Hi Reader!

Do you know the phrase, “People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?”

As a child, this was very serious instruction. My family lived in a house with large windows.

On some level I knew the phrase included a teaching metaphor, but also, with a child's understanding, I thought the lesson was meant especially for us. We had to be very polite or our windows would break.

It can be easy to take metaphors literally, because that's how metaphors work. This = that.

Sometimes, when metaphors are used to describe anatomy or behavior, they become instructions to ourselves, like “If my head is a balloon, I better do everything I need to do to float, even if it means walking on tiptoe."

We will do—precisely, earnestly—what we tell ourselves to do, even if it’s impossible.

Carrying a child’s understanding into our adult lives can be riddled with impractical, impossible, or unnecessary plans, like these clients discovered:

💬 The academic who puts on a thinking cap, which it turns out is quite heavy, effectively adding muscular effort to thinking. Impractical because the effort is a distraction to the mind, defeating the whole idea.

💬 The dancer who moves through life as if dangling from an imaginary plumb line, working all the time to straighten herself to line up. Impossible, because our spines are curved.

💬 The energetic daughter who was told to “keep it together" and experienced chronic tension after decades of pulling all parts of herself toward the center. Unnecessary, because the body stays together without help.

This is not an "oh you silly child" kind of idea. The earnestness of trying to do the right thing is quite lovely, really, and maybe these ideas worked for a long time.

Not every idea works for every phase of life.

The exploratory nature of Integrative Alexander Technique means you get to gently fact-check your understanding of how things work for you, now.

It's a way to get to know yourself.

Suspect you've been trying to do something impossible?

​Book a call with me to share what’s going on for you and see how group classes or private coaching in Integrative Alexander Technique can help.

Hit reply and say hi! It's always great to hear from you.

Here for you,

Crispin

To sum it up, with links:

• Your head is not a balloon.
• ​​​Drop-in Labs open for registration including 🌸 this Saturday April 11 and 🌸 next Wednesday April 15
• Curious about working together? Let’s chat! Schedule a free call.​

♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ "I recently joined an online Lab and it was far more impactful than I expected. ​ Crispin covered foundational body basics and we spent time unpacking some ongoing back issues. What stood out most was how nuanced her observations were. Small shifts. Subtle patterns. Things I would never have caught on my own. Her feedback was specific, practical, and immediately applicable. All done virtually, and it worked... Highly recommend." ​ - Dana Zellers, PCC​ ​Transforming how tech professionals & teams work

Wait, what does Crispin do again? I help people feel at home in their bodies, clear in their thoughts, and confident in their communication. My work is grounded in Integrative Alexander Technique, a behind-the-scenes favorite of actors and musicians that supports both everyday comfort and greater clarity, presence, and skill, including for public speaking. Offerings include: ​→ Private Coaching​ ​→ Workplace Trainings​ ​→ Monthly Drop-in Labs​ Curious what's right for you? Schedule a free 20-minute call to get your questions answered. Let's chat! ​​

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