during the covid-19 hiatus - get ready to learn!

The Covid-19 shutdown has, for now, put a pause on the physical contact needed for hands-on teaching, which is the sole teaching method offered by betterATbeing. Hands-on lessons are worth waiting for - and you can take steps now so you will have a head-start and be ready for lessons as soon as in-person contact is possible again.

Some AT studios offer virtual lessons via Skype or Zoom. But a virtual Alexander lesson is not very practical, any more than a virtual swimming lesson would be. The teacher needs to be there, with the student.

An AT teacher's hands directly convey body learning that the student can't receive any other way. Teacher and student must be in physical contact to share important experiences that elude words and images. In AT, touch is the essential means of communication.

Luckily, there are things you can do now, during the Covid-19 hiatus, to get ready for your first AT lesson:

• Talk with your prospective teacher at betterATbeing: call 646-981-9330 and speak with Elizabeth Hurwitt, get acquainted, and put a free introductory lesson on the calendar. The worst that can happen is that Elizabeth may contact you to reschedule, if the Covid stay-at-home is extended.

• Explore the online and on-paper literature about AT by visiting these links. Especially recommended for Alexander Techinque basics is Carolyn Nicholls’ book, Body, Breath and Being.

• Particularly valuable, in Body, Breath and Being's first chapter, is Nicholls' description of how to assume a powerful posture and practice called semi-supine, which you can do daily, on your own.

AT lessons may sound a little mysterious, but when you've booked your free lesson you can look forward to exploring that mystery personally. During this period of waiting, let your curiosity be a source of excitement: your lesson, and a new way of being in the world around you, will arrive just when you need it most: as you re-enter the busy life we have all, for now, put on hold.