Would you believe it if I told you that your posture and structural alignment affect your digestion, hormone balance, fluid balance and flow - think lymph and blood circulation, as well as brain function, and the big hard hitting one - metabolism?! Yes this is definitely something to consider if you are one of those people who are doing all the right things to manage your weight and nothing is working.
After 27 years of doing various forms of body work, I thought I had learnt everything there was to know about posture and structural balancing. Then popping into my inbox a few months ago, was an invitation to a kinesiology course that worked with postural balancing using the Chinese medicine acupuncture system. I am on a quest to learn all there is to know about the body in this lifetime, so naturally I dived in. I am pleased to say I now have a whole new perspective on supporting structural alignment, and in turn supporting the function of so many aspects of the body.
In Chinese medicine, the flow of energy through certain meridians are seen to support muscle tone, movement and structural alignment. The structure also encompasses the fascia, which houses the blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic system. Interestingly, the meridian lines that Chinese medicine deem to influence fascia, also correspond very neatly with the scientific discovery of ‘muscle chains’ or ‘muscle trains’. Supporting this aspect of the structure can help with the flow of information and nourishment to all aspects of the body. This is helpful particularly in situations where people are taking supplements and are nourishing themselves well, yet the body still shows a nutritional deficiency. This is just one way that knowledge from Chinese medicine supports my practice in Kinesiology. Not only that, it gives me more strategies to resolve the root cause of a host of issues affecting people’s health.
There is so much more I could go into about the wisdom from Chinese medicine, but instead I want to leave you with a simple pearl for you to attune to your own postural needs. The majority of people I see have postural and structural imbalances, so don’t be down on yourself if you struggle with it. Rather than looking at posture as something that needs to be fixed, sometimes it is more useful to see it as a feedback tool. When the body is stuck in a certain posture, it is giving information about an emotional state or ‘stance’ in life. Our body is a most wondrous vehicle for the experiences in our life and sometimes they stick in our posture. The body is also a transmitter of information from the soul and from our environment. When we develop a sound relationship of listening to it, and honouring its needs, we can develop a greater sense of love and trust within.
My invitation to you is to take a moment each morning, or evening, to check in with your body and with your emotions with this 2 step process.
Step 1: What posture are you finding yourself in? Exaggerate that posture and sense what it feels like. What emotion or attitude is it reflecting? Is it reflecting a sentiment around something in your life at the moment? Is it inviting you to address an issue or challenge in your life? You can build self worth and self trust by taking action on that issue.
Step 2: Change your posture to a stance that you want to feel instead of this. Does this feel better in your body? Remember this posture and emulate it when you need it.
I have a structural fundamentals chapter in of one of my courses on my soulful supports subscription site for anyone wanting more support in this aspect of health. I include a number of videos to help you with structural and postural self healing. You will find it in my Health and Vitality Mastery course. On my subscription site you will also find an audio for a moving meditation to support you to attune to and resolve your body’s postural stress. You can find them here at this link: