can help teachers streamline administrative tasks, allowing more time for actual teaching. Scheduling, client communication, and even tracking student progress can be efficiently managed with AI-driven tools, reducing the burden of routine tasks.

Secondly, AI can expand access to the Alexander Technique. Virtual assistants and online platforms powered by AI can introduce the principles of the technique to a global audience, breaking down geographical barriers. This opens up the possibility of reaching individuals who may not have access to in-person lessons.

Moreover, AI can be used to enhance the learning experience. For example, AI-driven apps can provide personalized feedback on posture and movement, offering students a way to practice and refine their skills between sessions. This can reinforce the learning that takes place during in-person lessons, leading to more effective outcomes.

Finally, embracing AI allows Alexander Technique teachers to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By incorporating technology into their practice, teachers can attract a younger, tech-savvy audience who might otherwise overlook the benefits of the Alexander Technique.

In conclusion, while AI should not replace the core elements of the Alexander Technique, it can serve as a valuable tool that enhances teaching, broadens reach, and improves the overall

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learning experience. By integrating AI thoughtfully and strategically, Alexander Technique teachers can remain at the forefront of their field while preserving the integrity of their practice.

Write about why fear does not help us Fear, while a natural human response, often acts as a significant barrier to growth, learning, and overall well-being. When it comes to personal development or adopting new practices—like the Alexander Technique—fear can hold us back from experiencing the full benefits that these opportunities offer.

Firstly, fear inhibits learning. When we’re afraid of making mistakes or of not being “good enough,” we tend to hold back, avoiding challenges instead of embracing them. This can limit our ability to engage fully in the learning process, which often requires trial and error. In the context of the Alexander Technique, for example, fear of moving incorrectly might prevent us from exploring new ways of using our bodies, thus impeding progress.

Secondly, fear perpetuates tension. One of the key principles of the Alexander Technique is reducing unnecessary tension in the body to achieve better coordination and ease of movement. However, fear naturally triggers a stress response, causing muscles to tighten and the body to brace itself against perceived threats. This can lead to chronic tension, poor posture, and even pain—ironically, the very issues the Alexander Technique aims to alleviate.

Additionally, fear narrows our focus and reduces our ability to think creatively and solve problems. When we’re scared, our minds tend to fixate on the source of our anxiety, making it difficult to see the bigger picture or consider alternative approaches. In teaching or practicing the Alexander Technique, this might mean missing out on subtle but important changes in movement patterns that could lead to significant improvements.

Lastly, fear creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we focus on what could go wrong, the more likely we are to act in ways that bring about those negative outcomes. If a teacher fears using new tools like AI, for instance, they might avoid it altogether, missing out on its potential benefits and allowing others who do embrace it to advance while they fall behind.

In conclusion, while fear is a common emotion, it often does more harm than good, especially in the realms of learning, personal growth, and innovation. Overcoming fear and approaching challenges with curiosity and openness can lead to more profound learning experiences, greater ease in movement and thinking, and ultimately, a richer, more fulfilling life.

Summarize the article about AI with 1500 characters. Write engaging and encouraging to use AI. In today’s rapidly evolving world, embracing AI technology can significantly enhance the practice of Alexander Technique teachers, opening up new avenues for growth, learning, and connection.

AI is not a threat, but rather a tool that can be harnessed to amplify our teaching methods, reach a broader audience, and improve student outcomes.

By integrating AI, teachers can streamline administrative tasks, freeing up more time for what truly matters—helping students. AI-driven tools can provide valuable insights into students’ progress, allowing for more personalized guidance and feedback. Moreover, AI can assist in

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creating engaging online content, making it easier to share the benefits of the Alexander Technique with a global audience.

Fear of the unknown often holds us back, but by adopting AI, we can stay ahead in an increasingly digital world, ensuring that our teaching remains relevant and accessible. AI doesn’t replace the human touch—it enhances it, providing us with more resources to deepen our understanding and improve our teaching.

We need to step forward and share the Alexander Technique with the world. Focusing on minor details and giving into fear won’t get us anywhere.

In short, AI is not something to be feared, but embraced. It offers a wealth of opportunities to enhance our work, connect with more people, and continue growing as educators. Let’s use AI to expand our reach, enrich our teaching, and help more students discover the transformative power of the Alexander Technique.

