Say yes to health by using your hands to Dance.
(an Integrative Alexander Technique Public Service Announcement related to Corona Virus Needs)
Many of us have seen the videos of public officials telling us not to touch our faces, followed by them immediately touching their faces.
Of course they are immediately touching their faces! Those of you who have studied with me will probably remember me saying “Don’t think of a pink elephant.” And realizing that once I say “don’t think of a pink elephant”, you were thinking of a pink elephant.
We need to be talking to ourselves about what we want rather than what we don’t want.
We need a yes message.
The first day when I found myself about to touch my face and said “No”, I found my whole system tightening. It was quite unpleasant. And, as soon as I recognized it, I knew why. Daniel Siegel’s work in interpersonal neurobiology highlights that the use of the word “no” evokes a reactive state of being, whereas the use of the word “yes” evokes a responsive, receptive state of being. (Siegel, DJ .2017. Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human among many.)
A yes message will be more pleasant, so easier to carry out; and more effective because we aren’t evoking the pink elephant.
Say yes to health by using your hands to Dance. (or whatever other motion you’d like to do. Say yes.
(also saying yes to washing them a lot!)
(an Integrative Alexander Technique Public Service Announcement related to Corona Virus Needs)
Many of us have seen the videos of public officials telling us not to touch our faces, followed by them immediately touching their faces.
Of course they are immediately touching their faces! Those of you who have studied with me will probably remember me saying “Don’t think of a pink elephant.” And realizing that once I say “don’t think of a pink elephant”, you were thinking of a pink elephant.
We need to be talking to ourselves about what we want rather than what we don’t want.
We need a yes message.
The first day when I found myself about to touch my face and said “No”, I found my whole system tightening. It was quite unpleasant. And, as soon as I recognized it, I knew why. Daniel Siegel’s work in interpersonal neurobiology highlights that the use of the word “no” evokes a reactive state of being, whereas the use of the word “yes” evokes a responsive, receptive state of being. (Siegel, DJ .2017. Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human among many.)
A yes message will be more pleasant, so easier to carry out; and more effective because we aren’t evoking the pink elephant.
Say yes to health by using your hands to Dance. (or whatever other motion you’d like to do. Say yes.
(also saying yes to washing them a lot!)
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