Every change shifts the entire Self
As I often tell my students, a change anywhere in the self changes the entire elastic Self. There is no isolation in structural change, as the entire self is continuously and elastically connected. This notion is evidenced by the foot pain I have experienced in the last month.
More clarity was revealed when I saw my Osteopathic doctor this week. Dr. Bensky determined that the forcible (and necessary) immobilization of my leg during hardware removal surgery had diminished the elastic response of that leg, so that the foot had few choices but to become painfully inflamed. The forcible fixing of my leg also instigated back spasms, as my entire self had to accommodate unnatural stabilization.
From an Alexander point of view, this makes great sense, as F.M. Alexander saw the entire self as integrated, and all responses interwoven and inseparable.
After Dr. Bensky’s work on me, my back became temporarily far more painful, then much better. I had the opportunity to visit with Walker the horse, a very handsome and sweet-natured animal. He was patient with my painful condition, and also a bit alarmed by my sudden needs to accommodate pain. Horses don’t miss any detail in human coordination!
My foot has improved significantly. I can walk now with only minor pain, and have hopes that even this discomfort will quiet with good use and expert intervention.
Hope returns for continued recovery to full and pain free mobility. It has been a very long journey, and possible in progress with assistance from skilled and like-minded professionals of several disciplines. The big lesson continues: attend to the entire self so that specific results occur from improvement of the whole condition of self, and the manner of use supporting the improvement of whole self condition.