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Freeze! Don't move and notice your posture. Chances are--if you're reading this on a computer, tablet or smart phone--your head and shoulders are hunched forward and your spine is rounded. Your neck, jaw and dominant arm may also be tense.
This common habit, known as "forward head posture," can lead to a wide array of ailments--from headaches, neck and back pain, to problems with respiration, circulation and digestion. So start the new year right, by resolving to keep your head on straight. Be kind to your spine (and the rest of your body) by paying attention to these posture pointers:
*Balance your head over your shoulder girdle, so that--if someone was looking at you from the side--the hole in your ear would line up directly over your shoulder.
*Extend the top of your head up, as if you were trying to touch it to the ceiling. Be sure to keep your chin parallel to the floor as you do this--don't tilt it up or tuck it in.
*Imagine there's a headlight shining out from the center of your chest. Make sure it shines forward, not down in your lap when you're sitting or toward the floor when you're standing.
*Relax your shoulders, so they release down away from your ears.
*Sit on your "sit bones" -- those two knobs at the base of your pelvis -- not on your sacrum.
Good posture has the added bonus of creating an "instant weight loss" effect. Slouching causes the belly to protrude, so when you learn how to stand and sit properly, it often looks as if you've suddenly lost five pounds.
In addition, good posture can give you an emotional lift, since the way you hold your body affects the way you feel, and vice versa. People who carry themselves with good alignment seem confident and graceful, while those whose posture reflects a physical slump often appear to be in a mental slump as well.
Best wishes for a healthy, happy 2014!
P.S. "FREEZE! Ground, Breath, Spine" is one of more than 100 quick practices offered in my new book,
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