Posture

Being intentional about how you show up…

Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash

Posture is practiced. Very few things in life come to us “naturally”. So much of what we call “instinctive” is first learned by exposure, repetition and cemented by success. Success meaning that it works in a given context or produces the desired outcomes.

Maybe what we usually mean by “natural” is that our capabilities are suited or attuned to a particular thing — we find that we are able to do them with seemingly less demand or exertion. I think I most often hear it in reference to the lottery-like side of nature — those things which we have received due to no effort or choice on our part.

Back to the subject of posture. Generosity, openness, curiosity…these don’t come naturally to me. I have to learn them, to practice them, through intention and repetition. What about the “success” part? Should I continue to learn and practice these postures even when they are unpopular and therefore don’t really “work”? In some cases, they might even create negative results for me!

Another important question is: is posture the same thing as an image you’re trying to portray? Is it even about portrayal, or is just a way to live? Elsewhere, I have reflected on the subject of form. Form meaning how we do what we do. I think it is closely linked to posture. We need to get the form right first…even if it feels a little laboured and we feel sore. But when we get the form right, we keep putting in the reps and sets…until we’re formed.

After a while, you no longer notice your posture. It even becomes hard to correct! I think it is worth the effort and pain to get it right in the first place.