My Conclusions It took me twenty minutes to write this article. The most important thing about AI is to know how to ask. That can be learned and practiced. I learned to use AI in several courses with different marketers. Using AI resembles a conversation you have with someone.

AI learns and adapts the more you use it, gradually understanding your style and how you want to communicate your content. Over time, it becomes more aligned with your language, reducing the need for corrections. Even with free versions, AI retains content and learns what matters most to you, helping streamline the process and making your experience smoother.

If you think you are smarter than AI, think again. You can’t beat AI. But you should use it as your servant. AI is a tool, not more, not less. If you want it or not, it will change the world as we know it. The outcome of AI is still about what your thoughts are and how you use it. Do we still need Julie to edit the ExChange. Yes, we do. It will change, but we humans are not obsolete.

Reference: OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (May 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat *** Joseph Weissenberg holds a PhD in music pedagogy from the University of Art Mozarteum Salzburg as well as an MA in music and dance education. Joseph did his Alexander Technique training with Joan and Alex Murray in Urbana-Champaign 1997-98, finishing with Ruth Kilroy in Boston 2000. He did a postgraduate two year training with Rivka Cohen 2000-2001. Joseph holds certifications by AmSAT, ATVD and ATI. Joseph has created trainings for diverse populations utilizing AT and is the author of two books Alexandertechnik und Bühnenpräsenz, Utz Edition 2015 (German) and Soul Room Meditation, Romeon Edition 2022. Joseph is proud to serve ATI as the Communications Committee Co-Chair, Marketing and Social Media.

© 2024 Joseph Weissenberg

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AI – attraction - hesitations – support – results

By Rosa Luisa Rossi - ATI Chair International Committee Attraction/motivation I am one of the primary Marketing Pilot Project (MPP) group members. I am motivated to be part of this pilot project because I have the strong impression that this project will open new doors for ATI Teaching Members to connect with the needs of the public and offer solutions and benefits utilizing the AT.

Hesitation For more than 36 years I have offered the Alexander Technique in private and group lessons.

In the last years, I have worked especially in Health Management at the workplace for companies and in leadership trainings. Teaching is my passion and I was strongly avoiding connecting with marketing and the fast development of what happens in IT. I joined the MPP team with curiosity and somehow ….. the willingness to learn new skills. At the beginning of this program I learned, that I (we) had to create:

• A 3 min. personal video, presenting my own story and benefits • A 3 min. tutorial video • A one-page article • An e-book •A workshop and social media posts All my motivation vanished into fear: I will never be able to do this. I am too old for this. I don’t have time to learn this. These thoughts and many more ‘dragons’ appeared and had to be conquered

Support To my surprise and great pleasure, I begin experiencing a team through MPP, who accept my hesitations and fear responses. Each one of the team supports and accompanies me with their potential and capacities. This experience of not being alone on my path and to have colleagues from other parts of the world who support me in my willingness to learn, is a heart touching and very

motivating experience. I have learned how to create three minute videos, to understand and how to use the help of the new tool: Artificial Intelligence www.ChatGPT.com

Results My time with the MPP has resulted in some exciting new behaviors for me. I have bought a selfie stick which allows me to create my own videos. I am comfortable now to play around with the support of AI, which gives me the needed support to overcome my writing hesitation. Most importantly, I will be one of the supporters for my colleagues who wish soon to participate in the ATI Marketing Project and understand and learn the new tools, which are going to support the development of their AT practice. I can only invite you to join this offer from ATI and to experiencing yourself in growing processes

*** Rosa Luisa Rossi has been involved with the Alexander Technique since 1979 and has been teaching since 1986. She trained as an Alexander teacher from 1983 – 1986 in Zurich with Jacqueline Webster and Irma Rellstab, both of whom were trained in England by Peter Scott. Rosa Luisa works privately in Switzerland, organizes workshops, has done pilot projects in Kindergarten and in high schools and has worked as well with school teachers. She is invited to teach at Alexander Training Courses in Europe, America and Japan. She is a Co-Director of “Think out of the box”, a company specialising in Alexander Technique workshops for corporate clients. Her commitment is to bridge the gap between the different approaches to this work. To this end, she is a member of the Affiliated Society SVLAT (Swiss Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique), as well as an active member in ATI (Alexander Technique International).

