I would also add that not touching the piano was not a pre-mediated choice but rather that I enjoyed playing less as I became aware of how much tension I brought to the piano. To the extent that I just stopped wanting to play. At one stage I thought that I might even give it up for good. I’m happy to report that an enjoy playing more than ever now that I’m finally able to play with some freedom.

So make music at home so long as you are enjoying it and not bringing to much unnecessary tension/effort to the activity.

best of luck.

Did you choose to work from home to help with the technique etc or was it for other reasons?

Taking time off from computers for a year could be hard as I’ll end up doing music at home if I take time off work unless I go travelling… that might be the best way to totally detach from all my habits… hmm.

With regards to semi-supine: I suggest that you give up trying to achieve anything in particular when you lie down. Trying to reach a state of stillness is a form of end-gaining that may stop you from getting the most out of lying down. Lie down because it is enjoyable to spend some time not having to do anything, think of anything or respond to anything. Allow (but don’t want) a release, length and width.

John from posturereleaseimagery again. I have enjoyed this entry and have been trying to figure out how to add to it. You are dead right to consider the subject of ‘repetitive mind chatter.’ I also like your reference to being able, sometimes, to think of the head-neck-back relationship as a ‘background.’ I work to do the same with my imagery (which, among other things, includes the head-neck-back relationship).

The thing that I wanted to suggest to you about the mind chatter and habitual apprehension is to try thinking of them as purely ‘phsical.’ My imagery includes thinking about the physical events (eye pulls, one direction or another, nose flaring, brow furrowing, jaw jutting, or whatever)of the head or the ‘director’as very physical. And the habitual apprehension is probably taking place along the periphery or the seam between the dorsal and ventral surfaces (as outlined in my articles). Play with changes there too.

Gotta run, but I just wanted to throw this in.

John

Many thanks for the comments, I shall certainly try that. It’s just plain wierd how these mental images affect the muscles!

I see what you mean about the internal parts, although on a few occassions while practising the technique I’ve had this amazing sensation for a few short minutes where I could feel my entire spine and almost ’see’ it in 3-dimensions - it was so easy to lengthen and control my body in all sorts of movements. This was fantastic, I haven’t experienced that for ages - wish I could make it happen again!

After all we have lots of muscles connecting the vertebrae - surely we can kinsethetically sense its position from the feedback from these muscles…

Of course it might be a completely unreliable sensation - but it really felt right, more than anything else I’ve felt!

I have a couple of thoughts and suggestions for the “block” you currently describe having (I am the writer of the article concerning dorsal and ventral surfaces, etc. that you have linked here). Your variety of inquiry sounds very good. Inquisitive minds solve problems.

Now for my thoughts: The article that you read, that contained the dorsal and ventral image exercise, next had an exercise concerning three functional units of the body, the “director,” “motor,” and “rudder” segments. I suggest that you read that again or one of the other articles on my website and play with freeing the “director” segment from the rest of the the body. Rather than attempt to free the neck, try freeing the “director,” which ends in the middle of the shoulder and splits the arms. You’ll have to read that portion of the article again. You may remember that the “director” segment should be thought to be horizontal and not verical like the “motor” segment. This is the most peculiar thing about the image… imagining that the director segment, which is horizontal, and motor segment, which is vertical, are free from each other and actually at right angles to each other actually brings the head and neck up and combats any tendency towards a Dowager’s hump. Imagining the two lateral halves of the body as separated from each other may also help. With diligence, one of these will do the trick.

I am more a fan of imagery of the sort that I have created than of thinking about internal parts, like vertebrae, that I cannot directly sense but can only infer from other surface sensations and antomical knowledge. Early man did not have internal anatomy knowledge but certainly could have plaid with body surface sensations and imagery.

That’s enough, I’m sure… and probably crazy stuff to someone who has not read the article.

John Appleton
posturereleaseimagery.org