Having a good posture is an asset for life. It’s important to develop correct postural awareness at an early age, since your muscles lengthen or shorten as a result of good or bad posture. Bad posture contributes to back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, knee problems and headaches. You can greatly feel posture affects and it’s much easier to work on your posture early on, than go through pain for your life.
Young people with bad posture will grow into elderly people that will struggle in life. The muscle groups of the body are like a pulley system and if one part is developed incorrectly it affects the whole structure of the body. For a great posture, start with the feet and develop core muscles. The pelvic floor and abdominal muscles for the body are like a support beam holding up a ceiling in a building structure.
Here is a sequence to align your posture:
1. Stand upright with your feet and the knuckles of your big toes together and your heals slightly apart.
2. Breathe in through the nose and look down at your feet (initially) and lift up your toes and spread them apart. Then look up and gaze straight ahead. (This can be challenging initially as the feet aren’t use to this sort of movement.) The balls of your feet and heals are on the floor.
3. Hold your breath to the count of 3, then exhale through the nose, connecting the navel to the spine, lift and bring your spread toes to the floor (notice the connection of the balls of the toes & heals on the floor).
4. As you continue to align your posture, continue gazing straight ahead (or close your eyes for a meditative experience). As you breath in through the nose slowly hold your breath to the count of 3. Then breathe out slowly through your nose, focusing on the tops of your feet, shins, knee caps, quad muscles, pelvic floor and abdominal muscles.
5. Continue to focus. From the abdominals, take your awareness up to your shoulders. Lift up the shoulders and roll them back, drawing the fingertips gently to the floor. Feel it in your neck. Then bring your awareness to the front of the face, then to the top of the crown of the head.
6. Next regroup, making sure your feet are grounded and your center is engaged. Get a sense of a silver thread lengthening your spine through to the top of the crown of your head, in order to realign the posture. Next bring your awareness to the back of your skull, neck, across your shoulders, down to the lower lumber buttocks, back of the legs, and down to the floor. You should be aligned and ready to go.
This is good to do daily. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed. Your core is always softly connected when you’re walking and sitting. If at a desk, it’s important to get up and move every 15 minutes. Check that your shoulders are relaxed and your core is connected. A pain free body and correct posture is a key point for a happy, healthy, balanced life.
Written by: Jane Ribinskas, Director, Yoga Concepts & Executive Wellbeing
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About the Author:
Jane Ribinskas, Director/Founder, started Yoga Concepts & Executive Wellbeing as a result of a long-term vision and personal journey, discovering self-empowering wisdom knowledge and techniques that have totally changed her life and cultivated happiness on all levels.
Jane has over 15 years experience in Corporate Business to Senior Management Level and over 30 yrs in practicing yoga including, gentle Hatha yoga, Iyenga and Ashtanga Vinyasa style. She has been teaching healing modalities for over 20 years. She currently bases her teachings on Classical Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow, and her own “Vinyasa Flow.” Her teaching expands across regular classes, day, weekend or longer workshops/retreats. She teaches group, one on one personal training, and yoga Teacher Training for “The Knowing Flow.™”Jane works with Executives within Corporate Organizations to reduce stress and cultivate positive cultural change. Jane is featured in the media and writes for many international health related Websites.