Tips for good posture. It doesn't need to be a struggle.

"4 Giant Misconceptions About Posture"

Guest Blog
by Amira Alvarez

People regularly come to me and say, often in a guilty voice, "I know I have terrible posture. I should try harder to sit up straight. My husband/wife/mother/doctor is constantly telling me to sit up straight. I just can't seem to do it. And my back is killing me..."

It's like the posture police are after them.

They think they're damaged goods, permanently stuck hunched over forever, and feel forever watched and judged.

I'm here to say, that's simply not true.

You can learn to have good posture and the ease and openness that comes with it. You just need the right information and a system for integrating it into your daily life. You need a strategy given to you in bite-size pieces so it makes sense and is doable.



You certainly don't need judgment.



You don't need the posture police and admonitions to sit up straight. (Can we all say thank god in unison?)



Better posture is a result of changing your conception of what posture is and how to have it, not striving harder. So let's start that process right now and re-frame some of the giant misconceptions people have about posture.



1) Posture is NOT a dirty word, but there are better words.

Alignment, BALANCE, connection, and coordination are all better words.

When the voice of the posture police starts railing at you in your head, just say no!



Try this tip: Leave judging yourself behind. Stop the internal voice that says "sit up straight." It only causes tension. Ask yourself instead how could I be better coordinated, balanced or aligned? How could I be more integrated or connected?



2) Posture is NOT a held position.

We are animals made for movement. Allow for it. Even when sitting for hours at the computer, you can find a bit of movement whether it's changing your foot position or getting up entirely to stretch.



Try this tip: While keyboarding simply notice that your whole being, and your ribs especially, can move gently with your breath. Envision your ribs moving easily, like those of a sleeping cat or dog.



3) Posture is NOT a right position.

It's not about sitting or standing only is one way. And it's certainly not about the rigidity of "shoulders back, chin up," although many people have this misconception. We can do modern dance, we can fix plumbing, we can curl up on the couch (as I am doing now as I write this) with excellent coordination and alignment. All different positions, all fully possible, all potentially good for your health.



Try this tip: Drop the idea that you have to pull your shoulders back and hold them there. It's not how we are designed and will just cause you incredible amounts of back and neck tension. Our shoulder blades curve forward ever so slightly and are not meant to be "straight". Let yourself experience their natural curve. And no this doesn't mean slumping.



4) Posture is NOT just physical.

Posture is an expression of your whole being. For instance, when you're depressed (or tired, overwhelmed, confused, or judged) you tend to collapse or contract in on yourself. It's a posture that serves to protect you in the moment, but it can be harmful physically, mentally and spiritually in the long run.



Although this posture may have become a conditioned habit, it will not serve you when you're wanting to be in a different mood. It's important to be able to choose to express your actual feelings and not be locked into an old habitual posture pattern. Having this kind of choice gives you the possibility of true freedom of expression.



Try this tip: Start noticing how your mood and posture are related. Don't try to fix your mood or posture directly - just notice the relationship.



This is the beginning of a new conception of posture and will help you change. Effortlessly.


Amira Alvarez is dedicated to providing the best learning experience for her students through innovative, comprehensive, and extraordinary effective programs designed to teach you how to have less pain, less pressure, better posture and much more happiness. Her students dramatically improve their performance and enjoy life more. Her weekly Knowledge is Power newsletter goes out to subscribers across the country and world. If you are ready to Create The Life You Want, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://www.amiraalvarez.com/
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Want to try Alexander Technique for yourself in Brighton?
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/

How could you improve your Pilates practice? Emily and Julia's stories.

Emily is a dance and Pilates instructor and has good body awareness but since a car accident she has suffered a degree of neck pain.
Sometimes we can't see past the pain and simply exercising is not going to resolve the problem. We need to look at our habits. Together we discovered that Emily tensed her neck more at certain times than at others, perhaps when she was stressed or under pressure. Just acknowledging this and catching herself in those moments she was able to undo alot of the tension.

This is what she has to say about her lessons:

"I have been having private sessions with Mark for a few months and have found Alexander technique really beneficial. I am a Pilates teacher so already have good body awareness but I have found this technique has heightened my awareness of some bad habits I was developing in my movement patterns. It has really helped with my own approach to teaching Pilates and Mark has been an excellent teacher and made me discover lots of new things about my body. I would highly recommend Alexander technique with Mark to help with any back problems"

Emily Wilson, aged 30, Dance and Pilates teacher.

Julia was also keen on Pilates but had to give it up due to neck and back pain. Again we looked at what Julia was up to in her daily life. She had quite a stressful job and reacted to this "TOO MUCH TO DO" by tensing and almost squashing herself.  Again half the batttle was to recognise this, pause and choose another path involving creating a bit more space, lengthening and widening in her body.
I got Julia to ask herself several times a day "What am I up to now? Am I tensing and squashing myself or can I give myself more internal space?"
Sometimes when we're stressed we go into the 'startle reflex pattern' ( We do the same when we hear a loud and sudden noise). We need to realise when we are doing this, so next time you feel your shouldersare creeping  up around your ears say to yourself: "STOP WHAT AM I DOING TO MYSELF?
"IT'S NOT A GRIZZLY BEAR, IT'S JUST ..................."
Fill in the space eg: It's not a grizzly bear, it's just i have a big workload,  or the kids are playing up, or someone is playing their music loudly etc.

This helped Julia and this is what she had to say about her lessons:

"Severe backpain stopped me from doing any exercise for nearly a year. Through Alexander Technique I have been able to start up my Pilates lessons again and I can also go on long walks and be painfree"

Julia Schmid

If you are interested in moving away from painful habits and maybe even improving your particular exercise regime look into the Alexander Technique:
http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/




 

TRYING TO HAVE GOOD POSTURE? IT COULD DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH

There is a lot of talk about the importance of good posture these days. You hear it in gyms, yoga sessions, Pilates and even the very popular barefoot running.


However when you say to people “Think about your posture” they tend to TRY and stand up straight, possibly holding onto their legs , heaving up their chests and even tensing their necks in the attempt to DO good posture.




We have a strange idea of what good posture is. We try and DO IT by putting ourselves in a position and fixing ourselves. Unfortunately most of the time we cannot maintain this and we tire and we might even injure ourselves doing exercise, as we are moving this tense body around.

So what is good posture ?

In Alexander Technique lessons I firstly state that one should never fix themselves in a position, whether sitting, standing or even lying down. If you do, you are fixing and probably tensing your muscles.

The force of gravity on us encourages our bodies to lengthen and widen and we have the potential to release and lengthen into activity eg: the movement from sitting to standing. We did this as a toddler and we can get back to it by thinking in a different way. See how good sportsmen and women use there bodies, they lengthen into activity in a very natural way.

Having good posture shouldn’t be a struggle and we should definitely not be using extra effort. With our minds we can change things and we can start to move in a more lengthening and widening way which will encourage freer breathing.

Firstly we must recognise if we are trying too hard. Are we gripping with our legs/buttocks? Holding our tummies in? tucking our tail bones under? Thowing our heads back?

If we can choose NOT to do those things we are half way there.

We then choose to lengthen and widen, not by DOING it or even using muscular effort but by thinking and allowing our bodies to move in a natural way.

In a way we are allowing gravity to take us up and be more springy like a toddler.

Why not get an Alexander Technique teacher to show you how.

For more information or to book an introductory session go to:

http://www.alexandertechniquebrighton.com/