I know we’ve talked about posture numerous times but it bears repeating. Even with the benefit of reminders, correction, (in some classes) mirrors, many participants exhibit poor posture without being aware of it. Many people in the United States (I can’t comment on other countries), have an undeveloped sense of their physical body and their posture. They seem disconnected from what their bodies are actually doing.

Why is this? It may come down to “deficient” proprioception (the body's perception of movement and spatial orientation). It could also be a result of years of poor posture, or even as a result of an old injury that made their incorrect alignment feel “natural”.

Unfortunately, poor posture/alignment prevents one from having relaxed joints, tendons, and muscles which has a negative effect on their bodies in daily life. It also impedes progress in their Tai Chi or Qigong practice. Importantly, when the body has tension, the mind does as well. This tension, subtle as it may be, blocks the flow of Qi as well as blood. Qi and blood flow more easily when both your body and your mind are relaxed.

Why do instructors keep correcting our student’s (and our own) posture? Let’s look at the many benefits to maintaining an upright stance while we focus on elongating the spine from the top of the head down to the tailbone. Good posture/alignment improves balance, joint movement and flexibility, flow of blood and Qi. It also improves the ability to bend more deeply and, according to recent research, to improve our mood, alertness, cognition, breathing, and stress and pain relief! We all know that pain relief is a very good motivator!

Here are some interesting (though alarming) statistics compiled on The Gokhale Method website:

90% of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives.
50% of working Americans will experience back pain.
Back pain is now the leading cause of disability in people under 45 years old.
More than 60% of all adolescents have experienced back and/or neck pain by age 15.

Is it effortless to gain and maintain good posture? No! One must work at having good posture. It takes effort and attention to your posture at all times, whether sitting, standing, walking, lying down, etc. The head should be centered over the torso, the torso over the hips, and the hips over the legs and feet. When we balance the body by using natural alignment, we can stand and move with a minimum of muscular tension.

Here's how to get there and why you should work at it:

Your spine is the backbone of verticality. Elongating the spine (allowing for its natural curves) reduces the wear and tear on the vertebral discs. This allows your head to sit squarely on top of your spine without jutting forward, which strains your neck muscles. Gaze should be level and forward.
Shoulders should be relaxed and slightly lowered as with gravity. Arms do NOT just dangle. They are relaxed and slightly away from your sides. You should be able to fit a tennis ball between your rib cage and your upper arm (armpit).
The waist and pelvic region connects the upper body and lower body and is known as the “Commander” (or hub where all movement originate) according to the Tai Chi classics. Proper balance in this area prevents pain in the back, knee, neck, hip, and pelvic area. It also affects your gait and balance.
Your weight should be centered over the balls of your feet and toes, feet parallel and pointed in the same direction as your kneecaps. Knees are soft. If alignment in your feet is off, the imbalance will travel up the body and cause pain along the way.
New evidence supports the hypothesis that Tai Chi and Qigong benefits psychological health, including management and prevention of depression, anxiety and related mood disorders. Posture in Tai Chi and Qigong has been shown to affect mood. However, further research is necessary to clarify the causal factors and nature of this relationship.

Bottom line: Both Tai Chi and Qigong aim to align the body in safe, graceful, vertical, but in an unstrained way. They increase proprioception or "position sense”, which prevents falls and accidents that lead to back pain (and other injuries), while at the same time reducing aggravation of any existing back pain. Tai Chi and Qigong movements enable the the muscles around the spine (including the abdominals and hamstrings) to become stronger and more flexible, which leads to better posture!

Suggestions:

When practicing either Tai Chi and/or Qigong at home, use a mirror to assess your posture.
Become more aware of your posture and alignment and work on incorporating your instructor’s corrections consistently.

You may be surprised at how much your body and mind will benefit!

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