How's Your Posture?

I'd like to share with you a chapter in the book How To Train A Wild Elephant - & Other adventures in mindfulness by Jan Chozen Bays, M.D., meditation teacher and Zen Buddhist.

Chapter 7

Mindfulness of Posture

The Exercise:

 Several times a day, become aware of your posture. This has two aspects. First it means to become aware of what posture you are in and how it feels within the body. If you closed your eyes, what would be the clues that you are standing or sitting or lying down? For example, if you are sitting in a chair with your eyes closed, what tells you that you are in a body that is sitting? Where do you feel pressure or movement?

Being aware of posture also means to notice and adjust your posture many times a day. If you are slouching, gently straighten up.

A very good time to work with mindfulness of posture is at meals. Sit on the front edge of the chair with your feet planted on the floor, knees a big apart. Straighten the spine to maximize room for breathing.

Other interesting times to become aware of posture include while standing in line, driving, while at the computer, lying down in bed, in meetings or classes and while walking.

Reminding Yourself

Ask for help from your family or friends. Tell them you want reminders if your posture is slumped. Also look at your posture in mirrors and reflective windows. As you go by, stand so you can see your posture from the side. Does it need adjusting?

Place a little piece of colored tape or a small note that says "Posture" on the chair or on the table you use for meals.

Discoveries

People are often surprised to discover that they have poor posture. Their posture looks OK from the front, but when they see their reflections from the side, they are shocked to discover that their shoulders are slumped. We adjust our posture to different situations. At a job interview or an interesting lecture, we sit up straight; watching TV, we slump on the couch. It is easy to pick out those people who have had certain kinds of training, such as military officers, dancers, or royalty. They have a noticeably upright posture. Why is posture important for these people? There is a Spanish saying, "You can tell a priest even in a bathing suit," meaning that a religious person is distinguishable just by his or her outward demeanor, because this reflects an internal posture or alignment.

In Zen practice we put a lot of emphasis on posture, not only in the meditation hall but also sitting at the table, and even walking about. We walk with the hands held folded together at the waist, maintaining what Catholic nuns call "custody of the hands." When we pass each other in the walkways, we stop, put palms together and bow.

Deeper Lessons

Buddhist monk and teacher Ajahn Chah said, "Wisdom comes from being mindful of all postures. Your practice should begin as you awaken in the morning. It should continue until you fall asleep. What is important is that you keep watchful, whether you are working or sitting or going to the bathroom."

Posture and concentration are related. Often drowsiness (in meditation or at any time) is a clue that your posture has slipped and that your lungs are not able to fill fully with each breath. In such instances, quietly adjust, rolling up from the base of the spine in order to lengthen it and maximize room for breathing. Then take a few deep breaths. The goal is to create maximum room for breath to flow unimpeded. Posture and mood are related as well. When you notice that your mood is sour, try changing your posture.

The word upright can refer to posture, but it can also describe how we live our life. "Upright" implies living with integrity, virtue, and steadfastness. Whatever life brings to us, we are not knocked off our foundation/ Our life is aligned in all its aspsects. The Buddha is often called the Noble One, not because he was born a prince but  because he practiced meditation and mindfulness diligently, becoming a person who lived in full alignment with underlying Truth. Through practice we, too, can be infused with this Truth and let it inspire, support, and guide our lives.

When we focus on our breath, we uncover our inherent equanimity. When we allow the churning thoughts in our mind to settle, we discover our inherent widsom. When we relax and open our hearts, our innate kindness emerges. When we have practiced long enough to be able to access these qualities at any time, we will move through life with confidence, upright and unshakeable.

Final Words: Body and mind are not two ---they are deeply connected and interdependent. When the mind or mood slumps. try adjusting the body's posture.

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How is your posture? Do you have any of the above 4 problems?

Over time, poor posture will cause serious spinal, shoulder, hip and knee problems. These structural problems can lead to back and joint pain, poor flexibility, and compromised muscles.

Forward head

The problem Stiff muscles in the back of your neck

The fix Moving only your head, drop your chin down and in toward your sternum while stretching the back of your neck. Hold for a count of five; do this 10 times a day. 

Rounded shoulders

The problem Weakness in the middle and lower parts of your trapezius (the large muscle that spans your shoulders and back)

The fix Lie facedown on the floor, with each arm at a 90-degree angle in the high-five position. Without changing your elbow angle, raise both arms by pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Hold for five seconds. That's one rep; do two or three sets of 12 reps daily.

Anterior pelvic tilt

The problem Tight hip flexors

The fix Kneel on your left knee, with your right foot on the floor in front of you, knee bent. Press forward until you feel the stretch in your left hip. Tighten your butt muscles on your left side until you feel the front of your hip stretching comfortably. Reach upward with your left arm and stretch to the right side. Hold for a count of 30 seconds. That's one repetition; do three on each side. 

(pasted from - http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/good-posture?postlist=1)

These exercises take just a few minutes. There are 3 other exercises that I did not paste into our blog. If you'd like, also check them out at the above site.

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Leslie, one of our blog viewers sent the following site to me that has a short and extremely interesting video about a man with Alzheimer's Disease. His wife, a physician, starting giving him pure coconut oil and his disease improved markedly. 

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS

Because my mother had AD I am always looking for ways to decrease my chance of getting this disease. 

Here is some interesting info -

Organic Coconut Oil is rich in vitamins and minerals and especially rich (60%+) in important fatty acids, the medium chain triglycerides (MCTs).  It has been used by Asian and Pacific populations both as a source of dietary oil and in their traditional medical practices.  Praised for its many and various healing properties, to a Pacific Islander, Coconut Oil is believed to be the cure of all illnesses and is so highly valued they refer to the coconut palm as “The Tree of Life.”  Western modern science has only recently begun to uncover and understand the miracle healing value of the coconut.

Coconut Oil has been mistakenly labeled as unhealthy due to its high saturated fat content.  However, modern science has now refuted these earlier claims and instead, is praising the health benefits with some even stating it as the “healthiest oil on earth.”

All fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids which are made of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached.  All fatty acids are classified as either short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA), or long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and our bodies metabolize each of these fatty acids differently.  

About 98-100% of fats and oils in our American diets (including those in meat, milk, eggs and most all vegetable oils) are comprised of LCFA.  But Coconut Oil is comprised of more than 60% MCFA, also known as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs).  MCFA do not have the adverse effects found in LCFA but instead have many health benefits, including helping to protect against heart disease, lowering the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease as well as slightly lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) and slightly raising HDL (good cholesterol).  

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I'm going to add coconut oil to my smoothies from now on!

Hope you're having a wonderful day. 

In peace,

Donna Rae