In 99.9% of my classes, we learn how to stand. Regardless of the community of people in front of me, we learn how to stand upright on our own two feet. Why? Because it prepares you for any other stretches or poses to follow, as well as start questioning why you don’t stand that way normally. I have had clients tell me they used to stand upright with good posture, until injuries or comments from family/friends made them stop. Are we allowing how others perceive us to directly affect our health? Absolutely.
Good posture is not just a pose you adopt when the teacher is looking or when you’re about to pick up something heavy, it is a position you should be always be in. The more time you spend with your spine in alignment, the less time your spine is fighting to hold your body weight against gravity. Perhaps the reason we have so many spinal disk issues and degeneration is not because of age, but because of 40 years spent in bad position.
Even if you are one of those who stands up straight when you think it is required of you, that is good, but it is not enough. Your posture follows you like a shadow and you literally cannot escape it. So if your tendency is to let your shoulders hunch forward as you slump at your desk, you will adopt that position when you are walking down the street, picking up your groceries, or carrying your kids. You will adopt that position unless you are consciously thinking about it. And even if you are consciously thinking about getting into a better position, the instant you get tired, you will snap right back into your default and “comfortable” bad position.
Make the conscious effort to stand tall, respecting your spine and yourself in the process both while standing and seated. If your spine is involved, make the conscious effort to put it into a better position. You may even find that all of those nagging aches and pains resolve themselves ;)
Not sure where to start? Check out my earlier post on posture here.
Good posture is not just a pose you adopt when the teacher is looking or when you’re about to pick up something heavy, it is a position you should be always be in. The more time you spend with your spine in alignment, the less time your spine is fighting to hold your body weight against gravity. Perhaps the reason we have so many spinal disk issues and degeneration is not because of age, but because of 40 years spent in bad position.
Even if you are one of those who stands up straight when you think it is required of you, that is good, but it is not enough. Your posture follows you like a shadow and you literally cannot escape it. So if your tendency is to let your shoulders hunch forward as you slump at your desk, you will adopt that position when you are walking down the street, picking up your groceries, or carrying your kids. You will adopt that position unless you are consciously thinking about it. And even if you are consciously thinking about getting into a better position, the instant you get tired, you will snap right back into your default and “comfortable” bad position.
Make the conscious effort to stand tall, respecting your spine and yourself in the process both while standing and seated. If your spine is involved, make the conscious effort to put it into a better position. You may even find that all of those nagging aches and pains resolve themselves ;)
Not sure where to start? Check out my earlier post on posture here.
