by Jane Torvaney, Physiotherapist, Scotland
We all know that poor posture and slouching is not good for our posture – our spine is in a poor position and at risk due to the pressure going through it, our feet tend to dangle and don’t support us. Our chins poke forward, our shoulders roll inwards, our chest and internal organs get crushed when we slouch and therefore can’t work freely. If you try this yourself you can immediately feel the impact it has on your body.
Not a very loving way to treat ourselves!
But do you ever think about how you relate to other people when you slouch? Or how others relate to you when you slouch?
Recently I was working with students who were on study leave. We were talking about stress, relaxation and self care in the lead-up to their exams. I was sharing some supportive sitting positions with them and explaining why our sitting position is important.
As I talked to the pupils, I asked them to feel and observe what was happening when I changed my position. I slid down in my chair, adopting a slouched position while I continued to talk. For me, it felt awful – not only did I lose connection with myself in a physical sense I also lost the connection I had made with the students. I could feel my expression had changed, the words I used and even the quality of my voice was affected. Sentences no longer flowed and words lost their rhythm. I had to work really hard to remain focused on what I was saying. Everything began to feel more difficult and I had a sense that if I continued like this I would soon feel like giving up.
The students in return shared that they felt uncomfortable. They began to feel a little agitated and distracted, finding it difficult to concentrate on what I was saying. One student said that it felt as if a barrier had been formed between myself and the students. Another shared that she couldn’t be bothered listening any longer.
When I corrected my posture everything adjusted and settled back again.
This simple exercise confirmed to me that the importance of posture goes far beyond the physical, as does the responsibility I have in how I choose to sit, stand and move around. It goes far beyond just taking care of myself. As I have discovered, it is actually something that can affect a whole group of people who are in my presence.
How I do these things has a two-fold impact – both on my physical body and on how I relate to others.
If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others. In turn they get to feel this and may too choose to shut off. Thus the opportunity to connect and communicate openly is diminished simply by choosing how I sit.
Likewise, if I choose to sit, stand and move gently in a way/posture that supports me and allows particularly my chest area to remain open, an opportunity to connect with others is there.
Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.
Inspired by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you’, is wowser of a statement. To me it feels you are open to anyone, it’s also saying I am here for you whether you accept or not accept what I am offering. I will not change my standards for others, and that absoluteness will remain within me…
It’s intreresting to think how our body posture affects people all of the time, even if we are not in direct communcation with them.
Our body posture may not be a direct communication but it actually is, in that it’s communicating an expression that we all can read and in that we reciprocate back.
There’s more to communication than our voices, it is in our every movement.
Body movements and their quality in particular are key communicators in how open we are and how connected we are willing to be with another and the world itself.
Slouching really is a ‘killer’ of relationships – it so does make it hard to connect to and maintain a conversation and be with a person, whether I am the one slouching or whether it’s the other person that is doing the slouching. There is something really ‘off-putting’ having a conversation with someone who is slouching as all the body signals are saying ‘go away’ or ‘I want to be left alone’.
Jane thank you for a gorgeous and simple sharing – whilst I was reading this blog I suddenly became very aware of my posture and how I was sitting, and though I was not slouching, I could feel how even the smallest corrections are now supporting me so much more to stay focused and alert. Now my challenge is to take this awareness through my day!
Henrietta the way I sit while working at the computer is something I am paying attention to. I’m finding that gentle exercise is supporting my back muscles which supports my whole body to be more erect and not slouch over the keys of the computer. Exercising has become part of my daily routine as I can feel the benefits of the movements over time have supported the core muscles of my body which has changed the way I hold myself and move completely.
If I bring a focus to my jaw often I can tell if it’s clenched or not. Letting go of my jaw can help relax my whole body as the rest follows suit. Great if in a tense moment I can bring myself out of the tension.
Jane, this is so beautifully simple and a breath of fresh air to read how the way we are with our bodies affects all of us. I would have loved this – and the understanding of what energy I am choosing to express in the way I move and hold and take care of my body – to have been taught to me when I was at school and university.
Our posture, and movements affect not only ourselves, but equally those around us, ‘If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others. In turn they get to feel this and may too choose to shut off.’
One thing I hadn’t realised about the importance of posture Jane was the impact on the organs, it makes sense that when we scrunch up the body everything is pressured physically and may be unable to work as freely.
Interesting discussion Jane, and adding to this couch potato discussion or if we potter around / become a pot head, we end up slouching as we have no purpose and claiming the space I am sitting in and feeling the purpose of this discussion has changed my posture so thank your for the inspiration.
A slouch is not natural to our body, it is a leaned pattern formed through and in reaction to our life experience. Putting the body in a placement and movement that feels natural and supportive to us is like saying ‘I will not let anything outside of me affect the way I am.’ Pretty powerful front-footing.
Wow Jane, a simple exercise that taught you all so much. I bet that ‘lesson’ stayed with you all for a long time.
When you bring in a practical example to convey a point it takes it to a whole new level.
There is so much to discover about ourselves and how we use or misuse the body, actually we could say slouching is abusing our body and then we are not yet talking, about what you’ve shared Jane, the effect on others. Connecting to our body and choosing the posture that says ‘I am here’ is the responsibility we have, towards ourselves and equally to otheres and it is actually quite simple.
Love this reminder that we are always communicating, through how we hold and move our bodies. In every moment we are reflecting a specific quality to the world.
This is true, our every movement, posture, and even breathing, is reflecting a quality and energy to the world.
This is something we are not taught but is vital to the way we communicate with ourselves and all others.
We are transmitters of energy which energy we chose to move shows in the way we move.
We can support ourselves enormously simply by becoming aware how we hold ourselves and then support ourselves in strengthening our bodies by bringing attention to these areas be it through exercise or just in the momentarily awareness that lets us already move in a different way.
I love this Jane, is it highlights the power we have access to through the way we command our bodies to be positioned. The way we hold ourselves communicates volumes as the way we choose to hold ourselves calls for a specific quality of energy to move through us even in just sitting or standing.
‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you’. Gorgeous, so simple and powerful just by bringing attention to our posture, which is how we hold truly hold ourselves.
The quality of our movements are indeed powerful, one only has to sit in a slouched way to feel the thoughts that you have as opposed to when we sit with a supportive posture the quality of thoughts are far greater. I know which way I would prefer to sit.
Its so easy to find that I / we have shut ourselves off just in the way we are moving or sitting. It may feel like the slightest nudge, but it has a terrible impact on our relationships and what we express when we are shut off like this.
The challenge I find is in maintaining awareness of our posture to the point where we can catch poor posture or poor movement sooner and sooner or earlier and earlier so it does not begin to take over.
The list of our abilities to effectively shut the body off, cutting any link with the universe and with others is as vast as the list of our abilities to remain open as a point of light.
We communicate so much through body language. Also, our posture and movements determine the quality of our expression and so everything matters.
I remember doing a similar exercise Jane and I agree with you that how we sit makes a huge difference to what we can take in. I have noticed that by the afternoon in certain meetings everyone has slumped in their chairs and you can tell from their body language they have switched off. it would be a tremendous support if lunch was kept to something light and not heavy and full of carbohydrates as the sugar in that type of food breaks down and I have observed that it can make everyone very sleepy.
It was so timely to read the heading of this blog as I was obviously slouching in my chair because as I read the words I instantly sat up straight – and then burst out laughing at my reaction. But slouching is definitely no laughing matter for as you show so clearly when we do we are mistreating so many precious parts of ourselves, so it’s no wonder we can end up with a sore neck, sore back and a sore stomach and many other sore bits. So thank you for this very practical blog, now to put your wisdom into practice.
A loving attention to posture can be a clue to the health and vitality of the body.
This is so true Heather, our body posture does communicate the state of our health both physically and mentally. I notice people who are feeling sad or depressed, their body posture is very different to say someone who is moving with joy and vitality. Also, I notice the vibration of their voice is also very different.
It can be that simple – and if feels honouring of self to be aware of how we stand, move and express, so that when any self doubt enters, we know to adjust our posture.
Posture is a powerful reflection as to whether we are in dis-regard or not of ourselves, and hence the environment we are in and the people we are with.
Change our body posture and our experience of the world changes, as does the world of us. Thank you Jane for so simply showing this.
I love the simplicity in this and how this can be observed and experienced in every day life, in fact in every movement.
Yes so true Esther and it makes you realise that there is a great depth to life that we can be living in connection to as such the power that is on offer to live in every moment.
Posture can make us even feel depressed just by the way we sit and walk. I experienced this today: every time I noticed myself dropping my shoulders I lengthened my spine again and after doing this a couple of times my deep sad, given up feeling that I had all morning was gone out of my body.
Yes, a very beautiful example, Lieke. We underestimate how powerful we are. We think we are at the mercy of how life spins, but we are not. We can determine our breath and we can determine how we hold ourselves and how we move. Being with our bodies is not just a functioning and going by the world’s demands but a conscious and loving conduction of the vehicle that carries us through life.
This is amazing Lieke, it highlights how powerful our movements are, we can either crush our joyfulness or move in a way to allow us greater access to it.
Body language is so important as it is how people read us . . .
“If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others.” or alternately I can hold myself in a way that clearly states . . . . “Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” . . . all this gets picked up by those around. Thank you Jane for reminding me just how important posture is.
I can always tell when I am feeling really well in myself as my posture becomes more upright. Given this then we can change how we feel simply by changing our posture.
Agreed Elizabeth – its not a forced thing, just that I can feel myself sitting up, paying more attention, being more present, feeling more in my body, connected more to people and what is going on outside of me.
Spot on Elizabeth – it is actually super simple to shift and change the way we feel by changingour posture or our movements. And how powerful to know this as a tool too!
In re-reading your blog Jane I am reminded that whenever I am feeling agitated, irritated or just plain messy (lost in any emotional reaction for that matter) all I have to do is consciously change my posture and the overwhelm recedes and I feel I can begin again.
How we hold and move our bodies has a huge effect on our mood, our thoughts and our energy levels. So simple but it works everytime – move in a different way and feel the shift.
Its amazing how I always seem to come upon this blog when I am slouching ! Thank you so much Jane Torvaney for being at my back and reminding me yet again to sit up and feel the beautiful curve of the spine in its natural position, returning and the vitality and clarity returning.
How we hold our body speaks volumes. Change your posture and you will immediately feel an overall change in your body, and how you feel about yourself and others.
It’s so easy to write this off as ‘good posture – good impression; bad posture – bad impression’ but the depth you are bringing to this reveal its profound science and it really fascinates me how much we communicate through the movement of our entire body, and because we all have a physical body, there is constant communication and interaction between each and every body.
What a great example of the fact, and confirmed by these students, that when we are in disregard of how we are sitting or standing the energy that is reflected to those in front of us has an “I don’t care” energy in it. But in stark contrast when we are very conscious of our posture, sitting or standing in a way that lovingly supports us, we are saying “I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you”.
Our bodies are constantly communicating, every movement we make is clocked by others, it is far more powerful to move in a way that supports our bodies to be more present and open to others.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you” . . . so very true! So what are we saying when we are slouching? Our body never lies.
It was an interesting observation that when you compromised your own posture Jane it made the students feel agitated and distracted and they struggled to concentrate on what you were saying. This made me wonder how often in our day when we rush and compromise our own posture just how much it is affecting not only ourselves but others equally.
Sitting in a loving and honouring posture is so simple and lovely to do but honouring our body is not something we are all generally good with as shown by our relationship with alcohol and how we keep drinking even after proclaiming the next day with a hang over that we would never do so again. Feels like there is more going on here than meets the eye
A simple demonstration in how we hold ourselves is reflected in how open and connected we feel and also how we are felt by others.
It truly is amazing to consider that each and every movement we make reflects how we feel about ourselves and how open we are to the world also. I love exploring my movements and find even the smallest shift, like the way my feet are positioned or how I hold my pen can make a huge difference for how I feel and it’s amazing what our senses and awareness share with us too when we explore our bodies in this way.
Knowing we need to have good posture and actually feeling what ‘good posture’ is from our bodies are two completely different things. I loved that you introduced feeling the effect of posture on the students themselves and how this affects other people. This is not something we consider normally but it’s happening and affecting us all the time.
I can remember my Nanna being particularly insistent that as children we maintain a good posture. As a child I was not ready or willing to listen to her wisdom, thinking that what she offered was ‘out of date’ as no one was holding their bodies as Nanna did that was my age. I now wish that I had have honoured her wisdom for it held much more than I gave it credit for at the time.
I totally agree Jane, when my family and I sit down for a family meeting, if one child decides to lay down or is sitting in a very slouchy manner, the group gets affected. We always make sure that our bodies are ready to listen and receive and it is very obvious when one of us cuts off from the group, as it is clear in the way we are sitting.
Such a simple example but such a powerful lesson of the power of posture, or you could say the consequences of any movement in our body. And how wonderful that your students were so aware of what was happening to them as a result of how you were moving; a lesson that if lived has the power to change so much in their/our lives. It comes down to the fact that everything, including movement, is energy and therefore there is always an energetic consequence to how we move and that consequence is our responsibility.
Body awareness is the way through which we can tap into our innate multidimensionality within, where we can let go of individuality and express that, which is from heaven.
I was at a presentation yesterday that presented Esoteric Yoga, in a chair, it isalso called the yoga of stillness and I could feel in the stop of the stillness I hadn’t been fully embracing how my body could naturally adjust. It was interesting to observe how taking the time to stop and observe our own posture how we naturally want to adjust and it requires no difficult thought processes, it is quite innate. It need not be an over correction, but a simple lifting of our body posture to allow more care in how we sit. It is all about the awareness we bring to our bodies, all of the time, no perfection, just being open to allowing that our bodies do know best and just need to allow through that awareness to constantly adjust to the most supportive posture. Simple but very profound.
