In my last post, I wrote about one strategy for working on awareness—Two Questions.
If you commit to asking and answering these Two Questions on a regular basis each and every day you will begin to gather information about yourself. And you will begin to be more aware of your default way of doing things.
For example, when you repeatedly ask and answer the question What am I touching? you might begin to notice patterns in how you habitually distribute your weight when sitting and standing.
Be curious.
What is the quality of the contact of the soles of your feet with the ground when you stand?
Is your weight habitually more on one foot than the other?
Is your weight habitually on your heels, with hardly any weight on the balls of your feet?
Are your feet rolled to the outside, so all the weight is on the outside of your feet? (yes some people do stand this way).
And an interesting question might be how often do you actually stand on your own two feet without leaning on something like a wall or a counter?
What about when you are sitting?
How do you habitually distribute your weight under your buttocks and through your back as you sit in a chair?
Do you habitually put more weight on one side than the other? What about if there is an armrest?
Which arm touches the armrest or do both equally?
What about the contact of your feet with the floor when you sit?
Are they both on the floor?
Do you tend to habitually pull your heels off the ground when you sit?
Do you habitually have only one foot on the ground because your legs are crossed?
When you ask yourself Where is my breathing? you might begin to notice if you tend to hold your breath (if so, by all means, exhale straight away!)
Be curious.
Where do you predominately sense movement in your torso as you breathe?
In your chest? In your belly? In your sides? In your low back? In your upper back?
Your entire torso is designed to expand and contract as you breathe. All the way around. Front and back and sides. But what is important is where you notice movement right now. And each time you ask the question.
If you want to make changes to your Posture and your Use you need to gather information about what you currently do on a regular ongoing basis.
All too often we want to start by being told what to do to make changes.
But you need to start by being curious about what it is that you already do.
Get to know your default.
With curiosity and without harsh judgment.
That takes time and effort. But it’s worth it.
