When someone says "Stand tall," how do you change your body to match the request? Do you roll your shoulders back? Lift your head? Tuck your pelvis? Pull in your soft belly? Like anything in life, little adjustments can make a big impact.
Over the years, I've tried variations on standing tall. They all helped, though they never quite felt completely natural. Have you ever changed your physical position and thought, "Yes, this feels good, right, like it's exactly how my body should be." That's been my most recent experience.
I'll tell you what I did, with the direction of my Yoga mentor/teacher Elke. Lean the side of your body against the wall including your arm as if you are reaching for the ceiling. Stand up on your tippy toes. As you reach up further and further with your arm, keep the side of your body flush with the wall (touching it), and lower the foot that's closer to the wall down to the ground. This process elongates the side of your body, specifically your trunk.
Once you have the physiological memory of what you just experienced, you can then recreate it without necessarily getting into the full yoga position. Think of the sides of the trunk of your body as taffy. Even just thinking that your sides are stretched up will allow them to be so. Notice how when you are elongated in this way, your shoulders naturally drop. In fact, they beautifully frame your body instead of being loose or stiff noodles. One slight change and everything else falls into place. You stand tall, you feel more confident, and your body is a healthy, balanced position. Your turn to try...
interesting .. I tried it and I could feel the energy run up my torso. It was very neat. thanks for the tip!
Posted by: elizabeth | May 05, 2009 at 07:13 PM
You're welcome. Nice result you got too! That's the key is to just get the energy moving and flowing freely in our bodies.
Posted by: Vanessa Smith | May 06, 2009 at 10:34 AM