We communicate so much through the quality of our movements, for it exposes the truth of what we have chosen to align to wether it is that from love or not.
It’s amazing how much we can observe when we explore our movements and how they in turn propel us forward with purpose or hold us back in protection. When we even change our movements slightly it is so beautiful to see what we learn and unfold in the process. Movement is the breath of life and can support us to be ourselves in full everyday.
“the importance of posture goes far beyond the physical, as does the responsibility I have in how I choose to sit, stand and move around. It goes far beyond just taking care of myself.” It’s pretty amazing to open up to the responsibility we have for the quality of our movements. We get to feel that it affects not only us, the people in out presence and the rest of humanity, but everything everywhere, on the planet and to the farthest parts of the ever-expanding universe. Slouching anyone? 😉
Not long before I read this article I was playing around with my posture and so a timely read. I agree and this is something we all know. I remember at school the ‘sit up straight’ call was very deliberate and while it felt at times like a concentration camp the message though twisted was similar. When you are truly holding yourself, you are more open to hear and truly see what’s in front of you. It’s not that you should hold yourself up or push yourself to being a certain way but more be aware of how you feel and what your thoughts are when you have yourself sitting or standing in certain situations or your body in certain configurations. Checking in with your body isn’t a now and then thing but more a constant feeling of how you are feeling and appreciating whatever comes next.
Ray if we only check in with our body now and then, then, what is moving our bodies when we are not present with it? We are not taught about energy, that there are only two types of energy that exist and how we are the transmitters of either energy. Even though I have been listening to the many presentations on energy by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for 15 years there is still so much to appreciate and to understand about energy and what energy I am choosing and how this not only affects me but everyone around me.
Such a great blog Jane. It says so much and you have said it all so simply. It is amazing how when we connect to our true essence that life just flows, there isn’t a push or drive, when we follow an impulse and take action from there, it creates the space for all to love ourselves and others.
Through the awareness of our bodies and the way we express ourselves we have the ability to communicate more than what we fathom to understand, it is our responsibility to hold a certain quality of movement in order for our soul to work through us for the good of all.
A beautiful blog – reminding me of the way I sit, walk, and hold myself steady when I stand. It means a lot what you share – as it reveals that we are so much more than what we think we are, and that with how we use our body a lot is communicated and transferred. So it makes sense that in fact we have a responsibility how to be in our vehicle(body) and how we treat it – as our presence has a grand effect in and on our surrounding.
A change in posture can completely change the course of our lives but it is why we chose to move and hold ourselves differently that really counts. If we change our posture to ‘put on a confident front’ others will feel this disconnection. If we choose to adjust our posture to support our bodies and connect to the people we share life with this will also be felt.
What I got so clearly from reading this today, is how much is exchanged between people without us being aware, and then when we bring our awareness to it, we see how much we are actually feeling. That interaction between you and the students of slouching/non-slouching, happens all the time and we would all be feeling the lack of connection and presence/and then the connection and presence, but we dont take the take – like you did – to bring our awareness to it.
Each time I read this article I am reminded of the responsibility we all have to support our bodies so we can hold them in the expanded way they require, to not only function with ease, but to bring an energy of presence to our world.
Wow Jane this is beautiful. As a teenager I remember adults angrily reacting to my slouchy ways and this only made me want to slouch more! If someone explained things the way you have here I feel it would have made a big difference.
It is great to hear about the responsibility we each hold in supporting ourselves we naturally support others whether it be our posture or just simple being aware and continually making this choice.
Thank you for sharing Jane – a simple, profound and proven teaching.
What a great example to show your students that how we position our body, how we move has a big impact on those around us, ‘If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others. In turn they get to feel this and may too choose to shut off. Thus the opportunity to connect and communicate openly is diminished simply by choosing how I sit.’
I agree posture has a massive impact on how we feel and express. Knowing how many people have poor posture this is a very interesting study to make more broadly available, it might just solve some of the communication issues we have with each other. And it goes beyond sitting, it is also about walking, standing, sleeping… everything really!
So true Lieke. The way we hold ourselves and move is a powerful communication that says more than any words can.
I know how it feels when I slouch, I loose focus on what I’m doing, I feel sleepy and I don’t comprehend what I’m reading… same goes for when someone else is slouching I feel a disconnection between us.
A great sharing thank you Jane, our posture and movements do affect ourselves and everyone else, which brings responsibility to ourselves in how we move and hold our body.
Jane, thank you for the great reminder about how important posture is, because not only does our posture affect ourselves, it also affects those we are with when we allow our posture to slip into a slouch, because we are switching off from ourselves and those around us.
What a powerful example of the power each and every one of our movements have.
I love the link you’ve uncovered between posture and our relationships; we communicate with our body all the time, and body position is one of the easiest things to read about everyone in the world.
It is Susie, we all know acutely by someone’s body language whether they are open or closed to connecting.
Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you. Wow, through our posture we communicate so much, especially the truth of who we are and in that how much we can hold another. Gorgeous reminder.
I am constantly adjusting my posture. I seem to ease back into a slouch every five minutes or so. In order to sit up straight it does require strength in certain areas and I am doing some abs work at the moment to see if it will support a weakness in my back that does get very achy. I agree that the way we hold our bodies, whether sitting, standing or walking has a big impact on us and the people around.
Sometimes when I am at work, I find myself feeling quite uncomfortable in my chair. My legs might be crossed, or I might be sitting slightly off from the computer screen and I might feel a twist in my back etc. I wonder how this happens. It feels like an indication of me slowly losing connection with myself while working and ending up putting my own body in a compromising position. Something worth observing.
Wow Jane, awesome blog. The example you shared is great. It really highlight the importance of being present with our body, check our posture and be aware of how we express also affect others. Our posture and the way we move is a form of expression, so it makes sense that our verbal express is affected by our physical expression, it’s all connected.
In connection we are all looking for presence. Presence between ourselves and others is the glue of connection, we need not do anything, yet presence is felt and it inspires openness.
Building awareness of our posture and the effects on self and others is so important for it has a huge impact on the relationship that is there – whether there is openness or whether we are shutting someone out, everything is felt and responded to accordingly. Once aware of the choices we can use our movement and posture to shift any unwanted energy and completely change what is happening. To carry ourselves in love, holding integrity and responsibility in all movements is an amazing way to live.
This is such an awesome example of how “poor posture” affects not only us but those around us. And it sure was a most important lesson for not only the students but for you as well; a most valuable snippet of wisdom for you and them to take into everyday life. It is has certainly been a most timely reminder for me too.
Absolutely Ingrid, I am inspired too by Jane’s blog to consistently check my posture throughout my day. It would most definitely make a huge difference to the quality of my day.
Such a simple and powerful example of the power and reflection of our movements in our bodies for us and all around us.
Makes me wonder why posture is not held as of just the same importance to the “big” topics we learn in life like science, physics, business or even the simple sending of an email. If our posture effects the quality of the end result then surely it is wise to bring quality of presence as a foundation for all these other aspects of life?
Our body and it’s movements communicate everything, sometimes our words match that but often they do not. So really what this reveals is that we may well be listening to what someone is saying but even before this, we are reading their body and it’s movements and we are observing if someone is ‘walking their talk’ so to speak. The said thing here is that often we do realise this and we allow the words spoken to take precedence because it may be what we want to hear. But really we end up falling for the worlds greatest sales con rather than discerning everything.
“it is actually something that can affect a whole group of people who are in my presence.” I’d go so far as to say it affects even those who are not in our presence, for every movement we make is felt by the All, both one this planet and to the farthest reaches of the ever-expanding universes. No pressure! 😉
mmmm great to consider all of this. I know I have experienced it but thought I didnt do it any more, only to find myself aware of slouching as I read your description and self-corrected my body position! We are forever students of our own bodies!
You raise some really great points in this blog Jane about posture and slouching, I know when I slouch the type of thoughts I have are very different to the quality of my thoughts when I sit or stand in a supportive posture and I agree we are far more open and accessible to others when we choose this way.
It is, actually, this simple isn’t it Jane… I offer similar reflections to clients and students all of the time – and have not found a single person who doesn’t relate to what you’ve shared here.
If I speak with you and I am slouched, and/or my head is turned to the side/slightly up or down, for example – you don’t have the opportunity to receive all of who I am… and this is always felt. Our posture reveals reams about our relationship with ourselves, and our willingness to truly express who we are and let others in. The simplest of adjustments, when we are aware, makes a tremendous difference.
We are communicating far, far more with our body movements and the angles of our posture than we are with our words – this is worth paying heed to consciously, both in relation to ourselves and our own expression, and through that which we are constantly receiving and observing from others. Beautiful observations and sharing here Jane, thank-you.
Thank you Jane, I had not considered how slouching puts pressure on and crushes the organs. Lots to explore here regarding posture.
This blog gives me a moment to stop. If something as simple as our posture can make such a huge difference in how we communicate, what else in life are we choosing that reflects either our openness and willingness to connect with the world, or not. Maybe how we dress, what we wear, how we walk, how we drive, how we clean our teeth. My feeling is that if we do anything in life without first being connected to our quality we leave ourselves, and everyone else short of seeing and feeling the magnificence we all have to share.
I too have come to understand the importance of posture. In only a few minutes I can go from feeling average to truly feeling beautiful and whole just by the way that I stand. This is the beauty of being in and with the body.
The change in your relationship with the students as your posture changed is very confirming to me that everything is energy, and that we can manipulate and are in fact masters at manipulating it because there is the choice to simply not sit properly which can affect the flow of communication / energy throughout the whole room. Showing the great responsibility for eachother that we all have and can simply apply just by choosing to take care of our bodies.
I have noticed that it’s often my attitude to something that can lead to a change in posture and then I can get drained and become very tired. Changing my posture, eg sitting up, not dragging my feet or not slumping in my lumbar region when walking has a very powerful effect and I have experienced that it also changes my mood.
Its such a great and simple exercise to try out, and how quickly we can loose connection just by slouching in the chair and give the impression we do not care.
I particularly like this blog and the truth of it which I have found is easily verifiable having tried it myself.
It is probably easier to talk to someone who is open in their body language than one who is more closed. I certainly got the feeling reading this how important it is to be open in how I move, not just in how I sit or stand in my posture. Thanks Jane, for an awesome share.
Thanks Jane, such a simple thing to be aware of on a daily basis, especially how our posture and movement effects all around us, including ourselves.
Thank you Jane, I had not considered the energetic responsibility to self and others from taking care of my posture. I plan to experiment with this over the next week or so and feel the difference.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” What a beautiful lesson not only for the students who were sharing this day with you, but for me and everyone else who reads this very inspirational blog. For others to feel that we are with them 100% when we are in their presence is such a gift; a gift that is actually everyday normal and not just for special occasions.
What an awesome exercise to do! I feel every teacher should do this with their students and have a discussion around it, it is something that is really tangible and can be felt and as you say affects us all.
Communication is not limited to the words we say – it’s how we say them, how we move, how we care for our body and what hurts we maybe holding onto. Everything is being communicated through our bodies and nothing is hidden, even if we think we can hide. The way we walk and sit or stand is saying it all.
This tells us everything – everything we are not, and everything we are – simply when we change our movement/posture. This quote carries it all: ‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.’
Thank you for sharing.
The way we move our body communicates so much. It’s amazing how a tiny adjustment of how we move our body can bring much change in the way we feel about ourselves and others.
This is such a good reminder of how much our posture and the way we move affects us not just physically but energetically too – I love your example of the change in how you and your class students felt as you slouched and sat up.
Posture and movement communicate more then we may appreciate. The experiment with your students Jane is evidence of the power in our movements, and whether we react or respond. It affects our ability to connect with one another and also the thoughts that flow through us.
Thank you Jane for bringing this to our awareness. We are constantly communicating to each other and not only through words. What is far more revealing is the way we move. Through our movements we can feel the quality of that which we have surrendered to. Have we given up or are we engaged in life, are we confident with who we are or do we lack self-worth, are we forcing our way through life and onto people or are we allowing and open? Our movements, if we are willing to observe, reveal to us the degree of truth we chose to live with, offering us the opportunity to make changes to embrace and live more of who we are, with all that we are with. As it is through our movements that we can return to bring and live our truth in any given moment.
The moment I started reading this I was aware of my posture and immediately corrected it. What a bad habit to slump…and it’s incredible how a slight change in position can open you up to being so much more present. Blows me away every time.
Jane, this is really helpful to read, ‘Likewise, if I choose to sit, stand and move gently in a way/posture that supports me and allows particularly my chest area to remain open, an opportunity to connect with others is there.’ I have been much more aware of my posture recently, I have noticed that sitting at a computer I can tend to lean in, which doesn’t feel good for my back, my chest or for my connection with myself, so when I feel this happening I am bringing myself back to sitting upright, I then notice how I am much more confident in myself, clear and my body feels good, not achy or strained.
This is the type of science experiment that brings forward a known truth. Let’s apply more experimentation to our choices and honestly evaluate the results. If we did so our inner knowing would reignite, simply because we are offering ourselves a choice. That choice? To be honest.
Wow Jane, I have always known and appreciated the importance of good posture but did not join the dots that our posture could and, indeed, would actually impact on others.
This is a profound reminder of the power of posture… and of choosing to take responsibility for our expression through consciously focusing on allowing our body to be the foundation that will support this best. As you have shown the impact or blessing is undeniable depending on what we choose.
Simple yet incredibly profound. I am extremely short and my feet almost never touch the ground. I often find myself slouching and I can feel that I use the fact that nothing is built for my height as an excuse. Your blog reminds me that my posture is my responsibility and I feel inspired to start paying more attention to it and to play with different ways I can physically support myself.
It makes absolute sense to me that the more open and solid we are in our posture and movements, the more open and solid we are in our connection with ourselves and all others equally.
