sleep posture

Hi Linda

I am really not sure about sleeping. I assume you are talking about horizontal, sleeping in a bed? If that's the case I don't really see that it makes much difference how your position your body. WW posture relates to vertical posture, any time where gravity can act on the pelvic organs and strain their fascial supports downwards. When you are lying down, gravity will have them resting on the body structures underneath them, whatever they might be (my anatomy knowledge gets hazy here), so there are no forces other than the normal intraabdominal forces, like those generated by turning over and breathing, acting on the pelvic area.

There are old wives' tales for newly delivered women during the lying in period to lie on their belly to encourage the pelvic organs to go back to their original positions, which might be sensible, rather than running around the hospital with your tummy tucked in, proving to the world how fit you are, or slouching in bed, propped up on pillows, which will cause gravity to act on the pelvic area.

If you mean sleeping sitting up, I would think that would be problematic unless the lumbar curve is well-supported (which keeps the pelvic floor taut), with the seat laid back a bit. I have done this for long periods in an aircraft. Otherwise there is too much temptation to slouch and allow the pelvis to tip backwards, which opens the pelvic floor and allows gravity to act on the pelvic organs.

Re the baton, you might find that a rolling pin would work better, as it would have a little more weight and be symmetrical, but I am sure a wooden spoon would work for now. The baton itself is just great, with its fluted hand grips and the knob at each end which stops your hands from slipping off. The other lovely thing about it is the two knobs in the centre, which are just the right distance apart to fit on each side of the spine. I lie on it and wriggle it up and down my spine and neck when they are feeling stiff and sore (which sometimes happens). The moving pressure is just bliss, just like a firm massage. Trouble is that I never know where I will find my baton as DS1 uses it as well, and isn't very good at putting things back where they belong. Grrr!

Re 'feeling the posture', I find that when I do the DVD exercises I feel things happening around where my femur joins the pelvis, which is where all those little internal muscles join on, but I can also feel things happening in my lower spine, pelvis and sacrum. Actually, just about everywhere in my lower torso. When I first got the DVD my body was almost unable to do many of these exercises, as it was in quite bad shape, but I find it easier these days, as I have been doing Feldenkrais as well, to get me moving more efficiently, and now I have been using WW posture for nearly four years, I am finding that the posture itself tends to make these muscles work better. The act of holding your body tall actually seems to exercise them in everyday movement, instead of just slobbing around like a rag doll, propped up on whatever happens to be handy. It is like a self-maintaining machine.

Yes there are so many muscles and ligaments. I still find it quite hard to get my head around them. The second ed of Christine's book makes it easier, as it has better anatomical diagrams than the first ed. I also have a couple of little anatomy books. The most useful one is the Atlas of Skeletal Muscles by Robert J Stone and Judith A Stone, 2nd ed, published by McGraw-Hill in 1997. It has very simple line drawings of each of the muscles in the body and information about where they attach at both ends, what the muscle actually does and what nerves supply it. The whole book is divided into chapters describing the different regions of the body. Chapter 8, Muscles of the Thigh and Hip, is particularly helpful in visualising what is happening. The human body is truly a miracle in action. You might be able to browse and photocopy relevant chapters of this book at a Uni or school library, or it might be still available to purchase.

Hope this is some help.

Cheers

Louise

Hi Linda,

I could not respond more thoroughly and accurately than Louise! Just wanted to tell you that the batons should be back in our store within the week.

:) Christine

Is this DVD still available? I really need some visual-spatial assistance here, with posture and exercise. I can read all the books in the world, but until I actually see someone do a thing, and try it myself, I won't know if I'm doing it correctly.

Christine, have you thought about putting a few short vids on YouTube, directing people to this site? I know others who do that.

Also, are other videos useful? I have Zumba, Sweating to the Oldies (LOL), Bollywood, Belly Dancing, yada yada yada I don't know which ones to try! This is all new to me (as of this past Friday!).

Thank you,

Robin