5 Ways to Build Better Posture in Yoga

Your posture can say a lot about your state of mind.  Check in with yours right now!  Good posture - standing tall with your shoulders down and back - can change how you feel, help you breathe easier, feel happier, more calm and less stressed, help you find more clarity, confidence and courage.  Standing tall releases serotonin in your brain!  The good stuff.

Yoga is a place to explore and improve your posture, to build awareness of it so that you will be able to notice and adjust your posture more readily.  In fact yoga poses offer you a chance to practice mindfulness in action by developing an awareness of your mind, breath, and body.  Practicing with awareness allows you to explore each pose gently and in-depth, as though you are experiencing them from the inside out.  

Here are 5 ways to build better posture…in yoga and in life.  And to practice yoga safely.

1. WEAVE A THREAD OF AWARENESS THROUGH YOUR PRACTICE
As you move through your practice, take with you a sense of exploration and awareness. While you are in any pose, stay present by scanning your awareness through your body, noticing any sensations as they arise. Notice the the different parts of the body required to move in and out of each pose and how they are connected. Notice the differences from side to side by pausing after each pose.  Don't judge the sensations. Just notice them. By noticing them, you will be experiencing each pose from a new perspective, almost as though you are experiencing them from the inside out.  This is mindfulness yoga.

2. FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN EFFORT AND EASE
In most poses (other than those that are specifically about releasing all tension, such as child's pose or savasana) you need a certain amount of muscular tension to create stability, strength and proper alignment. This is the EFFORT, found by engaging the muscles needed to hold the foundation of the pose or to maintain tall, upright posture.  We don't want to put effort where it's not needed for the particular pose, such as the jaw, the forehead, the shoulders, or arms (depending on the pose). You want to balance this intelligent effort with EASE.  You can find in the parts of your body where you don't need to create tension to hold the pose correctly.  It can be inside your body, with the easy flow of receiving and releasing of your breath. Ease can be found in a soft jaw, soft eyes, a smile.  You may not need muscular effort in your arms to create a particular pose, so keep them soft while creating a bit of tension just in the fingers.  This balance, between effort and ease, is at the very heart of the yoga practice, and it is a never-ending dance.

3. PRACTICE YOUR POSE AGAINST A WALL
I’ve found it very very helpful to practice a standing pose against a wall.  It’s a wonderful way to check whether you are properly aligned, to make sure you are not leaning forward or backward out of alignment.  It’s also a wonderful way to be supported (literally) while you are learning to do a pose that feels awkward and uncomfortable at first.  And it’s my absolute favourite way to practice Half Moon Pose.

4. STAND TALL IN MOUNTAIN POSE…ON YOUR MAT AND ANYWHERE
Mountain Pose (Tadasana) is the foundation of all standing poses.  It’s a fantastic pose to build awareness of your posture, and to practice standing tall.   It’s a place to get grounded and centred, to align with your intention.  It is often the first pose of a practice or used at intervals throughout a practice to rest and provide opportunity to notice the sensations in your body when transitioning from one pose to the next. Standing in Mountain Pose (on your mat or anywhere), you can tune into your posture, adjust so you are standing tall, lower your shoulders away from your ears, and to feel both grounded and connected to the earth and rising high to the sky - you are the bridge in Mountain Pose. Stand tall and notice how you feel. Tiny tweaks can make a big difference!

5. PRACTICE WARRIOR POSES
The Warrior Poses (Virabhadrasana) are beautiful standing poses, wonderful for exploring your posture, for feeling confident and courageous.  They are a series of poses that help develop strength, stability and stamina.  Although these poses are inspired by an ancient Hindu myth about a warrior named Virabhadra born of anger, I like to think of the Warrior as peaceful, strong and brave.  There are different variations: Warrior I, Warrior II, Warrior III, Vulnerable Warrior, Humble Warrior.  They each offer a different energy, and can teach us different things.  You can include them individually in your practice or link them together in a gentle flow.  No matter which ones you try, when you practice the Warrior Poses, you feel strong, confident, brave and ready for anything.