Alexander Technique, Yoga and Other Somatic Practices
Last month I was fortunate to be part of a panel on integrating yoga with other somatic practices. The panel was part of YogaCity NYC’s Deeper Learning Series. On the panel with me were Amy Matthews, as a representative of Body-Mind Centering, and Joe Miller, representing the Feldenkrais Method. It was a lively and interesting discussion with some great questions from the audience. Even though Alexander Technique, Body-Mind Centering and Feldenkrais have different approaches to movement, it was exciting to realize how similar we all were. We each saw this other body of knowledge and practice that we were trained in as being seamlessly integrated with our understanding of yoga.
It seems to me that the culture of yoga in America has been taken over by the physical culture movement in a shallow, and often harmful, blended of pop psychology and spirituality. It was encouraging to feel part of a larger movement of teachers and practitioners who are interested in a subtler, and ultimately more powerful, approach to self-exploration through movement.
A transcript of the discussion has been made available by YogaCity NYC. Joe and Amy have some fascinating things to say. I hop you’ll check it out. It’s a great read. (And if you would rather read Michael Laskaris’ somewhat shorter report on the event, you can find it here.)
