Dough

Greg with his focaccia dough, gradually changing

Caccia & Tails is a great little eatery in Lewes …

… serving home-made focaccia, pasta dishes, polenta fries, New York cheesecake … My mouth is watering just thinking about it! If you haven’t yet been, pop in and take away something delicious for breakfast, lunch, or tea.

I was in there recently buying treats for other people (and ignoring my desire for a fresh doughnut with egg custard cream and raspberry jam) when I noticed the focaccia dough proving behind the counter.

The magic of dough

This made me think of what I often say to pupils when they are learning about Active Rest: ‘Have you ever made bread?’ While not so many regularly make their own bread, plenty have experienced the magic of putting a lump of yeast dough to one side and returning a couple of hours later to find it softer, more elastic, and all round larger.

Greg – the chef at Caccia & Tails – usually leaves his focaccia dough for 24 hours. It goes in the fridge overnight, slowing down but not disrupting the process. The resulting texture is satisfyingly delicious.

Take up all the space you need

How does all this relate to Alexander Technique? Well, when you lie down for Active Rest (a skill you learn when you take lessons), you are patiently giving your muscles the time and space to un-tense. If you think of a contracted muscle as shortened and thickened, you can imagine the muscle in its resting state (neither contracted nor stretched) as a little longer. (In reality it is, of course, more complicated.) Your whole self is gradually expanding to take up all the space it needs, reversing any shrinking or pulling in as a result of fear or stress, and reducing tension around the joints.

Good things often take time

It’s almost as though you’re filling up with tiny air bubbles resulting in a newly light and springy self. Just like a piece of proving dough, you’re growing and changing. Change may take a long time; quick fixes may not last. A piece of focaccia Genovese is very different from a bread bun bought in a supermarket.

Active Rest is a skill for life

After a session of Active Rest you should feel different. Not sluggish and sleepy, but ready to face the rest of your day with easier movement and perhaps a clearer head.

Active Rest isn’t simply having a lie-down (although there is nothing wrong with that). It’s a tool to help you use yourself better in all areas of your life. Book a lesson with me and give it a try!