Happy Spring, Happy Spine
Springtime is all about renewal and regrowth. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, and trees are blooming! Just like a tree grows tall and strong from the ground up, learning to sit and stand with healthy posture requires a solid base and a strong spine. When you feel better, you work better.
These reflections on spring have inspired us to create our newest offerings. Our 4-Week Healthy Posture Program, tree visualization mini-meditation, and our pose of the month.
We're focusing on creating a strong solid base, so that when we sit (or stand) to work, we can be our most productive and pain-free. Here's a quick guide as to how you can best personify springtime to help you feel and work better!
Embrace change. Spring is all about clearing away the cold winter frost so that new life can emerge. As the seasons change, so do our bodies. Instead of getting down about our aging joints and muscles, we can embrace the change and start to move in ways that facilitate aging with strength and grace. A good place to start is with your daily posture. Begin to notice your tendencies. Do you always sit leaning to one side, or slouched forward? Your body will be better served over time by sitting with a long spine, from tailbone to head.
Grow strong roots. Roots help anchor plants to the earth and help support them as they grow. Learn to feel rooted whenever you sit or stand. Firmly press your feet, or your seat, into the ground or chair beneath you. Visualize yourself feeling grounded and stable. You can reconnect to this idea every time you sit, stand or take a step.
Strengthen your core. Your torso has a similar function to a tree trunk. It's important for a tree to be flexible enough to sway in the wind - or else it would snap in two! - and also for it to be strong enough to support its roots and branches. As you sit and stand, learn to engage the muscles of your core to help support your spine, limbs, and head.
Become light and nimble. We see lightness all around us in springtime. The birds taking flight, the gentle breeze, the soft light and sweet pastel colors blooming all around us. These are all great reminders to find the lightness within us. With the solid base in mind, we can then grow tall and light through our bodies. When you stand or sit, in addition to rooting down, feel like you are growing tall by lifting up through the crown of your head. Soften your shoulders and your limbs as you breathe. Sense the gentle breath flowing in and out of your body.
Katie and I teach our clients to sit and stand with good posture using yoga techniques to help build a strong core and limber joints. Our teachings emanate from years of experience and thorough research. We both have worked jobs where we were tied to our desks and computers for hours on end. Low back pain is a major source of discomfort for many working people, not just us! Studies show that 31 million Americans suffer from back pain. Check out our latest video and follow along to revitalize your lower back.
Happy spring! Now go out there and use your newfound ease of movement to smell the flowers and feel the sun on your back.
Be well,
Nicole and Katie
Co-Founders, Unfold Yoga + Wellness
