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Basics of Better Posture

Would you like to be able to sit straighter and stand taller with less effort? Would you like to feel more relaxed and comfortable in your body? Using gentle exercises, experience a more flexible posture that allows you to sit, stand, and walk without tension. Discover a natural ease in your movement and learn ways to maintain this improvement and continue benefiting. 

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Thoughts on Posture  

People I work with have often noted that after a class, workshop, or private session they have a pleasant sensation of feeling lighter. Like they suddenly lost weight without dieting. They don't have to work so hard to hold themselves up. I think this feeling of lightness is what we're looking for when we talk about having better posture. And we want it to be there all the time, whatever we do, in the background, making life itself less stressful and less of an effort.

So what is it that we notice about someone when we say they have "good posture"? Is it how straight their spine looks, how symmetrical their shoulders? Or is it some quality that makes them seem relaxed and at ease when they move, sit, stand, or walk? When I begin a class or workshop I'll often have you stand with eyes closed, asking you to focus attention on your body. I might use the word "posture" as in "notice what your posture feels like". Is your body still? Probably not, since your system has to constantly adjust for you to balance yourself. Is your body comfortable? Maybe some parts are and some aren't. Do you automatically adjust things when you hear the word "posture"? Do you have an idea that it would be better if you "held" yourself in a different way. It can be a challenge to just notice without changing anything.

When we think of improving our posture, we often think of strengthening certain muscles and stretching others. This may be valid, but it's not all there is to the problem. Most of us have been moving and using our particular body in a particular way for decades. So, when we go to strengthen muscles, even without knowing it, we'll strengthen the muscles we've been strengthening for decades - the ones that probably don't need any more strengthening. Perhaps they need a vacation instead! 

So, it's the way you move that's most important. After all, it's the way you move that determines which muscles will strengthen. The problem then becomes "how can I change what my body has done automatically, without me even knowing it, for decades?" The first step is to get really familiar with what you do. Really go into it. Explore it from many angles. There are specific ways to do this. Observing how your body relates to where you are and what you're doing for example. If standing on a level floor, how do your feet lean into that floor. Do the two feet lean differently from each other? Does one leg seem to "stand" better. If you are sitting, do you sense equal pressure under your two seats, or does one lean more heavily on the chair? If you are walking, where are you looking? Can you move your head freely to look around as you walk? This is a start, which might in fact offer some revelations about where to go next.

For more guidance, however, join me on Nov. 9. We'll continue the journey...