Yes, it is so logical isn’t it – time to ensure we put it into practice to inspire others to do the same!
And I’m totally with you on that one – I feel that when I slouch, and it can be super subtle, I feel a bit more withdrawn and not really “there”. And also it can be a way to hide our true selves and a true presence.
Posture is a great reflection of ones lived way.
Mmm fascinating Jane, I will investigate this further as I can completely see how this is the case with my engagement but had not expected it to affect others as well, but it makes perfect sense.
It is amazing how we are able by manipulating our posture to influence our presence not only with ourselves but also with the people we are with. Bringing more awareness to this aspect of our humanly lives brings back a responsibility to who we naturally are and with that presence can contribute to the good in our world.
The way we move and position our body can either be in accordance with the Universal order we belong to, or it can oppose it. What this means is that our bodies belong to a geometry that speaks a harmony and symmetry we each know to the depths of our being. Choosing to move counter to this harmony, although very common, is very unnatural and therefore strikes a note of discord that is deeply felt by us all whether we choose to be consciously aware of it or not.
Sure we know this very well but comfortably move our bodies in such a way that makes us unconscious about this fact which make it possible to live our self created lives in disharmony with the order to which we belong.
Wow, how powerful we are in our movement and how great an impact we have on others and our own body, in the choice we make to hold our body in. I have been finding in myself that the straighter the back the more open and connected I am to myself and for energy to flow through me. But also open to receiving energy.
Geometry matters for expression. So, how we hold ourselves and how that affects our relationships with others is key.
That every angle of our movement is either in harmony or not in its reflection is amazing to feel. As Jane has shared it is our responsibility to be aware of this and the affect we have on each other. We are expressing far more that in our words alone.
I love this Jane, the simple act of how we position our body affects our relationships with others, and your experiment proved beyond doubt the importance of holding good posture. What I am learning through connective tissue exercises with Kate Greenaway is that this holding of good posture is not a hard straightening up, just a gentle alignment with how our bodies are naturally made to be, by staying open through the chest and heart and being tender in how I move. Quite a change from the unforgiving patterns of movement I had adopted through my life before coming to the work of Universal Medicine.
I often get students when I am teaching them to slouch but I haven’t taken it to the level you share here with the impact on how they feel if I were to be slouching, I will give that a go. I find it fascinating that how we are sitting, standing will impact how we feel.
Slouching feels as such a disregarding behaviour and often it is accompanied by an indifference especially in classrooms where students show their lack of interest in this way and cover up how they feel not met by the teacher.
Everyone feels everything – a point well described in your description of the students remarks
The way in which we move our body has the power to change everything.
This is a great revelation Jane and so simple to try out for oneself, who would have thought that when we slouch with the idea to give ourselves a break and take it easy, we actually give ourselves a hard time.
The wisdom of this blog offers us a way of being that not only honours ourselves, but all those we are in contact with. The way we hold and move our body reflects who we are for the world.
Thank you Jane, this is a great, very real example of how the way we use our body has an impact on the way we express ourselves, as well as the quality of relationship we then can form with others.
Jane the first thing I did while reading your awesome blog was to bring myself in a good sitting position – I only can agree that: “Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.”
Me too Ester! The power of these words are in the lived actions of this writer.
I find this amazing Jane but it does make so much sense, in that how we hold ourselves affects the way we reflect to others.
Thank you for this sharing Jane, it really brings home the responsibility we have for our every choice, as it does affect All
I love this Jane, you explain such practical simple step we can take to communicate better with one another. Posture often creates this military style response where we observe someone rigidly correct their posture, yet great posture is easy and relaxed and great to be around. I have had a few problems with my own posture through the years and I have learnt that correcting bad posture has a huge effect on my state of wellness and how I feel about myself. Its definitely an important part of our wellbeing.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” These are true and powerful words Jane, there is no doubt that through our posture and movements we are conveying to the world how we truly feel.
Great to re-read your post Jane. “Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” So much more powerful than slouching and thus keeping oneself small and away from truly interacting with people.
I think it’s great Jane how you shared the responsibility that we all have with our posture – that it’s more than just about us and how we feel (as important as that is) because we are always affecting everyone around us as well…
Everything about slouching communicates “I don’t care” – about ourselves for sure, if not others as well. I struck me that slouching would take just as much energy as good posture (if not more energy), yet it can be our default even though it’s harmful for the body and its structure – interesting. I am working on posture and conscious presence at the moment and notice how much more bright I feel in myself and positive when my posture is good and I take care of my body.
How beautiful for those students to get that sort of practical and tangible sense of the extent posture can change our expression
And what a gift this is – “through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.”
And the beauty is others feel that presence and connection with you and it lifts them also.
I love the link that posture can be presence – what a relevant association and I can feel how it is true for my body – getting lazy and not sitting correctly makes me tired – but when I am with myself – respecting the position of my body, then I am saying i am responsible for a posture that keeps me connected.
It never fails to amaze me how much my feelings and thoughts change when I keep my spine straight. It really is one of those instant things that we can do to support our well-being.
A ‘poor`posture is actually a poor posture or attitude towards life, avoiding the responsibility of being all the glory and love that we are, shining it out to the world, inspiring others to be the same – hence it is so ‘comfortable’ and laid back (from purposefully engaging with life).
Great example of the fact that everything is communication and expression, that everything we do relates not only to our self but everyone equally. The physical posture reveals the inner or energetic posture of a person, ie the quality of relationship we have towards self and life. The key is to understand that by changing the outer posture or movement the inner will adjust and vice versa. It is our choice and responsibility to feel the way we feel and communicate.
It is powerful to feel the reflection we offer others around us through the quality of our movements, more than words or actions it is through movement that we offer true inspiration to all.
How I posture myself in life makes and selects my view and options of communication. We express all of the time and the question is: what message do I tell by slouching? With this word immediately the picture rise in me of a teenager who shows his lack of interest. It is a posture of rebellion, shouting down from what is around, being different, withdrawn. But where do we go with this? If we do not like what is around us we should change it. We are called to stand up (or sit up 😉 ).
I really do love how even the simplest and most delicate adjustment in posture can affect the way that I feel… I experiment with this all the time …walking, sitting, listening … it’s like having an instrument to experiment with fine tuning all the time.
I remember my mother often telling me to sit up straight, and put my shoulders back, in hindsight I think she was seeing the unhappy teenager I had become. Our body and the way we move communicates a lot to people.
Jane. A great practical lesson for life that you shared with the students. Probably of more enduring value than all the book learning they were stressing over.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” this is beautiful how our body can be open and welcoming or closed and shut done. Our posture says a lot. I know when I have felt closed and shut down,I would sit slouching all the time and when I walked my head would be down and my shoulders curled in, shutting the world out. Now when walk or sit with a straight back it feels complete beautiful in my body and I open to the world.
It is quite extraordinary how much the way we are is noticed by those around us. We might think we are in our own little worlds, but people notice us, and the way we hold our body, the ease or joy in it every day.
The movements of our body reflect more to the world than we understand.
Very interesting how something as simple as your posture can affect not just you, but all the other people in the room. There are indisputable ripples from how we behave and how we are that affect the people and environment around us all the time… and as such that means we are responsible all of the time for what we say, do and even think.
Yes and also saying I am here, present with myself and caring and enjoying myself. Then what I am reflecting in saying I am worth being with, is that you are also worth being with and giving full attention and care to. It is really wonderful how that truth we are all connected and from a one harmonious whole, is mirrored in every gesture and word whether we are choosing to be aware of it at that moment, or not.
Thank you Jane for an awesome blog, whilst reading this I became aware of my posture and how slouched I was and how this was adding to my feeling of tiredness. Correcting my posture I can feel a lightness in my body I am more expanded and there is an openness in me to commit more to what is needed – it is amazing that a simple adjustment to our posture can be such a game changer and can support us and allow us to bring a different quality to everything we do.
Jane I really like the simple things that make such a dramatic difference to our quality of interactions with ourselves and others. Thank you for sharing this. Keep things simple. I like this.
Your blog talks about your posture when with other people. This morning I brought a desktop monitor for my computer. Meaning that I now look forward with a straight neck, when I am working, communicating, expressing – rather than down at the screen on my laptop. Even within these few hours I can feel a marked difference – I feel like I am in life, rather than ‘head-down’ in work mode. Posture is purpose.
It’s true what you say here Jane. I had an example recently when a sales person came towards me and I really noticed how slouched over they were and I found it quite hard to talk with them about what I was looking for. I could feel myself just wanting them to straighten up and give more of an indication that they were interested in listening to me. Eventually I went to a different salesperson because I felt so uncomfortable with this person. It really highlighted to me the importance of posture and openness when we are in contact with others. Your blog is a lovely added reminder – thank you.
How I hold my body is the measure of the love I feel for me inside and this emanates out to everyone. When I am not feeling good about myself I want to hide my light and a slouched posture helps me to do this. Our bodies communicate all!
Our bodies are just as communicative as our voice and how our body presents will determine the quality that comes from voice
I’ve done the exercise you describe here Jane with a group before and their response to it was amazing. It was so clearly felt that when we slouch the whole world feels horrible and life not worth living almost. It is very difficult to engage with someone when they are slouching. Which goes to show how important our responsibility is to choose to care for our bodies and move and express with an openness in our posture.
Posture is a great reminder of the level of responsibility were are willing to take when we work and interact with others. Working with students I see this everyday.
Thank you Jane, it’s super easy to see this when you are talking with another or with students at school. Often body language says it all and communicates so much. When reading the first paragraph as you highlighted what it’s doing in the body, I just had to change my posture!
I have always loved this blog and have tested the wisdom in it as an experiment often. I have found without fail that when my posture is even slightly slumped or closed in/off I am cut off from myself first and then that also affects the way I feel and my connection with others. I am a lot more open across my chest and shoulders now and it is reflected in the openness of myself with others, ‘letting love in and letting love out’ as they say.
Thank you Jane for sharing all the ways our posture effects what we express and how it is expressed but how it is received by those we are conversing with. I have noticed i am in a certain posture when I talk with an elderly friend, I will be much more conscious of how I am sitting and the effect it may have on us. Powerful words thank you Jane “Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.”
This a really interesting experiment, lately as I let go more and let people in my posture has changed, my shoulders have opened up and I can feel the way I am expressing is a lot more open.
Hi Jane – what a simple way to change any situation or any time we are feeling detached or distracted from what is happening. This on/off switch could be applied to all most anything and the quality we will feel in our body by just shifting positions has the potential to deepen and expand our lives greatly. The body is our true source of wisdom – after practicing this example and feeling the outcome – this body’s wisdom can no longer be over-looked.
A great example of the responsibility we have for all our actions, deeds and movements, given everything affects everything.
Our bodies are pivotal in expression and the way we hold ourselves will determine the quality of connection with others
Thank you Jane, I love what you’ve shared here – its implications are huge really! It really brings home how the way we are is never just about us but has an effect on everyone.
Having grown up with the constant extortion to sit up straight ringing in my ears and my reaction being to slouch even more in rebellion it is so awesome to read of how you gave such a physical demonstration of the impact of this to the students and how they then shared how it affected them. So much more powerful than just telling someone what to do. Thank you for sharing and opening our eyes to the responsibility we all have to open up our communication by opening up our bodies and supporting them to stand/sit tall so we can be fully present with ourselves and others.
I love the feel of the kind of interactive class you were having with students. This seems so much fun and is the true way forward in education. It is often that there is a lot of knowledge delivered yet the connection between the class and the teacher is nearly absent. This is due to both the teacher and the students attitude but I am for sure inspired to connect in the same way.
Yes Lieke the value of knowledge is much enhanced when delivered after connection has been established and as you say encouraging this open interactivity is much more enjoyable and productive and ‘the true way forward in education’.
Thank you Jane I really enjoyed reading your blog again, it was amazing to read how changing your posture had such a great effect not just on you, but also on your students. I will be much more aware of how my posture is when speaking with people, our body language speaks volumes.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” So simple Jane yet so profound. If Im feeling out of sorts changing the way I am moving is key to changing my outlook!
Just goes to show that everything matters, everything communicates and everthing either connects or disconnects. Guess who just sat up in her chair!
Thank you Jane – I was doing exactly that – slouching on the couch, feeling quite tired. I opened up your blog and sat myself up – adjusted the cushions, felt my feet on the floor and felt my energy immediately lift. Seriously. And now I’ll read the rest of your blog. -:)
Thank you Jane for a great blog,I am amazed at the power we hold in our posture, whether we are holding ourselves in love or in rejection, and the effect this has on others. Changing posture, changes our moods.
No wonder Teachers often asked us to sit up straight and focus on the lesson . What a difference it makes to how focused and attentive we are and what we take in and observe. Thank you Jane for bringing this to our attention.
This is such a simple and powerful reminder of how our posture can affect not only us but also the people around us. I attended a Universal Medicine presentation recently where I had a conscious effort to keep my posture quite straight that supported me to stay more present and not to drift off at all.
I enjoy coming back to this blog because it makes such simple sense and is very practical. Recently I have noticed that if I feel uncomfortable or aching there has been a habit of shutting down my chest to not feel whatever it is I am choosing to avoid, but opening up my chest clears the feeling much faster and doesn’t have the added numb factor to remove first. What really stood out for me while reading this was when one of the students mentioned that due to your slouching she felt less inclined to listen. This makes me question my own engagements with others based on the energy they are putting out and the energy I choose to hold myself in. With an open heart I am more willing to face uncomfortable feelings from myself – then it makes sense that this openness can be applied when faced with another’s choices of how they hold their body. We can choose to be open regardless of what we feel, this has been presented by Universal Medicine endlessly but this example is something very practical. Thank you Jane.
