I am a bodywork and movement instructor. Have been following Esther for years now. Her work is so simple, and so ground breaking. We've normalized hideous posture, then go to doctors for back and neck pain. Try it. You'll like it.
Oh man, I bet she is the best and nicest and most honest mom ever. Look at those facial expression that could cure even the most cynical man. And listen to her tone, so easy to the ear, you cannot help but listen.
As a chiropractor I know that she is basically right about this. It has always been interesting to me that back pain is nearly ubiquitous in the west. Yet, it has been know by researchers for some time that back pain is actually quite rare in all remaining indigenous cultures. Most people have assumed the problem is that we sit too much and walk too little. While that is probably true, it is not the whole story. A developing theory is that of the "J" spine which she mentions in this video. Our textbooks teach that the "S" spine is normal, but it may actually be the source of our pain. The "S" spine has these dramatic reciprocating curves in each region, sacral, then lumbar, then thoracic, then cervical. New research suggests that these indigenous peoples have these curves but to a much lesser degree, other than the sacral curve which is fused in place at an early age. So, their spines curve up from the sacrum and rise like a tower from there. It is a fascinating thing.
Allow me to disagree with you Richards. You mention that low back pain is ubiquitous in the western world. You are wrong. The prevelance of low back pain seems to be high in low and middle income economies as well according to WHO (Duthey 2013). Secondly, low back pain existed for many many years, even in ancient civilizations. Hippocrates or Galen would also treat low back pain but most usual of specific etiology such a fractures. Throughout the centuries until mid-nineties, scientists would have no idea what low back pain is however (Waddell 2004). They would consider it as a phlegm or hemus of the body. Therefore, what I am saying is that low back pain existed from ancient times (maybe because we conquered the bipedal position, who knows ?). HOWEVER (i use caps to empasize) low back disability is UNIQUE to the modern western world. But low back pain and low back disability are not always correllated and do not follow a linear relationship. What we really know about low back pain is that we know NOTHING. Rest are asumptions unfortunately
Perhaps these issues are really just a reflection of our lost ability to truly be present in the moment. To actually FEEL our bodies. Our society nowadays has lost the ability to even be aware of our bodies, so many people just slump into a seat and think nothing of it as they are too busy watching a screen, until they experience pain - and by that time they're so far into poor posture they have no idea how to fix it because it has unknowingly become their 'norm'... We really need to re-learn how to move again, and that involves being present in our bodies to know when we're moving or sitting in a way that is not right, BEFORE it caused pain.
Agree that movement is key. Even in the "correct" posture she demonstrates here, one would not be comfortable in that position all day along. Listen to your body and trust what it tells you.
Esther Gokhale's tips are incredibly helpful! Thank you for sharing this! If we may add, proper posture also helps reduce the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Throughout the years, my own practices and observances have taught me proper posture is the only way to optimal health. A healthy spine is everything 😊
My solution is to learn not to do the things that cause bad posture, rather than trying to add new effort to a muscular system that is already imbalanced. This is what one does in Alexander Technique lessons.
This works! I am so very grateful for this! I changed to this way of sitting a couple of days ago and the extreme pain that I had is gone! GONE! I'm amazed. I recently began working as a share driver and would feel as if I were handicapped every time I stood up outside of the car. The pain slowed me down considerably and I couldn't quickly move to help my riders with luggage. or to refuel. It was discouraging, I felt so old and unattractive, and uncomfortable. I was trying to help myself by tucking my pelvis and tightening my abdominals. Apparently that was all wrong. Luckily I saw this talk. The next day I purchased a support that is meant for the lumbar back at the dollar store. I push it up so that it sits higher and I let that curve in my back happen, and voila! The difference is truly life changing. Yes, my tummy sticks out more, but who cares! My back doesn't hurt! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
As soon as I did this, I can feel my shoulders relax into a posterior position, my abs and even my quads tighten while sitting. I can also feel much more pressure on my right buttock... I have a functional limb length discrepancy and I have always slouched towards my left buttock. Fantastic stuff
Oh my freaking back! Listen to her, ppl, that's good advice! I miss the days when my back was good and pain free. 15 years of "sitting on my tail" for work ruined my spine.
I have figured out a very simple method to finding your ideal posture, whether standing or sitting. This method may sound a tad crude, but I encourage anyone brave enough to try this. Long story short, a few months ago I started suffering from immense pelvic pain, which I could also feel in my lower back. Years of bad sitting posture can of course cause this, but in my case it was also stress related, so there really was no quick fix. After a week of daily pain and constipation, and the stretching exercises doing nothing at all, I decided to try something a little bit different: butt plugs. My theory was, that if I instinctively tighten myself all the time, the best way to address this would be to create a constant counter-pressure, which in time would teach my pelvis to stay relaxed all the time. This all may sound like a stretch (pun intended), but my theory actually worked perfectly. Not only is my body more relaxed now, but the plugs actually reveal all the unnecessary muscle tension, whatever it is your doing. Whether it's bad sitting posture, or stiff walking, your body feels it as a tension in your anus. I've watched countless videos on Alexander Technique without ever understanding, what intuitive body movement is supposed to be like, but with a plug you don't even need intuition, you're just simply learning to move around without causing any pain in your anus. In a week or two I already noticed my posture changing into what I saw in this video. Pretty much everyone suffers from a tight pelvic floor nowadays, so I encourage anyone to try this (or other measures) to eliminate these issues. What many people don't necessarily know, is that a lot of the mental turmoil people go through (stress, neuroses, anxiety), also has a physical component to it, mainly a tight pelvis. Fixing the physical symptoms is, at least in my opinion, way more efficient than just going to a therapist, because you're actually changing the way you experience your body.
+CountAbel thanks for sharing; this was courageous and creative! I use a leaning seat at work; along the lines of Keens Focal furniture; it's been great but I do often still feel some tension
+Anogoya Dagaati I'm not sure if a leaning seat is good or bad. I've had best results with a saddle chair, as it tends to push your buttocks behind a little bit. I'm still recommending the plugs though. Just buy one with a width of 1,5 - 2 fingers, and length of at least a finger. After carefully inserting it (no forcing), just walk around with it and try different sitting positions to figure out when there's the least amount of felt resistance. You'll quickly notice that any extra tension, for example stiff shoulders or otherwise over-corrected posture, is gonna make the plug feel painful. Instead of thinking any theories or concepts on posture, just feel your body and try to find the way to be that doesn't cause any extra pain. Another good idea is to start kung fu. Basically all kung fu comes down to body mechanics, so the same rules that apply to using force in self defence also apply to everyday movement. It's also a fun and practical way to open both mental and physical locks, as well as learning how to defend yourself. A lot bigger and more cost efficient package than many people realize.
Great recommendation and explanation on your concept. I can't afford Kung Fu right now; in terms of both time and cost but I'll certainly explore the others. I'm suffering the remnants of hunching over in my youth trying to be 'cool'. Correct posture is am finding increasing, priceless.