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© 2024 Caprice Boisvert

Review: Make Great Music with Ease

By Jennifer Roig-Francoli, 2023 by Creative Muse Publishing Reviewed by Caprice Boisvert The first four pages of Make Great Music with Ease are filled with testimonials and high praise. Many of those testimonials come from people I know, so I have no doubt that Jennifer Roig-Francoli is an excellent teacher.

Still, having no personal knowledge of the author, I have approached my review with a critical eye, trying to delineate between the words of an excellent teacher, and a book that belongs in the canon of Alexander Technique literature. For me, this book is not the latter. This review outlines why I feel this way.

are given to consume the work of both Mio Morales and Jennifer Roig-Francoli.

The book is divided into three parts of approximately equal length: The Challenges of Being a Musician; Discovering a Holistic Solution; and How to Make Music With Your Whole Self. Each part is divided into several chapters. Unfortunately, while the chapters are numbered in the Table of Contents, those numbers are not included at the start of each chapter. I took the liberty of pencilling the chapter numbers into my copy of the book, but I still had to refer back to the Table of Contents to find things. I believe this book would benefit greatly from an Index as many elements are mentioned multiple times.

First off, we learn in the foreword that the book “draws from a rich variety of sources, focusing primarily on” the Alexander Technique, The Art of Freedom Method (the author’s trademarked version of AT), and Primal Alexander (Mio Morales’ trademarked version of AT) (p.xiv). The author’s work feels deeply intertwined with Mio Morales’s work, making me wonder if this book was meant to be a joint project. Morales wrote the foreword to this book and he is cited abundantly throughout. It bothers me that these two teachers need to codify and trademark their own teaching styles when they are both teaching the Alexander Technique. Is this behaviour a marketing tool? In addition, the author makes many references to leaving one's ego at the door in order to get to the root of one's performance problems, but this is juxtaposed with the many opportunities we

Despite the use of sections, the book is long and lacks clarity and direction. I got to the end of Chapter 8 and felt as if I had just finished reading an eight-chapters-long introduction. Material felt out of sequence, making the book difficult to follow. There was some great content at the end of the book that would have worked really well near the beginning, and would have helped shape the learning journey of the reader.

There are also several editorial errors in the book, which I hope will be addressed in later editions, including references to incorrect chapter numbers. I was particularly concerned that the author references a combination of scientific studies without context and pseudo-scientific literature like Bruce Lipton. In Chapter 13, she mentions 21

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that babies are in a “theta wave state,” but it does not mean anything to the reader if it is neither explained nor distinguished from other wave states. The author then provides a footnote to an article that does not mention theta wave states.

the author to create a mailing list. I was left with the impression that the book is a long advertisement for working with the author. I acknowledge that this is a significant objective for any book, but it was nevertheless disappointing to me because I had hoped to glean insight pertinent to my own teaching. Instead, it became clear that this book is meant to be a student guide, or a book for someone specifically interested in becoming a student of Roig-Francoli and/or Morales under The Art of Freedom Method umbrella.

The author’s informal writing style was perhaps meant to make the material feel accessible. Instead, that informality makes the first several chapters feel as if one is reading the author’s journal. It blends into the presentation of concepts, and contributes to a meandering repetitive slowness. To be fair, the author addresses her use of repetition early on, stating that she uses it deliberately and that repetition is useful for learning. However, this is a book: one is free to use bookmarks or fold a page corner or make margin notes. The repetition felt unnecessary, especially when the repeated information was more succinctly expressed the second time. It begs the question: could the same material have been presented in less than 300 pages?

In the Introduction, the author includes a section entitled A universal perspective. In it, she writes of her use of the word Spirit: that she does not intend what she is “sharing to be a substitute for a formal religious or other spiritual practice (p.xxi).” Frankly, I was put off by the references to spirituality throughout the book, a reaction I suspect she was aiming precisely to avoid. I feel the reader would have been better served had the author included a chapter near the beginning of the book that discussed musicians and their inspirations to make music, including her own inspiration (Chapter 7 does not achieve this). She writes many sentences using “we”, but does not define who the “we” is. She references “the energy,” “the universe,”and “the quantum field.” Some sections made me feel as if I had been presented with a book on AT and mysticism.

