You would think, wouldn’t you, that something as simple as leaning against a wall couldn’t be screwed up? But once again, a few photos tell the story.
The last time Mike and I were in Portugal, in 2014, I saw these two gentlemen at a local cafe. I was thrilled.
When I was in Portugal in 1994, 95, and 96, almost everyone was in Balance. But 20 years later, Balance was mostly gone, especially for the younger generation.
Notice how the seated man has his pubis (fig leaf area), way down underneath him. The deep creases at the top of his legs are one way to tell. As a result of how he places his pelvis, his spine floats up, and he sits in Balance.
The standing man rests his butt on the pole. His body weight is in his heels, his feet are Vee-d, and his spine skims up the pole. The back of his neck is long and the weight of his head rests on his aligned spine. He is upright, aligned, and relaxed.
Compare that to this man waiting for a delayed flight at the Seattle airport.
He leans the way he stands. He has no idea that he leans back when he stands, nor does he know that he’s leaning back as he rests against the wall. Instead of letting his weight transfer down to his heels, he lets the whole weight of his spine drop into his pelvis, putting pressure on his joints that they were never designed to bear.
Do you know the statistic, “80 % of the American population suffers from lower back pain“? That statistic applies only to the lower back. This photo illustrates one of the main causes of back pain: wear and tear in the spine caused by unhealthy posture.
Many of you have been told that you have compression and deterioration at S1 L5, where the bottom of the lumbar spine meets the sacrum. For most people the underlying cause is postural. With information and awareness, you can remove the underlying cause of your lower back pain.
Try this:
Lean against a wall right now. Do it the way you usually do. Almost all of us will do it like the guy in the lower photo. We put our upper back on the wall and our feet forward. Unknowingly, we bend our lower spine, misaligning it.
Now, imitate the man in the top photo.
Place your buttocks on the wall and let your spine lengthen up the wall. Since we are new to this, you may be more comfortable placing your heels eight to twelve inches out from the wall. Keep the backs of your knees soft.
When you lean like this your spine is safer. You may or may not feel the relief immediately. By leaning like this your spine is more upright, on the axis. Your spine has less undue pressure. Your spine is relieved, you are relieved. Take time. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Savor small victories. Rejoice every time you remember to come closer to Balance. Bravo!
Here to help, always,
Jean