3:29 It's always astounding to see how much we can learn by simply observing nature and our ancestry primates. That's why evolutionary science holds the key to understanding who we truly are and how we should live.
her technique in this video focuses on keeping us in chairs and on correcting the back. You have to address the legs as well. Squatting cultures maintain the j-shaped spine that we are all born with. The muscles of squatting are in the legs (and front of the low spine). Maybe the rest of her techniques address this? Sadly, we have to move away from chairs if we are going to help the spines. However, I do like this move! My back release and popped in a wonderful way!
I've been trying to get comfortable sitting on the floor and as soon as she said "imagine they have tails" I thought about having a tail, not wanting to sit on it, moved my pelvis accordingly, and criss cross on the floor became 10x more comfortable
the most important way is knowing how to release the tension at the pelvis girdles from the front forward back to downward and the imbalance between two sides ( the bulging of the ligerment binding the sides together).
Keep your chest UP Thats it, all fixed...forward head,round shoulders, round back...all. So keep than in mind and eventually your posture will feel natural
No you clearly didn’t listen to anything she said or read the book. Having the chest up is a strained temporary posture position that actually adds dramatic curves to the spine by adding a curve in the lower back and placing the rib cage in a flared position. If anything your chest should be “up” but not forward, meaning up while also anchored inward.
What is key in this exercise is to elonge your back while your sitting, but in a relaxed way. There are really good chairs out there that can give you that extra hook where you can "hang your spine". Humanscale Freedom, by Humanscale Furniture; and HON Ignition 2.0, by HON Furniture, are very good examples. In New York City, they are available in Manhattan Office Design.
I'm sure people see ballerinas as being stiff (I certainly did) but what my ballet teacher taught us is quite similar to this. They wanted us to shift our hips only and elongate our spine. We are, to a point, rigid in our stature, but we must also have grace. I think these two factors in posture have a lot to do with the perfect, almost doll-like, gracefulness ballerinas have.
Esther, potentially a thin yoga mat on the chair might provide enough friction to help maintain the decompressed lumbar and thoracic spine. Great exercise btw. I did feel the tightness. Very grateful. Find Root cause, Apply permanent fix. Namaste 🙏💐❤️☮️
Just take the instruction about positioning your hip/pelvis in the right angle. Thats the key. Incline it in such a way that the imaginary tail is pointed in the upward angle rather than downward. Your shoulders and posture will align automatically. Try this and keep exercising to maintain this posture.
I had a J spine but had some mild back pain so then tried to make my spine an S (because it's regarded as healthy spine) Now I have EVEN WORSE back issues :( Working my way back to a J spine now, I think it really is the way the spine is meant to be.
For many of the reasons that she describes, in western culture the para-spinal muscles atrophy. I think that in the name of "relaxing the back muscles," she does a disservice to something needed by nearly everyone we see or work with: strengthening those muscles in poses like Salabasana, and later, in Virabadrasana III (humorously referred to yesterday by a person I know as "eka pada salabasana"). Still, happy that someone popular is disseminating this message to a wide audience! My two rupees.
It's better to sit on floor cross legged and work like we do in east . Chairs changes body's centre of mass thus creating unnecessary stress on some body parts . More over blood circulation is also hindered in chair position
This would not work. I have scoliosis and wore a back brace for 3 years. The few moments I was out of it I had no strength in my back or abdomen whatsoever. Recently I have gotten out of my brace for good and have been taking physical therapy classes for months-costing thousands of dollars with good insurance- to help me function again. Of course, many of these problems are specific to scoliosis and bracing, but the overall idea is the same; having something hold you up to fix your posture will only make yourself weaker longterm and will make it harder and harder to achieve normal-ness as time progresses. Take it from me, you don’t want the ever lasting pain it would bring you in the long run.
Thirteen Pandas She calls it holding up your posture but the implement she showed doesn’t do that what it does is prevent your spine from rolling, it’s a misuse of words but definitely the concepts she talked about should be of good use as long as you don’t confuse them with the advice people give of what is bad for you. I don’t have scoliosis but I’ve suffered from bad posture for pretty much all of my life so I get it my muscles get sore and I felt like a bobble head every time I got in the car but the technique she showed helped. Also, I’ll tell you that it’s a misunderstanding that doing what she did means using less muscle to prop you up, it’s like saying people with good posture ( the Indonesians in the picture are lazy), having that straight posture will align your muscles in the right way so that they hold you up as opposed to firing your muscles hard in bad positioning which will make your posture worse or cement your posture even more into that position.
Wow. I followed her technique sitting in the chair I could really feel the difference. I need to find her office or training videos if possible. I really need to work on my posture.
Terrible editing showing audience instead of Esther when shes instructing you how to sit. Now i don't know what she was showing. Also sitting in a chair is part of the problem, at least shes showing a way around it as chairs are our only comfortable option in 1st world countries. Does anyone have a better idea, or should we just go back to squatting?
Simon Simpson ... look up "primal posture" and you'll find some thousands of results. And, boy, it's my opinion that this short demonstration is not nearly enough to learn to sit properly, but maybe I'm wrong.
She does a lot of showing - (and shows it well) - the bad postures and the good - b u t how to sit - she doesn't have a good chair - she doesn't demonstrate the sitting position all that well - bunch up your clothes? The chair that she didn't choose is the good chair? Not very well done at All.
I like the way she presents her ideas, though somewhat sceptical. Its worth pointing out that non-industrialised tribes have a life expectancy of ~50 years and they don't have data collection which would prove this theory. When we say primal most of evolution has taken place in animals that live in a horizontal configuration (not vertical, i.e. standing) - you could argue our spine wasn't build for standing in the first place.
Good presentation. While much was covered in only 6 minutes, I think she could greatly benefit from taking some Alexander Technique lessons. The Alexander Technique provides a more comprehensive, thorough and accurate view on how we are designed to balance & move (what good posture is) and how to dissolve the negative postural habits of excess tension and collapse that we've acquired.
Heike Angelguidance Barbara B She's says that to be upright and relaxed is a well positioned pelvis. I agree, that's part of the equation, but not all. You've got to consider and emphasize the spine and its relation to the head at the atlantic-occiptal joint. And while she points out that some tuck their pelvis forward (sit on their tails), which can cause problems, she's advocating anteverting the pelvis. This is dangerous advice. Tipping the pelvis forward causes many problems, such a lordosis, a contraction in the lower back. It's just not how we're designed. You don't want the pelvis titled either way. You want a neutral pelvis, the spine lengthened along the natural curves and the head releasing off the top of the spine. So I'm glad she's taken some AT lessons, but I believe she would benefit from more or perhaps more with different instructors.
Anteverting your pelvis from retroverting to neutral is a good thing, but it is far from a cure-all and not good if you tilt it beyond neutral. There are many forms of habitual misuse. Alexander Technique is a cure-all for all habitual misuse patterns (not diseases, deformations, etc).
