The Problem with Correcting Posture

Photo by Taylor Smith on Unsplash

I was thinking about today how there's a certain danger in telling people that you can help them with their posture.

-- because of what people generally think posture is. 

I've talked about this before, but I'm coming back to it as I was yet again reminded of what posture has culturally become.

I've been watching the HBO series, White Lotus, and just saw the latest episode, in which there's a scene featuring a teenager whose mom signs him up for a "posture correction" session at their hotel's wellness spa. 

Upon learning this, he instantly looks uncomfortable and then jokes around with his siblings by lifting his chest and pulling his shoulders back, doing an exaggerated straightening up.

In the follow-up scene, he looks equally uncomfortable during his "posture correction" session in which someone pulls at his shoulders and then proceeds to analyze how he sits in a chair and informs the teen that he is clearly a people pleaser.

This character's whole experience from beginning to end made me feel quite uncomfortable and think that I would never sign up for such a session.  

And here I am talking about how I can help YOU with YOUR posture.

I often ask people what they think good posture is, how they think it should feel, and what other thoughts and feelings come up around it. 

Here are 10 responses I hear often that represent common POSTURE MYTHS.

1.  It's about pulling your shoulders back
2.  I keep slouching even when I try to fix my posture, so I must just be lazy
3.  My family members have poor posture, so it must be genetic.
4.  My parents bugged me growing up and still bug me about my posture.
5.  Everyone else's posture is better than mine.
6.  If I do a lot of core exercises, I'll fix my posture.
7.  I've been told I'm being rude if I don't sit up straight.
8.  If I get help with my posture, I'll be told to hold my body in a really tense and uncomfortable position.
9.  Poor posture is just a physical problem.
10. Good posture is holding the right position.

To sum up this top 10 list, the idea of "better posture" seems to elicit feelings of shame, there possibly being some innate problem that can be changed, or feelings of guilt and perfectionism and that you're just not trying hard enough.

The thing is that people DO want to improve their posture and what I teach (The Alexander Technique) is the most effective way to improve posture without needing a "posture correction" method. 

That might sound confusing, but the best way to "correct" your posture in any lasting, sustainable, or comfortable way is actually not by correcting in directly.

All 10 items of that list represent what posture "is" for someone and as long as those assumptions remains the same, the solution is out of reach. 

You have to change your perception of what posture is and what affects it and then you can change your posture itself.  

Good posture --

• involves your whole body (not just your shoulders)

• allows you to move easily (it's not a rigid position)

• requires becoming more conscious of how you use your body in every day activities as well as how you react to stress and interacting with other people 

• is affected by how you respond to thoughts, emotions, and external stimuli

Perfectionism, shame, and guilt and feeling judged can cause poor posture
Trying to hold your self in a "correct" position can make poor posture worse and cause other problems.

If you've been running in circles trying to fix your posture based on trying to correct how it looks, odds are your efforts are not sustainable.

Better posture involves developing an inner awareness so that you can first,

• notice your body and what it's doing

• and then not lose your awareness of your body when you're doing things 

• and finally be able to make choices about how you use your body and not just go on autopilot

This is a process, not a quick fix.  And the quick fixes generally don't fix anything and just send you right back to the drawing board.

And it feels good.  It's relaxing.  It involves letting go of tension that's getting you tied up in knots and exhausting you.

Better posture feels better and makes you feel better about yourself.

It's a process of self-discovery. 

It's about being connected to yourself and the people you interact with and being able to stay centered when you have to think on your feet or when you're facing stress.  

I don't teach a posture correction technique.  I teach a practical powerful way to help people be more present in their bodies -- to be aware of and change habit -- which can be transformational.

You'll get more of a sense of your full potential the more you develop awareness and choice about your habits.

And your posture will improve greatly as a result.

Interested in learning more? Book a free Discovery Session.