How do you know your posture is working for you and not just a pain....?

Everyone is talking about posture or alignment and "core strength" these days, and I say Hurray!!

Now, how do we get to good alignment? and more importantly, why bother?

In August, I spent time with one of my favorite thinkers and Aston-Patterners, Richard Polichuk and his equally creative wife and co-conspirator, Lauren Christman of Crafted Touch. Richard talks about core strength being a "magic capsule". It's not just the muscles of the front and back that are working in harmony, but the way the top (diaphragm--a muscle) and bottom (pelvic floor muscles) are fitting together.  And these muscles are working because the capsule is balanced, not the other way around.
Are you sliding off the top of your "capsule" and to the left? I do.

But when I catch myself, I notice that my back isn't comfortable.  Then I notice that my mind is saying things like, "I can do this later." or "I can't think about this right now."  What happens next just fascinates the socks off me: I find myself slipping more into this negative pattern; gravity has grabbed me and is pushing me down.
It becomes even harder to do the next task, especially if I'm not very interested in it. Know the feeling??  


Here's me in my "slid off forward and to the side/ugh I don't want to sit here" alignment.  


So instead of giving myself heck, or even a pep talk about why I might want to do the task, I take a moment to do a little "sitting arcing," to find the neutral place that, as a client described recently, "goes kachunk." Suddenly, I'm stable. I can feel the ground under me holding me and pushing me up. The ick in my back is gone. My spirits rise. My energy rises. I'm not distracted by my body, but feel more like celebrating with it. My focus drifts easily to why I'm doing the task, and then I DO it. 

Here's me a minute later.  
Notice that my expression is changed. I look happier...but also be aware that it changed as my body  shifted. My shirt fits differently.

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