Amy Ward Brimmer, MA, CTAT, RSME
“Move, and the way will open.” – Zen proverb
“Act in faith that Way will open.” — Quaker saying
“Every experience I've had in my life is a resource in my body.” -- Anna Halprin
Alexander Technique
Somatic Release Bodywork
Qigong
Meditation Instruction
Mindfulness Coaching
Compassionate Listening
Loving-Kindness Practice
to see the full schedule of events, go here
In Person
In this monthly outdoor clinic we will unify body and mind, and use our senses to walk with appreciation and wonder. Helpful tips about balance, posture, energy, and flow in walking well. Then we walk!
August - Bristol Wharf
September - Tyler State Park
The Alexander Technique isn’t a set of exercises, but it’s crucial to practice every day. So, what exactly are you supposed to be practicing? And unless you’re a monastic or have the luxury of going on a long retreat, you’re not spending the majority of your time in meditation. So what can you do when you’re not meditating that will support and strengthen present moment awareness?
Start by seeing everything you experience as a place of practice.
We may have delusions about our ability to prevail against dark forces seeking to undermine all our good, hard work but the reality is that we can only use the skills and wisdom we possess. If we don’t have a reliable foundation to draw on during difficult times, we will be thrown on our behinds. You can only use the tools you’ve got at hand, only use them in the ways you have developed.
From the moment you arise in the morning until you rest your head on the pillow at night, you probably do quite a lot. We do so much that we have to consciously choose "down time” to give ourselves rest.
But what about the time in between those daily tasks? The transitions from Point A to Point B go by unnoticed, because we are busy getting to whatever is next.
Are you the owner of your body?
This is a fundamental question that reveals perspectives on the body and how yourelate to it. And depending on how you relate to your body, you will inevitably move according to the nature of that relationship. Along with your mind, this is your most intimate relationship. Yet attitudes about the physical self go largely unnoticed.
A 3-minute video about the 3 most common reasons people come for Alexander Technique lessons.
A recent interview with MysticMag - a fascinating webiste for all things holistic.
Ever wonder what “Way Opens” means? Hint: it points to “trusting in the natural unfolding of life.”
I learned a long time ago that I don't have to be afraid of fear. It's an energy, and a rather unpleasant one -- unless you're choosing a scary book or film as entertainment. It can be mild and continuous or sudden and strong, but as emotions go, it's one of the easiest to recognize. And one of the hardest to bear.
Abundance. Acceptance. Gratitude. We often talk about these qualities as something to cultivate, but the truth is, they are natural states of being. We don’t have to work hard to access them. It’s more like we need to remember them.
Weeding is just like living mindfully. The metaphor of gardening as cultivation of mindfulness is a classic and I didn’t suddenly invent it last week, but I deeply appreciate learning this dharma lesson through direct experience. There are many parallels. Here are some that I’m discovering.
I recently put on my Beginner’s Mind hat and asked myself, “What are the fundamentals of my work? What can I say truthfully with confidence, born of direct experience?”
Getting back to basics feels good, and I surprised myself with the number of fundamentals I came up with. What wasn’t a surprise was the fact that they don’t just apply to the work I do. They are all basic truths about what it is to live as a human being.