The power of posture
A lot can change about your confidence when you work on your body language
Most people feel that their confidence levels stem from looks, talent, knowledge, experience, skills, vocabulary, height, weight, and so on. We seldom focus on one very important aspect—posture. Today, most people have poor posture. Even kids in schools complain of backache and have hunched shoulders, let alone adults. The problem is that we are sitting more than we are designed to sit. To make matters worse, our constant involvement in laptops, phones, and other digital devices is also taking its toll on the natural alignment of our spine. Plus, not only does poor posture affect the back and neck, it also spoils our body language, self-image, and the way we think about ourselves.
This means that, by simply working on your posture and body language, a lot can change in your confidence levels. Even if you might be nervous, you can trick your mind into thinking that you are confident. The key is that your mind doesn’t know the difference between real and imagined, and that leaves you with the superpower to “fake it till you make it”!
P Why is self-confidence important?
Self-confidence is everything. If you aren’t confident enough, you will always be reacting to external situations, scenarios and other people’s opinions, feel outclassed, and constantly struggle to be someone else, or be like someone else. This can put you under immense pressure and is one of the most common reasons why people are so unhappy with themselves.
Everyone wants to be someone they aren’t. When you develop self-confidence, you build self-worth and believe in yourself. When you believe in yourself, there is no room for self-doubt and you do things that your instinct tells you to, which often comes from a space of intuition and inner intelligence.
Whether it’s your career, relationships, personal growth, or your own peace of mind, self-confidence is necessary for every aspect of your life.
How can posture help? • Better breathing
When you slouch, you reduce the capacity of your lungs to hold oxygen. Reduced lung capacity means reduced oxygen uptake. People who have the wrong posture aren’t breathing to their full potential. You also compromise the diaphragmatic movement. When you breathe better, you supply more oxygen to trillions of cells in your body, your brain is fuelled with oxygen, and you think better and clearer.
• Improved self-image and body language
Every inch we stoop forward, we add more weight to our neck, shoulders, and back. What looks more confident—a hunched back or an erect posture with shoulders rolled back, straight spine and chin tucked in? Just by a mere change in your posture, you can boost your confidence levels and feelings of self-worth. Several studies also state that standing in power poses like Superman, with your hands on your waist, also boosts confidence levels and testosterone, and decreases cortisol. The entire warrior poses sequence in yoga—warrior 1, 2, 3, as well as reverse warrior, are great poses that boost confidence levels.
5 yoga asanas to improve your posture
STANDING IN POWER POSES LIKE SUPERMAN, WITH YOUR HANDS ON YOUR WAIST, BOOSTS CONFIDENCE LEVELS AND TESTOSTERONE, AND DECREASES CORTISOL
Yoga is a great lifestyle tool that can help you improve your posture. Some of the top poses for this are • Sukhasana (Easy pose)
• Vajrasana (Thunderbolt pose)
• Gomukhasana (Cow face pose)
• Tadasana (Mountain pose)
• Paschim Namaskara (Reverse namaste)
Other lifestyle changes
• Avoid being seated for extended periods of time
• Be intentional about your gadget usage
• Strengthen your core, as that helps to hold your upper body and lower body upright
• Avoid super comfy and cushioned chairs and sofas, as that can spoil your spine alignment if you are seated on them for too long.
Catch Luke Coutinho's column every fortnight in
It will next appear on August 13, 2022.