Originally posted on Chopra.com

Stand up straight! Don’t slouch! These are reminders you probably heard growing up, but healthy posture truly is an important element of overall wellness. Harvard Medical School defines “good posture” as:

• Chin parallel to the floor
• Shoulders even (roll your shoulders up, back, and down to help achieve this)
• Neutral spine (no flexing or arching to overemphasize the curve in your lower back)
• Arms at your sides with elbows straight and even
• Abdominal muscles braced
• Hips even
• Knees even and pointing straight ahead
• Body weight distributed evenly on both feet

Research shows that standing up straight is essential for building self-esteem, improving mood, and managing stress. Living life with a hunch in your shoulders, unnatural rounding in your back, or extreme arching in your back can lead to neck pain, chronic discomfort, and a general feeling of malaise. In her oft-viewed TED Talk, social psychologist Amy Cuddy extols the benefits of “power posing,” which involves standing like Super Woman for a few minutes to improve confidence and give yourself a mood boost (Try it, it works!). In yoga philosophy, standing up well is related to the Solar Plexus Energy Center or Manipura Chakra, physically located at the core, waist, and mid-back. When the Solar Plexus Chakra is in balanced, you feel confident and you’re able to (physically and mentally) stand up for your beliefs and yourself.
Picking up children, driving, carrying bags, working at a computer, and any number of other daily tasks can really do a number on your back and upper body. There are several yoga poses to improve poor posture and most are easy postures that can be done at home. If you’re looking for a simple back posture corrector, give yourself the gift of better posture by moving through some of these yoga poses.
Try these yoga poses at home to improve your posture. They can be done on their own whenever you find time, or as a simple sequence upon waking or before bed. One of these poses might be the posture corrector that does the trick.
1. Reclining Spinal Twist (Supta Jathara Parivartanasana)If you’re only going to do one yoga pose to help improve your posture, please try this one. A simple, yet powerful pose that you come into from resting on your back, this pose is wonderful to do first thing in the morning or right before getting into bed (or even IN bed!). This pose will help to release kinks and tension built up from long bouts of standing, sitting, and all of your other daily tasks. Give it a try:

• Come to rest on your yoga mat on your back. If you like to have your head supported, place a pillow or blanket beneath your head.
• Hug your knees into your chest and enjoy a few deep breaths. Inhale and exhale slowly.
• Extend your arms out in opposite directions, like a capital “T”.
• Bring your knees out at 90 degrees so that your shins are parallel to the earth and your knees and torso create an “L” shape.
• Take a big breath in and press your mid-back into the ground.
• As you exhale, tip your knees over to the left side of your body. Allow your feet to come to the ground and your knees to come to the ground.
• Bend your left elbow and push it into the earth. Slide your left shoulder several inches to the left so that it is untucked. Rest both shoulders and arms on the ground.
• Turn your head left and right like you’re saying “no” a few times. Allow your head to turn either direction that feels most natural for you without any struggle or strain and rest there.
• If you can breathe comfortably, stay there. If you don’t feel comfortable, try these variations: place a blanket or pillow between your knees so that your ankles, knees, and hips are in one line. If you like extra support, place your left hand on your left knee for some grounding. If you like extra support, place a pillow or bolster behind your back for some grounding.
• Settle into stillness and stay in the pose for three to five minutes, breathing deeply.
• Bring your knees back into your chest and roll around on your back a little bit.
• Repeat your twist on the second side and hold for three to five minutes.
• Bring your knees back into your chest and roll around on your back a little bit.
• Take a few moments to rest flat on your back.

2. Supported Fish Pose (Matsyasana)This supported heart opener helps to open up the chest and upper back. Many of us hunch forward or round during our daily activities and this pose helps to counteract the effects of that rounded action. Use a block, bolster, or roll of blankets for support in this pose. Give it a try:

• Come to sit on your yoga mat and gather your block, bolster, or roll of blankets.
• Roll back onto your support props until they rest just beneath your shoulder blades. It is not an exact positioning! Roll around, move the props, and adjust until you feel comfortable.
• Tip your head back onto your mat or onto another prop for support.
• Rest your arms open or down to your sides.
• Extend your legs out in front of you. If you experience low back tenderness, place a pillow or blanket beneath your knees.
• Settle into stillness and stay in the pose for three to five minutes. Relax your shoulders, neck, and forehead. Breathe deeply.
• Roll gently to your side, slide the props out, and come to your back.
• Bring your knees back into your chest and roll around on your back a little bit.
• Take a few moments to rest flat on your back.

