By making one very simple change you can over time see some very real changes to your body posture. It involves just sitting down – not on the sofa or a chair as perhaps you are used to, but sitting on the floor!
11 Floor Sitting Postures
There are understood to be 11 floor sitting postures which our body has been intrinsically designed to be able to do naturally. Anyone who can do all 11 comfortably is going to be very well balanced from a musculo-skeletal point of view. I’ve been doing them myself over the last few months and have noticed certain postures which were initially uncomfortable have since become easier and more relaxed.
I won’t go into all of them in detail now but try the following:
- Kneeling
- Toe Sitting (like kneeling but toes curled under)
- Long Sitting (both legs straight in front)
- Cross Legged
- Side-Saddle posture (both legs to one or other side so that one leg is externally rotated and one is internally rotated – practice both sides)
If you find any of those uncomfortable and difficult it is because of an imbalance in your body which needs addressing. By letting your body rest in these postures it will slowly adapt. Little and often is the best approach as your body slowly gets used to the posture and you gradually become less stiff.
If any of these postures are causing you actual pain this is an indication that your imbalance has reached a point where you might need some help. Please don’t continue in that case and seek advice from your osteopath.