Posture tip/check-safely held-

Submitted by sea turtle on November 23, 2014 - 8:17am
Body: 

Hello ladies,
I have read every single post on this forum over the past 2 years (probably more than once!)
Although the aspects of WW posture are mentioned over and over again, I do think it is very easy (when learning WW) to
try to force the lumbar curve by torquing your pelvis/sticking butt out and I think it is very easy
to stick your chest out instead of lifting up (many may ask.. what is the difference?). Doing either of these things is is probably going to cause
pain and not going to be comfortable.
I do believe the most important part of WW posture is head position (often mentioned, but probably mostly forgotten).
So...here is my WW posture tip/check for y'all....
1. Stand bare foot (no shoes on at all!) toes pointed forward.
2. Relax, do a few breaths into your belly, release any tension in your chest or back....just stand and breath.
3. Place both hands on your belly, one on each side of your belly button.
4. Now let your head fall forward, so you are looking at the floor, now move your head up and look straight ahead (your chin is probably now parallel to the floor).
5. AND NOW imagine there is a big cable (not a string), pulling up through the back of your neck up through the CROWN of your head. Do this slowly, and your chin will tuck ever so slightly and feel what happens under your hands. Everything pulls in,
my tailbone lifts a little on its own, my chest lifts and my relaxed lumbar curve in place. AMAZING!!! (The closing of the elevator doors).

You can also place your hands on your chest at the top of your boobs and pull up through that imaginary cable and you will feel your chest "lift" correctly on its own.
This light bulb moment truly amazed me and in the beginning I literally would loose my head position about every 5 steps. I would correct myself 5000 times a day, maybe now it is 500 :). I am stronger now, no pain and nothing feels forced. Ladies, if it hurts or feels forced you are not in WW posture.

I hope this makes sense. I want to scream DO NOT FORGET ABOUT YOUR HEAD POSITION....SO IMPORTANT!!!
It is not just about tucking your chin.....it is about PULL UP THROUGH BACK OF THE NECK/CROWN OF YOUR HEAD, and then your chin will naturally tuck that little bit and everything else pulls up, lumbar curve falls into place.

This post is also for ladies who have written/worry that there belly is too floppy in WW posture. If you think you are in posture and your belly feels floppy, you are not in WW posture. Pull up through that cable on the crown of your head and there is definitely no flop, all those muscles get pulled taut. (Louise has written many posts about this, but I never got it until I did
the above mentioned test with my hands on my tummy, and pulled up through the crown of my head).

I also think it is easy to look sideways in a mirror and say, Yes I see my lumbar curve and Yes my belly is relaxed, BUT that does not
necessarily mean you are in posture. The question I ask myself and check 500 times a day is "Am I pulling up through my crown?"

Christine wrote a forum post a few months ago where she mentions "mastoid process" the little bone behind your ear with some muscle attachments. It was from this post I had my light bulb moment. Thinking about 2 small cables pulling up on my mastoid process (kind of like a marionette puppet).

Well, this turned into a novel...I hope it helps someone on their prolapse journey!

Forum:

Aging gracefully

November 23, 2014 - 9:15am

Very good point, seaturtle.
For me, It is about the visual aspect. I have to see it being done with the explanation. That's why I did this by watching the ladies on the dvds. I would listen and watch as Christine explained all the aspects of whole woman posture. The rest of the time, I would listen to her voice in my head, checking myself, visualizing what I saw in the videos. I agree, this is a process that takes time and checking, but when the positive changes start being realized, that is when the aha moments start happening. Such a wonderful journey when we allow ourselves to just do it.

Aging gracefully

November 23, 2014 - 12:39pm

I disagree about the information in the book and dvds, because I did find what I needed from them to help me on my journey with whole woman. Seaturtle isn't saying anything new, she is just expressing it in her words and from her perspective. Finding extra tidbits on the forum is also very helpful. It is here where I found out about jiggling, but the meat and potatoes of this work is in Christine's books and Dvds, and online streaming.
I want women coming here to know that this is attainable, it just takes study and work to do it.

Surviving60

November 23, 2014 - 1:23pm

I agree with AG, this is a very well-written post, but there is nothing really new here that hasn't been said and illustrated many times throughout Christine's body of work, and this forum. But each newbie has her own lightbulb moment and it could come from anywhere. Thanks Sea Turtle - Surviving

lifegoeson04

November 23, 2014 - 2:42pm

Really good reminder and we said, I have actually written this in my other post to safety held because when you look around at people they all stick their necks forward and I seriously have this issue, see it a lot with computer work as well :) really nicely written and tips, thank you. Makes a lot of sense as we all do concentrate on lots and sometimes forgets the head so you make a lot of sense, I think about it a lot as I've worked on computers since 17 my neck has gone so far forward my back is a hunched but I'm trying to work on it. Gets me back into remembering it, I agree it's not something new but it was well explained again to us !

sea turtle

November 23, 2014 - 3:00pm

Correct. There is no "new" info in my post. I wanted to post/share
about what the trigger was for me. And how I figured out how to
check my posture (hands on my belly) without using a mirror.

