Posture is the way we hold ourselves when we sit and stand in stillness. In our modern day lifestyle our posture creates imbalance in our physical and emotional body. As a result of tension in the body and daily habits a person’s posture can lead to imbalance and negatively impact physical and emotional well being.
Common symptoms related to imbalance from posture include…
- Chronic pain
- Muscle imbalance
- Difficulty breathing
- Low immunity
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Sciatica
- Increased risk of disease
When the body is in proper alignment in movement and in stillness this allows the body to function optimally. However, improper posture leads to imbalance in the function of muscles, tissues, and systems of the body. Modern society promotes imbalance in the way we sit, stand and function in our daily life. Most people are sitting in cars, looking at their phones texting, or hunched over computers throughout the majority of our day with bad posture. Therefore, muscles are shortened and tightened, which leads to imbalance in posture and misalignment in the spine, pelvis, hips and and knees.
Common daily habits which affect our posture leading to imbalance
Common daily habits which affect our posture leading to imbalance include carrying bags only on one side of the body, looking at cell phones craning the cervical spine, driving, sitting in a desk chair looking at a computer screen, repetitive movement in sports and also an imbalance in mental attitudes.
Ways to help fix imbalance in posture
Ways to help fix imbalance include strengthening the core, balancing weight equally on the balls and heels of the feet and stretching tight hip flexors. Establishing a strong yoga practice is another excellent method of correcting posture that leads to imbalance. Tadasana or mountain pose is standing in an anatomical neutral position. When finding mountain pose students are encouraged to ground equally through both feet, find a neutral pelvis and spine, to roll the shoulders down the back and create length by extending through the crown of the head. Finding these elements of tadasana in every pose in yoga and also in everyday life can alleviate and perhaps fix issues caused by posture leading to imbalance.
