How do you feel when you are not standing or sitting as straight as you would like? What do you do to straighten yourself? What does it mean to have a good posture?
A lot of people feel that good posture is a reflection of how straight they are sitting or standing.
Moshe Feldenkrais taught us to think instead of posture as being dynamic, and reflecting how your body rests, arranges itself, and moves from one position to another, minute by minute throughout the day. The ideal is to feel comfortable and not compressed, in all positions.
Try this short sequence to explore how to reduce the slump and feel your spine lengthen to its natural length to help you feel taller and more open.
- Stand on the floor, feet about hip width apart, knees softly bent.
- Lengthen your left arm toward the ceiling as if someone was pulling you upward through your arm. Then release it. Look at your hand as you reach it toward the ceiling.
- Repeat a few times, noticing:
- How your head moves in response to the lengthening of your arm
- How the reaching arm connects with your ribs on the left
- How you are breathing as you lift and release your arm
- What you notice happening along the left side of your back and at your waist
- What you sense in your feet and heels
- Stop and pause for a few moments.
- Lengthen your right arm to the ceiling, paying attention to the various connections on this side.
- Stand and notice how tall and open you feel now and how your feet connect with the floor.
