Don’t assume that if sitting up straight feels difficult or uncomfortable, it’s because you’re lazy or weak. Many people think that pulling your shoulders back, lifting your chest up, and tucking your tail to straighten your back is the epitome of good posture. Actually, this is just another pattern of tension that tires you out and puts unnecessary strain on your muscles and joints. Getting used to the strain of pulling your shoulders back is not the same thing as resting comfortably in an upright posture.
Good posture comes from using your body efficiently, allowing the structure of your body to support you rather than holding yourself up with your muscles. While sitting, the position of the pelvis can either make slouching inevitable or upright posture easy. If your tail is tucked, your back rounds, your weight compresses some very important nerves near the tailbone, your breathing gets restricted, and your neck and shoulders tense to hold you up. If, however, you can balance your pelvis on the chair so that the weight of your body drops down to the front edges of your sit bones, you can relax your entire body and still remain upright.
To find this truly good posture, you have to have a certain amount of flexibility in your hamstrings, as well as a coordinated ability to relax your belly and your back. You also have to be able to notice how different positions and tension patterns shift the way the weight of your body is supported. A Rolfer™ can help you achieve the balance, mobility, and awareness needed to be able to enjoy relaxed upright posture. Rolfers not only release the restrictions in the fascia which bind you in habitual tension patterns, they also teach you how to sit, stand, and move efficiently. If you want to have effortlessly upright posture, schedule an appointment with your local Rolfer.
Good posture comes from using your body efficiently, allowing the structure of your body to support you rather than holding yourself up with your muscles. While sitting, the position of the pelvis can either make slouching inevitable or upright posture easy. If your tail is tucked, your back rounds, your weight compresses some very important nerves near the tailbone, your breathing gets restricted, and your neck and shoulders tense to hold you up. If, however, you can balance your pelvis on the chair so that the weight of your body drops down to the front edges of your sit bones, you can relax your entire body and still remain upright.
To find this truly good posture, you have to have a certain amount of flexibility in your hamstrings, as well as a coordinated ability to relax your belly and your back. You also have to be able to notice how different positions and tension patterns shift the way the weight of your body is supported. A Rolfer™ can help you achieve the balance, mobility, and awareness needed to be able to enjoy relaxed upright posture. Rolfers not only release the restrictions in the fascia which bind you in habitual tension patterns, they also teach you how to sit, stand, and move efficiently. If you want to have effortlessly upright posture, schedule an appointment with your local Rolfer.
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