There are two QR codes at the beginning of the book: one offers a free download of the audiobook; the other is a link to complementary video training that will teach the skills taught in the book. I had hoped to download the audiobook, but it was not yet available. Several chapters end with a link to the author’s website where the reader can access supplemental bonus material. For both the QR codes and the website links, you must enter your email address, which allows

© 2024 Caprice Boisvert

There are so many lists throughout the book that I found myself overloaded with information, tasks, and details that lost importance due to the sheer number of 22

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them. I had initially hoped that the lists would be used to tie sections of the book together (for example, points 1, 2, and 3 in Chapter X relate directly to points 1, 2, and 3 in Chapter Y), but that turned out not to be the case. Instead, I was left with the impression that the author was trying to include too much information, and her use of lists was the tidiest way to present said information. Some of these lists could have been expanded into their own chapters.

Glass Practicing.” It is the idea of taking in the “big picture,” looking at a complete piece of music before working on each section separately, and then putting it all back together, much in the way a stained glass window is made. This is an excellent description of a practice method that is extremely helpful. That being said, I wish that all the practice-related content had been organised in a series of sequential chapters.

The chapters I liked the most were related to the subject of practice. Both Boost Your Confidence with True Concentration: To get the results you want, be aware of what you’re actually practising (Chapter 19) and Adopt Smarter Practice Strategies for Stellar Performance (Chapter 21) contain some great insights that I was able to apply to my piano practice. The section in Chapter 19 entitled, What you practice is what you get better at, contains this gold nugget: There isn't really any difference between practice and performance: in both situations, you're just being YOU. (p. 255)

I do not feel that the book functions well outside the framework of the author’s trademarked version of the Alexander Technique. If the reader of this book were taking lessons with the author, I believe this book would be an excellent companion guide. The bonus material and the Video Training accessible via the QR code were extremely useful, but if the reader is hoping that this book alone will help them make great music with ease, they will be disappointed. Even with amazing advice on how to improve how we practise, we are promised information that never materialised. We will, however, be sent an email inviting us to sign up for online classes with the author that will be extremely beneficial.

This would be a profound discovery for any musician. Further in Chapter 21, she writes about a practice form she calls “Stained

*** Caprice Boisvert has been a teaching member of ATI since 2012. She primarily teaches the Alexander Technique and the Pilates Method, but has training in several other areas, including personal training, yoga, and craniosacral therapy. She helps students both young and old achieve wellness through movement, due in large part to her understanding of anatomy and biomechanics. With her broad scope of knowledge, she assists people with Parkinson’s Disease, joint replacement, scoliosis, and pelvic floor dysfunction. She is an avid cyclist and runner, reads mystery novels, studies the piano, and loves all things Dutch. She lives in Toronto with her husband and their six cats.

© 2024 Caprice Boisvert 23

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© 2024 Imogen Ragone & Ariel Weiss

The Power of Collaboration: Building an International Online Summit

By Imogen Ragone & Ariel Weiss Alexander Technique teachers most commonly train in groups and then go on to work in relative isolation as solo entrepreneurs.

Philadelphia area teachers formed a collective that helps connect and support local AT teachers while building stronger bridges to the outside world. The benefits of this collaboration have proved to be far greater than we ever imagined.

Alexander Technique Teachers of Greater Philadelphia (ATTGP) was formed in 2012 as a consortium for local AT teachers. The founding dozen or so members were interested in meeting regularly to exchange work and ideas, share resources and feel connected to our local AT community. As part of our collaboration we have done outreach in the community, such as introductory workshops at an REI store and at the Philadelphia Flower Show, 24

as well as offering continuing education opportunities for our members by bringing in visiting teachers, both online and in person.

Membership in ATTGP is open to all AT teachers and monthly exchange meetings are hosted on a rotating basis by members and continued through the pandemic online.

In response to the pandemic, ATTGP launched their first International Online Alexander ExChange | December 2024

Technique Summit in October 2020. The inspiration was to find a way to leverage the internet to foster interest in Alexander Technique while in-person teaching was not an option. The premise was built simply: offer a weeklong platform for people to attend a variety of Alexander Technique workshops free of charge.

