So, between all the yoga I’m doing, and all the writing, and the general freakish unpredictability of recurring pain, I’ve been thinking about posture a lot.
I have a back problem that comes and goes as it pleases, one of those deskwork related things. It’s in the shoulder blade area, not my mouse arm, actually, it’s my CTRL+Z arm, but it still keeps me from doing just about anything on the computer when it plays up.
It played up on Sunday, and made me really irritable. So I took a nap, against my own better judgement, and woke up still slightly irritable and also permanently brain-frazzled and sleepy. But I managed to cook and prepare myself a bird sized amount, so it wasn’t a complete loss.
So, the doctor says, and my experience agrees, that good posture helps soothe the beast. Which is good to know, but man, sitting up straight is hard work. It takes effort, and remembering, and constant correction.
… if only I had some kind of regular check-in moments throughout the day. Like a little bell reminding me to sit right and take a moment to see what’s going on with the back.
Oh, wait. I have this several-times-a-day awareness practice I could use. My own genius. It amazes me.
So it’s finally occurred to me to use my little spacious break time moments of eating to check in with my body. Especially the back, but also all the other bits and pieces that go a bit wrong sometimes, and to practice sitting. To talk to my muscles.
Look, listen, feel. This is what it’s like to sit right. This is how it’s going to be, so let’s get used to it.
In this video I posted earlier (it’s long, I don’t blame you if you skip it) Jon Kabbat-Zinn talks about “a posture of quiet dignity”. I like that. That’s something I can do, and it’s a much nicer mantra than “stop slouching you lazy git!” or whatever I usually tell myself. Something like that, generally.
So I guess that’s a new rule. In addition to the praying (which still feels uneasy, but I’m getting there) and the mandatory plate/bowl, I will sit in a posture of quiet dignity.
Fear my quiet dignity! It is all quiet and… stuff.
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You might find this book called Healing Back Pain by John Sarno very helpful. It’s about the mind/body connection with pain that comes and goes around the body. Especially around the back.
I struggled with chronic back pain for over a year and this book was the only thing that helped me find relief. It’s not a physical stretching program. It’s a new mindset for how to see our pain and relate to it. It really changed everything for me. xoxo
Hey Mona! Nice to see you here. I did check out that book a few weeks ago on Amazon, but didn’t get it. It doesn’t sound like the kind of thing that would reduce my well of rage, if you know what I’m talking about.
I’m glad it helped you though. Different people need different fixes.