Welcome, February! Often after a month of resolutions, goal setting and habit changing for the new year, we land in February exhausted. Chastising ourselves for not sticking to the commitments we’ve made. If this is you, never fear, there’s still time! And, if you’re right on track with those resolutions, that’s amazing too.
One question: How’s your alignment??
From our January Leader’s Lab, we talked about two types of alignment: Directional and Postural.
Directional alignment is just like it sounds. Everything pointed in the direction in which you want to go (feet, arms, knees, etc.). If something is out of directional alignment, like your feet pointed out, that’s wasted energy ~ plus you put extra pressure on your knees and invite injury to come knocking. The same is true of your life. If your goal is to get in better shape, you have a better chance of succeeding if everything is directionally aligned (gym close to your work or home, healthy food choices readily available, etc).
Postural alignment is ensuring that your ankles, hips and shoulders are in one straight line. When you move, you want to make sure you’re in postural alignment with your structure supporting you, and moving from your center so that your bigger muscles are driving the movement, not simply along for the ride. In our culture, we often stand on our heels, and jut our hips forward which leads to smaller muscles kicking in to do a job that’s not theirs, and invites injury. Think of pushing your entire body mass forward with your teeny tiny toes. (Ouch!!). The same is true in life: moving from your center with your head and heart aligned allows for more ease of movement. “Gritting it out” is a sign that alignment is not there, and is an invitation for stress, dis-ease and more.
Your body is a great way to check in with your alignment. Not only can you physically see if you are aligned, but you can also feel it, if you take the time to tune in. Each and every day your body sends you signals – hunger cues, tension in your neck or shoulders (or lack of it), pain in your feet, knee or anywhere, and so much more. Tune in, and tell me: what is your body telling you???
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