THE POSTURE CLINIC

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THE POSTURE CLINIC

• Yoga 11

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Posture Perfect!

• Good posture is important for your body.
  Understanding and practicing correct posture is
  extremely important in preventing musculoskeletal
  injuries. It also has a tremendous influence on
  how others perceive us.

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Look at the following picture

• Slouched v. Poised v. Forced sitting

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• Your goal is to keep the three natural curves of
  your spine in their natural balanced alignment.
• Neutral spine is the position of greatest
  segmental balance and least amount of stress and
  pain to the joints, ligaments, and muscles.
• The alignment is ear, shoulder, hip, and ankle
  bone. This is often referred to as the plum line.

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• Standing or sitting in balance means you are
  working with gravity instead of against it. The
  muscles do not have to work hard to maintain
  balance therefore the body feels less fatigued
  and can work more efficiently.
• When you slouch, you cause unnecessary strain,
  which can lead to backache, stiffness, and muscle
  fatigue.

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Will Power

• Knowing the proper techniques is one thing.
  Harder is the practice of good posture. Here are
  some techniques!
• Tell your friends and family to remind you
• Leave yourself post it notes
• Stand tall when you see a person wearing a hat
• Sit tall when you stop at a red light
• Practice tadasana

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Tadasana or Mountain Pose

• General benefits of mountain pose or what is also
  called Tadasana
• Aligns the spine, which increases circulation
• Helps develop proper standing posture which can
  reduce problems associated with improper weight
  distribution, resulting in worn joints. This
  reduces wear and tear on the knees.

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Tadasana or Mountain Pose

• Tones abdominal muscles and strengthens the legs
• Strengthens the arches of the feet, knees and
  thighs
• Fosters mental focus and clarity

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Tadasana or Mountain Pose

• Enhances self-confidence
• Reduces mild anxiety
• Encourages deep breathing for an overall sense of
  calm
• Enhances digestion
• Prevents osteo-arthritis in the spine
• Job success

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Review

• How many vertebrae does the cervical section of
  the spine have?

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Answer

• 7

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Figure 2. An abnormal spinal condition known as scoliosis is shown in this drawing. Scoliosis is a lateral (sideways) curvature of the spine.                                                        
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• Figure 3.
• Spondylolisthesis is an abnormal spinal condition
  in which one vertebra slips or is displaced over
  another vertebra. The drawing shows
  spondylolisthesis as a result of a lumbar
  vertebra (L5) slipping over the sacrum (S1).

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