Our attention to our posture is as important as our
attention to our clients, after all if we are uncomfortable in our bodies and
our stance then how can we be attentive to what is happening on the table. The strength of our core, the grounding in
our legs, the position of the shoulders and so much more are what makes us a
successful practitioner.
It all starts with the feet and works its way up the
body. The final outcome of the body is
that the hips above the heels, the shoulders above the hips, and finally the
ears back over the shoulders.
The feet should be firmly planted with the weight
distributed towards the back side of the body.
To accomplish this weight distribution I suggest standing there with
your toes lifted off of the ground so that the body is resting on the ball and
heel of the foot. It takes a little
getting used to and a lot of practice in which I suggest keeping those toes up
as much as possible until it feels natural to let them down and hold the weight
out of them. This will begin to
strengthen the muscles of the feet as well as the ankles and up the legs.
Which leads us to the knees. For proper support we want the knees to have
a slight micro-bend in them, have them be soft as if you just are about to jump
high or are just landing from a jump.
When we lock out our knees we are energetically saying there is an
underlying discomfort in standing our own ground. We are relying on the dynamic of the bones to
support us rather than the strength of our own muscles. We soften the knees and the muscles of the
legs will kick into action and it will suddenly become easier to have our toes
lifted and the weight in our back body.
When the knees micro-bend it automatically releases the pelvis so that
the low back can lengthen and the hips can align over the heels. This will also gently engage the deeper
muscles of the core so that the belly button pulls towards the spine to
stabilize the core.
The final steps are easy, as we rest in the grounding
of our feet we draw our shoulders and our lower ribs towards the back body so
that the shoulders are over the hips.
This keeps us from puffing up our chest and interfering with our
heart. As we complete our posture by
pulling our ears slightly back over our shoulders we give the energetic effect
of staying present rather than rushing forward.
To have a stable body and a basic understanding of how
your body is feeling and how it is aligned also keeps us open to the
mis-alignments that happen energetically when we are physically out of whack. I highly suggest incorporating yoga poses
into your stances; using lunges and wide legged stances as a grounded base so
that the core stays strong and the shoulders relaxed. These type of stances will also keep you
attentive to facing the client, not crossing arms, and being aware of their
movements.
When you are able to trust your stance and use less
physical energy in trying to stay comfortable you will be more present and open
to other sources of energy. I encourage
practitioners and students alike to practice these stances in their daily life
whether at a table or doing dishes.
Stand strong in your feet keep the knees soft so that the hips can
relax, draw the torso back over the hips and relax the shoulders. All of these have amazing energetic effects
and you will soon be able to notice a shift in your sessions!
Published 2013, Healing Touch Level 1 Manual
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