Being embodied is when we are “one with the task” and organized in good form moment to moment.  We are physically poised, free of excessive tension and resourceful.  The totality of ourselves functions in a symphonic way, that is, we are unified mind-body-breath.  We experience balance and coordination, as well as having stamina to address obstacles.

In our daily lives we may not be aware of habituated tension that interferes with our ability to be “one with the task.” In this constricted state we often perceive a more narrow range of choice relative to our form and functioning. When we unconsciously get in our own way by succumbing to poor physical habits, we may often wonder why challenge does not bring out the best in us.

The Alexander Technique is a well proven method of intercepting and redirecting habituated response.  This mind-body practice awakens awareness and sensory appreciation of our movement and its relationship to space.  Enlivening our attention as to how we engage with stimulus can then allow us to organize our response with more refinement  Presence and poise give us deeper access to ourselves and creativity.  Often it is in pursuing the less familiar that we recognize seeds of progress. As we come to embody ourselves more fully we recognize that the answers are within us.

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The Gift of Interrelated Movement:  My discovery under Teva’s stimulating care was that the obvious remains startlingly true: body, mind and spirit are one. Without getting into religion, it is exciting to understand that the interconnection amongst all three offers a healthy interchange of energy.  Most of us take our bodies for granted, not knowing how they are organized, unless something goes wrong.  In my case the debilitating and enforced leisure of hospital care caused havoc with my ability to coordinate locomotion and utilize balance.  It became clear that conscious movement must be a part of everyday life.  

Martha Graham used this phrase when teaching dance: “the memory of the blood”.  Teva’s lessons gave me renewed respect for how my body and thought can work together to produce the harmony that makes mobility possible.   It’s a process that never ends, but makes each day a discovery for which I am profoundly grateful.  I shall intend to keep it up!

-Hugh Hardy, architect

Here is what John has to say about his experience of a series of six lessons:

I reached out to Teva seeking relief from a herniated disc that – despite two years of experimenting with everything from physical therapy, to spinal injections, to acupuncture, to chiropractors  – was still a persistent source of irritation. I still have trouble explaining to friends what exactly the Alexander Technique is, but I have no trouble explaining that it works. Beyond just the physical relief I feel, my work with Teva has awakened an understanding of physical habits that have gone unnoticed for years. The quality of everyday things ranging from posture, to gait, to quality of sleep and vocal sound have all improved since working with her. Teva’s ability to attune herself to the subtleties of the body, and elucidate the connections between the mental and the physical, make her someone I would recommend to anyone looking to improve their relationship to their own body.