My Mood, My Posture

 

“Posture is the key to life.”—Mark Twain

Our self-respect took quite the hammering in those difficult old days of chemical and other abuse… And the dark shadows of our past insanities can still cast their spell on our sometime fragile serenity. One way our past shows up in our present is often in our carriage. Many of us, for instance, have slumped shoulders and sunken chests. While our deskbound culture and attachment to mobile devices has created an epidemic of poor upper body posture, our careless disregard for our bodies while using contributed often to this look of resigned defeat.

Modern research, however, has shown a strong correlation between our moods and how we carry ourselves. More specifically, scientists have proven that we can often positively affect our emotions simply by modifying our posture. And it can happen within minutes of taking action. How wonderful is that!

So, for today, we will help our self-respect by performing a set of movements to release and improve our shoulder placement. This exercise can help strengthen our upper back muscles, restore mobility, reduce discomfort and—over time—improve both mood and posture. You may feel a tingling, buzzing sensation as fresh blood floods into the area. Enjoy the pleasurable feeling, as it’s a welcome sign of healing.

Stand with feet at shoulder-width, arms resting by your sides and your butt tucked gently forward. Circle your shoulders up, forwards, down and backwards, making a full 360-degree rotation. Repeat in the opposite direction. Do up to 20 repetitions in both directions.

Next, pull your shoulders back and down, bringing your shoulder blades together as close as possible. Keep the chest area as relaxed as possible. Tighten the muscles in the upper back and hold for five seconds. Relax. Repeat five to ten times. And enjoy the boost to your mood!

I am excited to have changed my mood for the better, by changing my posture for the better.