From a young age, you've probably heard, “Stand straight, don’t slouch, and put your shoulders back.” But in a time where most of us slouch in front of a computer for hours each day, it’s hard to maintain good posture. What’s interesting is that good posture is incredibly valuable to our physical and mental health and goes deeper than just our appearance. In this article, learn a simple daily meditation you can do while aligning your spine to refresh your mind and body.
The Importance of Spinal Alignment
“When you keep your spine nice and straight, it reduces pressure on the brain, and naturally you feel better. The position of your spine will change the nature or condition of your mind, organs and stress level.” Meditation expert,
Ilchi Lee has long promoted good posture as a way of life to increase longevity, inner peace, overall health, and connection to your higher self.
Energetically, the spine hosts five of the seven chakra points, multiple
meridian channels, and acts as an antenna to tune into the finite (human existence) and infinite (universe) realms that coexist in our lives. By straightening your back, you allow the life force energy, chi or ki, to course through your entire body with ease and vitality.
Try this 5-minute daily meditation to sense the energy in your spine:
Spine Awareness Meditation
1. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Tuck your chin slightly inward. Ensure that your spine is straight and your shoulder blades are down your back. Rest your hands on your lap or knees.
2. As you center yourself in this position, close your eyes and take three deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth to calm the mind and release tension.
3. With your mind and body relaxed and in the present moment, bring your awareness to your spine.
4. Now, with every inhale, imagine bright and warm light traveling from your root chakra (base of the tailbone) all the way up to your seventh chakra (crown of the head). Imagine this light extending to all your organs connected to your spine.
5. As you exhale, envision the warm light moving back down the spine towards the root chakra, grounding you with the Earth.
Repeat this up and down visualization for at least 5-minutes in the morning or evening. When you’re finished, take a moment to acknowledge the sensations in your body. You may feel tingling, warmth, or coldness. Any sensation is okay, it’s your body reacting to the energy circulation happening.
The energetic stimulation and movement will strengthen your
mind-body connection, which is just as important as physical exercise. When you are aware of your body, it becomes easier to make incremental improvements. Throughout the day if you are working or running around and you catch yourself slouching, simply envision the light running all the way up your spine and notice how quickly you straighten your back.
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back care products such as wooden pillows or the Rainbow Bridge that can help with aligning the spine,
check out our shop here.
Did you notice your posture change while you were reading? How’s your posture now? Let us know what differences you felt just by making this subtle change.