Taking Ashcroft's Alexander Technique course and primary control

Finally coordinated with someone (@AbhayPrasanna) to go through @m_ashcroft's Alexander Technique course together, and I think this little excerpt from the intro deeply clarifies the whole premise of how he's doing the impossible here.

Michael Ashcroft @m_ashcroft · Jan 19, 2021

Self-congratulatory thread, but whatever. Many/most of you will know that I am building an Alexander Technique course. This is entirely online and entirely asynchronous. To my knowledge, this has never been done. No one is doing this. Many would consider it impossible. But...

[long tweet — read the rest on Twitter]

Jan 20, 2021

same vibe from @nickcammarata here

Nick @nickcammarata · Jan 17, 2021

Did you know that in addition to fixing all your life’s problems, Alexander Technique can improve your posture??

This bit has me thinking I really want an online course platform that readily supports students sharing video clips back into the middle, not just as homework assignments but as part of collectively creating what the whole course is. (kinda like sea shanty tiktok, actually 💞🚀)

> switch on your 'primary control', your innate poise and capacity of your body to float in response to, rather than fight, gravity This is what I'm here for. I have experienced my body like this and it's fucking amazing and I want it all the time.

I can't find the gif I want, but one of the most evocative images in my head for this is a scene of Captain Jack Sparrow fighting, drunk, and he's not… stumbling… but rather in a state of dynamic equilibrium, with the rum providing the tossing waves, instead of the sea.