The initial offering was such a resounding success with almost 500 people participating from several different countries and continents around the world that it has now become an annual event.

The Summit has grown over its four-year history and hosted 23 workshops with over 600 people participating from all over the world in January 2024.

The feedback from participants has been robustly enthusiastic. In addition to exposing new folks to the Technique who otherwise would not have access, the Summit has also become a place for our AT peers and colleagues to gather, explore and learn from each other. It is an important feature of the Summit that the sessions

© 2024 Imogen Ragone & Ariel Weiss

welcome and are accessible to all students - from absolute beginners to people who have been studying, or even teaching, for many years. One unique aspect of our process is not only that we collaborate to produce the event - but also how we collaborate - the means whereby of our collaboration. ATTGP membership is open to all AT teachers, and each member has full agency to teach the way they choose.

Because our Summit is not affiliated with any specific AT societies, the breadth, diversity and crossover of teaching styles has been a hallmark of the event.

ATTGP members volunteer to present workshops, provide technical assistance for other presenters, and attend each other’s presentations.

Creating a supportive and open culture for ATTGP members impacts the Summit by building an event that highlights inclusivity and diversity – there is innate permission to explore for participants and presenters alike.

Another key way we build a culture of inclusivity for the 25

Summit is that the entire week of events is offered free of charge. This creates accessibility for anyone in the world with access to the internet – across socioeconomic, cultural, age and ability parameters.

Presenters volunteer their time and expertise with the support from ATTGP. Member presenters gain exposure through ATTGP’s promotion of the Summit, leading to many positive outcomes for their individual businesses, in addition to strengthening our local AT community and creating more awareness of AT around the globe.

ATTGP has further leveraged the momentum built by the Annual Online Summit by adding a monthly series of low-cost online workshops. This has added consistency for our programming and online presence. Additionally, these monthly workshops offer additional teaching and exposure opportunities for our members. Most importantly, the online workshops provide a lowrisk opportunity for continuing study for our growing audience.

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Ultimately, the Annual Online Summit has proved to be a rewarding and successful endeavor for our local community as well as our global community. By coming together to share our resources, time, and talents we have created a space to draw new interest from around the world to the Alexander Technique, strengthened our own connections locally and globally, supported

continuing education for our members and our colleagues, and helped grow our own individual businesses. By modeling this cooperative and inclusive project, we hope to encourage and inspire future projects that can build bridges to connect our AT communities to the world.

We are pleased to announce that our next

Summit will take place the week of Monday, January 20th through Saturday, January 25th, 2025. You can find information about the Summit, and sign up to be informed about this and other ATTGP events at: https://alextechgreaterphila .com/online-alexandertechnique-summit/ We’d love to have you join us.

*** Ariel Weiss is a founding member of ATTGP and is an ATI Sponsor. She has been teaching AT in Philadelphia since 1988 and previously trained teachers at The Philadelphia School for the Alexander Technique and co-produced the Freedom to Make Music Conference. Ariel teaches online and in person at The Curtis Institute of Music, the University of Delaware and Crosslands retirement community and coordinates a Wellness Program for surgeons at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her TEDX talk: Posture myth-busting: it’s easier than you think was released in 2021. Ariel is pleased to serve as co-site coordinator for the 2025 ATI Annual Conference and will also be a Continuous Learning presenter at the 13th International Congress in Dublin 2025. www.atphila.com Imogen Ragone is a founding member of ATTGP and also serves as its administrator. She is a certified teaching member of AmSAT and has been teaching AT since 2006. Over the years Imogen has developed her own unique approach, BodyIntelligence, that offers a path to embodied mindfulness that is gentle and non-coercive. This means it is particularly accessible and effective when you are feeling stressed, and makes it especially valuable to traumatized people. In addition to her private in-person practice, Imogen has been successfully working with clients online, both individually and in groups, since 2014, and specializes in working with women who are dealing with chronic stress or trauma. More info at imogenragone.com

© 2024 Imogen Ragone & Ariel Weiss 26

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© 2024 Shawn L. Copeland

Part Three: The Power of Story Telling

By Shawn L. Copeland When the invitation arrived to submit a third article, one that described teaching in light of the previous two articles (There are No Body Mapping Errors, Dec 2023, and Our Not So Faulty Sensory Appreciation System, May 2024), I immediately thought that I had to create something new to write about–that I needed to “invent” a new teaching method or style. I took some time to think and reflect on these topics, coming to the realization that I needed to describe my approach to teaching and the moments along the way that have shaped my philosophy and style.

within the educational, teacher/student realm is confining and limiting, but when F.M. was alive and writing, there wasn’t another field or paradigm that was a better fit. I will unpack this later in the article.

