“Separate but equal” got a bad rap for its use in American law to defend segregation but there’s nothing wrong with this theory when it is applied outside matters of race.
Men and women, for instance, tend to use separate bathrooms but this is not evil. It’s common sense.
I tend to teach Alexander Technique differently to men than to women.
I find that women tend to understand Alexander Technique much more quickly than do men. I find that they tend to have better use of themselves and to be more wise about the body.
When I teach women, my primary concern is to give them an atmosphere of safety. That means physical safety and emotional safety.
By contrast, I almost never think about my physical safety unless I’m walking Martin Luther King Blvd late at night. My male friends also tend not to think about their physical safety except under such extraordinary circumstances.
With my male students, I try to provide adventure. “Hey, let’s try this!” I’ll say and we’ll start leaping off rooftops.
So with the men, I most want Alexander Technique to feel fun and exciting. With women, I most want it to feel safe.
