Audience of One #012 - Michael Ashcroft on Cultivating Awareness, Unlearning, & Direct Experience
Mar 29, 2023
Michael Ashcroft, a former climate and energy consultant turned Alexander Technique teacher, dives into the transformative power of awareness. He explains the essence of the Alexander Technique and its practical applications in daily life. Michael discusses the barriers to cultivating awareness and the concept of 'effortless effort.' He emphasizes the balance between awareness and flow, while also exploring how modern conditioning affects our natural capacities. Through engaging metaphors and insights, he inspires listeners to embrace embodied practices and unlearn limiting habits.
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From Energy Consultant To Awareness Teacher
- Michael Ashcroft discovered Alexander Technique after chronic knee pain and found it more about awareness than posture.
- He trained part-time while working in energy innovation and launched his online teaching during COVID-19.
Technique Is Awareness, Not Posture
- Alexander Technique is an awareness-based movement practice rather than a posture-only method.
- It focuses on noticing habitual patterns and choosing not-to-do them in activity.
Teach Spacious Awareness With Transfer
- Guide people into a spacious awareness that includes up-and-behind perception to counter forward-down fixation.
- Use prior experiences as ‘‘finger pointing’’ and ask learners to apply that felt state in new contexts.
