4 Yoga Virtues for Exercises to Improve Posture

Starting a new system of exercises to improve posture can be frustrating.  We might expect a lot out of ourselves, especially at the beginning.  We want instant results, and when we don’t get them, we feel discouraged.

However, we can temper ourselves with virtues that help us reconnect to the reality of our bodies and help us cope with the more difficult parts of our practice.  I have borrowed these four powerful virtues from yoga and tai chi so that we may reap their benefits.

1. Patience

The first week or two of a new exercise routine usually give you big results.  You’re working new muscles in new ways, so your muscle adapts relatively quickly.  But soon you reach your muscle’s capacity to change quickly, and you must slowly and persistently exercise it to see any gains.  This can take time.  The same works for your posture.  You will see big gains at first, but then you must be patient and do the exercises correctly and consistently.  Over time, you will notice an improvement in how you hold yourself up.  So keep at it.

2. Modesty

We tend to overestimate our ability to recover from a workout.  It is especially important when we are dealing with the spine and tendons.  You shouldn’t take a spinal or tendon injury lightly.  Having a healthy, pain-free spine is important to your well-being.

Remember: you are not invincible, nor are you made of rubber.  Your tendons and ligaments can’t stretch more that 4% of their length without injury.  You want to gently stretch your tendons and ligaments, only to stimulate them.  When your muscles begin to spasm (or twitch), do not stretch further.  Your tendons are sending a distress signal to your muscles to protect them from overstretching.

3. Awareness

Paying attention to our own bodies is so important, yet we often just zone out and watch TV while we’re at the gym.  We could be feeling all sorts of pain from our body, but we aren’t listening.  When your trying to improve your posture, you absolutely must focus on your own body.  How are you holding yourself?  What is tight?  What can I relax?  By paying attention to our movements, we can do them more correctly, improve our enjoyment, and increase our quality of life.

4. Grace

Try to find the elegance in each movement.  Grace is developed slowly over time, but it truly shows in those who have developed it.  When you care about how your body moves and occupies space, it is a deep care for your own health and well-being.  That care will translate to other aspects of your life.

These virtues should help you not only get more benefits from your practice and help you improve posture, but also deepen your connection to your own body.  A good posture exercise system will focus on these and similar virtues.  Without these guiding principles, you may give up too soon or injure yourself.  May they guide you to a new, radiant posture and excellent health.