It is fascinating to consider why we slouch in the first place when it is not natural for us to do so and we generally would not do this when we were much younger. I have often found that it is the ‘weight’ of all the ideals and beliefs I have held around work and life and the posture is simply a reflection of that
Jane this was awesome to read. Super simple in your explanation but I can totally feel and see from your blog, and my own experience, how slouching has an effect on how we interact with another. This bit stopped me for a seccond though “internal organs get crushed when we slouch and therefore can’t work freely. ” this makes so much sense but I ever thought of it like that before.
It is so true, our posture has a great effect on our connection with ourself and in turn with others. I have been aware of this for some time, but still sometimes choose to slouch, which I feel is a deliberate choice to not connect to my amazingness, and feel that I am so much more than I am often living.
Jane I love the way you brought this awareness to the students. It is so simple to present these potentially life changing skills to the young! It was also a great reminder for me today to be body aware.
Same. An awesome body awareness reminder for me too.
What a superbe blog, thank you Jane for sharing such sound body awareness – a simple way to reconnect with our body, the Divine kingdom within and in connection with people around us. Posture, what a great way to reconnect!
I recently realised how much more we communicate through our posture before we communicate verbally. Its actually a huge responsibility to communicate correctly and lovingly
So true Joshua… We are constantly expressing and presenting ourselves through our body language and how we choose to look. Every minute of every day we are saying something.
That means hiding and going into our own worlds to not communicate is still communicating something even if we don’t like to admit it
So true Joshua, we are communicating something 100% of the time. Even if we think we are holding our tongues or what not. still expressing, presenting and communicating something.
Sometimes Emily, the silence communicates far more than any words can say. In the silence we get to feel really what is being expressed energetically
Your blog timely reminded me that my posture requires my full attention every second of the day. It is not just about me but also about what others miss out on when I don’t.
I love that- what others miss out on when I don’t.
‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.’ ‘If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others. In turn they get to feel this and may too choose to shut off.’ Your demonstration to the students is a brilliant way to get the message across. Theory is so much more powerful when you have a chance to experience what is communicated.
‘If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others. In turn they get to feel this and may too choose to shut off. Thus the opportunity to connect and communicate openly is diminished simply by choosing how I sit.’ I am not working in an office myself but someone shared with me how many people slouch behind their desk and sometimes I witness it myself when I visit an office. It is as if they are all saying I don’t want to be here. How different would it be when they would support themselves with their posture. The office would come alive with everyone in it and visiting.
“But do you ever think about how you relate to other people when you slouch? Or how others relate to you when you slouch?” Great questions and yes I do, but not consistently. However after reading your blog I will bring a greater level of presence, awareness and consistency. Thank you Jane.
This simple demonstration is a powerful reminder of the effect our body position has on ourselves, and what it communicates to those around us.
“Through my posture I am saying, I am here, I am present and I am with you.” Love that line. It clearly shows the responsibility we have with our movements. We are present or shut down. I have a tendency to have my shoulders hanging forward. I can physically feel how it makes me small. When I feel it and change my shoulders in their natural pose, I can feel the difference just for me with me. It is like ‘hey, here I am again, present with myself!’
Yes everything (and it’s clear from this blog that everything) we do has an effect. Even our posture. Allowing us to connect and be open…. Or, not. I love that line also.
For the past few years it has been posture, posture, posture for me, not because I necessarily had a problem with my posture but because of the difference I have felt in how my thoughts are from supporting my posture to how it is for me when I stand or sit either slouching, unbalanced, on an angle, or awkwardly. I notice with negative thoughts my posture is unsupported but if I sit or stand up and support my posture I can’t have the same thoughts. I just can’t hold them.
Thank you Elizabeth for your observations, which has been my own findings with posture for some time now. This should be studied – could you imagine the productivity at work alone and how people interact with each other, along with the benefits to mental and physical health, it would blow everything we know about posture out of the water.
We tend to only think of the impact on ourselves (a bit self centred i know) but the affect on others is very interesting to read. Not only do we disconnect from them (and they feel it), but we are also encouraging this behaviour, or normalising it, for everyone else.
There is that moment of choice… feeling a bit weary, and then start to slouch down into the chair. I faced this many times, but the difference is in realising there is a choice. It does not mean you have to force yourself into the upright, just noticing the choice. It may be time to get up and walk around a bit, take a break, or finish up for the day. All these are equally available if we just remember to keep conscious of how we are feeling, and that the choice is ours to make.
Well said Simon this moment of choice is great to be aware of and how loving it is for our bodies to act on that which it is truly asking for.
Love it Jane, I wish I had read this and understood it many years ago when I was at school. I slouched my way through my entire school years. I had a very strict and disciplinary Latin teacher once who would not stand for a slouch and funnily enough it wasn’t my favourite subject but I got my highest marks in this subject. Could this be solely down to not getting away with the slouch?
Thank you for this eye-opener on the responsibility I have to others never mind myself, simply by the way I hold and present my body. It just goes to show that everything matters. Everything.
I am much more aware of my posture and how it affects me and others around me. When I compromise my posture I really can feel how this doesnot support me at all. In my nursing work sometimes I forget myself but my body is telling me immediately that I am not present and in that moment I have a choice to connect and correct my posture. I know when I am not listening I am hurting myself and the patiënt I am working with. I have been doing this a lot in the past from a perspective the work needs to be done, Being more aware of the consequences supported me to truly honouring my body. ‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.’
‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.’Wow Jane beautiful. Wonderful how you made the students aware of the effect of their posture. It just goes to show that everything we do effects everything and everyone around us, even the way we hold our bodies.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” This is such a great line, our posture really does have such an impact on who we are and what we reflect to others. I know for me, when I slouch, or at least when I catch myself slouching and rectify it, I can feel an immediate change in myself. It is very much about our awareness, to be aware of when we are not wanting to be present and let the other person in. So a great lesson in conscious presence.
I was a terrible sloucher when I was younger, but over the years (and as a result of some long hours in the chair with terrible back pain) I’ve rectified the posture and notice a big difference in how much more alert and present I feel.
“This simple exercise confirmed to me that the importance of posture goes far beyond the physical, as does the responsibility I have in how I choose to sit, stand and move around. It goes far beyond just taking care of myself. As I have discovered, it is actually something that can affect a whole group of people who are in my presence”.
It is very powerful to be able to influence groups by our posture and body language. It is our responsibility to use that power wisely. Thank you Jane for the reminder to take full responsibility for the way we present ourselves.
For me just the act of checking my posture is in itself a hugely powerful moment – despite whatever is going on around me, however busy the day might be, I am taking a moment to just check in with me and support me. This is huge – even before the physical and energetic benefits of the reposition. But what I appreciate about this blog is how it highlights the effect that it has on others. Some of the students responses are fascinating. And absolute proof of the fact that everything is everything. So if we are slouching, then we are encouraging all of humanity to slouch. If we sit up, commit and connect then we are asking all of humanity to do the same. That is the truth of it and remembering that truth certainly stops me from slouching – physically and metaphorically.
Well said Otto, all that we do in minute detail affects everything. When we really understand this fact as a whole, humanity will come together as one.
Thank you Jane for the reminder of the power we hold within our bodies by the way we choose to present them to ourselves and to others, indeed we can change so many negative feelings and situations just by simply bringing more body awareness.
When I feel into the word slouch it presents as not interested.
Wow you really bring home the importance of posture here Jane; it’s clear how much we can support ourselves and those around us by being aware of and taking care of our body in this way.
Jane, I love how you made it so real for the students by your practical example. I know if I get stuck studying or get foggy in the head, changing my posture can actually change my thoughts and I can gain more clarity.
I have really noticed in myself when I am slouching or curving my shoulders inwards when standing talking with people……catching myself at times when I have done this. When I do catch myself, it is when I have been feeling like I am protecting myself, not being all of me in that situation. It is usually very subtle, but when I change my posture, consciously, to open myself up, stand tall, be focused and expand myself from within, everything changes. I am so much more conscious of this, especially being conscious of how others do see us, what that can reflect, like your example with your students, which immediately showed them and they could feel what it was like when you were in different postures. Really great blog!!
That is really huge what you are sharing Jane “If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others”. This big impact of slouching I haven’t considered before, but it makes so much sense. The way we sit is an expression of how I treat myself in that moment and consequently how I treat other people. Awesome.
I too was aware of my posture is connected to the way I am feeling but also wasn’t really aware how this affected my relationships with others through life.
Jane, this is a great blog. We should teach this to kids at school, when I say teach, I mean do playful exercise so they can see and feel the difference between different postures.
Thank you Jane you caught me out again. I am realising more and more how important it is to keep checking in with myself because I let unhealthy behaviour patterns have sway and end up feeling tired – and that means I am giving that out as my contribution to the world – and this I can change.
I was shown how posture affects how I feel, my connection to myself and others by one of the esoteric practitioners, it was so clear to feel the difference. Thanks Jane, your blog reminds me about the importance of posture and choices about how I choose to be.
Wonderful sharing to bring to us all the responsibility we have in ALL of our expressions – including the very loud messages we put out with our body movements. As a teacher, it affirms to me the importance too of how students conduct themselves with their postures and how it affects their learning. Thank you.
I’ve noticed recently that in some situations I completely change my body shape. It’s as though, without doing so, I can’t contract in the way I am. Obviously I don’t want to contract, so this blog is such a great reminder to hold myself, the way I want to feel.
I have been working on bringing my awareness to the way I hold my chest when I sit and stand over the past week and the results have been mind blowing. On one occasion I was feeling tired and unmotivated at work, however, when I changed my posture I noticed that I began to feel motivated and more energised after just a few minutes. Making the choice to change my posture is the challenging thing but once I do everything becomes easier.
Every movement we make or sitting position we choose can tell us so much about ourselves and what we are really up to if we choose to honestly observe ourselves.
Our body is the most amazing marker and support that we have.
I can feel an arrogance and protection in the way I cross my legs sometimes. Setting two feet simply and firmly on the floor is a great equaliser for me.
Wow Ottobathurst this is a great point. I often cross my legs and have not become aware of the protection that I go into with this posture. Great call – Thank you!
What an amazing awareness Jane. Reflecting on what you have presented here, I have noted that if I am feeling flat or struggling with a document while sitting in front of a computer, I often find that my posture is poor – I’m not sure what comes first the posture or feeling flat. But I know if I then adjust my posture and position if can positively affect my mood and the quality of work I am producing.
Interesting point, Lee. Jane mentioned that “Everything began to feel more difficult and I had a sense that if I continued like this I would soon feel like giving up”. In most cases of slouching, is it the ‘giving up’ or the slouching that comes first? Such great observations Jane.
Great Blog Jane. The power of posture on how we feel has just been taken up another notch. It is interesting that to slouch also fall’s in to ‘comfort’, as it is easy to allow the body to slump. Much to ponder here. Thanks again
Even just sitting here as I write and feeling my posture, I can feel the awareness that this brings. It both confirms the strength and solidness our posture can bring and also highlights any little patterns I may be holding.
It is incredible what our body can tell us in each moment if we are open to listening. To be so acutely aware of these tiny nuances can bring a huge difference to the way we live.
Thank you for pointing this out Vicky. Our posture is quite revealing and I feel the way I sit has a lot to do with the amount of responsibility I am currently taking in my life. Just feeling my spine resting against the back of the chair while I am writing is a great support to feel my true power.
Thank you Jane i have in the past had bad posture and was always told to stand up straight, i see now how i was disconnected from everyone and was hiding, the difference with standing with all of you is such an empowering thing, and so great that you can show the students how this effects everything.
Well expressed Andrew. Sometimes I walk in a room feeling great and standing tall but if I doubt myself in any way my shoulders immediately want to curl in as a protection and if I do that I more easily allow self-doubt to take me over. The posture goes hand in hand with the state of mind and if we want to hide and stay disconnected it can be very hard to stand up straight no matter how much we are told to do so.
Awesome blog Jane. Again showing how the body beautifully reflects the truth of how we are choosing to be or live. It is so true that when we slouch we are essentially choosing to disconnect from ourselves, shut down to the situation and those around us in contrast to when we are engaged in our connection, present with the situation and with others. Thank you for this powerful sharing as it allows me to reflect deeper as to what is truly going on when I am choosing to slouch, when I choose to disconnect or shut down.
“It is so true that when we slouch we are essentially choosing to disconnect from ourselves, shut down to the situation and those around us in contrast to when we are engaged in our connection, present with the situation and with others.” When I read this Carola I could see how I lived most of my life in disconnection and my body reflected this.
Thank you, Jane, I really appreciate the awareness brought by this blog and why when talking with a person who is slouching (either forwards or sideways on one elbow), I may feel like yawning, feel tired, demotivated, it’s-all-too-hard, it doesn’t really matter anyway, it’s not urgent … any or all of these things. Will be very interesting to experiment with body posture, both mine and in playing with it with others.
This is absolutely fascinating and so worth experimenting with. It is such a simple thing to change that makes an enormous difference.
When I was a kid I noticed the boys in my class used to slouch and looking back I can see it was a form of protection because the way they were being treated by the teacher was not very nice. They did not want to hear what was being said so they deflected it.
It is interesting to understand why we get into the habits we have, it makes it easier to discard them.
Something so simple yet a huge reminder of how our body posture does alter how we communicate with one another. Thank you Jane for a great reminder.
I loved reading this blog Jane about the importance of our posture and how it affects us and others around us. I have become more aware recently of my posture and am continually adjusting it if I start to slouch or close off. It feels more empowering to sit in a supported way where my thoughts are more positive and valuable because of my openness, where if I am slouching my thoughts are more likely to be more indifferent or negative and I feel more detached. Thank you for this beautiful and simple reminder for us all.