Who would have thought after many reads of the book and thousands of forum posts that
my trigger was going to be "mastoid process". (It makes me laugh,
because I thought well what does that have to do with my lumbar curve
.....well everything!!)

I think people learning the posture like to focus on one body part (ie. lumbar curve), probably since this is closest to the prolapsing organs. Posture is not about contorting one body part/area to stop your organs from falling out.
WW posture is about your whole body (from head to toe), and being able to use your whole body to hold yourself up and let the organs get back to where they belong.

And WW will make you strong!

Aussie Soul Sister

November 24, 2014 - 3:35pm

Hi everyone,
Seaturtle - this is what doing the posture is all about! Thankyou for your description of what makes it "click" for you, it is so helpful of you!
SafelyHeld - you are starting to experience the wonderful benefits of reading about & doing WW - Keep it up & thanks for your contribution.

The only thing I will add to that is that the belly breathing & nose breathing is a permanent part of living in WWP.

Doing the posture has been a long process for me - body awareness had to be learned & I think we work on things and absorb information as it is relevant to us at the time & where we are at at any particular time. That is why I have found reading everything here, and going over it, absorbing it, and observing myself eventually becomes like a jigsaw puzzle with the pieces gradually and sometimes quickly falling into place, with a resulting much deeper internal / natural/ spiritual understanding...

It took me a while to integrate permanent belly breathing, & it makes it easier to stay in the posture & it is so soothing, natural and energy conserving compared to chest breathing.

The head position is so integral to WW - I ponder when I see people seemingly in WWP and their head/neck position is a huge giveaway & one reminder to me as I go.

I happened some time ago to "feel" my abdominal wall while in posture - the wall is taught without ANY effort on my part. This was one epiphany that helped me understand this process.

Recently I noticed while standing that my tummy button is rounder and smaller indicating to me that the elevator effect is there...

MJH - this is for you ---The Hips DVD - hip turnout instructions include making sure the pelvis part of the hips are facing frontwards, while the foot, knee and hip joint are turned out. From studying Christine's BK and DVD, my understanding is that the pelvis has the ability to move its left and right sides differently, not always evenly, resulting in many people living with their pelvis placed unevenly, up on one side, or twisted back or forth.
This is for you MJH - I hope you find this...
WWP & the hips DVD as a foundation to work from have been invaluable to me for this evening out process, along with whole body strength.

Now WWP is so effortless, relaxing and energy conserving in comparison to the whole body tension of consciously holding in the stomach, and chest breathing, tight clothing and the deterioration of the body & its natural support systems...
Thankyou Christine & to the WW community here for your contribution to humanity...
In our journey together,
Aussie Soul Sister

Onanewjourney

November 23, 2014 - 3:55pm

I just received my Saving WW book, First Aid for Prolapse DVD and exercise baton! Am excited but not much time to delve in this week. I will have a 10 month old to care for the next few days, and was wondering if someone can suggest a few pointers on proper lifting. I'm sure it's addressed in the materials I have now, but I haven't been able to find it. Just want to enjoy the grandbaby and be able to do what I need to do for him without stressing about picking him up, etc. Would appreciate any feedback!

Aging gracefully

November 23, 2014 - 4:05pm

Hi onewayjourney,
If you have the First aid for Prolapse, you will see Christine giving a demonstration of lifting her own granddaughter. Scroll down to office wrap-up, you will find it in that segment

Onanewjourney

November 23, 2014 - 4:29pm

AG, thank you, thank you for your assistance! I thought I had viewed that section last evening when I got my materials, but evidently didn't go far enough! I am so grateful for this forum and the education, encouragement and hope it provides.

Aging gracefully

November 23, 2014 - 5:53pm

Here are some threads where Christine discusses the elevator door concept:

https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/3707

https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/4069

For those who don't know what the reference is.

mysterymomof7

November 23, 2014 - 6:37pm

Anyone know where I can find that post about the mastoid process she is referencing? I typed in mastoid process but didn't find it. Really interested in reading that...

Surviving60

November 23, 2014 - 6:49pm

I did find this one. Go all the way down to Christine's final post. She mentions the mastoid process there.

https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/6024

I had to google this. Our search doesn't always work for some unknown reason. - Surviving

Aging gracefully

November 23, 2014 - 7:16pm

I don' t know about that, but I love this post:

https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/4780

Surviving60

November 24, 2014 - 10:48am

Here is yet another link for the elevator doors concept with respect to DR.
https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/4558

And here is one discussion of the elevator doors concept with respect to the pelvic "floor" and kegeling. This is one of my favorites, using the bandanna as a prop!
https://wholewoman.com/blog/?p=1497

It is amazing what the posture can do. - Surviving