By the way, I'm also surprised at some of the examples on her website of 'good use' - I see disturbing amount of tension in the gardener and head jutted forward by the head rest in the driver.
Brett Hershey FYI, someone (this guy) read your observations and really appreciated the critique. Still, I feel like offering friendly advice... I think your message would have been much-more-effective if you wouldn't have said, "She should go read this..." That's bad form. I would have just opened with the critique, "Well, that's all well and good, but here's what she didn't say..." You can't expect the average TH-camr to critically analyze, in a few minutes, the ideas that you sat down and (presumably) thought about for many hours (thousands of hours, if you include prerequisite material). You're going to get bad reactions from less-literate people when you say, "She should go read this (complex [to the layperson]) scientific material, so that she will realize that she is not giving the best possible advice," because a bunch of TH-camrs who lack the capacity to quickly verify your claim, are going to say, "Hey, wait a minute, you don't know she hasn't read that! What do you even mean?!" -- (or, even worse, you'll get someone who points out that you objectively *were* being presumptuous, thus damaging your authority even further in the eyes of the naive passerby) -- at which point you're going to have to explain yourself, *anyway* -- so you might as well have done it in the first place, if you're willing and able to do so at all (which, in my view, you were; she was very-neglectful of the spine-neck-head connection). If you want to give a shout-out to the Alexander technique, no one will be upset -- just don't make a presumptuous personal attack out of it. "These ideas are usually described very well by proponents of the Alexander technique." -- and you're done -- not potentially-offensive. Anyway, good luck, and thanks for the lesson! EDIT (PS): Apparently it's spelled, "Alexander technique", so I fixed my spelling. PPS: You might have linked them to this, too: th-cam.com/video/k1luKAS_Xcg/w-d-xo.html
Intersting reference to the image of baby being carried at 2:48. Does it matter that at this stage of development a human child has not yet formed a lumbar curve? And that the position of the pelvis is related to the position and structure of the spine? I'm genuinely curious about this. I'm not sure if the 'answer' beings that early in life? It's a good question. Also the infant in the car seat: How else are we going to carry our children at that very early age from place to place in a car? If I had it my way, I'll carry my infant from place to place while riding regally on a back of a horse.... We should perhaps start redesigning our cars, cities, ways of getting from place to place too? All important considerations.
ayush tripathi Yup... need bilateral hip replacement surgery last 9 years, but I still squat in the toilet the Indian way. Can't do it any other way. Though it's getting very difficult now !!
Picture not of ubang tribe of Borneo Indonesia but of the last nomads of Borneo the Penans. They are hunter gatherer who live mainly in Sarawak , (East Malaysia and Brunei) on the island of Borneo , rather than Kalimantan the Indonesian side
To truly change your posture you need to work hard on changing the weakness in your muscles and restore the natural position of your joints with physiotherapy. There are no easy tricks. The internet is full of people who will make you feel better about yourself by doing the tiny step towards the big change... you need to devote yourself to the process, instead of pat yourself on the back.
this is a great observation, and in our growing world's we can often find ourselves needing to do more work than just fix how we sit on our butts. keep in mind, building better posture does take the weight and stress off muscles we don't need to use or weren't meant to be used while sitting. When these muscles get the time to relax we can move towards better muscle training in the future, more easily (so think of fixing posture as a first step to fixing the back and spine). there is nothing wrong with suggesting one or two things and being proud of accomplishing that or being validated for changing our habits in things as seemingly simple as sitting.
Agree Im doin alexander technique n adding yin yoga at home It took 6mnths of daily efforts to notice change. I grew 2inches in height aged 37!! 12mnths later, theres still work to do, but i believe ive passed the 3/4 point and i feel i look like im in 'normal range' of bad slouching posture now when im relaxed/weak/lacking energy
the reason for the J posture is due to the strong core muscles that they have, which many of us lack. Bad habits like sitting down too much is also the reason for the s shaped spine.
+Archibald Belanus If you do a few minutes every morning and night with Kelly Starrett and his MobilityWOD, your pain will go away. Brian Trepanier's video, End 17 Years of Back Pain, works as well.
Archibald if you start doing DAILY corrective exercises you are young enough to fix this issue. Trust me, it might take some physio or another health professional to help guide you if you are lost but the health of your body is well worth the investment. Postural muscle respond to DAILY work aka reps, reps, reps. Not like big muscles that people train at the gym 1-2x a week, find some good stretching and corrective exercises for your spine and even 5-10mins a day will help :)
ive been doing 300 good situps a day to help my uneven muscles and posture... also been walking straight up, with my neck between straight and naturally looking, a few degrees forward. Also sleeping in good facing up and my back is dying
The posture most people use is actually incredibly well adapted to the vast majority of their activities. Good ergonomics can help a bit, but the simple truth is that in exchange for our discomfort, we acquire something we value more. It becomes an issue when we want to do a different activity and regret our choices. Glad to see some movement instruction that focuses on the pelvis. But not so glad to see these myths about "primal" postures repeated. Whether you live in an indigenous tribe or a big city, your posture and gait are learned behaviors shaped by your environment and the desire to conserve energy while producing force, optimizing line of sight, or some other utilitarian need. Do not expect to maximize your ability to type, concentrate on math, etc... while maintaining such an energetic posture. You will always fail a bit at one or the other because they are conflicting goals.
The truth is, sitting in any chair is a dysfunctional position for our bodies. Our primal sitting position is a squat, the chair was created long after the fact.
+Smart Ass very true statement. Our spine cant support our upper weight for such long periods of time without engaging our muscles, mainly core (which no one does), when we sit on a computer for so long. Hips, knees, and feet play an important roll in weigh distribution and even movement, however we neglect to accept that and continue sitting in chairs for long periods and are prescribed pain killers to help in dealing with the issues caused by poor posture.
+Smart Ass Baseball catchers like Johnny Bench can barely walk after years of squatting behind the plate. For long periods, it is too hard on the knees.
Some of what she says is true! When you explore yourself with the Feldenkrais Method, you eventually find your own best posture in sitting & all positions. When you can truly feel your bones supporting you, your muscles don't need to work so hard( & give you pain!) Watch my Marvellous Movement videos on FB & you can see what I mean..
Human phenotypes have different shaped skulls. I can't help but think that those differing skulls are likely to sit on top of a variety of spines, for which the advise would be different on a case by case basis. I'm always wary of 'one size fits all' remedies. I imagine there is much value in this lady's method, but maybe not for everyone.
Think this video is promising more than it can deliver, back pain is more complex than just sitting posture. Thank you for taking us back in time to a one dimensional, posture = pain, failed biomechanical model. Expected more from TED.
+Charlie Baker Nah, it's a quite decent argument. Sure there are way more factors, but just go to any doctor and tell him about your back pain. He has to know just two things: Are you lifting heavy? Do you work in an Office? - if both is not the case you don't have backpain with a propability of 99% (At least I assume :D).
