Find your Boundaries

Boundaries are a major issue for many Alexander teachers. Many teachers hold themselves small with their pupils and in the world. We get pulled in caring for pupils, and lose ourselves; some pupils are highly invasive, and can leave us drained; some dump their stuff on us. Then we carry them, worrying about them in the name of caring; or worrying about whether we are good enough, or they like us…. All these are patterns we have probably played out for years with families, partners, friends, work or social situations.

We will look at how to take up our full size and grounding again (we cannot fully lengthen and widen without this!) How to separate people’s baggage they chuck at us from what they are trying to tell us. How to let go of carrying them or their problems with us, and find our self-esteem. How to keep our space when standing beside someone working on them, and how to teach them to let go of you!

All this gives space for the real technique to work, and real, deep change to happen. It brings us into empathy rather than sympathy, and out of co-dependent games. We can then fully look after ourselves while working, and yet be fully present for our pupils.