To resolve this dissonance, I had to reconsider my definitions of both a teacher (noun) and “to teach” (verb). Doing so required that I look back at some of the most profound learning moments and see the commonalities within those moments. Those commonalities were the freedom to make mistakes, experiment, play, learn at my own pace, and the space to ask questions and make my own discoveries. The teachers who affected me the most were those who “saw” me and created enough space for me to realize myself in the topic we were studying.

One of my first struggles in my early teaching days was the cognitive dissonance between teaching the Alexander Technique and teaching Applied Clarinet within a Western, classical, academic paradigm. Was I a clarinet teacher who used the Alexander Technique in my teaching, or was I an Alexander Technique teacher who taught clarinet? I am a product of a binary, patriarchal, authoritarian teaching model, where the teacher in the room is the expert by default, and students are there to be quiet, listen, and learn from them. Students are only to ask questions when given the space to do so; otherwise, we “listen and learn.” Even though the Alexander Technique is defined within an educational paradigm of teacher and student, I felt this approach seemed in conflict with the content of the Alexander Technique. The more I taught in both fields, the further the divide grew and the more dissonant the conflict felt. It is my opinion that placing AT

Today, I define a teacher as a guide whose purpose is to create, shape, and moderate the learning space and get out of the way to allow the student to explore. “To teach” is to develop a structure of exploration for all those present to participate. In my own teaching, I open my own awareness to the possibility present in the student and the relationship we are building. I think of myself and my role as the question holder, the sign reader, and a mirror for reflecting back to the student. I hold the container, the safe space for students to learn within, validating their experiences and taking the next steps with them.

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Shifting the Paradigm

our students to question their reality or worthiness.

In Part One: There are No Body Mapping Errors, we unpacked the idea that safety and belonging were inextricable aspects of how we create maps of the world around us. This includes our body maps. Further, we explored how our body maps are not just the instructions for movement but are formed within the context of our lived experiences; thus, they reflect our cultural, familial, societal, educational, and religious experiences. We also delved into the understanding of movement as an expression of identity. Therefore, we cannot ignore aspects of our identities, such as gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, when we address body maps and habits of movement and thinking in our work within the Alexander Technique.

Here, I’d like to delve into the potential transformative power of witnessing, narrative, and storytelling within the teaching and study of the Alexander Technique. These tools have the potential to increase the safety of the space toward profound transformation for our students, inspiring us as educators to harness their power.

I was first introduced to the role of a witness during my training with Marsha Paludan and Robin Gilmore through the use of Authentic Movement. In this modality, the role of the witness is to provide safety by ensuring participants do not run into each other and prevent others from entering the space. The witness also observes in a non-evaluative, non-judgmental way, allowing the participants in the role of mover to simply be seen. At the time, I was deeply engaged in my graduate music education and was well accustomed to weekly private lessons, performance classes, public master classes, juries, and recitals, all of which have both performative and evaluative aspects. The Authentic Movement, with its clearly defined roles, provided the opportunity for me to learn within it and has become a teaching tool that I continually bring into teaching spaces.

In Part Two: Our Not So Faulty Sensory Appreciation System, we unpacked the role that our senses play in our nervous system. We explored the differences between sensing and perceiving, as well as the adaptive nature of our sensory appreciation system; it is designed to normalize a large majority of our exteroception (except vision) to pay attention to new and novel experiences. This is an integral aspect of our safety mechanisms and is inherent in the design of our nervous system; we are hardwired to adapt to our experiences, accept them as usual, and continue looking for new and novel (potential danger) stimuli. The idea that our kinesthesia, our sense of movement and position, is somehow debauched or faulty is misleading as it implies a level of brokenness and may cause

© 2024 Shawn L. Copeland

As I think about the role of witness in my teaching today, I am struck by how important the Alexander Process is in teaching. In my teaching approach and philosophy, I separate the Alexander Process from Alexander’s discovery about how we 28

