7 Questions
Hey…
The last time I taught the “How To Teach Great Lessons Online” course was this past Winter. It was a great group of people and I’m happy to say, it went really well.
Afterwards, I sent them a detailed questionnaire to get a better sense of what they had all gotten out of the course.
Below are 7 of the questions I asked & a bunch of their answers. Use the left & right arrows to access more of their responses.
1. What changes have you noticed in
yourself as a result of the course?
New Focus on Ease… Read More
The new focus on facilitating ease on the spot, whatever I do wherever I am is always so delightful and so empowering. I am more myself in certain situations and after 20 years of AT and I worked all these years quite regular, I now have a mental working tool to speak ‘when I am ready to speak’ Can’t believe what took me so long . Hahaha Thank you for that especially.
Staying w/ myself… Read More
There are so many! One is my trust in myself. My observation has improved greatly. Noticing what happens in me as I see another person or as I see a movement has helped me to be more responsive to my students. Staying with myself is improving. I would also say being with stressful situations in a new way gave me a new tools to be with uncomfortable feelings and to trust the place I am meeting in myself. I’ve also noticed an overall softness and clearer expression of myself.
Life-Long Learning Tool Read More
Gosh, where do I start?! It has changed and opened up my thinking in all sorts of ways. The reason I have always loved and been passionate about AT is because it is a life-long learning tool, and I’m always amazed and delighted by how my thinking can be challenged, changed and opened out – I just didn’t expect this from online work.
Recognize Habit More Read More
I recognize habit more and am able to affect a change in my thinking. It has been very pleasant.
Greater Ability To Recognize End-Gaining Read More
Changes in thinking that affect use. Changes in use that affect sensitivity; Greater capacity to recognize and accept unusual sensory experience. A decrease but not a cessation, of the desire to “fix things that are wrong” Greater ability to recognize end-gaining. Greater confidence in my agency as a teacher.
Allowing Rather Than ‘Doing’ Read More
There have been so many changes! More sensitivity to what’s happening in myself, mentally and physically – ‘allowing’ rather than ‘doing’ in my thinking which has led to loads of emotional and physical changes. Accessing a deeper consciousness.
I’m Picking Up More Subtle Things… Read More
I’ve noticed that I am picking up more subtle things that my students are doing to themselves than I could at the beginning of the course. I’ve also noticed that I am not getting stuck in feeling as much as I was at the beginning of the course. My constructive thinking seems to be much clearer with less internal dialogue going along with it.
Sciatic Pain Has All But Disappeared… Read More
More awareness, increased sensitivity, my sciatic pain has all but disappeared
More Confident To Offer Online Sessions… Read More
After my Etude practice I always feel softer and less held just as I do after a lesson with a good AT teacher. Also, I feel so much more confident to offer online sessions
Easier To Access Ease… Read More
I generally feel calmer, less reactive, and more objectively observant of myself and others.
I find it much ‘easier’ to access ease through Primal Alexander than through traditional ordering/directing.
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2. How has Primal Alexander™ affected
the way you work on yourself?
A Far More Subtle Way… Read More
PrimalAlexander™ has changed how I work on myself in that I had – ironically – got into endgaining habits with my own Inhibition and Direction. I think I had got into a habit of trying to ‘ram’ the primary directions rather than engage with the nervous system in a far more subtle, indirect (sometimes infuriatingly elusive – good old endgaining!) and effective way.
A Clearer Way of Observing… Read More
I feel like I have found a new way in to “staying with myself” and my awareness both as a teacher, an actor and mover. It has given me a much clearer way of observing myself.
Listen… Read More
It gives me a good structured way of working on myself and to listen to the respond of my nervous system.
A Relaxed Attentive State Read More
I love most the fact that I do not have to follow a body map! PrimalAlexander™ puts me in a relaxed, attentive state where I am looking forward to receiving feedback from all sorts of places rather than commanding my neck to be free for my head to… I observed some time ago that I was “helping” my neck to be free but I didn´t know what to do about that.
Kindness Read More
It’s been very helpful because I can feel the kindness in the Etudes and I can feel the self care when I do them. It’s allowed me to be more patient with myself and not hard on myself in general.
So Much Benefit Read More
I find it easier to practice the Etudes than I did more general AT work especially semi-supine because I am so clear about what I need to do and because I get so much benefit from them
Simpler Read More
It has made it simpler. PA is the scaffolding (your good word) from which I can easily direct my attention back to what just happened. It is consistent and simple to do.
Questions Over Directions Read More
Questioning and experimenting, exploring has replaced ordering and traditional AT directing. I love the etudes – offering surprises every time.
Practice Read More
I treat it more as I would practicing an instrument. Incremental progress each day, specific things to work on.
