Posture matters

Good Posture

The first time I saw this Charles Schultz comic was when it was first published in 1964. I always remembered it and it and I contacted Charles Schultz’ organization to get a copy of it, which hangs on the wall in my office.

I heard it a lot when I was growing up, “Stand up straight!” “Don’t slouch!”  I didn’t recognize my posture, at that time, as possibly being related to my mental state but, now as I look back, I was a depressed kid with depressed posture. How we hold our bodies affects our mental state and our mental state affects how we hold our bodies. There is a “chicken & egg” thing going on here.

One component of mindfulness practice is being aware of how we are holding our bodies. When we slouch, our bodies are not in the best position to deal with the constant pull of gravity. Ignoring this can lead to skeletal, muscular, neurological, as well as, psychological issues.

Fortunately, all the self-care behaviors that we strive to bring into our lives will have a positive affect on our posture. You don’t have to bring in more. Keeping up with our physical, mental and spiritual hygiene practices will help us to, “Stand up straight!”

Here’s a short TED Talk on The Benefits of Good Posture.