It wasn't more complex than that for me. I had horrible sciatic pain for two years until I started using her stretch-sitting and stretch-lying techniques. That was all it took to eliminate my pain.
The advice given here is purely anecdotal and not supported by evidence. That said I don't see anything dangerous in trying out her technique and use it if it gives you relief. The perspective on pain in this video is simplified to a degree not only not supported by evidence but we know pain is more complex.
Altered spinal curves are a symptom of the problem -- attempting to change the symptom does not address the cause, which is misplaced postural muscle tonus. For about 100 years, the Alexander Technique has successfully addressed this problem by helping people to learn to stop creating isometric contraction in muscles around the neck and back, thereby allowing the spinal extensors to work naturally, which leads to decompression and opens the spinal curves. The approach suggested in the video -- one of getting some muscles to work more to resist those that are causing deformation, will simply lead to more compression. At best, this mechanical approach is short term, but likely to lead to long term problems worse than those one is trying to treat.
PaulRudyW Using support to take the place of spinal extensors is another unfortunate error. When one is inclined forward, spinal extensors are stimulated, when one leans back, they are inactive (unless consiously engaged) leading to spinal compression and poor support of the arms and respiratory system. What she is offering is terribly simple-minded and certainly not new.
PaulRudyW You can willfullly make your spinal extensors work when you are leaning back, but they aren't working reflexively and optimally. If they were, why would you need support? Much better to lean slightly forward, especially if you are using your arms to type or to play a musical instrument. Good posture is not about relaxation -- it is about well-distributed muscle tone in the absence of isometric contraction. Further, I believe she is wrong about the primary sources of poor use. Most kids actually look pretty good when they begin school. We see a decline in good use in relation to the stresses of competitive learning. Children begin to hunch and retract generally when they begin to learn to write -- in other words, when their output is constantly criticized. At any rate, I'm not impressed. I've been teaching the Alexander Technique for nearly 27 years, working with world class dancers and musicians.
+Lawrence Smith You're exactly right. The Alexander technique is very effective. I grew up learning about the technique from my father who was a scientist and a chiropractor, osteopath, naturopath, and clinical hypnotherapist. When involved in debating, drama, and singing, I found the application of the Alexander technique to be very helpful not only to help create good posture (my lower back used to be what would be called a 'sway back' in those days) but from good posture came much better voice projection and timbre (something that the founder discovered and how the technique came into being, as you'd know well Lawrence, being a teacher for many years). Good posture is crucial to good health and well-being and I do believe that there is an epidemic of poor posture (along with that of obesity) in today's society which has short and long-term negative impacts upon health and which certainly may well contribute to some medical conditions or worsen the situation of an individual who already has an existing illness. When people have chronic pain and/or are enervated, they tend to 'droop' quite literally. I have painful abdominal adhesions (the legacy of endometriosis and, ironically, the many surgeries used to divide and remove adhesions (adhesiolysis), and it is a matter of importance for me to always be mindful of my posture particularly when the pain is worse. Many people going through their daily routines at work and in their homes are slumping and quite a few of these are only in their twenties-imagine just how much impact this poor posture will have when they grow older and find their muscles and ligaments almost impossible to realign (e.g. via chiropractic manipulations)! One only has to watch small children learning to walk who almost always have excellent spinal alignment and how this changes drastically when they attend school, begin to sit at desks and learn to write. Posture then tends to become a problem after years of study at desks and without any suitable supportive chairs. No wonder there is an epidemic of both back pain and headaches as a result of poor posture, subluxations, overly tightened neck and shoulders with compressed nerves and hence blood flow!
I am a bodywork and movement instructor. Have been following Esther for years now. Her work is so simple, and so ground breaking. We've normalized hideous posture, then go to doctors for back and neck pain. Try it. You'll like it.
Oh man, I bet she is the best and nicest and most honest mom ever. Look at those facial expression that could cure even the most cynical man. And listen to her tone, so easy to the ear, you cannot help but listen.
Milf?
This lady's method has literally saved my spine.
what?
have you read her book?
save my spine too
@@gorgec6862 omigord - won't SOMEBODY think of my spine ... !?!?!?
@@ultimobile I think of your spine :)
Esther Gokale changed my life. Her strategies made me pain-free after years of trying various medical treatments to no avail.
Holy Cow - I tried it while watching this video; and the pain in my back is GONE!!
the same with me
4:24 for how to sit primal posture.
duckificationish I think the entire talk was splendid and completely worth watching
thanks boss
Darren Pauli You are literally a hero! LoL Thanks!
Theres nothing primal about it
D It was six minutes?
As a chiropractor I know that she is basically right about this. It has always been interesting to me that back pain is nearly ubiquitous in the west. Yet, it has been know by researchers for some time that back pain is actually quite rare in all remaining indigenous cultures. Most people have assumed the problem is that we sit too much and walk too little. While that is probably true, it is not the whole story. A developing theory is that of the "J" spine which she mentions in this video. Our textbooks teach that the "S" spine is normal, but it may actually be the source of our pain. The "S" spine has these dramatic reciprocating curves in each region, sacral, then lumbar, then thoracic, then cervical. New research suggests that these indigenous peoples have these curves but to a much lesser degree, other than the sacral curve which is fused in place at an early age. So, their spines curve up from the sacrum and rise like a tower from there. It is a fascinating thing.
thanks for the informative comment:)
Your intelligence makes me want to marry you. Also, I saw all things Grateful Dead on your page as well. Thus, marry me please.
Allow me to disagree with you Richards. You mention that low back pain is ubiquitous in the western world. You are wrong. The prevelance of low back pain seems to be high in low and middle income economies as well according to WHO (Duthey 2013). Secondly, low back pain existed for many many years, even in ancient civilizations. Hippocrates or Galen would also treat low back pain but most usual of specific etiology such a fractures. Throughout the centuries until mid-nineties, scientists would have no idea what low back pain is however (Waddell 2004). They would consider it as a phlegm or hemus of the body. Therefore, what I am saying is that low back pain existed from ancient times (maybe because we conquered the bipedal position, who knows ?). HOWEVER (i use caps to empasize) low back disability is UNIQUE to the modern western world. But low back pain and low back disability are not always correllated and do not follow a linear relationship. What we really know about low back pain is that we know NOTHING. Rest are asumptions unfortunately
dude c'mon
nothing provides confidence like an endorsement from a highly respected, thoroughly trustworthy professional like a chiropractor
Perhaps these issues are really just a reflection of our lost ability to truly be present in the moment. To actually FEEL our bodies. Our society nowadays has lost the ability to even be aware of our bodies, so many people just slump into a seat and think nothing of it as they are too busy watching a screen, until they experience pain - and by that time they're so far into poor posture they have no idea how to fix it because it has unknowingly become their 'norm'... We really need to re-learn how to move again, and that involves being present in our bodies to know when we're moving or sitting in a way that is not right, BEFORE it caused pain.
