Alexander Technique Atlantic

A "Means-Whereby" Real Life Story

The story below was written by Jane’s husband. Jane is a student of mine who is working courageously to change her habitual self. Jane has suffered greatly throughout her life. Her symptoms have been interpreted, diagnosed and labeled through the medical model as a patient with “mental health problems or issues”. For years she followed her medical advisors prognosis taking pills and attending therapy sessions from psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors.

She experienced some relief and periods of stability, however, she also experienced continuous relapses and side-effects from her medications.

She finally, took her problems into her own hands and began to research other options. She found AT the iPAC way and is now working courageously to wean herself off her medication and work towards the restoration of her health through the re-education of the use of herself.

Her husband has been very supportive of her decision to go the AT iPAC route and one day Jane emailed me this little story that her husband had emailed to her in his attempts to understand the two primary underlying principles involved in this model for changing human behaviour. Those two underlying principles are:

1. Means-Whereby vs End-Gaining and

2. The Principle of Unity: that the self is a psychophysical whole system and cannot be treated by separating the self into mind, body or spirit.

Here is Jane’s husband’s account of his real life story to illustrate his growing understanding of what his wife is learning about the principle of Means-Whereby vs End-Gaining:

“I remember Dad talking about the huge pile of wood that he was discouraged about starting to split. He would say, now I will do a little each day and then before you knew it, it would be completed. I remember once it was a large pile of wood and he would be proud of it. Actually people would drive up from Port Hood to view since they would never see a pile of wood that big.

My point is that in my experience good things came to people I know and myself through gradual day to day continuous commitments. I have no fond stories or memories of people who received something instantly and it made them happy. Where are all the happy stories of people who won lotteries or gained money from inheritances?

Jane,your persistence to not accept your mental anguish is not only improving your life, your future, but it’s spreading like wild fire first at home to me and the kids, but soon to more. If you don’t stop it may get out of control. Ha ha.”