Thanks Anna, the way we are with our bodies determines the energy that we are impulsed by, so it makes total sense that if our posture is out then our thoughts are going to be of the same energy, and if our posture is true and lovingly supportive then energy we are in will be in line with this.
What you have written here is hugely important Jane and over the last week I have been very aware of how my posture at work seems to affect my mood, productivity, willingness to interact with people and how, also looking at how I sit when I feel anxious or nervous. What I have noticed is that the longer I sit, say at my computer, the more likely I am to slouch later in the day – so getting up and walking and stretching seems to help. I have also noticed that I feel more tired when I slouch, so it makes perfect sense that children in school who slouch would find it difficult to stay focused on the subject being taught.
I agree Julie. I am going to start using my posture as a marker throughout my day and pay more attention to it, using it as another way to support myself. Taking regular breaks from sitting in front of a computer feels like an important aspect of this.
I second this Lee. There is a great opportunity to learn from this and I am willing to give it a go!
This is a great exercise and sharing. Very clear and inspiring. Even when I am working, self-employed and most of the time alone, I realize how my body posture has a huge impact on the quality of my work and the quality of my communication that takes place, although the other person is not in the same room. It is like a vibration I send out into the world and it vibrates back to me as you described it too. It is really interesting to note and become aware of that my posture has an impact on others, even, when they are not in the same room. This is a great learning to realize that it doesn’t matter, if someone can see me, my body posture or not, my body posture has an impact on me and the world.
Great reminder for me, in those long hours of work, I might slip into slouching from tiredness, or giving up, and how much that changes what I communicate is a very good realization. I lose connection because I choose to leave my body, I don´t feel comfortable anymore, and I give up on me, that is why I slouch. And whether it is before or after or altogether, but the body reflects that and also leads that change. I am paying more attention to my posture as I choose to stay in my body consistently throughout the day. Thanks Jane because it is not only for us, it is for everybody, and everybody gets affected by our posture.
Lovely Jane, while I read your amazing blog the first thing I did was sitting my self straight up because I was slouching! I immediately had a different feeling in my body – wow. Now I will experiment with that because it is such a difference to feel in the body. Thank you so much for this beautiful sharing.
Thank you Jane for a great blog, I am really amazed at how we are sitting affects us and all those around us, I will become much more aware of how I am sitting. It will be good to do your experiment to really feel it for myself.
Jane it was eye-opening to see how much the students were affected by your slouched position. I have been aware how much my posture affects my mood, and am constantly re-adjusting my sitting position as I work long hours in the seated position, but had not observed how others are affected.
Jane, I love what you share. I did an exercise with a group where I asked them to get in pairs and slouch while they talked, it was amazing to feel the difference in the body and how horrible it felt to listen to someone who is slumped in a chair. The more we become aware of these things the greater it is for our health and wellbeing. I love to work on posture as it is something I had problems with growing up and it always feels supportive to use little cues to ensure I am not slouching or feeling discomfort in how I hold my body. How we relate to people is a huge thing and I reckon we should take every opportunity to improve how we express and communicate.
At work it is still a daily challenge for me not to slouch. And what I like in your blog is your point, how slouching impacts our relationship to people. A very valid question: “Or how others relate to you when you slouch?”
When I am feeling down I can feel how that is reflected in my bodies posture and by choosing to change my posture and support myself in a lovely open way I immediately am able to let go of those negative feelings. I find it amazing what we can feel by observing our own or other peoples postures.
What I would like to add: I found out recently that I have to strengthen my body to a certain extent to be able to hold my body in a good posture. I hadn’t done exercises for a long time and my muscles were too weak to hold my body in a certain posture. Since I exercise again, my body awareness and the quality of my body posture increases a lot.
It has long been known how that ‘body language’ has a profound effect on the way we relate with people. Perhaps what has not been so deeply explored is how body language or posture can affect our own state of being. Serge Benhayon has presented for years that the way we move has a direct effect on the way we are – a very simple and yet very profound teaching – and yet as a student of the Way of the Livingness one that I have not taken seriously enough I must admit. The truth is that there is an intelligence in the body that we like to ignore as human beings, and yet it is an intelligence that offers so much in terms of our capacity to understand how life truly works.
Beautifully expressed Adam.
I agree Adam, it is easy to ignore the intelligence within our bodies as if we were to pay attention to it we would understand the level of responsibility we have in the way we present our bodies to others by the way we express and move in very moment.
To add to the above, a simple example is to cross your arms, close your shoulders over and try and say “I love you” to some close to you – impossible, not because we do not want to share the sentiment, but because our body does not let us express what is there to be said.
I had not considered that the way I hold myself standing or sitting, could affect the energy others feel from me and the level of connection I have. I’ll pay more attention to my posture and see what changes I notice for myself.
Very profound what you are expressing Jane – we communicate all the time and our posture is communicating as well as you say – our posture exposes us, if we are really present or not.
Great to read this again Jane, I’ve realised lately how I’m sitting at my computer is affecting my digestion, as I am either too high or too low from the desk. Once I made this connection I put a telephone book on the floor for my feet to rest on so I am not slouching or reaching up too high. There is such a palpable difference when I walk slouching my shoulders forward or standing up straight.
So simple yet so profound, why is this not taught in schools? I know it is taught at school to sit up straight but there never was the ‘why it is important’ underneath the instruction. Here you are sharing the why it is important not to slouch and the affect it can have on yourself and others which makes more of a tangible sense. When topics are presented in this way, with lived experience, theres a common sensical feeling that can’t be as easily shrugged off as the empty ‘Sit up straight’ with no spine to back it up! Thank you Jane.
Wow how simple as slouching can reveal how we are feeling and how open or closed we are to others. Definetly I find if I sit up or stand gentle with my body, my body is more open and there is less effort. If I am slouching in my chair, I am putting more effort but also feel I close down to people around me. It is great to observe these postures.
It is great to observe how people sit in their chairs, are they interested, connected to life or do they show disinterest and disconnection from life. The same I can feel in me. Normally I am enjoying life in full, but there are situations that are challenging to me and ask me to consider to look at some held beliefs and hurts. I can feel this from how I want to change my body posture. When I sit on a chair I want to slouch, when I am standing I tend rolling my shoulders in, dropping my head down, trying to disconnect from the source of life so I do not have to face the truth that is in front of me.
I’m becoming more and more aware of how much time I spend slouching as my body can not hack it. My neck, chest and shoulders are in constant discomfort through the tension of everything being crushed. It’s a hard habit to break, but I’m re-training my body so that it is more supported and feels more expansive.
Great article Jane, if we are stuck in our thinking…maybe we are also stuck in how we hold our body…I love this insight.
This really is a fantastic article Jane, our posture and how we use and move our bodies is critical to how we live our lives and what we share with others.
Thanks Jane this is a great blog and so very, very true. We are all affected much more by posture and movement than we realise. I have discovered that if I am attending a lecture and feel a little sleepy I can be alert again by slightly shifting the way I am sitting. It is fun to treat ourselves as science experiments and observe how even micro changes in posture and movement affect us, our energy and our thoughts.
What you share here Jane is so simple. Change our posture and it affects how we feel and the type of thoughts we are having. Wow, anyone can do that at any point they choose to!
I too have just been sharing posture with little kids in a classroom, it feels so different to slouch rather than to sit up and be fully present. Its great to be able to support your connection through your body.
Thank you Jane, a great sharing, when I look back, I realised how when I slouched, I became very tired and lethargic too.
Thank you for your great example of the responsibility regarding posture Jane. It feels so much more respectful to ourselves, or to others if we are with others, when we are standing or sitting straight with an open heart. It makes so much sense.
I love this Jane, and I will be remembering this next time the ‘temptation’ comes to slick in my chair! I can so relate to this, when i slouch I might as well be drawing the curtain with a ‘Go Away’ sign. Whereas when I bring awareness to my posture I feel so much clearer and so much actually ‘here, and the body message i give to everyone I come across is that ‘m here, right with you, not shutting away. It makes for a huge difference in how I am with people and how I am with my whole day. So to slouch or not slouch — is huge!
This blog is amazing! I actually straightened in my chair during the first paragraph and I noticed that my attention immediately became more focused. This is very tangible proof that how we are in our daily lives affects those around us and reminds us clearly of the responsibility we have in what we reflect. Very enjoyable read, thank you Jane.
Great to re-read your blog Jane. “If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others. In turn they get to feel this and may too choose to shut off. Thus the opportunity to connect and communicate openly is diminished simply by choosing how I sit.” I’m a great sloucher, thinking that I am making myself comfortable, especially when on my own. Time for a re-think!
Love this blog, simple and practical while accounting for all the details our posture can bring to our expression.
There is such universal science in what you share Jane thank you for reminding me of the magic and simplicity in each moment.
The importance of posture being more than just physical is such a brilliant sharing, for few would even contemplate let alone believe such a claim without a demonstration like you did bringing awareness with incontrovertible proof. Awesome. A great service to the posture of many ☺
Very interesting blog Jane. I have noticed how I feel within myself in relation to how I am sitting but have not gone to the depths of awareness you have presented. I am going to have a lot of fun with this over the next few days!
What a great understanding to be aware of. And the opportunity and responsibility we hold with that.
I love how you so simply and eloquently share and illustrate the importance of posture. Thank you Jane.
Recently I did an exercise with a few people, we paired up and one told a story the other listened and during listening slouched half way through. It was quite eye opening the effect it had on the speaker, the lack of genuine interest and attention to what was being said, it was really off putting. When the roles were reversed it was difficult to listen and hear what was being said it felt like I was off somewhere else when slouching. A really interesting exercise.
What a great experiment you conducted Jane and what a result! It really does prove that we are all affected by each other all of the time, right down to the way that we sit. This is fascinating.
I agree Elizabeth. It’s amazing to think that a small detail like how we sit has an effect on other people. This is just another reminder that we have a responsibility in everything we do and that the most normal of tasks has consequences.
So true Tim, responsibity is so important
Your blog is a confirmation that it is all communication and how changing a detail in our posture has an effect on everyone and not only on the person itself. While reading your blog, I instantly connected to my own posture and felt the connection with my body and it either supports me in being myself or not.
Jane, I am going to be aware of my posture today when I am around people. I know when I walk that I feel more of me when I am holding myself in a certain way and walk with me. What a great way to improve our connection with others.
This was a great reminder about the effect our physical posture can truly have on our state of being. Often at work I realise this, and how by changing my posture I can make myself more or less open to someone depending on my stance. I can communicate so much though the way I simply stand – be it confrontational, open, or guarded, all without saying a single word.
Awesome sharing Jane. I’m inspired by the fact that the group of students could feel a change as well when you slouched. Being aware of our posture and the quality we are moving in seems such a simple way to support our connection with ourselves and with others.
I totally agree with you! I know when I start slouching at work I am getting those same kinds of feelings of, it’s too difficult and I wan’t to just give up. When I am sitting upright with a good posture It almost feels impossible to get those kinds of thoughts, well that’s my experience. Now when things are hard or am finding something difficult I could just adjust my posture.
I know those feelings as well Arieljoy. I find when I haven’t been caring for myself with how I’m eating and sleeping that my body shows the effects of that with my posture and I am more inclined to slouch.
I love experimenting with this and seeing how the thoughts that are supporting the slouching actually are gone when you sit up, then you have a choice to connect and have other thoughts or to go back to what took you on the path to slouching in the first place.
As I started to read I felt to check in with my posture – yes I was slouching a little! Being in a more upright, supported posture in general shows being interested in what is being expressed, committing more in full. Thank you Jane for this lovely sharing.
Thank you Jane. As I read about rolled shoulders I realised that mine were rolled inwards and through this awareness when I opened them up the change I felt within myself was very noticeable. Not only was my chest more open but I felt more committed to my life. A much needed reminder for me.
This is a rocker of a blog Jane – I’ve experienced this myself where when I slouch, and it just have to be a teeny bit, I feel like I lose presence. When I sit up straight again it’s like I’m there again. I feel this is a classic example of how our body is our tool for expressing and it shows that we need to treat and be with the body in a way that can actually bring the essence of us out. Otherwise it’ll be trapped in there, which obviously you and the students felt. Great great sharing Jane.
Interesting how our posture affects our ability to think clearly and to stay connected. For me a slouching body goes with an image of the typical ‘whatever’ type teenager who has no interest in anything. I agree, I have found that sitting upright helps me to stay alert.
Thank you Jane, for bringing this awareness to how slouching can not only affect our own bodies in a physical sense, but also have an impact on our connection with ourselves and others.
Brilliant Jane. Rarely do we think about the affect our posture is having on those around us. You are spot on here and have taken posture to a whole new level of responsibility.
Thank you Jane for the revelation that we express and communicate from the entirety of our body via its movements and we receive the communication back through the entire body not just the ears and eyes. It certainly brings a greater awareness to ‘body language’.
Great sharing Jane, I realized reading your article how there is an illusion about to sit comfortable. Often sitting comfortable is slouching and the first move to start to check out. It is also not about being rigid, but really feeling the presence of yourself in you sitting. Wow, great reminder will be more aware of it now.
Well said Rachel, it’s about becoming aware of how we sit – or how we hold ourselves in any position – and how that affects us, and others. If it affects us – and it certainly does – then it must affect those around us as well. This blog is a beautiful reminder, and I’m sitting up straighter right now, and it feels great!
Yes, slouching is a good distraction if we don’t feel great as it creates all sorts of issues which distract us from how we feel. Is it a numbing tool, just like drinking coffee?
‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.’
A really beautiful sign off to such a simple yet profound blog. Thank you for sharing your experience Jane.
I love these observations, what a difference posture makes to how we are with each other and what is being received, thanks for sharing.
We spent so much of our time during the day sitting. Often too much. So the importance of how we sit is obvious. The effect is huge on us, how our body feels, what kind of thoughts we have, how vital we feel and of course this affects everybody around us. It is worth being present with ourselves all day long and sharing that with everyone.