Agree that movement is key. Even in the "correct" posture she demonstrates here, one would not be comfortable in that position all day along. Listen to your body and trust what it tells you.
Best speaker about posture so far
Esther Gokhale's tips are incredibly helpful! Thank you for sharing this! If we may add, proper posture also helps reduce the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
This has literally changed my life
Throughout the years, my own practices and observances have taught me proper posture is the only way to optimal health. A healthy spine is everything 😊
good advice I'm a professional driver so I drive long hours and yes it works.
My solution is to learn not to do the things that cause bad posture, rather than trying to add new effort to a muscular system that is already imbalanced. This is what one does in Alexander Technique lessons.
+Lawrence Smith What would you say was done wrong in the video?
This works! I am so very grateful for this! I changed to this way of sitting a couple of days ago and the extreme pain that I had is gone! GONE! I'm amazed.
I recently began working as a share driver and would feel as if I were handicapped every time I stood up outside of the car. The pain slowed me down considerably and I couldn't quickly move to help my riders with luggage. or to refuel. It was discouraging, I felt so old and unattractive, and uncomfortable. I was trying to help myself by tucking my pelvis and tightening my abdominals. Apparently that was all wrong.
Luckily I saw this talk. The next day I purchased a support that is meant for the lumbar back at the dollar store. I push it up so that it sits higher and I let that curve in my back happen, and voila!
The difference is truly life changing. Yes, my tummy sticks out more, but who cares! My back doesn't hurt!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Her book totally saved my back!
As soon as I did this, I can feel my shoulders relax into a posterior position, my abs and even my quads tighten while sitting. I can also feel much more pressure on my right buttock... I have a functional limb length discrepancy and I have always slouched towards my left buttock. Fantastic stuff
Oh my freaking back! Listen to her, ppl, that's good advice! I miss the days when my back was good and pain free. 15 years of "sitting on my tail" for work ruined my spine.
I have figured out a very simple method to finding your ideal posture, whether standing or sitting. This method may sound a tad crude, but I encourage anyone brave enough to try this.
Long story short, a few months ago I started suffering from immense pelvic pain, which I could also feel in my lower back. Years of bad sitting posture can of course cause this, but in my case it was also stress related, so there really was no quick fix. After a week of daily pain and constipation, and the stretching exercises doing nothing at all, I decided to try something a little bit different: butt plugs. My theory was, that if I instinctively tighten myself all the time, the best way to address this would be to create a constant counter-pressure, which in time would teach my pelvis to stay relaxed all the time.
This all may sound like a stretch (pun intended), but my theory actually worked perfectly. Not only is my body more relaxed now, but the plugs actually reveal all the unnecessary muscle tension, whatever it is your doing. Whether it's bad sitting posture, or stiff walking, your body feels it as a tension in your anus. I've watched countless videos on Alexander Technique without ever understanding, what intuitive body movement is supposed to be like, but with a plug you don't even need intuition, you're just simply learning to move around without causing any pain in your anus. In a week or two I already noticed my posture changing into what I saw in this video.
Pretty much everyone suffers from a tight pelvic floor nowadays, so I encourage anyone to try this (or other measures) to eliminate these issues. What many people don't necessarily know, is that a lot of the mental turmoil people go through (stress, neuroses, anxiety), also has a physical component to it, mainly a tight pelvis. Fixing the physical symptoms is, at least in my opinion, way more efficient than just going to a therapist, because you're actually changing the way you experience your body.
+CountAbel thanks for sharing; this was courageous and creative! I use a leaning seat at work; along the lines of Keens Focal furniture; it's been great but I do often still feel some tension
+Anogoya Dagaati I'm not sure if a leaning seat is good or bad. I've had best results with a saddle chair, as it tends to push your buttocks behind a little bit. I'm still recommending the plugs though. Just buy one with a width of 1,5 - 2 fingers, and length of at least a finger. After carefully inserting it (no forcing), just walk around with it and try different sitting positions to figure out when there's the least amount of felt resistance.
You'll quickly notice that any extra tension, for example stiff shoulders or otherwise over-corrected posture, is gonna make the plug feel painful. Instead of thinking any theories or concepts on posture, just feel your body and try to find the way to be that doesn't cause any extra pain.
Another good idea is to start kung fu. Basically all kung fu comes down to body mechanics, so the same rules that apply to using force in self defence also apply to everyday movement. It's also a fun and practical way to open both mental and physical locks, as well as learning how to defend yourself. A lot bigger and more cost efficient package than many people realize.
Great recommendation and explanation on your concept. I can't afford Kung Fu right now; in terms of both time and cost but I'll certainly explore the others. I'm suffering the remnants of hunching over in my youth trying to be 'cool'. Correct posture is am finding increasing, priceless.
Read my post.
yeah.. no thanks
3:29 It's always astounding to see how much we can learn by simply observing nature and our ancestry primates. That's why evolutionary science holds the key to understanding who we truly are and how we should live.
Algore Daemon yeah like taking off your shoes because they are what’s actually ruining your knees
her technique in this video focuses on keeping us in chairs and on correcting the back. You have to address the legs as well. Squatting cultures maintain the j-shaped spine that we are all born with. The muscles of squatting are in the legs (and front of the low spine). Maybe the rest of her techniques address this? Sadly, we have to move away from chairs if we are going to help the spines. However, I do like this move! My back release and popped in a wonderful way!
I've been trying to get comfortable sitting on the floor and as soon as she said "imagine they have tails" I thought about having a tail, not wanting to sit on it, moved my pelvis accordingly, and criss cross on the floor became 10x more comfortable
Her technique has certainly helped me and I have plenty of back issues.
Padmasana (lotus pose) and Sukhasana .... best sitting postures of all time
I love her voice
It's the only I like about her, because I completely disagree with her work.
the most important way is knowing how to release the tension at the pelvis girdles from the front forward back to downward and the imbalance between two sides ( the bulging of the ligerment binding the sides together).
Keep your chest UP
Thats it, all fixed...forward head,round shoulders, round back...all. So keep than in mind and eventually your posture will feel natural
No you clearly didn’t listen to anything she said or read the book. Having the chest up is a strained temporary posture position that actually adds dramatic curves to the spine by adding a curve in the lower back and placing the rib cage in a flared position. If anything your chest should be “up” but not forward, meaning up while also anchored inward.
Best ever backpain solution thank you sosososo much.
agree !!
Turn your chair around and sit backwards like a rebel.
Arthur Ponzarelli lol
Actually YES, feels so good.
What is key in this exercise is to elonge your back while your sitting, but in a relaxed way. There are really good chairs out there that can give you that extra hook where you can "hang your spine". Humanscale Freedom, by Humanscale Furniture; and HON Ignition 2.0, by HON Furniture, are very good examples. In New York City, they are available in Manhattan Office Design.
Haha, almost fooled me that wasn't an advert until the last line. Then I checked your username hahahaha. Good try.
Herman Miller, Steelcase and Haworth are far better brands.
