MANHATTAN CENTER FOR THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE

Post Graduate Training Program

An Intensive Weeklong Course Taught by Caren Bayer

( Dates, cost and place to be determined as participants express their interest)

This course, offers teachers from all over the world the opportunity to come together to deepen their knowledge of the Alexander Technique through the application of Tai Chi principles.

Caren will be sharing new methods derived from three decades of teaching teachers and students the Alexander Technique, and her practice of Tai Chi.

This is a two-part intensive, which will qualify teachers for a Post-Graduate Certificate.

The course will meet over five days for six hours a day: 9:30 to 12:30 PM, resuming after lunch from 2:30 to 5:30 PM. Each participant will also receive two private half-hour lessons with Caren, to be scheduled in addition to the class times.

“Though my work is primarily classic Alexander Technique, Tai Chi has offered insight into how my teacher, Patrick MacDonald, conveyed his vision. MacDonald, a boxing enthusiast, and my Tai Chi teacher Master Yu shared the principle of quiet on the outside, and dynamic strength on the inside.”

COURSE OUTLINE

F.M. Alexander was interested in bringing our natural coordination back into play through the Pri- mary Control. In the Taoist tradition, the Microcosmic Orbit, a system of chi pathways, comple- ments his findings.

In Tai Chi, primal energy leads and the body follows, in the same way Alexander’s principles of direction coordinate movement. Structurally these approaches are consistent; both emphasize the building of a strong and reliable back, while recalibrating and re-syncing movement.

TEACHERS WILL LEARN:

The Empty Push:

The Tai Chi practice of “push hands” has similar mechanics to the Alexander Technique. The dance between teacher and student, invites oppositional forces to be at play, while building stability and

freedom.

The Empty Pull:

Akin to “roll back” in Tai Chi, this is a precise way of gathering balance and efficiency so that, in both teacher and student, the head releases forward and up and the back moves in an ordered sequence.

The Empty Press:

From “press down” in Tai Chi, this movement facilitates direction to spring from the ground up. This rebounding invites volume and circularity to be at play.

The Empty Squeeze:

“Crane’s Beak” in Tai Chi is a gathering of chi at the fingertips, which frees the wrist, elbow and shoulder to be wing-like. It is similar to “hands on the back of the chair” where width, length, and depth are emphasized. This releases vital life force so we can better use our centers to become more grounded and allow the energy to flow upward.

Arcs and spirals:

The Tai Chi form and the Alexander Technique both move with circularity. There is an arc in the wrist that calibrates the entire primary control. By moving in arcs around the axis, our intention unwinds chi in all directions, recalibrating and re-shaping flow. This minimal effort and maximum mental focus, decreases tensions and cultivates presence. Applied in this way, “hands-on” points us to our own alignment, restoring our relationship to our backs while connecting to the earth, so that we may transfer this coordination to our students.

Emptying as tuning:

In the Alexander Technique this idea is exemplified in “non-doing” and “neck-free.” As in Tai Chi, without rushing, judging, or anticipating, this stillness allows us to access our physical and mental potential.

For more information and to reserve a place, please email Caren@CarenBayer.com or CarenBayer@gmail.com

Tel: 212-620-0925.

Website: carenbayer.com