Posture & Alignment: Why it matters ? Could Yoga help ?
One of my students recently told me "I walked into town today and was making sure I was walking properly ! Indeed when I was talking to someone I met, she commented that I was very upright. I replied, it is thanks to my yoga teacher !" Woah, how wonderful that is. So proud of her !
We spent a whole week in class having fun, practising standing in Tadasana and walking around. All ages up to 80 years old. Results were amazing ! All my clients had fun and noticed improvements in their posture, strength, flexibility. They keep coming back for more :-)
I first taught my lovely clients how to lengthen tight muscles in their calves, Achilles tendon and back of their legs to release tension, using a light yoga block. This will help your posture. Some of my clients have MS or other issues. There is always room for improvement if you approach it the right way for you.
Posture affects and moderates every physiological function from breathing to normal hormonal production. This includes your blood pressure, digestion, bloating, glucose release, immunity etc.
Mountain Pose. Tadasana ! Yoga 🧘♀️ deconstructed.
Mountain Pose or Tadasana in Sanskrit looks simple but for most of us, it is not as easy as it looks. It is a perfect pose to improve your posture, especially if you have got into bad habits. Perhaps, you have accumulated tension leading to chronic tight muscles. I notice a lot of people of all ages slouching when they sit down or just stand. Don't worry ! Yoga offers hope for improvement.
Mountain Pose conjurs up the image of a steady stable strong base. This is based on the principle of the plumbline or good alignment of the body. Imagine a centre line from the crown of the head to your feet. Ears, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles should align with this centre of gravity to perform at their best bringing harmony physically, mentally, emotionally. Your body is then able to operate stress free and is resistant for load bearing. It is such clever engineering, just like physics.
If however, through bad habits, injuries, trauma, or lack of proper exercise etc, we have lost connection with this plumbline, it becomes difficult for us to stand comfortably in Mountain Pose. Misalignment leads to tightness, tension and imbalance in the body. Other muscles might try to step in to compensate. Some muscles become weak and become inefficient. Our skeleton relies on healthy strong balanced muscles to keep us moving freely, a little bit like a puppet on strings.
The best approach would be a combination of Yoga and Somatics exercises. First, release and lengthen any tight muscles. You can then strengthen your body in the right places. What holds us upright are strong muscles, that have found a happy balance between those two principles.
How do you check your alignment ? Ideally, the side of your ankle, knee, hip, shoulder and ear align in one line. This is your plumbline. This will greatly help your posture standing up in Mountain Pose, or in everyday life, standing in a queue, walking, running or even sitting.
So why practice alignment or plumbline ? Benefits...
The spine offers our body structure, support and balance. The spine is divided in sections: cervicals, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum and coccyx. All have different functions yet work together. If one goes out of alignment, the whole spine will feel it, so balance and good posture is essential for your spine health. This is where yoga can help with good alignment, flexibility and strength.
It will greatly reduce tension, aches & pain and allow your body to function at its best. It’s a little bit like tuning a piano to restore harmony within. When your body is happy, you are happy.
The spine brings us movement: The spine allows us to move freely (walk, run, sit, stand, twist, bend…). thanks to its muscles attachments. The spine is your conductor of communication. It is designed to protect your spinal cord. The spinal cord is a column of nerves that connects our brain with the rest of your body, allowing us to control our movements. Our spinal cord/central nervous system is constantly communicating with all our organs via a periphery of nerves.
This practice will help release your pelvis, decompress your spine and ease your back and neck as your learn to lengthen tight muscles in the back of your legs. Especially good if you do a lot of walking, running, sitting or heavy squats in a gym.
You might even feel the release all the way up your upper body, neck & shoulders as everything is connected in the body.
Maybe try it first lying down on the floor before standing? Especially if you have tight chest and rounded upper back. Support your head with a small cushion if need be. Relax, breathe in and out. Think length in the body. Repeat for 5 min.
Remember we are practicing yoga 🧘♀️ on the mat so we can bring the practice in our daily life.
Exercise 1. Lengthening your back leg muscles, Step 1
This exercise will lengthen your calf muscles and your Achilles tendon.
First, find a yoga foam pad or book about 2 inch or 5cm wide. Stand a few inches from a wall facing forward, hands on the wall, at shoulder level. You could also practice using a step if you have a staircase. Ball of the foot on the step, heel down.
Now, place the ball of your right foot on the bloc keeping the heel on the ground. Press the hips and pubic bone forward, not overarching your lower back, tail down, keep a nice straight spine from the crown if the head to your tail. This means your front ribs in line with your pubic bone. Hold for at least 30 seconds and up to 2 min. then switch foot. Repeat 3 times on each side.
Remember to slowly breathe in your belly, and relax in your exhale.
Exercise 2. Mobilise and strengthen your ankles, Step 2
You can now practice with both feet together. Balls of the feet on the bloc and heels on the ground. Feet hip width apart. Now go up and down 10 times placing equal pressure on a toes, coming down with the heels towards the floor super slow with control. Breathe. This can get intense. Remember to start small, start with 5 reps. Pause. Start again. Notice how it feels.
Exercise 3. Tadasana Practice, standing on the mat.
Prepare to go to your Debutante ball. This is fun. Practice standing with a light yoga block or book on your head, just like a debutante! Look straight ahead, Relax the shoulders, Breathe and smile.
You could also practice sitting, if you wish. Perhaps, both together, standing, sitting, standing... :-)
A healthy back requires the 3 pillars of strength, flexibility and balance. Balance come with good alignment from head to toe, promoting better posture, easier, freer movement and a happier back.
Finally, remember this yoga principle "Sthira Sukkha", meaning "Finding ease within the effort". Stay present, alert yet relaxed. ❤️ Do Yoga, Pilates or similar. Look after yourself. Take care x
"Focus on keeping your spine straight. It is the job of the spine to keep your brain alert" BKS Iyengar
I run weekly classes in Wadhurst, Frant, Fordcombe and online. A blend of breathwork, yoga, Somatics, Pilates to feel good. I also offer workshops and 1:1. All welcome ! Just get in touch...
Group classes, Private tuitions and workshops available. For more info, benefits and testimonials on Yoga and Somatics, pls visit www.yogawithbelle.co.uk