Let Gravity Be Your Friend
/
Hi there, friend!
Happy New Year!
How about ringing in 2018 by making some positive changes in a very important relationship that you've had for your whole life...you relationship with gravity.
Have you ever thought gravity was to blame for you postural problems? How about considering that gravity might actually be good for your posture. Gravity is simply there, challenging us. When an infant first lifts it's head it begins to figure out how to interface with gravity. Rolling, crawling walking, bending, dropping things, and pulling things over are all ways that the young learn about gravity. Children are supervised and educated and homes are child-proofed to make sure that their experiments learning about gravity don't go awry.
But what about adults? Many adults and even teens and older children are not interfacing with gravity safely and aren't benefitting from supervision and education! Most know not to walk to close to the edge of the train platform or that dropping a 20lb weight on their toe will likely involve a trip to the hospital, but one of our biggest dangers in regards to dealing with gravity has nothing to do with anything high or heavy and has much more to do with what you are likely looking at right now as you read this page...your device.
When you look at your phone, tablet, or computer, where is your body sinking? Does your head pull back or drop down? Do your drop or tense your shoulders? If you're standing, are you sinking into one hip? Are you aware of the sensation of your feet on the floor and where you feel your weight on your feet? Are you aware of your body much at all when you're reading or typing on you device?
Gravity isn't really a problem for our posture. We need it and natural learn to use it well as children and become light, springy, and upright. Gravity doesn't change. We do...but poor posture is not inevitable and you don't have to get rid of your phone or quit your job. It's possible to learn to be more conscious in these everyday activities and to learn how to guide yourself into better posture...and to physically learn what good posture is so you're not holding yourself up straight uncomfortably.
Here's a challenge: For the next week, simply notice the feeling of your feet on the floor when you're standing and sitting and especially when you pick up your phone. Don't over-focus on it or try to do anything about (other than placing your feet back on the floor if you've moved them). Just notice that the ground is there supporting you.
You can also try out my constructive rest audio guide and learn how to increase awareness and use gravity to help let go of everyday tension while lying on your back.
Gravity will be your friend, if you allow it to be!