Thank you for this! Great content in just a few minutes. You're also a fantastic speaker.
this is a god-tier ted talk
on god
I'm sure people see ballerinas as being stiff (I certainly did) but what my ballet teacher taught us is quite similar to this. They wanted us to shift our hips only and elongate our spine. We are, to a point, rigid in our stature, but we must also have grace. I think these two factors in posture have a lot to do with the perfect, almost doll-like, gracefulness ballerinas have.
sitting correctly is like a massage all day!!!
Esther, potentially a thin yoga mat on the chair might provide enough friction to help maintain the decompressed lumbar and thoracic spine. Great exercise btw. I did feel the tightness. Very grateful. Find Root cause, Apply permanent fix. Namaste 🙏💐❤️☮️
I've lived with back pain for decades until uncovered a amazing treatment.
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Thanks from Italy Esther a great hug
Ciao
I think she's right, but I didn't get how to do it😟!
Did you find a clearer guide?
Just take the instruction about positioning your hip/pelvis in the right angle. Thats the key. Incline it in such a way that the imaginary tail is pointed in the upward angle rather than downward. Your shoulders and posture will align automatically. Try this and keep exercising to maintain this posture.
The best fix is re learning the squat and use it as rest position. That's it
Indian heritage is what made her think about it. in rural india it's common place.
Good work, great message and answer to sitting problem.
I had a J spine but had some mild back pain so then tried to make my spine an S (because it's regarded as healthy spine) Now I have EVEN WORSE back issues :(
Working my way back to a J spine now, I think it really is the way the spine is meant to be.
For many of the reasons that she describes, in western culture the para-spinal muscles atrophy. I think that in the name of "relaxing the back muscles," she does a disservice to something needed by nearly everyone we see or work with: strengthening those muscles in poses like Salabasana, and later, in Virabadrasana III (humorously referred to yesterday by a person I know as "eka pada salabasana"). Still, happy that someone popular is disseminating this message to a wide audience! My two rupees.
Im sitting like she told me now, and I can feel my spine slipping back into slot.....its amazing and disgusting!
It's better to sit on floor cross legged and work like we do in east . Chairs changes body's centre of mass thus creating unnecessary stress on some body parts . More over blood circulation is also hindered in chair position
I'll Comment on this after one month..really motivated.
Very good material. Primal posture is a good branding phrase too.
Oh! This presentation was very interesting. From today onwards I'm going to use those advises in my daily life! :)
How's it's going?
@@anmolmehrotra923 he is gone
I have suffered with back pain for a long time till learned a very effective remedy.
The good thing is it's organic, you can learn more here:
goodlife5.com/cure-back-pain-naturally
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oh wait, fuck you
Little Wing Careful there, she might obtain your ip address, lol.
Thank you Madame...great video
Someone needs to invent furniture to correct our posture.
that's genius
Either squat or lie down.
She was apparently promoting it in this video, if you look closely atcthe products that she quickly showed before settling on the towel
This would not work. I have scoliosis and wore a back brace for 3 years. The few moments I was out of it I had no strength in my back or abdomen whatsoever. Recently I have gotten out of my brace for good and have been taking physical therapy classes for months-costing thousands of dollars with good insurance- to help me function again. Of course, many of these problems are specific to scoliosis and bracing, but the overall idea is the same; having something hold you up to fix your posture will only make yourself weaker longterm and will make it harder and harder to achieve normal-ness as time progresses. Take it from me, you don’t want the ever lasting pain it would bring you in the long run.
Thirteen Pandas She calls it holding up your posture but the implement she showed doesn’t do that what it does is prevent your spine from rolling, it’s a misuse of words but definitely the concepts she talked about should be of good use as long as you don’t confuse them with the advice people give of what is bad for you. I don’t have scoliosis but I’ve suffered from bad posture for pretty much all of my life so I get it my muscles get sore and I felt like a bobble head every time I got in the car but the technique she showed helped.
Also, I’ll tell you that it’s a misunderstanding that doing what she did means using less muscle to prop you up, it’s like saying people with good posture ( the Indonesians in the picture are lazy), having that straight posture will align your muscles in the right way so that they hold you up as opposed to firing your muscles hard in bad positioning which will make your posture worse or cement your posture even more into that position.
INTERVIEWER: sir, what are you doing, i only told you to sit down.
ME: yeah, its what I'm doing ma'am, give me a minute or two
the exercise is at 4:27 in case you forget it (note to self)
Wow. I followed her technique sitting in the chair I could really feel the difference. I need to find her office or training videos if possible. I really need to work on my posture.
Terrible editing showing audience instead of Esther when shes instructing you how to sit. Now i don't know what she was showing. Also sitting in a chair is part of the problem, at least shes showing a way around it as chairs are our only comfortable option in 1st world countries. Does anyone have a better idea, or should we just go back to squatting?
Simon Simpson You should squat more often anyway. Even when you poop. Am talking about the deep squat.
Simon Simpson ... look up "primal posture" and you'll find some thousands of results. And, boy, it's my opinion that this short demonstration is not nearly enough to learn to sit properly, but maybe I'm wrong.
She explains it in detail in her book, along with other techniques
She does a lot of showing - (and shows it well) - the bad postures and the good - b u t how to sit - she doesn't have a good chair - she doesn't demonstrate the sitting position all that well - bunch up your clothes? The chair that she didn't choose is the good chair? Not very well done at All.
The good chair is her design and is $560. She was using a cheap chair to demonstrate the concept. Invest in the book and it will become evident.
would love a video on how to sit on the floor with a floor desk and write, without neck pain
It's possible, but rather uncomfortable and impractical.
@@StardustLegacyFighter so the best is a chair?
The exercise starts at 4:29
Fantastic, thanks very much.x
I like the way she presents her ideas, though somewhat sceptical. Its worth pointing out that non-industrialised tribes have a life expectancy of ~50 years and they don't have data collection which would prove this theory. When we say primal most of evolution has taken place in animals that live in a horizontal configuration (not vertical, i.e. standing) - you could argue our spine wasn't build for standing in the first place.
I wanna know what the other steps are after this baby step as it has helped me heaps!
Good presentation. While much was covered in only 6 minutes, I think she could greatly benefit from taking some Alexander Technique lessons. The Alexander Technique provides a more comprehensive, thorough and accurate view on how we are designed to balance & move (what good posture is) and how to dissolve the negative postural habits of excess tension and collapse that we've acquired.
Brett Hershey so much to people who constantly want to lecture others before getting informed of what they really do :-(
Heike Angelguidance Barbara B She's says that to be upright and relaxed is a well positioned pelvis. I agree, that's part of the equation, but not all. You've got to consider and emphasize the spine and its relation to the head at the atlantic-occiptal joint. And while she points out that some tuck their pelvis forward (sit on their tails), which can cause problems, she's advocating anteverting the pelvis. This is dangerous advice. Tipping the pelvis forward causes many problems, such a lordosis, a contraction in the lower back. It's just not how we're designed. You don't want the pelvis titled either way. You want a neutral pelvis, the spine lengthened along the natural curves and the head releasing off the top of the spine. So I'm glad she's taken some AT lessons, but I believe she would benefit from more or perhaps more with different instructors.