I have always felt uncomfortable around people who slouch. For me it meant they did not care about the situation they were in nor the people around them. The simple exercise demonstrated to the students the power of expression in everything thing we do, including posture. Thank you Jane.
Thanks for this Jane, had never consciously considered the link between slouching and posture in this way. Whatever I am doing and wherever I am, I always have ‘posture’ as it were, so am constantly communicating through that, even shut away in my car.
A great blog Jane, I was reminded of the times I have been in the presence of a person and their posture was a slouch and the feeling of disregard was evident, especially if I had something important to relay to them, it felt uncomfortable to be in their presence too. Like many others who were told in their youth to sit up straight, it seems to have been good advice!.
I love this blog. I have been fascinated with posture for some time and have been working with people’s bodies to support their body awareness. I have found that enormous shifts in people’s moods occur with the tiniest of posture changes. What you introduce here brings a whole other dimension to the effects of poor posture on those around us. Imagine a whole office with people slouching! They would all be shutting themselves down, feeling off and shutting each other out. That negative feeling must affect productivity and the quality of a team.
Thank you Jane for bringing this awareness to our posture, I now realise that it really does affect our bodies, our thinking, and everyone else. The simplicity of this action is very powerful.
So simple yet so profound.
Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you. Such a simple truth you present here Jane and a lovely reminder, I will take this into my day.
I can remember as a child being told to sit up straight and put my chest out. In some ways, we have always known that posture is important, but not completely aware just how important it actually is and the consequences it has on ourselves and others.
Yes Matthew, we may have been “drilled” to have a good posture, but only from a point of view of doing things right.
Looking at it from the angle that the posture we choose has grand effects on our whole being adds a totally different level of depth to it and clearly shows that it is only ourselves who have any real influence on how we feel in our body and what level of health and joy we choose to live.
Jane this marvellous blog just proves the power of expression is truly felt through everything including our posture. Thank you for the lovely reminder.
Wow this is so simple yet the effect is amazing I am a serial sloucher. I am going to be more aware of this and practice the exercise for myself and become more aware of my posture. Thank you so much Jane.
Whoa. Thanks so much for sharing Jane! Posture is incredibly important, but the way you have presented it has put a lot more emphasis on it. I have felt the same with changing my posture- when I walk with an open posture (spine straight, shoulders open) I feel a lot different, more confident in myself. I loved reading your blog and a lot more awareness is heading to my posture now..
I really like that “I am here, I am present, I am with you’. How important when we are working at our computers to have this quality. So many people spend a large proportion of their lives on computers for work and socialising – the ‘slouch’ is then communicated in the email, the letter, the task or the facebook post and can be felt even if not seen. I have noticed how important my abdominal strength is for maintaining my posture while working. Thank you Jane for your important and simple reminder about the power of our body.
Fantastic blog. Even without doing this experiment I can feel how true it is. Perhaps we also use our posture as a way of hiding. I can really feel my power in who I am when I have good posture. But there are times when I don’t want to be this powerful for fear of how others will respond. I can see that if I slouch it’s an instant way to not be all of me. I can now use this as a marker to let me know when I am not being all of me and bring it to my awareness.
How simple and clear, and so supportive. A great loving reminder for us all.
” if I choose to sit, stand and move gently in a way/posture that supports me and allows particularly my chest area to remain open, an opportunity to connect with others is there”.
So simple Jane yet so profound
I love your example of the impact (on self and others) of slouching compared with sitting gently in a way that supports the body.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insight.
Jane this Blog makes an immediate change to how I feel. “As I have discovered, it is actually something that can affect a whole group of people who are in my presence”. I’m going to have my own experiment with this but know that when I sit up or stand up with more awareness of my posture I am able to meet others more in my fullness. I am taller than plenty of people and slouching is something I have done to fit in and conform. When ‘consciously present’ I notice I am always more upright and just feel better. Many thanks for this simple effective way to stay connected with self and others.
Jane you have taken our understanding of posture and body language to a much deeper level with your blog. I agree that our bodies are communicating with the language of energy constantly and we can all feel this communication, so posture and how we move becomes a much bigger picture then just avoiding pain or dysfunction in the body.
I agree Andrew, this blog really deepens our understanding of just how much our posture affects not only all aspects of ourselves, but how it is affecting all those around us too.
So true, our body is either a beacon of love or lovelessness, what imprint do we want to leave in the chair once we get up and walk away.
So true andrewmooney26, and this gives us the opportunity to accept the responsibility of how we are with everyone, and whether they get all of us, or only a partly there checked out person. It is a very different feeling to experience when someone fully meets and engages with us – totally confirming. If we supported everyone in this way, imagine the difference in all our relationships and our children.
Jane I am now sitting up in my chair and I can feel the difference it makes.
Thankyou for the reminder.
Me too Sharon! As I was writing this morning I was on the couch properly lounging, slumped and unsupported. How can my body express truth like that? A timely reminder thank you Jane.
Jane it was delightful to re-read your blog. Posture is something I have recently been exploring with my own body. I have been observing that when I speak to certain people I tend to hunch my shoulders forward and slouch a little. I have discovered this is because I am putting myself as less than that person, I am not wanting to stand tall and as an equal, it is a way of holding back. I have been finding that when I correct my posture and make the choice to be open in my body I immediately feel how different I am with that person. Our body houses our being, so how we are with our posture directly affects the quality of thoughts that we have. Now this is super powerful.
This is a great blog that lets us feel further that how we are affects everything that we do – and that our expression is so not purely limited to the words we say or type. I can feel how I have begun to work on my posture more when I am around others and feeling my responsibility when communicating there. What I am also feeling is how important it is to maintain this awareness constantly when I am sitting at my computer – and expressing equally as I would be conversing with someone. This is a great opener to allowing greater and more aware communication. Thank you for this sharing of your awareness!
Wow! What a powerful blog. I feel like it could change the world.
This is one of my favorite blogs and it is so pertinent right now. I am noticing more and more how my posture affects every single thing I do and especially the quite alarming influence at times, it has on the way I think.
To come to the understanding that my state of mind can improve beyond measure simply through the way I sit, stand or walk is life changing for me.
Feeling low? Change position or walk with presence, connecting as deeply as I can to me and my body. Having unhelpful thoughts? Do the same.
Hard to grasp how simple it is and how well it works, but my body knows and certainly appreciates it.
Hi Jeanette, what you wrote is beautiful and so true. It is hard sometimes to grasp the simplicity of it and reading your comment I could feel if children are encouraged to connect to this from a young age then by adulthood it would become a very natural part of how they live and interact with the world.
Hi Jane,
Yes that is true, how different it would be for children knowing they are supported to connect and become aware of their own bodies in that way. Maybe you wouldn’t get the troublesome teens” any more.
This is so true Jane and Jeanette, I can see from my pictures as a child that I was already slouching and how this has affected my posture. Just a simple movement of becoming more aware of my body and sitting up changes my perspective and perception of life, I become more aware more alert and I feel more connected to myself and everyone around me. When I slouch it is as though I am giving myself permission to switch off and in turn everyone switches off from me.
Well said Jeanette for all too often we complicate what is actually very simple…
How amazingly exposing! It seems so simple that when we slouch we are affecting our own bodies and most of us are aware of this, but what your experiment showed is how incredibly powerful our posture is on every level, most noticeably in what we are offering those around us. A big wake up call on this one Jane, thank you for sharing.
This is a great piece of truth! I used to slouch a lot before I started attending workshops of universal medicine until one of the praticisioner said to me- you shouldn’t slouch, you are not honouring you as a woman. BÄM- that hit right in the perfect moment and I instantly changed my way of sitting. Now being even much more aware of my body and posture it is amazing to see, how my posture influences my way of thinking. Great you shared your experience here!
Our posture has a lot to tell to us, it definitely is worth paying attention to and every detail feels important because it will show us how we are treating ourself and our body. We are worth sitting with all of us and thus in connection with the all.
Thank you Jane I had never considered the impact of slouching on my internal organs but it of course makes sense as I was reading I was playing with my posture, it is amazing the difference that it makes. My Grandmother was always telling us to sit up straight but for her it was around aesthetics. I had to relearn in my 30’s because of lower back and core strength issues. Now in my forties I can feel it has an impact on so much more.
Thank you Jane for sharing this. Never imagined that slouching impacted our own body and our relations with others. Slouch… ouch…
Posture is indeed an important marker of our connection with self ánd others. I work a lot with groups and recently I became aware of this posture thing e.g. when people started to slouch, it did something with how they interacted and the quality of the discussion. This blog inspires me to, next time, ask people to re-sit and have them feel how that is. I too have a responsibility as facilitator to make people aware of something which is for many so common, comfortable and a habit: to slouch as a message ‘I am in the relax-modus’. But in fact it is like checking out, putting yourself on pause. As a starter, I will observe how I sit during the day!
‘This blog inspires me to, next time, ask people to re-sit and have them feel how that is.’ Yes it is so much more powerful when someone feels the difference rather than just being told and then they have a choice but in the awareness that it makes a difference.
there is a real difference in how you feel when you slouch, compared to when you sit up straight but not forced. I feel like I am actually using less energy to sit up straight and there is a feeling of openness to whats around me. When slouching i feel like I had turned myself off. And its interesting what your students said that they could feel ” a barrier between you and them’ when you slouched.
Great experiment Jane. I have also noticed recently when I am sitting I feel my spine collapsing down and I slouch. Once I am aware of this I sit up and pull back my shoulders which feels so open and supportive for my body compared to the slouching. I have never considered how my slouching can affect other people and communication. Thank you Jane for this blog.
I agree with you Anne I have never appreciated what others are feeling when I am not holding my body with support and openness.
Jane I love it, it is simple and true, how we hold ourselves physically has a great effect on our moods and thoughts.
I really feel the huge importance of posture in how we are in our expression in life, poor posture or slouching brings with it a giving up energy or I can’t be bothered type of feeling or behaviour. So I definitely agree that it needs to be explored and developed by schools, Universities, and in childhood education so that we can get the best possible mind and body connection to ourselves and the all.
Thank you for sharing your observations Jane, I had never thought about how slouching might have an impact on how we relate to ourselves and to how we then relate to other people. I will remember this for any future time when I feel like slouching!
I always love coming back to this blog Jane, as it makes so much sense. the very last sentence ‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you’ for me says it all. I have felt the difference at work with how I am and how I engage with my work, because I have noticed that if I slouch, very quickly I just can’t be bothered and work drags on but if I sit up, I am ready for whatever work has to offer. It makes a huge difference to my day.
Yes I agree Julie, on both counts. That very last sentence is gold. I have noticed the sitting-at-my-desk phenomenon too. Yesterday I facilitated a group which meant being alert and focused for eight hours, even in the breaks talking to people more informally. I noticed my posture played a big part in this in this commitment to staying actively engaged. Reflecting on this, I realised I have been witnessing this very activity beautifully modelled by Serge Benhayon for the last eight years, but have only just cottoned on to living it now! Better later than never as they say.
Indeed, “body language” is very important and our posture does affect on ourselves and others around us. As written in this article, posture affects our voices, too. Also, there are people who move hands and arms when they talk and that can be either engaging or off-putting depending on how much movements and what type of movements and how they are carried out (with intensity or gently, etc).
You make a great and very valuable observation between our posture and the quality of our connection to other people and how they affect each other.
I agree Gabriele – posture is something so easy to forget yet it is something which can quite literally ‘support’ us in all areas of our life.
Such a simple learning Jane, the body we present is felt by all – it all comes back to the body.
I agree Lee, so simple yet worth it’s weight in gold.
Perfectly summed up Lee. “The body we present is felt by all”. The all includes ourself as much as others.
Wow, I hadn’t really considered this about posture – “As I have discovered, it is actually something that can affect a whole group of people who are in my presence.” I would love to read more on this topic Jane. It’s a completely new way to look at things, that posture can have such a direct effect on quality of communication, connection to self and others, and relationships in general.
Like you Jane I have become so aware of the effect of my posture, not only directly on me, but how it affects how I am relating to others. The exercise you did with the students was a simple but such a profound example of how slouching affected you and then the students. What a great lesson for them. Our posture says so much about us.
Thanks Jane for the insight on posture and how much our posture and body configuration affects our communication and interaction with others.
Wow, what a beautiful way to say ‘I am with you’. I really love what you have shared here Jane and how something so seemingly simple as how we hold our bodies has such a tremendous affect on our relationships with others. It confirms too that our body language is a far greater reflection of our energy, openness, love, communication and expression — and before we even open our mouths.
I love what you’ve just expressed Cherise – the phrase ‘I am with you’ is such a beautiful way to capture the nature and purpose of posture. I knew posture was important physically, and felt it was energetically, but had never considered exactly how until now. ‘I am with you’ on this for sure!
Thank you Jane, so true what you are sharing. I am constantly adjusting my posture at work as I know I have a tendency to slouch a bit when I’m doing quite repetitive work, and I don’t like the feeling in my body. I love the feeling of sitting up straight, I feel so much more open. This is now a lovely reminder for me to bring myself back to being more present when I feel a slouch coming on :).
Beautifully said Jane and so true to me. Our posture does reflect to others how we are with them and also affects our expression in speech. So by becoming more aware of our posture we can observe how this affects our expression. Since our posture is the ingrained way we hold our bodies in, created by all the choices we have made in life, we are able to make changes in the way we relate and express in life, by making changes in our posture as you explained so clearly.
Wow such an important subject Jane and one that doesn’t get spoken about much. I experimented while reading this and the changes were amazing. When I would slouch all the busyness and noise around me would annoy me and I couldn’t concentrate, the music playing sounded defeaning… however when I sat with an awareness of my posture all of the ‘stuff’ seemed to disappear. Very cool… how powerful how we hold our bodies are…. a form of medicine!
