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Power, Presence, Confidence and Vulnerability — 9 Comments

  1. Nice article Imogen – I also had some very interesting changes in my habitual “psychological” outlook when I began studying the Alexander Technique. I think you workshop sounds wonderfully interesting. The interconnection between how our thinking impacts how our body moves and the ways in which our thinking is changed by how we move and hold our bodies. I look forward to future posts and hope you will share some of your insights from the workshop.

    One thing I think to myself often: Who might I be without my tension patterns.

    • Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments, Laura. I certainly intend to write more on this, and any insights that arise from the workshop.

      “Who might I be without my tension patterns?” – what a great question to ask ourselves often!

      Thank you!

  2. Hi Imogen, This is an extremely interesting article. Thank you. It’s got me thinking about the way I’ve held myself for many years (more like the low power poses) and the ways in which that is changing since doing inner work. I find it interesting that I often use the words “opening up” when I refer to the growth process that is happening within me. And these same words come to me when I view the high power poses you’ve posted. I am wondering something. Could it be that by practicing these opening, high-power poses, one can enhance the total opening growth process of self? (when I say self, I mean soul-self, higher-self, authentic-self, true-self… there are many words people use to express it.)

    • Hi Kathy, I’m glad you found the article interesting. I’ve been fascinated by this research. I think a lot of our language does express both what’s going on inside and out (actually I don’t think you can change one without the other). For instance “depressed” expresses both the inner state and the outward expression.
      Re your question about the high-power poses, while I can’t speak from experience, my guess is that yes they would enhance the opening up process. I also speculate that the Alexander work, which offers a much more subtle way of opening up, could only enhance this process further still.

  3. Absolutely Kathy –

    My AT Mentor, Mio Morales, says ease anywhere is ease everywhere. So definitely opening you body, noticing your Use, allows more room for your soul-self, higher-self, authentic-self, true-self to breathe and function at its best capacity.

    Enjoy your journey!

  4. Hi Imogen,
    Lovely article and the concepts are beautifully expressed. For me a large part of the Alexander work has been about opening up my posture and finding my Self, allowing it to shine out without fear. A high power posture is not about power over others, it is just for self-empowerment. Maybe now I’m finally addressing the question, Who might I be without my tension patterns?

    • Thank you so much, Sarah. I totally agree about Alexander helping to let our true selves “shine out without fear” – the fear is such a hard one, but that opening up sure helps with that! And, yes, self-empowerment is absolutely what we’re after!
      That question, “Who might I be without my tension patterns” posed by Laura is great, isn’t it. I am now reminded how “unlike” myself I felt during my Alexander training, when in fact I was getting more in touch with my true self. It is an ongoing process, as you well know!

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