Читать книгу The Yoga Back Book: The Gentle Yet Effective Way to Spinal Health - Stella Weller - Страница 7

Postural patterns are influenced not only by lifestyle but also by genetic and early environmental factors. Without conscious, sustained effort, faulty postures can become permanent.

There is no ideal posture, since people come in all shapes and sizes. The ideal posture for you is one in which your back is subjected to the least possible strain and in which the normal graceful curves of the spine are maintained.

The key to good posture is fitness. If you keep your muscles well conditioned, you stand a good chance of acquiring the posture that is correct for you, particularly if you complement this with a balanced mental and emotional state. This is the essence of the yoga approach.

Dr Bess Mensendieck, a sculptor turned physician, has remarked that correct posture, and freedom from pain due to faulty posture, can be acquired only when all muscles are used in accordance with their anatomical functions and with the laws of body mechanics. She has further noted that the primary exercise needed to achieve these states is the practice of correct postural habits during normal daily activities. No daily half-hour exercise session alone will produce good posture if muscles and joints and related structures are not used properly the rest of the time.

A well-aligned vertebral column when we are upright or sit or lie down imposes the least strain on the spine. It is also an important prerequisite for the harmonious functioning of the nervous system, which is hinged on the backbone and the spinal cord, and for the free expansion of the chest to permit proper breathing. If we can maintain natural physical equilibrium when both sitting and standing, we minimize strain on the back muscles and facilitate harmonious distribution of the body weight along the 132 articulations of the vertebral column.

In summary, your posture is determined by the way you hold each part of your body, from head to toes. Your posture affects your breathing, indeed your health in general – both physical and emotional – and the image your present to the world.

In order to relieve stress on the lumbar spine, a natural lumbar curvature (at the small of the back), good balance and flexibility must be maintained at all times. The natural lumbar curvature is maintained through pelvic tilt (assisted by tightening abdominal and buttock muscles). The position distributes weight evenly down through the spine allowing the strong leg muscles to bear the weight.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the structure and function of the spine, you will readily appreciate the principles of good body mechanics which follow and the importance of maintaining the normal spinal curves.