How you approach your movement and posture has everything to do with how successful you will be in finding and maintaining ease and pain-free movement. It can be tempting to put your head here, your hips there, and shoulders someplace else and then try to maintain that shape or look. You will be more successful, and feel better, if you recognize you are a dynamic organism made to move. You can and need to constantly allow your body to adapt to the requirements of your activities.
These are not your ordinary postural tips.
These are ideas and concepts that will guide you to better and easier movement you can refine and maintain. You are not going to be guided into a “shape” or specific “stance” rather you will be guided through principles and thinking to allow your better posture to emerge. These principles underlie all good posture and movement and are fundamental to all you do.
These tips will help you understand how to apply your thinking and mind to your posture so you learn to let your body support you in all your actions. They are ideas you can use again and again to keep you balanced and moving easily in any situation. As with any mindful practice they take time to master. Give yourself time. Be deliberate in your posture practice.
1. Build Awareness
Noticing what you notice about your thinking and movement patterns is the starting point for change. What are you aware of now? What parts of your body do you sense? Do you feel balanced? What movements are easier than others? What stimulus intensifies your habits and what helps you let them go? Anything you notice, large or small, is useful. This tuning in to yourself, your thoughts, and your movement will help you direct yourself into better posture and balance.
2. Allow for Flow
Movement flow is happening throughout your body when you are still and while you are traveling through space. For instance, notice that when you walk and then stop moving through space you can still sense the internal movement flow inside your body. You can also learn to sense the movement of your airflow in your fingertips and toes. Cultivate and allow for an awareness of your body’s flow as you go throughout your day.
3. Sense the Space
Occupy your own space by sensing the space inside your body. Notice the relationship of your body parts, for example, shoulder to shoulder, or head to feet. This awareness will help you find your three-dimensionality. Then let yourself perceive the space around you into the environment. Sensing your head to the ceiling or distance from your head from the phone are both good places to start. This will help you locate yourself in space and give you a literal sense of perspective.
4. Throughness is the Key
Sensing the space inside and outside your body simultaneously will lead you to a sense of throughness and connectivity with yourself and your environment. Throughness will help you maintain your flow, mobility, and ease of movement. It will allow your body to adapt to movements in a dynamic and responsive manner. As you release your body, notice you can collapse or you can open into a throughness of flow that gives direction, support, and presence. Throughness is more important than the shape you are making.
5. Ease into Change
As you reorganize your posture and coordination you will be redistributing the muscular tone in your body. Muscles that have been underutilized will come on line while those that have been overworked to do less. Allowing change to occur gently and over time helps make postural changes smooth and familiar.
Use this process for change:
Pause and do less.
Think spatially.
Allow for a response to your thinking.
Readjust yourself gently into a better organization.
Join us for 2 virtual workshops that allow you to put these posture ideas into practice.
To integrate these ideas into your meditation practice register for our Posture for Meditation Virtual Workshop on Saturday, February 20th 3-6pm ET. And, to explore and embody the concepts in relationship to your work-from-home set up, jump in our 2-part Virtual Ergonomics Class on Monday February 22nd and March 1st, 6:30-7:30pm ET. Click here to sign up!
We look forward to seeing you soon!