Archive for August, 2023
Hello Fall
As I start to prepare for fall classes, I realize how long it has been since I posted here. Why is that? Overflowing lists of possibilities spill out of me. But honestly, it’s time. I have realized lately how much I crave time for reflection. And only after those reflections do I feel able to write something. My latest interest has been in the ACT Matrix and its relationship to the Alexander Technique (AT). ACT stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Yes-I know AT is not therapy. But there is a tool they use in ACT called the Matrix which makes an important distinction between values and goals. It has influenced my AT work profoundly. How many times does someone come to the AT with goals? ALL THE TIME! But how often have these students considered the relationship between these goals and their core values? Not often enough. I have been leading some students through the matrix to help them sort out what their core values really are. And then they revisit their goals to see if these have changed at all during this process. It’s been absolutely fascinating. One student let go of her obsessive need to practice her instrument when she realized a core value of spending time with family and friends. In her case, the goal and value were competing with one another. The practicing subsided—guilt free. Let me repeat that– guilt free! When I recently did a matrix for myself, I stumbled on this importance of time to reflect. No matter what goals I want to reach, if I don’t get there with time to reflect along the way, I will not be satisfied with the outcome. What are your core values? Have you considered them, in relation to a specific goal you have wanted to achieve? Perhaps as we approach a new academic year, we can all put things in perspective by spending time to consider our most important values.
Debi Adams, Alexander Technique 