Anteverting your pelvis from retroverting to neutral is a good thing, but it is far from a cure-all and not good if you tilt it beyond neutral. There are many forms of habitual misuse. Alexander Technique is a cure-all for all habitual misuse patterns (not diseases, deformations, etc).
By the way, I'm also surprised at some of the examples on her website of 'good use' - I see disturbing amount of tension in the gardener and head jutted forward by the head rest in the driver.
Brett Hershey FYI, someone (this guy) read your observations and really appreciated the critique.
Still, I feel like offering friendly advice... I think your message would have been much-more-effective if you wouldn't have said, "She should go read this..." That's bad form. I would have just opened with the critique, "Well, that's all well and good, but here's what she didn't say..." You can't expect the average TH-camr to critically analyze, in a few minutes, the ideas that you sat down and (presumably) thought about for many hours (thousands of hours, if you include prerequisite material). You're going to get bad reactions from less-literate people when you say, "She should go read this (complex [to the layperson]) scientific material, so that she will realize that she is not giving the best possible advice," because a bunch of TH-camrs who lack the capacity to quickly verify your claim, are going to say, "Hey, wait a minute, you don't know she hasn't read that! What do you even mean?!" -- (or, even worse, you'll get someone who points out that you objectively *were* being presumptuous, thus damaging your authority even further in the eyes of the naive passerby) -- at which point you're going to have to explain yourself, *anyway* -- so you might as well have done it in the first place, if you're willing and able to do so at all (which, in my view, you were; she was very-neglectful of the spine-neck-head connection).
If you want to give a shout-out to the Alexander technique, no one will be upset -- just don't make a presumptuous personal attack out of it. "These ideas are usually described very well by proponents of the Alexander technique." -- and you're done -- not potentially-offensive.
Anyway, good luck, and thanks for the lesson!
EDIT (PS): Apparently it's spelled, "Alexander technique", so I fixed my spelling.
PPS: You might have linked them to this, too:
th-cam.com/video/k1luKAS_Xcg/w-d-xo.html
Intersting reference to the image of baby being carried at 2:48. Does it matter that at this stage of development a human child has not yet formed a lumbar curve? And that the position of the pelvis is related to the position and structure of the spine? I'm genuinely curious about this.
I'm not sure if the 'answer' beings that early in life? It's a good question.
Also the infant in the car seat: How else are we going to carry our children at that very early age from place to place in a car? If I had it my way, I'll carry my infant from place to place while riding regally on a back of a horse....
We should perhaps start redesigning our cars, cities, ways of getting from place to place too? All important considerations.
Worth watching it!
That lovely smart lady has a great future behind her ;D
Sitting on chairs in itself is unnatural and something that our bodies were not meant to be doing.
Rahul James Iyer and they make fun of Indians who sit on floor
well how are you supposed to poop without sitting
the indian way
Laying, squatting
ayush tripathi
Yup... need bilateral hip replacement surgery last 9 years, but I still squat in the toilet the Indian way. Can't do it any other way. Though it's getting very difficult now !!
Thank You for sharing this wisdom. Scoliosis Gym invented algorithmic scoliosis exercises to straighten scoliosis.
Picture not of ubang tribe of Borneo Indonesia but of the last nomads of Borneo the Penans. They are hunter gatherer who live mainly in Sarawak , (East Malaysia and Brunei) on the island of Borneo , rather than Kalimantan the Indonesian side
To truly change your posture you need to work hard on changing the weakness in your muscles and restore the natural position of your joints with physiotherapy. There are no easy tricks. The internet is full of people who will make you feel better about yourself by doing the tiny step towards the big change... you need to devote yourself to the process, instead of pat yourself on the back.
this is a great observation, and in our growing world's we can often find ourselves needing to do more work than just fix how we sit on our butts. keep in mind, building better posture does take the weight and stress off muscles we don't need to use or weren't meant to be used while sitting. When these muscles get the time to relax we can move towards better muscle training in the future, more easily (so think of fixing posture as a first step to fixing the back and spine). there is nothing wrong with suggesting one or two things and being proud of accomplishing that or being validated for changing our habits in things as seemingly simple as sitting.
Agree
Im doin alexander technique n adding yin yoga at home
It took 6mnths of daily efforts to notice change. I grew 2inches in height aged 37!! 12mnths later, theres still work to do, but i believe ive passed the 3/4 point and i feel i look like im in 'normal range' of bad slouching posture now when im relaxed/weak/lacking energy
the reason for the J posture is due to the strong core muscles that they have, which many of us lack. Bad habits like sitting down too much is also the reason for the s shaped spine.
Yeah, it doesn't work well with my comfy chairs.
"If I can walk I don't run .if I can sit down I don't walk. If I can lie down I don't sit" satchell paige
Check out Alexander Technique, sit on sitting bones and how to get up and down from sitting position.
Bless you.
You can remove your back pain completely by modify your diet a little - I've try and now almost relief all the pain. In my opinion you should try it
Please tell me how?
Mamie J. Costilla Have a look at here to learn more:
fine4.info/back-pain-relief
Mamie J. Costilla
By only eating ribs.. ;)
Mamie J. Costilla hes full of shit its spam
She is dead right..I agree with her 100 percent...very true she is
I feel back pain after watching this 😀
i love this
Great lecture! Absolutely eye-opening. Thanks!
I need more exercises. Where can I find them?
BTW, the dress ist beautiful.
She has a book called 8 Steps to a Pain Free Back!
Squatting is our primal sitting position.
I'm 23 and my unhealthy lifestyle gave me the back of a 60 year old, so i'll keep this advice dearly.
+Archibald Belanus holy crap, what did you do?
Hapi djus
Geeking, driving and working with a bad back position. Now it hurts.
+Archibald Belanus If you do a few minutes every morning and night with Kelly Starrett and his MobilityWOD, your pain will go away. Brian Trepanier's video, End 17 Years of Back Pain, works as well.
Archibald if you start doing DAILY corrective exercises you are young enough to fix this issue. Trust me, it might take some physio or another health professional to help guide you if you are lost but the health of your body is well worth the investment. Postural muscle respond to DAILY work aka reps, reps, reps. Not like big muscles that people train at the gym 1-2x a week, find some good stretching and corrective exercises for your spine and even 5-10mins a day will help :)
Thank u Maam
ive been doing 300 good situps a day to help my uneven muscles and posture... also been walking straight up, with my neck between straight and naturally looking, a few degrees forward. Also sleeping in good facing up and my back is dying
Id check out gorillazen
U maybe doin the situps wrong
Or have a muscle imbalance ur not aware of
The posture most people use is actually incredibly well adapted to the vast majority of their activities. Good ergonomics can help a bit, but the simple truth is that in exchange for our discomfort, we acquire something we value more. It becomes an issue when we want to do a different activity and regret our choices.
