Don't Be a Bad Astronaut...Have Good Posture Instead!

Have you ever have a friend come up to you with a dejected look and say, "I'm a bad astronaut.  It must be genetic."

Has anyone ever insisted that you need to get fluent in Portuguese, learn to play the saxophone, and hit a home run by the end of breakfast?  

Ridiculous, right?  Genetic?  It takes years of study, skill development, and determination to become an astronaut.  How could you be bad at something you've never done?  And how could anyone be expected to learn to speak a language, play a musical instrument, or a sport by the end of a meal?  Clearly impossible!

It's more likely that you've heard a dejected friend say, "My posture is terrible.  It must be genetic."

And you may have heard a loved one suggest you sit up straight as you're slouching over your cereal or smartphone.

Posture tends to be placed in a category something that can should be fixed instantly and maintained and if it isn't, well then it must mean you're lazy...Or as some kind of genetic trait like eye color that obviously runs in the family because... well...look at Aunt Petunia's posture!

When I hear someone say that they just have bad posture and doubt anything can be done, I feel a little like they're saying they're a bad astronaut (unless of course they actually are an astronaut!) Changing your posture doesn't require an advanced degree, but it's not a doomed state of being, nor is it genetic, or something that you should be expected to "fix" at the drop of a hat.  If you find that it's difficult to fix on your own, that's normal.  You're not lazy. 

Changing your posture requires some knowledge and skill.  Many people are frustrated, thinking they can't fix their posture no matter how hard they try.  The trouble is though, that they haven't been trying correctly.  Once they learn to try correctly, it improves. The attempts at quick fixes (ie. throwing your shoulders back) can actually make matters worse.  

Good posture is about finding a dynamic state of balance in the body, not a position that must be held.  (Whew!  Good news!  Holding a position can get pretty uncomfortable.)  Alexander Technique lessons help you correctly sense when you're in balance and when you're not, so you don't just learn correct posture...you learn how to feel what correct posture feels like.  

Getting clear on what good posture is helps you to improve it and keep improving.  And it feels good.  And you feel competent because you can learn to do it yourself and you're not just doing the old "stand up straight" thing that doesn't work.

If you haven't already check out my free sitting guide to start to change how you try to fix your posture....

...and sign up for some lessons or classes so you'll become the posture astronaut you were always meant to be!