I just tried it too Aimee and I see what you (and Jane) mean. I’m at the end of a busy day and feeling tired but the adjustment brought about a shift in energy. I’m still tired, but feel less heavy with it. Thank you Jane for sharing your understanding of this simple but powerful awareness.
Thank you, Jane. A great blog. As a teenager I had a tendency to slouch, and was often told to sit ‘straight’ and have a ‘good’ posture. I made myself do it. Never felt good. It was a put-on. When I feel the magnificence of my being, a truly, graceful posture and movement naturally returns, and I am ready to be in the world as me in full.
That is gorgeous Fumiyo. Great to feel the difference between what we have imposed on ourselves in terms of what we think ‘good posture’ is and when we, as you wrote, return to the magnificence of our natural, graceful posture. From there, simply from our being, we can inspire others.
It’s true we can think we’re doing ‘good posture’ practise but if it’s done in a way to look a certain way or be something we are not it too has the potential to close off our awarenesses and our naturally open expression. Sometimes I would sit up far too straight and barely move! I may have looked the part but I certainly didn’t feel good in my body.
Cherise, that’s a good one, I know I’ve done that too at times. There was nothing relaxed or natural about it! You can see this sometimes too in people who have quite a strong investment in the way their bodies look, such as athletes or dancers. There’s certainly a strength they’ve developed, which would help hold them upright, but often it also feels like a barrier or protection. A balanced approach seems like the way to go here – a general fitness, yes, but much more so a conscious awareness brought to this aspect of our livingness is what makes the difference.
It is every detail that matters. Thank you for bringing this subject up.
Great angle you are presenting, how others get affected to by your posture! I can so relate to what you shared- posture is everything for me. It is the greatest supporter and the most honest reporter of how I feel.
More people should know about, how we can support ourselves in choosing the right posture in our daily life.
I love your simple expose on posture, Jane – now I just need to get my husband and son to read it too! As a family we do tend to forget about posture at times…and we have all certainly noticed what a difference it makes in the way that we all communicate together…My young son talks about a ‘grumpy energy’ that takes over him when he slouches and sometimes we laugh together about the change that can be virtually instant on sitting up straight. I have noticed the same thing with myself, and I often use the excuse of being tired as to why I am a little grumpy – but how is it then that when I straighten up I can still feel a little tired, but not so grumpy any more!? Posture sure does play a big role in our outlook of others or a situation/ and how we feel!
Great blog! I too have really noticed how my posture can affect others and have noticed good posture helps me retain information (and my attention) when attending lectures and training – besides that it just feels so much more comfortable!
Jane this is very true, I recently completed my first Esoteric Yoga course and found by week 4 I was sitting more upright at work and having far more engagement from work colleagues. Most likely this was from a greater connection to myself that meant a better connection to others. The quality we are in is the quality that gets reflected – so jolly simple. Love it.
I am currently sitting in a most terribly designed couch. The person who designed it must have either had thighs really really long and shins really really short, or been a masochist. I have just spent the last hour or so in various poor postures, blaming this awkward piece of furniture. Your article has lifted me out of my slouched position, as I honoured by body and did actually find a way to align myself correctly (by using a table as a foot stool). And now, the expression can flow more easily, thanks for the lesson in posture and communication.
I know myself slouching quite a lot, and mostly at times when I don’t want to take responsibility for my own feelings and acts. I can feel how this changes as I sit upright again, I can feel how everything flows much easier and I can really connect to my feelings and the people around me.
I love this Jane, that how we are with our bodies affects others, and us. It’s a fantastic reminder for me not to let work dictate so much I ignore my body, as to do so means my quality is diminished.
Very confirming to re-read this blog again and feel the depth of disregard we must be in when we are not honouring our posture and how we are with our bodies. Huge really because everything we express comes from our bodies.
I love the revelation in your last line Jane, ‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.’
What a beauty-full way to be with everyone.
Thank you for sharing this. Lately I have been more aware that my slumped posture does not feel supportive (including right now) but I had never considered the wider impact this has on people around us. I have often been very aware of people with good posture and usually correct mine a little when I can clearly see other people being supported by their posture. However if I do correct my posture it’s often very temporary. I love how you have brought it back to our responsibility to choose how we sit.
I love how this is so practical and simple. Thank you.
I am always amazed at the difference to my confidence, my awareness and alertness when I sit or stand with good posture. it seems to give an entirely different and more positive outlook on the world. This is definitely an under-rated area of health care, how we carry ourselves in our posture.
Beautiful Jane how you positioned this blog to show that the very way we hold ourselves affects everyone in life. When I find myself slouching I’m now inspired to ask myself how I am feeling, as it seems from what you say that a slouch is a choice we make to disconnect from life.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you” So true Jane, I experience this in my daily life as well, with myself and others. When I am not with myself I feel my shoulders will come forward, my back will not support me anymore and I get disconnected in every way and with this I give my power away. To become aware of my posture and from everybody else I really can see how our body is a vehicle of expression.
This is such a testimony to the power of posture. Not only does the slightest tensing or contraction in our posture change the way we feel but it affects everyone around us.
Yes, I sat up as I read this like many of the other readers, and became more aware of how I was sitting and how my feet were on the ground. I could recognise most of what you said about slouching Jane, but I had not felt how much it affects everyone else, this is an ouch! and something to be aware of the next time I slide down into my chair. I know that I don’t listen or hear as well and this probably contributed to why I had difficulty learning at school. Thank you Jane a great observation and reminder of the harm slouching does.
Great sharing Jane. I often check in with how I am sitting or standing as I too have found a big difference in the way I feel and connect through the change in my posture.
I also love what you have shared here Jane. It is so simple, yet profoundly impactful. I catch myself slouching at times and can feel the contraction that comes from this, it is almost an unconscious thing that can occur, but I’ve been making an effort to bring more conscious awareness to it and how it feels for me. But what you have shared has helped open up more responsibility around; how does my posture then impact on others around me. This is so very important to bring the awareness to not only myself, but everyone around us too.
Wow – thank you Jane! The perfect moment to connect with your blog, I was just sitting here feeling a little challenged and even sensed that familiar sense of ‘give up’. Then I felt – how I am sitting and immediately observed that I was completely slouched over! In this position nothing feels possible, I feel compressed, contorted and the overwhelm of life. Amazing to feel in an instant that when I adjust my body – my mind responds and it is as though the sun is shining yet again with simplicity at the fore.
I love your sharing Jane. Posture is something often not considered but it is usually the first thing to be compromised when it is the thing that can support us the most. It is a reflection of how we are with ourselves and being with ourselves is our greatest support.
I have read, loved and shared this blog many times with others who, like me, have really appreciated feeling the the differences something so simple as posture can make to our way of being. I feel I am developing an ever growing understanding in exploring my body’s ‘language’ and how it speaks and the ways in which it affects not only me but all around me as well. So simple.
So true Jane. I have been making more effort in recent times to keep an eye on my posture as I endeavour to be and remain more open with people. It does make a difference and reminds me of just how much responsibility I have to stay mindful of my posture, not just for me but also for others around me. Thank you.
Wow – what a powerful blog… I sat up straighter just reading it… in fact – I am pretty sure everyone who reads it will! I never really thought about the impact of my posture on others but there is no denying that the way we move and position ourselves has an impact on everyone around us. Your blog makes it clear that good posture is actually just plain responsible. A bit confronting for me as I seem to slouch all the time but I will certainly be far more aware of what I am actually choosing from now on…. I can see my slouching moments are numbered….
A great reminder Jane of how we use (perhaps not consciously) the body to express, and from that point of view your last sentence says it all ” ..I am here, I am present and I am with you”.
As I read about your experience of posture and how it impacted the interaction you were having with others it made me think about the hours in front of a computer I spend and that I am also in front of people that will feel the impact of my posture – via email, instant messaging and even the documents that another will eventually read. I enjoy how this blog directly relates posture to people and it makes sense with your physiotherapy background – it could easily be mistaken as a bit weird but it is an example that everyone can try it and feel out the truth of it for themselves.
Slouching for me is a marker in my body for when I have lost my breath.
A great reminder for the day. I drive quite a lot quoting and attending job sites in my work. I often catch myself slouching a bit as I drive; as soon as I sit back-up and straighten my posture, I feel more committed to where I’m going and what I’m doing.
How revealing this is, something as simple as our posture has such an impact on our ability to connect to others. It makes so much sense that by adjusting how we are within our own bodies, we can then open up to others. Just by moving ourselves into a different position we can shift those blocks that can often keep us separated from others. Powerful stuff!
I love this blog, thank you Jane. How wonderful would it be if the importance of posture was taught in school and that posture effects our ability to learn, effects how we feel about ourselves and how we relate to others.
When I slouch I feel like I am cutting myself off from myself not just other people. I love this article and love that I come across it so often that I can remind myself about how I am choosing to hold my body and express myself in any moment.Thanks again Jane.
I found this article very interesting Jane. I have observed how when my son slouches he does not communicate or express himself in the same way but as soon as he changes his posture he is more connected with himself and with me. From now on I will be paying more attention to how I hold myself throughout the day too.
That last line was exquisite !
Its just simple self worth as to how I sit, anyway. Love and care for others as they can feel the connection to me.
Agree Ben, It is an exquisite line and the honouring of oneself and others can definitely be felt in such a simple action.
I love this article Jane. This is not something that most of us are aware of, the powerful affect that we can have, not only on ourselves, but all we are contact with, just through the simple action of how we are holding ourselves when we go about our day. I am just now understanding the power of the phrase “Expression is everything”.
Jane its amazing how quickly we go back into the “slouch” posture yet how much much more amazing it feels to sit with a supportive posture. I’ve noticed when I slouch I become tired and things become a chore, yet as soon as I correct my posture I feel awake, connected and ready to do what needs to be done.
This is awesome. I didn’t realise how much of an impact this had on other. I feel the impact it has on my body, I am less focussed and not connected with myself. If this happens at work I am less motivated and efficient. I do slouch a lot at work and feel that I need to support myself with this better. Often when I start to sit up straighter I get pains in my back that arnt there when I slouch, I feel this is because my body is getting used to sitting up properly again. And possibly I need to look into getting a more ergonomic mouse pad to support my wrists, a back cushion to support my lower back and a chair that sits at the appropriate height so my feel don’t dangle and my head is inline with my computer screen. It’s horrible how we can compromise ourselves in this way. I’m now realising the huge affects this has on my entire day.
Lovely, simple, yet powerful revelation on posture. Whilst reading your blog, I immediately checked my posture. I will take your advice into my day and see what I will experience and the effects will be. Thanks Jane.
Thanks for sharing Jane, the importance of posture is huge and a very interesting topic indeed, I remember the way the so called bad kids would sit in the class room, the ones that didn’t want to learn or be a part of the class. In comparison to the grade A type students in the front rows.
From my understanding of the importance of posture and the angles created that then allow connection or disconnection so to speak, therefore we choose our way. This was an amazing re-learning when I heard it explained by Serge Benhayon in one of his presentations.
It is so true that our posture affects how connected we are with ourselves and how people receive us. I have noticed many times if I am feeling flat, ‘stuck’ or cranky, even just a small adjustment can make a big difference to how I feel. I’ve also recently noticed that when I sink into my big, comfy chair at work I feel less productive and not as focussed on the job. I’m going to play with this over the coming days and pull myself up each time I do that at work, adjust my posture and see what difference it makes!
Thank you Jane. Such simple and clear evidence of the effect of slouching and the disconnection between presenter and students. I can still recall from 50 years ago at school a history teacher who slouched and tipped her high perched chair back to lean against the wall and I was so fascinated waiting for the crash that I rarely took in a word she said.
I loved to read this practical information you offer Jane and was a lovely reminder of how important good body posture is for our own well being and that of others and in which either inhibits or enhances connection. I will take your last line into my day; Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Jane for your article and making me aware of my posture. I have a problem with this and can start working on it straight away.
What an interesting article Jane. Fascinating to read the impact posture had on you and your students, something I shall be much more aware of now. Thank you.
Well said Jane – if all customer care in all industries brought this profound statement to their workplace it would revolutionise how people express and communicate at work and at home.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.”
Thankyou Jane for sharing your practical experience with the students. It was great to learn that the posture we choose to adopt doesn’t only affect ourselves in the way you describe, but affects others. This piece of information is simple yet very profound, demonstrating that what we do to ourselves matters on so many levels we may never have thought of.
Thank you for the reminder Jane, of the importance of being aware of our posture at all times. I used to often sit with my legs crossed, and when I felt into this, not alone was it affecting the circulation in my leg but was also closing my abdomen and my connection to others. It is amazing how ingrained postural habits can become, it took me almost a year to free myself from the habit of sitting crossed legged, but it was time well spent.
Jane you really do share the importance of posture in much more than the physical. I did an exercise with others on the weekend on posture and focusing on how we sit – it opened everyone up – we were all smiling – remembering how gentle we need to be with our bodies – and posture is a huge thing! If we have more connection with ourselves – there is more connection with others!
Yes, it is that simple, hvmorden: ‘if we have more connection with ourselves – there is more connection with others’…
I am present and I am with you Jane.
When I notice my demeanour when I am slouching its horrible. When I bring care to my posture I feel great. A simple thing but so empowering.
Jane, I really enjoyed your practical blog here and found myself adjusting my body reading it! The way we sit and are with our body communicates so much, not just to or about ourselves, but also to others too who get equally either affected or blessed. What a responsibility we therefore have.
I used to teach physical activity in school classrooms and often finished the sessions with some gentle breathing, focussing on relaxed posture. I really got a sense in this of how supportive it was for the children to hold correct posture to assist them in concentrating and learning. From my own experience as an adult I would also say that I find tasks easier if I consider my posture, and there is an awareness to do this that we can all constantly refine.
