Take a mindful posture break today

Here’s a one minute posture break exercise recommended by a posture expert from the USA Dr. Steven Weiniger. Focusing your attention on a single body part at a time can boost mind-body awareness and control, and with these 5 steps you can dial into your posture to start confidently standing taller.

A Mindful Posture Break:

The goal is to stand tall and align your head, torso and pelvis over your feet (the 4 PostureZones).  As your focus shifts from the ground up, breathe slowly and let your breath guide the motion.

1- Stand Tall and relaxed. Not stiff or rigid.  Relax, and pull your head to the ceiling.  Breathe in and out, and then…

2- Ground your Feet: Slowly come up onto your toes, then down.  Come up onto your heels and spread your toes apart, then back down.  Roll your feet out, and then in.  Now, press on all four ‘corners’ to ground your feet as you breathe in and out, and then…

3- Centre your Pelvis: Arch your low back and breathe in, then pull your belly in, tuck your pelvis in and breathe out.  Keep your spine long and head tall as you roll your pelvis back to centre, half way between these 2 extremes.  Repeat for another breath.

4- Open your Torso: Lift shoulders up and back as you breathe in, then keep them back as you lower them down and breathe out.  Repeat for another slow breath, and then…

5- Lift and level your Head.  Look straight ahead as you breathe in, then breathe out and lift the base of your head up (keep the head level and chin slightly tucked) to lengthen your spine.  Repeat for another slow, deep breath.

Repeat. Focus on standing taller, aligning each PostureZone as you breathe slowly for each step.  Do this 2 or 3 times a day to relieve stress, unfold your posture and brighten your mood.

It really is a priority to make time for daily posture breaks. 
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Whether you’re feeling down or optimistically looking up, posture affects (and is affected by) your outlook on life. Improving your posture can improve your mood, while reducing pain and muscle stress to let you breathe easier and feel better in both mind and body.