Light-Hearted Read More
I love love love that in Primal Alexander
“Direction” is actually a question! My work with myself is more light-hearted, kind and open-ended.
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3. What Changes Have Your Students Noticed?
TheCyCle™ Read More
They’re all doing the CyCle every day – they’re noticing their breathing changing, their backs widening and ‘tingling’ through their necks and spines. One student who’d had a stroke reported that she found when reaching into a high cupboard she was doing Taj Mahal. Another that Big Ben had improved her balance. Another student said she had begun to see the flowers and trees when she took the dog for a walk.
Singing Read More
A student new to the AT – when doing WEDISABE: lengthening and a new uprightness – puts more awareness on daily activities with use of arms – easier walking the dog – a singing teacher: using learned techniques like WEDISABE on own students with remarkable success student familiar with AT work – found lots of unknown places with unnecessary tension – puts more awareness on daily activities with use of arms – calmer and more relaxed
Improved Walking Read More
The aim of the two with no A.T. experience was to improve there walking. Using your methods has made them more sensitive to their habitual habits when walking. It has given them the ability to realise that rather than trying to change to another way of walking, if they don’t concentrate on the discomfort but look for ease instead, it affects the “whole” and improves their gait and in their words “makes them more relaxed” when walking with less pain.
Notice More Things About Themselves Read More
Find themselves using it during the day and during moments of anxiety. Beginning to notice things about themselves they never did before. A sense of calmness.
Lighter Read More
The ones who have been practicing say they are feeling lighter and easier in their activities. Their frame of mind feels better. They are using less effort. They have more energy. They have clearer boundaries in their life. A connection to their body in a new way. Feeling like they have choices.
Clarity of Tought Read More
Increased sensitivity. Ability to help themselves. A more complete sense of themselves reduced tension. Wider attention. Clarity of thought when under pressure.
Tools To Experiment Read More
That they can observe themselves and be more kind to themselves. They have tools to experiment and grow that are all their own. Many have said how good they feel and as though they are awash with ease.
Thinking About Ease Read More
They have reported finding a huge difference between thinking about tension vs. ease, and they find this concept easy to incorporate into their lives.
More Stamina Read More
Less neurological disruption in people who have those disorders, greater calm, more creativity, less pain or no pain from repetitive stress injuries, more physical stamina to play, sing, and practice
Inspiring Read More
More focus , happier , more freedom , clearer thinking , pain lifting , inspiring
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4. In what way has Primal Alexander added to
your understanding of Alexander’s discoveries?
The Freedom of Choice That Emerges Read More
The essential business of non interference. The freedom of choice that emerges from directing attention as opposed to “doing” directions. The Glimpses of experience of the resistance caused by habit dropping away to release movement… The renewal of each zero/moment being a new event rather than a sustained “something“
Clear Tools Read More
To have clear clear tools to work with oneself in true experimental ways, which are fascinating and ever so interesting.
A Step in The Right Direction Read More
In a way, Primal Alexander has really saved me as an AT teacher. Primal Alexander brought me so much closer to FM’s process.He connected visual perceptions with kinesthetic ones over many years. He did not receive a series of hands on lessons and then try and recreate what someone else helped him feel. All that to say I think Primal Alexander is a step in the right direction.
Just This One Question Read More
I learned more about the thinking process, the constructive thinking in a deeper way. It is so stripped down by asking just this one question. It makes it in a way easier to look more closely to what’s happening in oneself.
Experimenting Read More
It really brings home the idea of experimenting. It makes inhibition something we can practice “in movement” in a very practical and fun way. And the emphasis on questions keeps the awareness spinning rather than settling.
A More ‘humanly’ Way… Read More
In theory nothing – in reality everything! Although I knew intellectually that AT is not about posture, I still thought and worked with mostly postural directives, support reflexes, bones, muscles, fascia, tendons, a human sized skeleton in my room… During the course I was able to change my thinking to a more humanly way rather than jumping to conclusions on how to fix him/her or feeling helpless when no immediate “cure” comes up in my head!
More Connected Read More
Primal Alexander is closer to the experimental approach that FM used, so I somehow feel more connected to FM himself when I work this way. 1 response
I now have a much more accessible way of working with myself, and helping my students to work with themselves.
The Powerful Simplicity of It… Read More
It has brought back the sense of adventure and curiosity, the questioning – allowing the nervous system to do what it has to do – it’s always to do with the whole ‘self’. This open-ended question. The powerful simplicity of it.
The Missing Piece Read More
The missing piece for me was the capability to generate ease simply and reliably with a thought.
Primary Control Read More
I’m finding out just how primary Primary Control REALLY is.
