"Your own body is a phantom, one that your brain has constructed purely for convenience."
V. S. Ramachandran

Last week in BodyChance, a woman wanted to explore bending.

It seemed like a simple activity. Even a little boring if I'm honest. Ho hum.

All about understanding the use of your legs: bending hips, knees and ankles. Blah, blah. She was interested, because when she bends, she hurts her back. She wanted to find an easier way. In her mind, this was a "physical" activity, not a "mental" one.

"What's the situation?" I asked.

***

I recently underwent full anaesthetic for an operation, and the aftermath was weeks of regressive behaviour which had me wondering what the hell was going on…

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction is a known phenomenon whereby higher cognitive function is slow to return, often taking weeks before full functionality is restored.

Was that what was happening to me?

This is the text of a letter I wrote recently to a friend who wondered why I seem to actively offend so many people in the AT world with my position on Tablework. This is what I wrote back...

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Dear Friend (who shall remain anonymous),

The tablework/constructive rest thing is an important component of my whole sales and marketing thrust - the idea is to do what the students wants, not what you prescribe.

Those who follow my blogs (sorry I write so many) will undoubtedly know that I compare Alexander's Discovery - in it's potentiality for revolutionary change - on par with the internet.

I am sure there are readers out there who believe I am bonkers. And they could be right. History will be the judge of that. Occasionally I do worry about that my Self…

Indeed, I suffer from delusional optimism. I think it's a trade secret of all entrepreneurs. Without it, we would give up. So let me enjoy a little of my optimism right now…

I am offering a workshop for Japanese Yoginis today, and it has taken me back into my many years of collecting the tenets of Buddhist philosophy.

The most vexing concept of those studies was that all my efforts - to meditate, to practise good morality, to follow precepts - would not be the cause of my enlightenment. Satori - as the Zen masters call it - has no cause.

Huh?

I do this all this work, and that isn't the cause for me to wake up? What does cause enlightenment then?

Nothing.

I was complaining to my Self in meditation this morning that I had lost focus.

I questioned it. Have I lost focus? As often happens when I play detective, I found the opposite to be true: I have been incredibly focused about one thing: my weight. This morning I hit my target: I now weigh the same as I was at 20.

It all started in London in January this year.

I have been struck recently by the lucky Yoga niche connections Cecile has been documenting for us in ATSuccess Village. Angela, on our Pro Skype sessions, has been experiencing the same thing in her niche in the UK. People contacting them both with work requests - wonderful.

I am asking - are they lucky?

All my pain is selfish - I discovered that again today. Per usual, just a glimmer - but a liberating glimmer that I want to underline by writing about it…

My hurt, whenever it arises, feels to me like it is because of you. There was an action from your side, a reaction on my side, and I give it a false linear causality: you affected me.