I Don't Want to be Told How to Sit...
Claire Coveney
In a recent conversation with someone I had just met the inevitable question, "What do you do?" came up.
I have a few answers to this question and I will usually choose my response based on what I think will resonate with that particular person. Of course this will usually involve a bit of guess work if I have just met them, or you could even say a judgement of character. Do I think they are more interested in hearing words like "posture" or "wellbeing" or how The Technique can help with their running or singing or how it can improve their confidence and lessen their anxiety. The Technique is so unique in helping with all of these things.
In this instance the person very refreshingly came straight out with "I don't want to be told how to sit." I smiled as this was so unusual to hear someone just saying what they thought with no concern about how I would react. And it wasn't said at all in a malicious way it was simply a statement.
For me this was fantastic as I now had new information. A person who had an idea about what The Technique was already and an idea about how it wasn't for them.
Of course I work with people sitting as that is often what people would like help with however I don't believe that there is a right way to sit. Sitting isn't a static place it's a balance of continual micro movements that happen as we breathe as our hearts beat as our bodies rebalance to find coordination. The dance of sitting.
So instead I shared with him that I would happily work with him as he danced. We were at a dance workshop after all.