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5. What Has Surprised You The
Most About The Course
Expansion Read More
How this regular, systematic training of my conscious thinking isn’t limiting – instead it provides a framework from where expansion of conscious thinking is enabled.
Hidden Treasure Read More
The sheer magnitude of transformation the course had on me and the hidden treasures of your simple movement exercises!!!
Different Hands Read More
I’ve noticed just this week that my hands feel completely different. I sometimes idly practise TheCycle part 2 when I’m sitting watching telly and I think this has had a profound effect without me realising!
Sharpened Perceptions Read More
I did not expect my visual perceptions to sharpen as they did. I didn’t really try that hard for my perceptions to shift, they just did because we were focusing on that in the class.
More Powerful & Empowering Read More
How truly effective this approach is – and yet it’s so simple. I think it is in many ways more powerful and empowering than ‘classical’ teaching.
Truly Communicate Read More
That the coaching Club is so much more than learning to teach online; that you can truly communicate with and sense another’s presence online.
No Mapping Read More
That I did not have to address body mapping in myself or others to discover more space and ease.
Classical + Read More
That it has a lot of positive effects on my normal classical teaching
Improved Read More
How much I improved as a teacher over the course of three months.
YAY! Read More
Same classic principles – just ‘working’ or receiving from a different place inside!
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6. What, if anything, do you think Primal Alexander adds to the
lexicon of Alexander Technique teaching in general?
Responsibility Read More
I´d say it IS THE WAY to teach AT. It puts the responsibility directly where it belongs: on the student.
How To Look After Yourself Read More
I think it’s a fantastic tool for teaching people how to look after themselves without relying on a teacher’s hands ‘fixing them’, as mentioned above. As the crux of AT is self/Self discovery, PA really enables people to THINK for themselves.
The Etudes Read More
For me Primal Alexander has set AT Apart from other bodywork mindful practices like yoga precisely because of the founding of these ‘etudes’
Exploring Alexander’s Principles Read More
The notion that students can begin immediately to explore Alexander’s Principles and derive benefit from them that is clear, simple and within their capability.
Simpler Read More
I think it’s a simpler and more experimental approach and gives the student more independence from the teacher without sacrificing the essence of the work.
Playful Read More
It takes it out of the realm of right and wrong. It’s more fun to teach, freer, lighter, playful, curious, wonder.
The Use of The Self Read More
Primal Alexander gives a clear and specific way of experiencing and practicing the process that FM Alexander describes in The Use of the Self, namely, how to pause in the face of a stimulus, direct myself, and move with constructive thinking.
The Origins of A.T. Read More
It takes you back to the origins of AT – and brings you into a deeper consciousness.
Legitimate Read More
It offers a completely legitimate and in depth way to explore the work.
Ingenious Read More
An ingenious take on the Technique.
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7. If you were writing an “Amazon style” review of the
course, how many stars (out of 5) would you
give it and what might you say about it?
Toolkit Read More
5 Stars… A fantastic course – teaching the Primal Alexander approach to the Alexander Technique and offering a toolkit of skills. Inspiring and challenging – this course meets all expectations.
Fundamental Read More
5 stars…I would highly recommend this course to any teacher wishing to improve and enrich their Use/teaching using the fundamental principles that FM used when evolving the Alexander Technique.
Trusted The Process Read More
5 Stars…Mio was very dedicated in teaching this work and that kept me going. I trusted the process because he was credible in the way he presented the material and responded to the questions of us students. I really appreciated his presence and how he guided us in the process.
User Friendly Read More
5 Stars…This course has a very well packed array of tools for teaching and a user friendly collection of practical applications. … experiential for both teacher and student. Being experimental it is a win win environment in which to study and learn.
Useful Read More
5 Stars…One of the most useful courses I have done in the last many years and I am doing quite regular training ..
Upside Down Read More
5 stars…Your mind will go upside down as it is a very different Alexander Technique approach but totally worth it! I was wondering how to teach the Alexander Technique in a more simple way and I found the way! Simple and very effective method. Highly recommended!
Unbelievable Read More
5 stars…This approach must be experienced to be believed.
Online & Off Read More
5 Stars…It is remarkable how much Mio’s etudes and questions demystify the process of Alexander’s awareness and inhibition in movement and activity. It is an incredible course if you are teaching online but also will add so much to your understanding that your, skills live and hands-on, will multiply.
A New Consciousness Read More
5 Stars…Excellent class. Renewed my awareness of my AT learning of the past. Gave me “fresh” eyes for noticing myself. I find myself moving through my day with a new consciousness.
Wake Up Read More
5 stars…Wake up your inner curiosity to effect change ! ( I think I might like to keep this one for myself, Mio!)
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If these testimonials piqued your interest, you can get more information on
“How To Teach Great Lessons Online” by clicking below.
Cheers,
Mio