Let’s Talk Posture

Let’s talk about alignment - or “posture”.

We often have a perception that there’s only one “correct” way to hold ourselves - one idea of what “good posture” is. Usually, that looks like shoulders back, chin up, chest out. But this version of posture isn’t actually that helpful - especially if you’re a speaker.

This kind of rigid upright posture creates a lot of tension in the body, restricts your ability to breathe effectively, makes you look arrogant, and ultimately it really doesn’t serve you - in fact, it could be doing you harm.

The Withdrawal Reflex - hunched and rounded

What we want to find instead is an alignment that lives somewhere between our action reflex (that rigid, shoulders-back posture) and our withdrawal reflex (the hunched-over, closed-in posture).

If you watch the video version of this article, you will probably hear the difference in my voice when I’m in one extreme and when I’m in the other. Neither of those positions is particularly helpful - or healthful. Both impede how you breathe and negatively impact how your voice functions. This is how poor alignment can do you harm, by creating unnecessary tension, restricting your breath and voice, and making it harder to speak effectively - with optimal vocal quality.

What we want is a middle ground:

• where the shoulders feel at ease,

• the head balances easily on top of the spine,

• the pelvis is stable - like a bowl - not tipping forward or back,

• and the belly is soft.

In this space, we simply feel aligned and at ease. But it can take some time for it to feel normal, or comfortable, especially if you have been living in ineffective posture for a long time.

There are so many ways to explore and reset your alignment: yoga, Pilates, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique, Clinical Somatics - the list goes on. As a Registered Somatic Movement Educator I work with a combination of tools, depending on what my clients need to find more balance and ease when they speak.

If you’re a speaker, or someone who has to be in front of people regularly, I really encourage you to explore your alignment. It might be one of the things holding you back from your full potential.

Let me know in the comments: have you thought about your alignment before? And what movement modalities have you tried that have helped your alignment? Reach out with your questions in the comments, or contact me to inquire about training opportunities.

Watch the video version on YouTube

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