I’m a big fan of Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now“. It’s transformative.

I’m also a fan of the “Power of No”, in the Alexander sense. 
Or as FM Alexander coined it, “conscious inhibition”. (He was pre-Freud, so not a particle of emotional repression was involved, phew!)

Conscious inhibition covers a lot of territory, from the very simple to the extremely profound.

Simple: Not doing what I don’t want to do. I prefer not to sabotage myself with any excess mental, muscular or any other tension!

Profound: A deeply quiet state of non-doing.

Below the conscious level, inhibition happens all the time in the nervous system. That’s how it preserves order.

Excitation: brain tells neurons to fire. Go!
Inhibition: brain tells neurons not to fire. Don’t go.

At the conscious level, it’s asking something not to happen or to stop happening…

I’m listening to someone… and I notice I’m forming my (clever, impatient, eager) response while he/she is still talking.

Ah, a *Sparky opportunity beckons! 
What if I refrain from formulating and listen…all… the…way…through? Even if I KNOW what’s going to be said.

Can I quietly listen without tightening?
Receiving support… allowing breath… soft and tall.

Woot, I applied awareness and conscious inhibition!
Ding ding ding!

And as it turns out, I didn’t know everything that would be said! I heard much more than the words, from within my quietude.

Leaving myself alone…

No getting ready, pushing, trying…

Give time.

It’s spacious here.

*This post is from my ‘Spark of Alexander’ email series