Great that you brought this subject up. I have been a sloucher my whole life and have the posture to prove it. I wish I could send this back in time to a younger me or had a teacher like you way back when. I now find I have to sit up straight or my body soon starts telling me in the words of pain. One thing I really got from this blog was a reconfirming of no matter what we do, act, say or think it not only impacts us but everyone else as well as everything else.
This is brilliant Jane, I know my posture makes a difference but I was not aware just how much! Thanks for the inspiration I will be checking in regularly to see how present I am.
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.” Very powerful Jane. A brilliant way of communicating the power of posture and the significance of choosing to slouch or not.The evidence you share concerning your students experience says so much about how we relate to each other.
Perfect that i should read this blog again today. As I stood at the top of the stairs early this morning I felt how slouched my body felt. i re-adjusted and immediately felt so much better- more connected. I know that I had a late night last night after visiting with family yesterday and I could feel how I had let myself go. Thanks again Jane for this supportive and inspiring piece of writing.
Jane this is such an inspiring blog to read. So often posture is not even thought about, let alone how it affects our relationship and communication with others or the quality of our work.
I can feel your lovely presence in your writing and your last sentence sums it up beautifully –
“Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you”.
thank you!
Jane. Never thought for one minute what slouching would do to our bodies. When getting up from a slouching position, my body would fell stiff and out of sorts. Thank you for the lesson in becoming un-slouched. (Although the word un-slouched is not in the dictionary!)
Great Blog Jane, this should be on the school curriculum and what a difference it would make to the way children learn and interact with each other.
I know from my own experience that when I slouch I become dis-interested in my work and the people around me, so what must it be like for children to engage in a school subject?
Great to read how we hold ourselves is how others will see us. Slouching does not support us, therefore how can we support others in this position? Very interesting to consider this relationship with ourselves and everyone else.
Great blog Jane – and great point too: “If I choose to slouch in a chair for instance, I begin to shut myself off from others. In turn they get to feel this and may too choose to shut off. Thus the opportunity to connect and communicate openly is diminished simply by choosing how I sit.” This brings a whole new level of understanding to self-responsibility. We think that we only affect others when we are directly communicating with them, when in actual fact as you have presented, we affect others and the quality of our relationships simply by the way we sit. If this is true – what else do we do in our daily lives that has an impact on others without us being aware of it?
Awesome blog about the importance and the effects of our posture not only on our own bodies, but also on our relationships with people around us. I love the end of your blog: ‘Through my posture I am saying I am here, I am present and I am with you.’
Wouldn’t it be awesome if kids were to learn this at school by reflection, by speaking about it and by experimenting with it: priceless. The world would be a different place if we met each other from this basis.
This is a profound article and one that is very important for each and every person in this world to know and understand. Posture and the difference between being able to be yourself and or not, and to have bad posture is to not have a connection with yourself in the moment.
In slouching we are presenting a lack of care for ourselves to others, everything about us says something to others. A great example of how we are always able to show love or not love, even the way we walk down the street past a stranger.
This is fascinating Jane. I’ve clocked that when I slouch or push my body forward in my chair at my computer desk it feels horrible and as you say disconnected, but I haven’t been considering how the way I speak, depending on my posture, impacts others. I will pay attention to this today.
Jane as I read this and adjust my posture it certainly reminds me of the importance of how I am sitting and holding myself, with care, respect and love – in a supporting way that helps me stay connected and aware or slumped or in some odd perched position that is far from supportive! A great reminder for me to have at all times and how much more alive and enjoyable life is by the way we are and the care we take for ourselves.
Posture is one of those words that shakes people into action, often into a rigid upright stance, whenever it is mentioned, it is great to understand and present how posture affects our ability to connect and to relate. I have certainly come to realise the effect my posture has on my own wellbeing and my confidence in communicating. There has been more recent studies done on this that echo what you have written Jane, it would be amazing to teach this in schools and workplaces, such an easy change to make that transforms our health and our ability to communicate and function more clearly. I would love to have been taught this at school.
Brilliantly and simply expressed, Jane, the impact we have on ourselves and others just by how we are. Also this demonstrates that if we are not feeling very good we can do something about it. We have the power within ourselves to change things without being dependent and waiting on something outside ourselves to make things OK.
Great blog Jane. I find it amazing that how we sit or stand can have such an effect on someone else so it was very inspiring to read of your exercise with your students so that they could get to feel the changes in how they felt.
Thank you Jane, that is a great idea. And adding a simple awareness exercise so people could connect to their bodies and their posture would really support them in taking this into their everyday lives.
This is great to re-read, ‘ if I choose to sit, stand and move gently in a way/posture that supports me and allows particularly my chest area to remain open, an opportunity to connect with others is there.’ The other day I was saying something to my young son, he looked distressed, I then became aware of my posture, I could feel how hard my body was and that I had a hand on my hip and was telling him off in a very overpowering and imposing way, I let my arm relax down and my body become more gentle and the difference in how my body felt and how I then communicated to my son was completely different, much more gentle and loving.
Jane, I can remember, (just about) that at school, teachers with bad posture
seemed to be less competent at keeping order in class. As if their body language
projected a lack of self-worth which was quickly picked up by the children, as a sign
of weakness to be exploited!
What a great exercise do have done. It is always so much more effective to actually participate in exercises such as these and feel the effects for yourself, than have anyone else, mother,brother, teacher, newspaper, media, tell you so. What an amazing lesson to have shared with everyone.
I find it remarkable how different I feel when I sit up and the power that I feel compared to the heavy dullness I feel when I am slouched over. Its awesome to feel your body actually wanting to sit up straight rather than being pulled down.
Great to have landed on this page again this morning and to be reminded that something so simple as my posture can make so much difference. I feel better knowing that I am not simply at the mercy of what comes along, but that even by taking care of my posture I have a say in how my day will be.
Thank you Jane for presenting so clearly an observation that is so true and one that so many of us take for granted – how our body posture not only affects us physically but also others.
Very interesting blog Jane. It’s amazing how powerful our ‘body language’ seems to be.
Love your blog Jane. I have definitely experienced what you have shared about how when my posture is slouched or lazy, I can feel myself shutting off and disconnecting with the people around me.
I have noticed that when I slouch at work, whilst at my computer I am less interested and feel lethargic. When I realise and sit up, it is though I am more aware and ready – it definitely changes my mood.
Great Jane, thank you. Perfect in fact, you caught me slouching. Sitting up straight makes all the difference…it’s like a microscopic work out. I am more alert and feeling connected to myself again…and how important it is working at a computer to have this open communication that you mention….I actually feel too that this chair isn’t truly supporting me either. I am just off to find a more suitable one. Thank you so much.
🙂 Lovely Elaine! I love your description of a microscopic workout. It made me think of how my particles love it when I look after my posture!
Great blog Jane, thank you. It’s amazing how much a simple posture change can have such a significant effect on the way we feel with ourselves and relate to others.
This is great Jane. It is something that I have become increasingly aware of lately. I find that the way I sit whilst on the tube affects the way that I arrive to work. When I’m aware of my posture, it feels like I’m saying ‘Ok let’s live this day and be everything that I am’ whereas when I slouch, I’m very much in the flatulence of lethargy. It’s really great to become aware of how much we are expressing just by sitting!
My posture has been a constant distraction in my life Jane: as a kid I had a really straight back but was weirdly bullied for it so forced myself to slouch like the others, then got a really bad back in my early 20s and saw a physio and so I proceeded to force my back into the opposite direction in an attempt to counteract the bad posture… All I want is a beautiful back that doesn’t hurt! Finally I have found a gentle physio who has really encouraged me to become aware of my back but not force it in any which way. Gradually I am beginning to regain awareness and when I do, I sit or stand up straight and my heart really opens wide, it’s just amazing, I love it!
Awesome way to start my day, thank you Jane. I also love the insights shared by your students, wow they were honest, and testament to the openness you bring hey. For me I always feel the difference in my posture…when I slouch it’s as if a cloak of lethargy seems to cover me. To have awareness of this though is awesome as I can quickly say “no thanks” as that cloak doesn’t fit, sit up with pride in myself and watch as everything I do becomes a lot more harmonious….great blog.
Hi Phill, I love your expression – “cloak of lethargy” which is exactly how it feels to me too. That we have the awareness and can change this within a few seconds knowing it makes all the difference is indeed awesome. Many thanks for your insights.
Great to read your article highlighting how our posture impacts on the here and now, thank you Jane. Poor posture can also lead to health conditions as our body ages, being present with our bodies is a foundation for well being throughout our life.
Thank you for sharing your experience with the students you were speaking with, something as simple as posture having such an impact! I find that when I am feeling that my mind is trailing off elsewhere I can change how I sit or stop and change how I walk and that changes the quality of how I feel and think.
Jane this is fascinating. I cringed when I started reading as I was myself slouching at the time. As I continued reading I sat up, and noticed that my focus and attention improved radically. Your blog has left me wondering about how I have things set up at home, and whether they encourage me to slouch or whether they encourage me to sit, or to do whatever I need to do in a more supportive may.
Gorgeous article, perfectly timed for my day today, thank you so much.
A great point about the importance of posture not just for my back – as is commonly the focus – but the effect this has on everything I do. When I feel a little tired or caught up in something my posture is often always off and I find it easier to get distracted. Yet with a more supportive posture I find every day tasks at work are less of a challenge. Great to bring focus back to this.
Thanks Jane, this is so simple and as you say, changes how you are and how people are with you. I have been playing with this during training meetings at work and I have found that I am more able to stay with the subject (which can be dry sometimes) and I have more energy. I have noticed that others in the room become very tired and disinterested in the subject very quickly and switch off.
Beautiful Jane. Its no coincidence that teachers ask their pupils to sit up straight. I have also noticed how changing my posture has a big effect on my mood and how with it I am. when I slouch its almost as if im disappearing into myself and not totally engaging with the world.
This is great Jane, thank you. I can relate to what you have written, after becoming aware that I can tense my body when I’m around people. I started to let my shoulders relax and allow my whole body to let go of any tension and as a result I have noticed I feel less judgemental, critical and defensive and instead more open and loving with people and confident in myself.
“….posture goes far beyond the physical, as does the responsibility I have in how I choose to sit, stand and move around.” Thank you Jane just reading this made me sit up and bring more awareness to my body. I read your blog for the first time a while ago and I have to say it has really helped me connect during my day. If I am at work and there is lots going on and I’m feeling tired, I have felt to adjust my posture and sat up straight. It is amazing the immediate difference that it makes.
A super blog and such an important topic, in addition to our health, the effect of our posture on all our relationships must be immense. How great it is to present the ease with which we can change how we interact with one another.
Such a powerful blog on how our posture affects us and our relationships.
Awesome Jane.
Hi Ariana, thanks for your comment which made me smile in recognition of the many times I had been told in the past to sit up straight! Maybe what was really being said was “I don’t really feel you are fully with me right now”.
Thank you Jane for expressing your experience of slouching. I know if I slouch it feels like I’m saying to the world “I can’t be bothered with me or you”. Therefore when we slouch it is as though our body is expressing “can’t be bothered” for all to see, as we literally can’t be bothered to hold ourselves up let alone engage with anyone else.
Great to bring attention to this Jane.
Hi Beverley, thank you for your comment. So true. I loved what you wrote “we literally can’t be bothered to hold ourselves up let alone engage with anyone else”. It is amazing to realise too, that by changing our posture we can change how we feel and come out of those negative feelings. So simple.
Well said, Beverley. The “can’t be bothered” approach is something we need to take responsibility for nominating in ourselves, as it is an expression of giving up on ourselves, others and life. Thank you Jane, for highlighting how important our posture is, as part of claiming our choice to be fully here.
I found your experience with your students very interesting, Jane. Like you, I had not given any thought to the impact of poor posture on others, especially a slumped posture. I would imagine also, that if you held the opposite of a slumped posture – i.e. a ‘propped’ posture – where you are holding yourself very tense (‘shoulders back, chest out’ etc.), which could perhaps be quite ‘aggressive’ – that would also have a profound effect on your students.
Posture most definitely affects your mood. I realise I tend to slump if I am feeling tired or a bit ‘down’ – this in turn makes me feel more tired and down. So, how would that posture be affecting others? I suspect it would make others feel just as tired and down as me! At least now I am aware of my posture – so that I can adjust it if I feel myself slumping or propping.
Hi Anne, thank you for your comment. I loved your point about how a tense posture would also have a profound effect on others. It made me wonder if all the times we have been told to sit up straight in the past only led us to a different, equally damaging (for self and others) posture, just swapping one poor posture for another.
Thank you for the reminder on how something so simple, like posture, can make such a difference to ourselves and to others. I am going to be very aware of this today.
Hi Sally, thank you for your comment. How did it feel today?
Thank you so much for this great blog Jane. It says so much so simply. I always find it amazing how our re-connection to the flow of life simply requires awareness and then some natural adjustment – all for the love of ourselves and others.
Hi Lyndy, thank you for your comment. I love what you have written and I could feel how by making those natural adjustments and re-connecting, we create a ripple through humanity. Awesome!
Wow, imagine taking this understanding into every workplace! I work in a large call centre where there are ongoing issues with injuries from how we sit at our desks. The majority of the people there are genuinely wanting to be of service to the customer, so why are they being hurt and in pain?
Thank you for this inspiring post Jane for it highlights how our posture is connected to being in true service.
Hi Suzanne, thank you for your post. I can feel how amazing it would be if people at the call centre (and everywhere) took time to really care for themselves each time they sat down, and how by doing this they would be supporting everyone else too… colleagues and people they are talking to on the phone. Just taking a minute to adjust your posture can make such a difference.