My story: The story of my lower, middle and upper back pain. Part 1.
I started visiting my excellent teacher Briar Maxwell once a week for lessons. With hindsight I now realise that if I had visited her 3 times a week to begin with I would have made speedier progress, but once a week it was.
In my first lesson I remember the most extraordinary expansion and release in my back. It happened whilst I was on the table and it felt as if the central section of my back moved and spread out to the sides of the table, which undoubtedly it did. A sensation never felt before accompanied by a deep sense of relaxation and a pain-free back. I also remember Briar asking me to look out of the window and listen to the sounds - of builders and birds, cars and buses. I thought this was a strange thing to be asked to do, but slowly I came to realise its importance as part of an active non-doing process, getting me away from my end-gaining habits and allowing my system to operate freely.
Incidentally and importantly I discovered some time later that my first lesson with Briar was also the first lesson she had ever given after graduating as a teacher. The amazing effect it had on me was a result of her excellent training by Jean Clarke, I believe, among others, and the powerful fundamental qualities of the Alexander Technique.
At some time in my early lessons she lent me a book by FM Alexander, his third to be published and the most approachable, called The Use of the Self. I was captivated by his account of the experiment he performed on himself over many years. Here at last was a pure scientific experiment, with no known or pre-conceived outcome, being described and the subject was his whole being, his whole self. The absurdity of my metaphysical grounding struck me, and I was hooked…
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