Glad to see some movement instruction that focuses on the pelvis. But not so glad to see these myths about "primal" postures repeated. Whether you live in an indigenous tribe or a big city, your posture and gait are learned behaviors shaped by your environment and the desire to conserve energy while producing force, optimizing line of sight, or some other utilitarian need. Do not expect to maximize your ability to type, concentrate on math, etc... while maintaining such an energetic posture. You will always fail a bit at one or the other because they are conflicting goals.
that was amazing
The truth is, sitting in any chair is a dysfunctional position for our bodies. Our primal sitting position is a squat, the chair was created long after the fact.
+Smart Ass very true statement. Our spine cant support our upper weight for such long periods of time without engaging our muscles, mainly core (which no one does), when we sit on a computer for so long. Hips, knees, and feet play an important roll in weigh distribution and even movement, however we neglect to accept that and continue sitting in chairs for long periods and are prescribed pain killers to help in dealing with the issues caused by poor posture.
+Smart Ass Baseball catchers like Johnny Bench can barely walk after years of squatting behind the plate. For long periods, it is too hard on the knees.
msnpassjan2004 Well, drinking too much water can kill you. Too much of anything isn't good.
What about a rock or a log? :))
that was really informative
very nice, thank you
Some of what she says is true! When you explore yourself with the Feldenkrais Method, you eventually find your own best posture in sitting & all positions. When you can truly feel your bones supporting you, your muscles don't need to work so hard( & give you pain!) Watch my Marvellous Movement videos on FB & you can see what I mean..
Skill
0:40 postures of two relaxed horsemen
Human phenotypes have different shaped skulls. I can't help but think that those differing skulls are likely to sit on top of a variety of spines, for which the advise would be different on a case by case basis. I'm always wary of 'one size fits all' remedies. I imagine there is much value in this lady's method, but maybe not for everyone.
Gracias!!
Cool. I'm gonna work on my back.
if you reached this video, congratulations, you have activated your Jacob´s Ladder (ladder leading to heaven ) ( 33 stairs, 33 vertebrae)
Think this video is promising more than it can deliver, back pain is more complex than just sitting posture. Thank you for taking us back in time to a one dimensional, posture = pain, failed biomechanical model. Expected more from TED.
+Charlie Baker Nah, it's a quite decent argument. Sure there are way more factors, but just go to any doctor and tell him about your back pain. He has to know just two things: Are you lifting heavy? Do you work in an Office? - if both is not the case you don't have backpain with a propability of 99% (At least I assume :D).
+Charlie Baker Your back is linked to your knees. Try to muscle your legs and knees to better support a straighter back...
It wasn't more complex than that for me. I had horrible sciatic pain for two years until I started using her stretch-sitting and stretch-lying techniques. That was all it took to eliminate my pain.
Search "J spine" at NPR.
where do i find the rest of the steps?
I do this instinctually due to back pain. "Comfortable" sitting is painful for me.
The advice given here is purely anecdotal and not supported by evidence. That said I don't see anything dangerous in trying out her technique and use it if it gives you relief. The perspective on pain in this video is simplified to a degree not only not supported by evidence but we know pain is more complex.
This reminds me of how ladies are depicted sitting in the Victorian era to accommodate their dresses
Is this posture just an anterior pelvic tilt which is so common in low back pain?
i have the same thought too
same here
No, it's not. Search "J spine" at NPR, there's a good article about it.
No. In anterior pelvic tilt you create an arch in your lower back. She is saying to do the opposite. i.e. remove the arch and flatten the back.
Yeah this video is misleading and harmful
Altered spinal curves are a symptom of the problem -- attempting to change the symptom does not address the cause, which is misplaced postural muscle tonus. For about 100 years, the Alexander Technique has successfully addressed this problem by helping people to learn to stop creating isometric contraction in muscles around the neck and back, thereby allowing the spinal extensors to work naturally, which leads to decompression and opens the spinal curves. The approach suggested in the video -- one of getting some muscles to work more to resist those that are causing deformation, will simply lead to more compression. At best, this mechanical approach is short term, but likely to lead to long term problems worse than those one is trying to treat.
***** she's teaching the same shit as he did lol.
***** What is your solution then?
PaulRudyW Using support to take the place of spinal extensors is another unfortunate error. When one is inclined forward, spinal extensors are stimulated, when one leans back, they are inactive (unless consiously engaged) leading to spinal compression and poor support of the arms and respiratory system. What she is offering is terribly simple-minded and certainly not new.
PaulRudyW You can willfullly make your spinal extensors work when you are leaning back, but they aren't working reflexively and optimally. If they were, why would you need support? Much better to lean slightly forward, especially if you are using your arms to type or to play a musical instrument. Good posture is not about relaxation -- it is about well-distributed muscle tone in the absence of isometric contraction. Further, I believe she is wrong about the primary sources of poor use. Most kids actually look pretty good when they begin school. We see a decline in good use in relation to the stresses of competitive learning. Children begin to hunch and retract generally when they begin to learn to write -- in other words, when their output is constantly criticized. At any rate, I'm not impressed. I've been teaching the Alexander Technique for nearly 27 years, working with world class dancers and musicians.
+Lawrence Smith You're exactly right. The Alexander technique is very effective. I grew up learning about the technique from my father who was a scientist and a chiropractor, osteopath, naturopath, and clinical hypnotherapist. When involved in debating, drama, and singing, I found the application of the Alexander technique to be very helpful not only to help create good posture (my lower back used to be what would be called a 'sway back' in those days) but from good posture came much better voice projection and timbre (something that the founder discovered and how the technique came into being, as you'd know well Lawrence, being a teacher for many years). Good posture is crucial to good health and well-being and I do believe that there is an epidemic of poor posture (along with that of obesity) in today's society which has short and long-term negative impacts upon health and which certainly may well contribute to some medical conditions or worsen the situation of an individual who already has an existing illness. When people have chronic pain and/or are enervated, they tend to 'droop' quite literally. I have painful abdominal adhesions (the legacy of endometriosis and, ironically, the many surgeries used to divide and remove adhesions (adhesiolysis), and it is a matter of importance for me to always be mindful of my posture particularly when the pain is worse. Many people going through their daily routines at work and in their homes are slumping and quite a few of these are only in their twenties-imagine just how much impact this poor posture will have when they grow older and find their muscles and ligaments almost impossible to realign (e.g. via chiropractic manipulations)! One only has to watch small children learning to walk who almost always have excellent spinal alignment and how this changes drastically when they attend school, begin to sit at desks and learn to write. Posture then tends to become a problem after years of study at desks and without any suitable supportive chairs. No wonder there is an epidemic of both back pain and headaches as a result of poor posture, subluxations, overly tightened neck and shoulders with compressed nerves and hence blood flow!