Good Posture Increases Confidence. What Does Your Posture Say About You?
It’s time to check in with your posture. Do you notice the way you walk through a room when your anxiety is high and your senses are as keen as a foxes. Do you slouch in “hide me now” pose or do you walk as tall as a giraffe overlooking everything beneath you. Maybe you walk fast and aggressive as if you are on the prowl or slow and with intent fully satisfied. Use these 7 points of mindfulness to gain awareness of your posture.
You can stand tall in mountain pose with your feet at hips width apart, hips fully aligned with your ankles and your pelvise tucked under so that your spine in fully upright.
Rest your arms along your sides with your palms relaxed, let gravity pull your hands towards the ground.
Make sure that your spine is elongated and each vertebrate is lengthened all the way to the crown of your head.
Image a string in the center of your crown pulling you up towards the cosmos. The souls of your feet are fully grounded and rooted in the earth and the crown of your head is lifting towardes the heavens. Remember to breathe in space between each vertebret.
Imagine your shoulders rotating back and down so that your shoulder blades slide down your back. Lengthen so that you feel a nice stretch on the back of your neck. Your chin is tilted slightly upward with your neck lengthened as tall as it will go.
You’re tongue should be touching the palate, relaxed and your mouth slightly open, inhaling fresh oxygen with each breath. Letting go of negative energy with each breath.
Your gaze should be steady, looking forward about two feet ahead.
Now it’s time to focus on your breath.
With these 7 points of mindfulness in place begin to go inwards focusing on the breath. Lengthen each breath a little more with each breath making the inhale and exhale balanced. Notice yourself exhaling a little longer with each breath, then inhale a little longer on the inhale. Follow the ryhtym of your breath until it is steady and aware.
Affirmation: I am aware of the impression my posture.
Mindful Moment: Stand tall in mountain pose, with an awareness in posture. Notice the 7 points of mindfulness. Elongating spine, chin up, shoulders back, arms relaxed, focusing on breath.Noticing and listening to the breath, with each breath expanding, lengthening, then letting go. Notice an awareness in your stance, what impression does it give the world. Souls of feet rooted, crown reaching upward. Tongue relaxed and resting on the palette ready to speak with intention. What thoughts, feelings, sensations, reactions are present? What are you noticing? When you feel distracted or unclear, keep going back to your breath. Is it heavy or is it relaxed and free, resilient? Lengthen each breath. Then, let go.
Nature Experience: Take a hike and keep going all of the way to the top noticing the 7 points of mindfulness the whole way. Stay aware in each moment of any thoughts, feelings, sensatons, or reactions that are present. Just observe and notice. Notice the growth in confidence and your posture with the view from the top.
Journal Prompt: During my hike today how did I observe and practice the 7 points of mindfulness. What was the most difficult? How did this effect my ability to stand confidently? What was the view like? How did I feel when reaching the top?
