Take a moment to just notice how you are sitting or standing, as you read this. How are you in your body? Is there any part of your system calling out for your attention? And how often do you check in to see how your body is doing?
Good posture is important for several reasons, including:
Reducing strain on muscles and joints, reducing the risk of developing musculoskeletal problems, enhancing breathing, improving circulation, boosting self-confidence, improving digestion, and enhancing athletic performance.
So, what role does yoga play?
Yoga can help to improve posture in several ways:
Increases Body Awareness
Yogic practices emphasise awareness of the body, alignment, and posture so practising yoga regularly can increase body awareness and help you identify any areas of tension or misalignment in the body that may be contributing to poor posture.
Improves Flexibility
Tight muscles can contribute to poor posture. Yoga poses such as seated forward fold, cow face pose, and camel pose can help to stretch and lengthen the muscles of the back, shoulders, and chest, resulting in improved posture.
Strengthens Core Muscles
Yoga poses, such as plank and boat pose, help to strengthen the core muscles, which are important for maintaining good posture, as they support the spine.
Promotes Spinal Alignment
Yoga poses such as mountain pose, and dandasana (staff pose) can help to promote spinal alignment, which is important for maintaining good posture.
Reduces Tension
Tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders can contribute to poor posture but yogic practices such as meditation and yoga nidra can help to reduce tension and promote relaxation in body and mind.
The takeaway
Good posture is important for maintaining health and well-being. It helps to distribute the weight of the body evenly, reducing strain on muscles and joints and, when you have good posture, your lungs have more room to expand, which can make it easier to breathe deeply and fully, which, in turn, leads to better oxygenation of the body's tissues and improved overall health, helping you feel more energised and less fatigued throughout the day.
So, it’s important to make an effort to check in and see how your posture is throughout the day, whether walking, sitting or standing, and to become aware of any habits or activities that may be contributing to poor posture.
Incorporating yogic practices into your daily routine is a really supportive way of maintaining good posture and reducing the risk of developing posture-related problems. When our body is in alignment, the quality of our life improves. Give yourself that gift!
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