Standing tall with good posture does more than just increase our height. It brings us eye to eye with others, allows a more natural movement in the shoulders and hips as we walk, and brings openness in our chest so we can breathe easily. Understanding how to hold our bodies in good alignment while doing basic tasks, such as standing, is the foundation for all other activities because all movements arise from our posture. It takes awareness and maybe even a bit of grace to sustain good posture, but doing so is a prerequisite for living free of pain in the joints and surrounding tissues. As a PT, I’ve taught clients to transform their posture as a part of their healing and have been surprised how far beyond the physical realm the benefits extend. Our stance can do more than bring balance to the physical experience; it expresses our state of mind.
One of my regular yoga students, Michelle, is a teacher and finds herself frequently in awkward positions to crouch down and get eye to eye with her young students. She has been integrating the principles of better posture at work and has noticed significantly less back pain and headaches. She had a colleague stop her in the hallway and say that she seemed different lately. The lady said she was walking more energetically and headstrong. Her husband commented that she looked more “poised and confident” in her 2010 yearbook picture. When Michelle shared these stories with me I was not at all surprised. I had also noticed her transformation from sitting with forward rounded shoulders and a forward jutting chin to a more upright and assured position. In yoga class, she was able to control her breath more easily and keep her chest open. Her posture had improved, as did her ability to engage with the rest of world positively and mindfully.
At the most basic level, you can imagine the necessary precision of alignment for the structural equipment in a car. All four tires must be balanced and even for the frame to sit properly. If the pieces aren’t fitted just right then there is malfunction. The car may become less efficient or start to break down. It is just as imperative that our skeletal structure maintains proper alignment, but unlike a car, which has screws and bolts to hold it in place, our joints are maintained by soft tissues that are sensitive to stress and generate pain when under chronic tension.
If you suffer from neck, shoulder, or back pain or always feel tight in the muscles between your shoulder blades, I recommend postural training. A skilled physical therapist or yoga therapist can teach you valuable insights about how you can improve your posture to decrease pain.
Yoga is a terrific way to gently learn about your body because it is experiential. Your yoga mat becomes a laboratory, a safe space to explore movement and new ways of breathing and being. Once you learn how to relax the muscles in your neck and shoulders it will be easier to ‘Stand Tall’ and feel new found freedom in your body. There is a natural feedback loop that occurs when you engage in this type of practice. When you feel less pain you emanate a more peaceful, happy, grounded sense of self. With that often comes increased confidence in our activities and more energy to put into our movements. Our confidence is perceptible to others and we are affirmed for our way of being and the cycle continues. Of course, the opposite is also true when we don’t feel well and our bodies are strained. Michelle is enjoying her new discoveries and shows improvements each week and is now incorporating posture awareness in her work with her students. As I often say, “In order to feel something different you need to do something different.” Take a moment today to embody openness and strength in your posture. Not only will others notice your new way of being, but you will feel more aligned inside and out.
