“The things that don’t exist are the most difficult to get rid of.”
F. M. Alexander

***

Not much exists as we think it does.

Not our mother, or lover or even the city we live in.

Mostly these are fabrications we make up in our minds, then project on to the person, place or situation around us. And our problems don’t arise from the person, place or situation as we believe they do - our problems arise from our fabrications.

I still projected so much longing onto Diane, my french fiancé who dumped me.

After the end of my engagement with Diane, I worked two jobs in Sydney to save the money and return to school, eventually getting back there in the winter of '79.

Back at school, I used to hide in the kitchen. 

“You can’t tell a person what to do because the thing you have to do is a sensation.”

F. Mattias Alexander

***

Alexander didn’t start by using his hands to communicate his discovery.

Initially, he tried to explain. Apparently - according to a scholarly bit of research by Ed Maisel - those early days had FM shouting at his students when they failed to follow his verbal instructions.

Finally – in total frustration – he took hold of a person’s head with his hands:

“I mean THIS!!!”