Move Like A Lion. Sit Like A King

Improve your endurance, conserve energy, prevent wear-and-tear arthritis, optimize respiration and look younger and more confident than you actually are. Take control of your bones because a postural mistake quickly becomes a permanent problem that results in premature aging of joints and vertebrae.

When your bones are beautifully aligned (as Nature intended) your muscles can relax. The more you slip and slump out of skeletal alignment, the harder your muscles have to work to keep you from falling into a heap.

The goal is to maintain balanced bones with alert-ready but relaxed muscles. Then you can stand, sit and move easily with minimal effort and maximum power. Picture the Masai warrior who walks great distances with effortless grace.

Skeletal re-alignment takes only a few seconds and soon becomes second nature. Watch yourself in the mirror and you will be amazed at the transformation! Start at the bottom or the foundation just as if you were putting up a tall building.

STANDING CORRECTLY

Put your feet under your hipbones and point your toes straight ahead. Balance the weight evenly between the inside and the outside edge of each foot. Do the same between the ball of each foot and the heel. Check to be sure that you have equal weight on both feet.

Unlock but don’t bend your KNEES.

Tuck your TAILBONE under you (just half inch will do).

This is a really important point so take a moment to get it right. Feel around on the top of your skull to locate the highest point. We will refer to this as the “tall spot.” While keeping the underside of your chin parallel to the floor, imagine you can attach a string from your tall spot to the ceiling. Make yourself ½ inch taller by pulling up on the imaginary string. Your tall spot is on an invisible line that runs from one ear to the other directly over the top of your head. Notice the improvement in lung capacity.

Relax your shoulders and let your arms hang loosely at your sides with thumbs in line with the side seams of your britches. At rest, your skull remains centered between your hipbones. Since your skull weighs about the same as a small bowling ball, it is wise to keep it balanced directly over your spine whenever possible.

SITTING PROPERLY

Keep your feet on the floor. Balance your weight evenly along the back of each thighbone from hip to knee. Balance your weight evenly between your right hip and your left. Elbows stay in line with your side seams and do the usual routine of tall spoT to the ceiling making you ½ inch taller. An important point with a good sitting position is never to roll back into a slump allowing your tailbone to touch the chair seat.

Notice that there is no way you can sit efficiently if your slump against the chair back or lean on your elbows on the desk or table. Imagine that you are looking at your own X-RAY and you will learn a lot!

MOVING EFFECTIVELY

Maintain good standing skeletal alignment and tense only those muscles that are absolutely necessary to get from point A to point B. Ideal placement of each step means that you touch down on the center of the heel, roll forward on the outside (little toe edge) of the foot and push off with the big joint just behind the big toe.

Pull UP with your tall-spot as you are sitting DOWN. Pull UP with your tall-spot as you descend stairs. Everything that you do to improve your posture is subtle. Tiny adjustments at strategical points are all you need.

Our discussion here has been focused on a typical body but you are, in fact, unique. Once you are better able to picture your own individual skeletal design then you will be able to make your own necessary personal adjustments.

Improved posture may feel strange to you at first because, after years or decades of abuse, your brain begins to accept “incorrect” as “normal.” Being out of balances eventually becomes your comfort zone. When the alignment and gentle upward stretch are correct, you will feel a wonderful point of balance, almost as if your were floating in space.

It’s kinda fun to notice how differently people react to you when you balance in effortless alignment. Often someone will suggest that you “sit back and relax.” Smile, because you know you are actually more relaxed than they are. Glide on!