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move. The Process of awareness, inhibition, and direction is both the WHAT and the HOW in our teaching. It is content and process at the same time, and in teaching the content, we agree to the process. To witness within this process, I must become aware of my own desire to know what is “wrong” with the student, and my desire to solve their problem or “fix” it. To see what is in front of me, I must first let go of whatever I am looking for and my need to find it. To listen and see without judgment, I must let go of looking entirely to see and hear the person in front of me. I must set aside (inhibit) knowing in this way and arrive with my tools available, in a state of curiosity and play (direction). For my students to learn through their curiosity, I must model this within myself. We take the journey together.

Storytelling is a way for a person or group of people to share history and context. In telling stories, the storyteller is heard and seen. Within the Alexander Process, storytelling can shed light on narrative, the individual's story through their perception of events. The narrative allows us, as teachers, to see how each student’s choices are connected to their life events. We can see correlations between the story (past) and the movement (present). The narrative gives insight into how the student connects their perception to their movement.

Remember, our body maps and movement are formed within the context of our lived experiences, thus expressing our identities in all their complexity. Through storytelling, students share the context through which they exist and move. As AT teachers, we are the witness to the story, holding space and providing safety. In the moment of a lesson, together, the student and teacher have the capacity to connect history and context to the present narrative and movement. We, as teachers, have the potential to see the identity of a person through the interplay of lived experiences and present movement the dance of their identity.

When I began teaching Alexander Technique in the university setting in 2010, students would often bring up comparison, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome as underlying causes of their tension, anxiety, and injuries. In every instance, Brene Brown's work was the impetus behind their realizations. This occurred so frequently that I had no choice but to dive in and familiarize myself with her research and work. Moving from her pivotal TEDx Houston talks to her books on shame, vulnerability, courage, empathy, resilience, and finally belonging were influential for my teaching in a rapidly changing collegiate environment. She describes herself as a “shame researcher and a storyteller.” This was the first time I had heard the term storyteller, in a professional setting, and it was through her work that I learned of its power to convey context and meaning.

© 2024 Shawn L. Copeland

I remember a very early workshop I attended as a freshly certified teacher. The person leading made a powerful statement that I, as a typical “TYPE A” student, took to heart and tried to implement in my teaching. They said, “When a student comes in, I want to get them talking first. I want them to tell me about their week, and in doing so, they will also tell me what hurts and their goals for the lesson. During this 29

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time, I am paying attention to their movement. I don’t concern myself with their story or how they are feeling. It has no bearing on what I am going to do. I am only watching their movement and how they are coordinating. I know that their own sense of themselves is faulty, so how they perceive themselves isn’t really valuable, nor will it change what I do with them.”

unique opportunity to witness and validate their experiences as we help them move forward, and in doing so, we validate our humanity.

What does teaching look like when we orient from storytelling, witnessing, and narrative? Are we still teachers in the classical, western meaning of that role? Is there perhaps another role that we can assume? The danger of course, is that we step into the role of a therapist. If not a therapist or teacher, perhaps we are a coach? Coaching is a relatively new field. Traditionally, coaches have been confined to sporting fields, but now there are learning coaches, life coaches, cognitive coaches, and financial coaches; the list is endless.

For much of my early years, I tried to follow this advice as a way of teaching, with varying degrees of success. It was my deep dive into Dr. Brown’s work that began to change my ideas about this approach. I began to see that something was missing from FM’s writings and teaching, something integral to what we are teaching.

FM describes the Self as the union of the psycho and the physical, the mind and the body. Our current understanding of the Self is more informed through the biopsychosocial model. Human Beings are a complex interaction of biology, psychology, and social factors. We are mental, physical, emotional, energetic, spiritual, and relational beings. We are creatures that feel first (physically and emotionally) and then think, despite our best attempts, otherwise. We are also social creatures, partly defined by our relationships and how we exist in them. The story that our students tell is our window into who they are now, who they have been, and who they may become: their past, present, and potential. The relationship we form with them in each lesson is a part of their identity, just as it is a part of our own.

