Alexander Technique

Video 1
1. The most important thing you can do when there is no one to help you is self observation.

2. Self observation is watching yourself; meaning to watch everything as far as possible in you and around you as if it were happening to someone else. Self absorption on the other hand is self pre-occuppation when you are concerned and worried about yourself.

3. We suffer from depression and anxiety because we identify ourselves as being depressed and we convince ourselves, rather than actually experiencing the feeling. He goes on and explains that saying, "I am depressed" is false and it really should be, "I is experiencing a depression right now." You are not your depression, you are just trying to convince yourself that you are.

4. He used an analogy about the sky and clouds to define the word "self" and he simply says that "self" is the sky observing the clouds passing by.

5. If you understand things, they will soon change.

6. "What you judge, you cannot understand."

Reflection: After watching DeMello's video, I completely understands what he means when he explains that you are not your depression. It makes perfect sense and I feel as though I never separate myself from my emotion. When I got to college and realized it was completely different from high school I would say things like, "I am stressed" "I am a failure" etc. because I ended up with a 2.8 gpa my first semester. But Chelsea Smith is none of those things. I am fun, loving, caring, intelligent, crazy, goofy, friendly, outgoing, etc. I can go on and on, but just because one day I may be feeling a certain emotion, does not make me that emotion, I am only experiencing that emotion during the time. 

Video 2 
1. When we experience fear, stress, and anxiety, we instantly compress ourselves which causes the survival mechanism to kick in and we start to shrink because of our flight or fight response. The body is preparing for a life-threatening situation which is not good.

2. The Alexander technique allows our body to have a more appropriate reaction for when we are going through stress and anxiety.

3. "Nature would prefer us to be in balance."

4. The 3 points of contacts for the foot are: the little toe, big toe, and heel. 

5. The three hinges in our legs are: the ankles, knees, and hips.

6. The hip joints are below the pelvis and in line with the pubic bone.

7. "Allow the pelvis to be heavy like an anchor."

8. The top of the spine is between your ears. 

Reflection: I think the connection between my mind and my body are in sync. Whatever is going on in my mind will affect my body. For instance, if I am having a bad day and have a lot running through my mind, you will be able to see that through my body language. I may tend to walk slow with my head down and either a mad or sad look on my face, as oppose to how I normally would walk and look up at others with a big smile on my face.