By Beth Dayo

Have you ever glanced at a candid photo of you and noticed your posture for the first time? Despite our awareness of how desk and phone use impact posture, seeing it firsthand can be a shock. We may assume staying active counteracts the effects, but specific activities may be necessary.

No need to panic—now that you're aware, you can take steps to address it. 

The first step after recognizing posture issues is to reconnect with your body's sensations. The act of trying to avoid poor posture without first doing this, perpetuates the problem, as it stems from a mental concept rather than a felt understanding. This can lead to additional imbalances and patterns, and is often the cause of our bodies pain.

Rather than forcing an unnatural "good" posture, we must learn to feel our way to better posture. This requires both cognitive understanding and experiential learning. You must experience what it feels like to stand with proper alignment, releasing tensions and awakening dormant muscles.

Try this now: pause and breathe while relaxing your body away from your device. Notice the parts that soften—eyes, face, shoulders, neck, chest. These areas hold tension, influencing your posture throughout the day. With periodic conscious relaxation, you can begin softening these patterns.

The next step is practice. Your body got this way with repetition, now we need conscious repetition, aka practice. It doesn’t require major time investments or constant stiffness and holding. It just takes regular adjusting away from the posture you’ve been repeating, into a better one, and then some work to strengthen the muscles that support the better posture. It really is that simple, but the key is finding a guide who can show you what it feels like and what needs to be practiced..

By taking proactive steps to reconnect with your sensations and practice efficient alignment, you can pave the way for a healthier lifestyle. For a firsthand experience, check out my short video on efficient posture while standing.

https://youtube.com/shorts/ktftVOyNZuk

Beth Dayo has been sharing her movement expertise with the West Seattle community for the last 14 years. She utilizes Pilates, Yoga, and Meditation to facilitate transformation for clients at her new studio, Bend N Move, located at 3850A Delridge Way SW. You can connect with her on Instagram @life.in.the.body or visit www.bendnmove.com