"All forcing comes from the ego. I must no longer be fooled by an image of an ideal that is imposed by the mind" Jeanne De Salzmann
We all know that our minds and bodies need training. If we are athletic then this is obvious. If we practice a trade this is true too. Even sitting at a desk and typing requires mind body training, as does even being able to sit still and be quiet. One thing that is notable, is that anyone who has truly masters any of these things will do so with the least amount of force. Things that are mastered will be done in a graceful, precise, and relaxed manor. If we could only take this idea into all aspects of life we would be doing quite well. In working with improving posture there are 3 things to keep in mind:
unnecessary muscle tension
the body knows best
relax into what you are doing
Unnecessary Muscle Tension
We are tense all the time, while working, while sitting still (if we ever do sit still), even while sleeping we are probably tense. This wastes a lot of energy and keeps the nervous system in a heightened state of arousal, which can even reach a certain level of trauma. Also, when we are unnecessarily tense we are probably using the wrong muscles to do things. Our larger muscle groups are not needed in full force to open up a door, they certainly are not needed in full force to stand and have good posture. Go to to the gym and punch a bag, or go running if you want to know what those muscles are needed for, and when they are not needed try to allow them to relax. Relaxing while being still is certainly an art, and an even greater art is relaxing while going about daily activities or relaxing into our daily activities. One must learn to trust that the over use of force to do common things is not necessary, and the body innately can find a better way.
The Body Knows Best
We commonly think that the body is to be operated by the mind like a vehicle or a marionette. I challenge you to show me the owner's manual that came with your body. All the subtle factors that just go into standing upright and walking around, all the various muscles large and small that must participate in this are simply mind boggling. I have clients come to me every week with ideas planted in their heads about how they are supposed to hold their shoulders, and their pelvis, where they need to keep their necks and how their feet are supposed to articulated with the ground. This is how western traditions like physical therapy, chiropractic, and kinesiology have formed, studying posture and movement by the parts rather than the whole and underestimating the subtly that the body has evolved for.
These western methods have plenty of science and techniques behind them, and can add great value to our physical well being, but compared with holistic eastern methods they are all quite young and lack the sophistication of systems that are older and view the parts as related to the whole. They all have their value but often lack a view of the big picture, so if you are having to forcefully hold yourself in better posture and control your movement- you do not have good posture or movement, you are simply imitating it. Good posture and efficient movement is the natural expression of a structurally well organised individual and should occur with a minimal amount of effort, just what is needed.
Relax Into What you do
Whether it is martial arts, rock climbing, dance, or weightlifting, we need physical training for the disciplines we are involved in, but our skill in physical form can become more refined and subtle. Trying to both relax into and embody the form by taking it and moving within it with a soft open attention rather than a rigid adherence to form can allow this. Relax into the form, only use the strength necessary. Even disciplines that require explosive strength, like boxing will refine their form into economy of movement. A boxer may find they have even more power when a punch is delivered without rigid force, and their movement is faster and more fluid when there is some degree of relaxation involved. This is a fine balance, and not easy to find, but finding it is a step toward mastery. This should be everyone's goal who seeks better posture, movement, and performance.
Rolfing is a process of addressing strain patterns that interfere with good posture and free movement. If the posture is not good, naturally, we must ask what is interfering with it. Rather than struggling to hold our structure in what we or some other professional thinks is good posture, we want to make good posture available through differentiating muscle and connective tissue that are interfering with the innate expression of graceful, economical movement. Once restrictions have been addressed, it is then a question of exploring movement and allowing the body and the nervous system to find better ways of interacting with the world. Then it is a question of learning the subtle language of the body rather than commanding and micromanaging it. Just like gently leading a horse while riding it, by the reigns and other cues, one must lead the body without over controlling it. For this exploration to begin we must admit that we don't know best, the body, the nervous system, and the subconscious mind know best. What we can do is direct a light attention to the body, to movement, an attention that does not control but participates. This is the way to embodiment, the mind participates rather than controls.
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