My Mindful March Streak: Paying Attention to Posture

I was a little late in picking my streak for March, so when I saw Kristen’s post on posture, I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to streak about. While the Fit Bottomed Challenge technically recommended yoga, meditation, journaling or eating mindfully, I decided to make my own rules. I guess you could say that my streak was a creative mix of meditation, yoga and posture — let’s call it “mindful posturing.”

If you didn’t read Kristen’s post, you should do that. I’ll keep linking to it until you do. You see, I’ve always had terrible posture. I’m a slumper. And Kristen’s post reminded me of the power of the mind/body connection when it comes to something as simple as posture. When I slump, I feel more of how I look: down, tired, slumped. When I perk up my posture, I immediately feel perkier: more awake, more alert, more confident. Knowing this, I decided to start checking in more frequently during the day to note my posture. When sitting down for a meal, was my chin just a bit closer to the plate than it needs to be? Chest up, shoulders back, I’d remind myself. When at the computer, was I leaning forward, slumping? Sit up, strong core, I’d say. Standing in line at a checkout: Am I hunched over? Take up space, I’d remind myself.

Taking note of my posture throughout the day is not only good for my body — a straighter spine, more engaged abs and all around better alignment — but it’s also better for my brain. I feel more energized, confident and just better all around when I’m paying attention to my posture. Since I started my streak a few weeks ago, I still catch myself slumping. I don’t know that I’ll ever eliminate it completely, but being aware of it has been good for me. It’s a streak I hope to continue!

Do you have terrible posture? Do you notice you feel better when you correct it? —Erin