Is it Possible to Improve Poor Posture?
Recently a friend surprised me by saying to my kids, “Your mother has been observing and criticizing my posture for over 30 years”.
I hadn’t realized that my interest in posture and its effects on our interaction with the world went back that far.
Thirty years ago I didn’t know what could be done about posture. Today I understand that yoga and improved ergonomic awareness can undo musculoskeletal damage and change our relationship to the world around us.
Causes of Poor Posture.
Some questions about postural cause and effect haven’t changed much. Is a forward collapsing posture the result of succumbing to stress? Are very tall people doomed to hunch over or could they choose to proudly take up more space? If postures run in families, is there anything one can do about it?
And there are new issues as well. Poor posture begins in childhood with excessive use of hand-held devices replacing physical activity.
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Reversing Changes to Soft Tissue
Is it possible to reverse changes to soft tissue incurred from years of bad habits? In order to correct poor posture you have to first feel it deep inside your body. Not only will better posture result, but by noticing where tightness resides in the soft tissue and releasing it, we reduce the body’s stress responses overall.
In a yoga practice, we move the activity of our minds inwards. When we understand and accept what’s going on inside our bodies, our relationship with the outside world changes.
Even if improved posture is not the reason you want to begin a yoga practice, it’s still going to be a resulting benefit. As a yogi (that’s you) softens up physically and spiritually, postural improvements occur.
Ergonomics and Yoga: A Holistic Approach
A holistic approach to body awareness ties together the benefits of a yoga practice and increased ergonomic awareness. I want to help you notice postural habits before they result in permanent musculoskeletal changes. As you become more aware of what’s going on in your body you will connect with your environment in a healthier way.
I’m going to keep touting the benefits of yoga, ergonomics, the very best ergonomic support products out there and anything else I can think of so that we can all benefit from being more aware of our bodies, more of the time.
I have been helping people to sit and move comfortably since 1998. I am always looking for ways to help people improve their relationships with their bodies.