How we show up is vital to allowing the student to be seen and heard. We, as teachers of the Alexander Technique, have a

© 2024 Shawn L. Copeland

In theory, I believe AT teachers are somatic coaches who help those who come to us find deeper connections to their bodies and movements. To follow this through in action, when a student arrives, we can greet them and begin hearing where they are and where they are coming from; we listen to and witness the movement of their story. We accept our role as witness and coach, setting aside our need to know and fix, accepting the story as it is, knowing that this is their perception, however normalized and fallible this may be. It is their reality. We can support and encourage without judgment or inquiry while also noticing ourselves in relationship to the student and the story. We deepen this relationship by expressing connection and empathy through sharing a similar or related experience from our past or present; this is vital to establishing safety for the student. And if we cannot relate, we 30

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simply say, “Tell me more.” We don’t have to know; we only have to witness.

nonjudgmental listening of self through modeling. The student becomes the mover, and we are witness.

When we provide safety, the student’s nervous system will regulate; the parasympathetic nervous system becomes more active. This allows a calm presence and groundedness, providing the neurological pathways for curiosity and wonder to open. The student might now be ready to explore their maps and habits in a nonjudgmental way. Remember, as discussed in the first and second articles, our role is to present choices, not to suggest that we can make things better or that there is something wrong with the student. The student must feel safe enough to place their attention on themselves, and we must listen without judgment and encourage

As the story takes shape, we can see habits as choices within the context of the story itself. We can explore these patterns and the possibilities of moving from them, providing choices, and developing trust for the student. As agency develops, we can then recall the story and introduce ways in which, together, we can shift and reshape the narrative, thus changing the interpretation and perception of events and their manifestations within their choices today. When witnessing becomes an integral part of the process, the Alexander Technique becomes a process of transformation for the true SELF.

*** Shawn L. Copeland is a pioneer in the fields of musician wellness and performance training. His innovative, creative, and transformational approach has set him apart as a multidimensional musician, pedagogue, and entrepreneur. His unique methods have culminated in the founding of mBODYed, LLC, a company that is reshaping the landscape of performance training for musicians, actors, and dancers. He believes in the inclusion of the body in the creative process and advocates for safety in the learning and performance spaces. His pedagogy teaches that the body represents lived experiences and seeks to affirm these experiences while helping individuals grow.

© 2024 Shawn L. Copeland

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Alexander Technique International Artists!

Call for Submissions The ExChange would love to publish the work of Artists as scholarly and practice driven evidence of AT at work. Are you a photographer? Media artists? Do you have digital images of your paintings, sculptures, chalk drawings, etchings, or explorations wherein the process of creation is rooted in your practice of the Alexander Technique? The ExChange is here for you!

We are taking rolling submissions of artwork for publication as our cover art as well as significant contributions for inclusion in the ExChange journal.

Submission Requirements: • Artwork must be original (you are the maker) • Please submit all artwork in Jpeg or pdf format.

• Include a clarifying statement about your work (less than 500 words) in a word document • Include a biography of yourself (about 100 words) in a word document • Attach all items to one email with your name in the subject line and address that email to: exchange@ alexandertechniqueinternational.org

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ExChange: Call for Submissions ExChange, the journal of Alexander Technique International, is calling for submissions of scholarly articles, book reviews, and creative essays.

The past nearly three years of experiences with a global pandemic have given us pause to consider our work: to reflect, reimagine, revel, and make revelations about ourselves as AT practitioners, teachers, and ambassadors. What are you learning about yourself? What are you learning about or from your work? What challenges, grounding, or buoyancy has AT provided as you move through our current world?

Have an idea that you want to send to Julie? Fill out this brief ATI ExChange Idea Form to get started.

For publication in the Summer issue please submit by February 15. For publication in the Winter issue please submit by September 15. We are accepting rolling submissions.

Submission Requirements: • Please organize your work in a Microsoft Word document and PDF • Title your submission with your last name and an abbreviated title (include full title in the document itself) • Photos included need to be in jpeg format • Send your work as attachments to the email: exchange@alexandertechniqueinternational.org Tips for Submission • Submissions should be less than 6,000 words (concessions can be made on a case-by-case basis) • Some submissions may roll over to a later issue if they need more time for processing • Submitting early is always welcome!

• Direct questions to Julie Mulvihill, Editor of the ExChange: exchange@ alexandertechniqueinternational.org

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