3 Causes Why You Ought to NOT Sit Up Straight – BodyIntelligence

Don’t sit up!

This will look like an odd assertion for me to make as a instructor of the Alexander Approach – a way identified to assist individuals with their posture.

Nevertheless, you probably have learn something I’ve written about posture earlier than it shouldn’t come as a shock.

In a earlier weblog put up I defined it like this:

To be clear, the type of posture I’m interested by is just not stiff or held, the best way so many individuals sadly consider “good posture.” It’s not about “standing up straight.” That may trigger as many issues because it solves.

It’s this concept that I need to revisit immediately.

Many research have proven the worth of getting an upright posture, what you would possibly consider as sitting or standing up straight.

Attempting to take a seat or rise up straight, nevertheless, could cause a mess of issues, due to how most of us try to make it occur. On high of that, it’s merely not true. We’re not straight, and our backbone actually isn’t straight – even once we’re at our most upright, it has stunning light, versatile curves.

Listed below are three key explanation why it’s best to NOT attempt to sit, or stand, up straight.

#1 You’re Making Your self Shorter!

Whenever you attempt to sit, or stand, up straight, you probably maintain your self stiffly into place. You aren’t even being as tall as you might be, consider it or not. Tight muscle tissues are contracted muscle tissues, so by tightening to take a seat or stand “up straight” you might be truly making your self shorter than you actually are, albeit not as quick as when you had been slumping or slouching. You might be more likely to be over-arching your again – maybe overcompensating for not slumping. In fact, if it’s over-arched, you can’t probably be as upright, or as tall, as you might be.

#2 You’re Proscribing Your Breath

Sit up now. Discover what occurs to your breath. Do you are feeling like you’ll be able to breathe freely or deeply? For those who’re like most individuals, you’ll discover that you just’re holding your breath, or that it’s harder to breathe. After we can sit in a naturally upright method, nevertheless, it’s simple to breathe.

#3 You’re Inflicting Stress, Ache and Stress

Whenever you sit up you might be inflexible and stiff. You might be utilizing extra rigidity to carry your self up, as a substitute of merely being upright naturally, the best way a younger youngster typically is. That rigidity might be uncomfortable, and over time can flip into ache in your neck, shoulders, again or hips and result in all kinds of issues. You might be additionally placing stress on your self, actually! Being upright does NOT should be this fashion.

I don’t need to discourage you from the deserves of being upright. For those who take a look at this weblog, I website many explanation why having an upright posture is necessary.

As an alternative, I counsel a distinct means for getting there. After we study to attach with our physique’s innate intelligence, we uncover a pure posture that’s upright but relaxed, balanced and fluid. Fairly than contributing to our stress, this posture helps us really feel calmer and extra assured.

We are able to study to get out of our personal method and let go of the strain that masks our pure poise.

One easy method I train my shoppers to start out addressing this, is to vary the best way they take into consideration posture and what it means to be upright.

Do this:

First attempt to sit up proper now. Discover how that feels.

Now let that go and do this as a substitute:

With out trying up, convey a delicate consciousness to the house above your head. Assume to your self, “I’m free to note the house above me.”

That is only a thought – nothing extra. There’s nothing you should do to make something occur. Merely see when you discover a change, and if that’s the case, whether or not it’s useful.

All of us reply in our personal technique to completely different phrases, so you might not have the identical response as others. Having stated that, there are methods of expressing concepts that are usually extra useful than others.

I, and lots of of my shoppers, discover this concept useful, particularly when approached with as little attachment as potential to any desired consequence. It’s a delicate, oblique technique to remind the physique that it may possibly take up more room. It’s additionally an instance of one of many “Ideas for the Day” I’ve posted in my Fb group, the BodyIntelligence Neighborhood, just lately.

I’d love to listen to the way you reply to it, too. Please let me know within the feedback beneath.

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