Posture and the Alexander Technique: Four reasons for NOT sitting up

You become fixed, rigid and immobile

Think about it. To sit or stand straighter you tighten muscles. When you want to move you've got either to fight those tightened muscles or first let go of your so-called good posture.

Try it. Reach for something near you. Now sit up very straight. Pull your shoulders back. Then reach out again. Was it easier? I don't think so.

You tire quickly.

How would you feel after holding that sitting-up posture for 10 minutes? Would you be full of energy and ready for anything? More likely, you'd be longing to slump back in the chair and recover from your effort.

You end up hurting more.

Maybe not after 10 minutes, but what if you did it for an hour?

Would it even be possible to maintain that posture all day long?

Your mind wanders.

Have you noticed how people's eyes glaze over when they're making a special effort to “sit up and pay attention”? No? Maybe that's because you were too busy doing it yourself. After all, who's immune from this obsession with posture?

Alertness is an early victim of postural effort. Attempts at concentration only make matters worse. The more you concentrate the more you stiffen. The more you stiffen the more your mind wanders.

Attentiveness is incompatible with effortful attempts at posture. Easy, automatic, effortless posture goes hand-in-hand with awareness.

Take the better way.

If others want to follow each other over the cliff like lemmings …

Or freeze like frightened rabbits …

That's up to them.

There's a better way to be. Forget working to improve your posture.

Let your posture work for you.