Slumpasana; the postural epidemic of the decade!
As a functional breathing and movement instructor, one of the first things I instruct class participants to do is to get into their best seated posture, since aligned posture and core stability is essential to breathing and moving well.
By now, we have accepted that a sedentary lifestyle will harm our health and exercise is good for our bodies and brains. What is not as understood is, how we align our posture sitting and standing, determines whether we are receiving all the benefits possible from our breathing and movement.
Our bodies are designed to function optimally, with ease, grace and efficiency, in upright posture, on two legs, defying gravity and moving forward through space and time. However, modern life and electronic devices have created changes in our body and mind, and are the cause of most di-ease and dysfunction at great cost, literally and figuratively to our to our health. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/26/long-sedentary-periods-are-bad-for-health-and-cost-nhs-700m-a-year
"Slumpasana" is a term coined by Hayley Winter, founder of the Institute of Yoga Sport Science. Read full article here: https://www.yogasportscience.com/single-post/slumpasana-why-desk-jockey-s-age-faster
We all know what “slump” is. Asana In Sanskrit means ‘Seat’ but in the 21st Century context Slumpasana means too much sitting and it’s a posture that most definitely doesn’t have any of the yogic benefits of asana.
Look at the figure in the image above. This is slumpasana posture. Many people who work at a desk on a device or computer, unconsciously adopt this head forward, kyphotic pose. And since our state of body determines our state of mind, I will first ask…
How does that image make you feel?
To get a felt sense, put yourself in that pose, and really feel what happens in your body. Did you start to feel a little sad or tired? Now take a breath. Was it harder and did your breath feel less satisfying?
Here’s what happens to our bodies when sitting for long periods day after day, year after year.
Forward Head Posture (FHP)
Neck hyperflexes or hyperextends
Kyphosis in upper back
Ribs collapse inward, inhibiting breathing Reversal of Lumbar curve
Inefficient +Unadaptive=PAIN
The alignment of our spinal column and central nervous system is the determining factor for expressing ourselves as healthy and fully-functional, or unhealthy and dysfunctional. Our issues started long before we were able to recognize potential chronic issues of alignment and dysfunction. The natural curves of our spine develop as we progress from birth to learning to crawl, then walking upright.
The final curve to develop is our Lumbar curve, around age 10. Unfortunately, all that goes off path at around age 5, when we begin school and are now sitting at desks, and hauling heavy backpacks around, essentially causing our lumbar curve to be underdeveloped and setting us up for chronic dysfunction across most of our physiological systems.
Our breathing is the primary cause of suffering related to slumpasana. Our breathing also controls our mental and emotional body states.
Inside-Out Workout is the Cure for Slump-asana!
Simple movements, done slowly and intentionally, literally lift you from your seat, restore alignment and function, and create a container for easy breathing.
When breathing and movement is restored, so is our resilience - our ability to bounce back from any challenge modern life throws at us. Even long-term chronic breathing and movement patterns can be changed for the better.
In this week's class, we will learn exercises that open the front body, lift the lower ribs off our abdominal organs, restore external rotation to your shoulders and relieve tight hip flexors, to make it easier to create space to receive your breath. Then we will move on to an Introduction to Functional Breathing.
Join me at Game Changer Private Gym for Classes Live and on Zoom. Click here for class schedule.
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