Yoga for the Hips and Shoulders:

'Good' Posture

Although we are aware of the effects of ‘bad’ posture, we often have a problem with finding a ‘good’ posture because we’ve come to associate that with tension and unnatural stiffness rather than with ease. One of the virtues of hatha yoga is that it is all about achieving a natural posture that promotes health and an ease of spirit.

It begins with an understanding that ‘good’ posture is the very opposite of stiffness and tension. Good posture is not static; it is a dynamic state of the body that involves balanced use of the muscles, ease of movement, and freedom from pain.

Of course, most of us have departed from that ideal in one way or another, and the result generally is that our body has to make a far greater effort to hold itself together in its habitual posture. The muscles harden and stiffen from the effort – particularly in the shoulders and hips – as the body works to hold itself together against the pull of gravity, and we find ourselves tight and even in pain.

For us to return to good alignment as our natural way of being, it’s not enough to know what good alignment is, since the stiffness of the overworked muscles and the weakness of the underused ones makes it difficult to maintain that posture. Our muscles need to be stretched, toned, strengthened and taught to work in a balanced way. That kind of work is what hatha yoga is all about.

next page