3. Mountain Pose (Tadasana or Samasthiti)This neutral standing pose is a helpful practice for how to actually stand well. This is a beneficial yoga pose to improve your posture because it requires balance, poise, strength, awareness, and both effort and ease. To the outside observer, this pose may appear as if you’re just standing there, but you’ll know that, at least at first, this pose requires mindfulness. Give it a try:

• Come to stand on your yoga mat.
• Turn all your toes to point forward and bring your feet parallel with each other. Stand with your feet just as wide as your hips. One method to find this alignment is to place your fingers on the front of your pelvis (the anterior superior iliac spine/ASIS bone) and line up your feet just below.
• Rock back and forth and side to side to evenly distribute the weight between your feet and into all parts of your feet.
• Engage your legs without locking your knees.
• Angle your tailbone to point slightly more down towards the ground.
• Stand up tall and reach your hands down beside your thighs. Spin your palms to face forward and actively reach your fingers towards the earth.
• Allow your chest to open without arching your back and allow your shoulders to relax away from your ears.
• Reach the crown of your head up toward the ceiling while keeping your chin parallel to the earth.
• Feel the long line of energy along the length of your spine from your tailbone to the base of your neck and up to the crown of your head.
• Stand well and breathe easily for one to two minutes.

4. Seated Side Stretch (Parsva Sukhasana)You bend forward and back throughout the day, but the sides of your body are often neglected. The muscles around and between the ribs, the intercostals, and the abdominal muscles that wrap around the waist, the transverse abdominis, are important muscles to stretch and strengthen for better posture. This is a beneficial pose to help with taking deeper breaths and for supporting a healthy spine. Give it a try:

• Find a comfortable seat on your yoga mat. You can cross your legs or sit back on your heels. For low back support and added comfort you may like to sit on a pillow or folded blanket.
• Enjoy a few deep breaths to get grounded and centered.
• Crawl your left fingers out to your left side. Place your hand or elbow flat on the ground and push gently to maintain both sitting bones connected to the earth.
• Reach your right arm over and across your ear.
• Allow your head and neck to relax toward your shoulder.
• One option is to hold there and breathe deeply for one to two minutes. Another option is to circle your wrist, circle your arm, or move organically to open up various areas of tightness on the entire right side.
• Come back up to center and repeat on the second side.
• Take a few moments to rest in a comfortable seat at center when you complete both sides.

5. Corpse Pose (Savasana)To the outside observer this pose may appear as if you’re just lying there (honestly, you ARE!), but you know that to get set up and comfortable, this pose requires mindful awareness. As you learn to surrender in this pose, all of the muscles in your body that work hard for you while you’re standing, sitting, and walking are able to relax. Learning to allow your back muscles to relax is key to making sure your body isn’t too fatigued to allow you to stand with better posture. Note: This pose is often much more challenging mentally than physically! Set a timer or give yourself a pep talk beforehand if it’s a new one for you. Give it a try:

• Come to rest on your yoga mat on your back. If you like to have your head supported, place a pillow or blanket beneath your head. If you experience any low back tenderness, place a pillow or rolled up blanket beneath your knees.
• Tuck your shoulders slightly and comfortably underneath you to prop up your chest.
• Spin your palms to face up and open down by your sides.
• Shake out your legs and allow your feet to flop gently out to the sides.
• Take several deep, sighing breaths and close your eyes.
• Rest in savasana for five to ten minutes (or longer if you have time!) When you’re ready to get up, roll gently to one side and rest there for a few breaths before coming up to sit.

Have you been experiencing back or neck pain? Has anyone ever told you to stand up straight? Have you been feeling low self-esteem? These simple yet profound yoga poses may be the posture correctors you’ve hoped for. Whether you rest on your back in savasana once a day (don’t knock this “easy” pose till you try it!) or create a short sequence to do before bed, over time these poses will be highly beneficial for supporting proper posture without having to step foot in a traditional yoga class. And you may even notice the effects on your mind and spirit as well!

 originally posted on Chopra.com

Writing down your thoughts, dreams, feelings, and ideas is a healthy and beneficial practice for overall wellness. Writing helps get to the heart of the matter by getting whatever you’re dealing with off your mind and onto the page. Writing about the pain of heartbreak, the confusing feelings that arise after an argument, or the mess of your life after a big transition helps make those feelings real.
There are more ways to express yourself other than gratitude journaling. Acknowledging and confronting difficult emotions allows the healing process to begin. Journaling is a healthy outlet and positive coping mechanism for facing overwhelming emotions. According to researchers from University of Rochester Medical Center, journaling is a helpful tool in managing mental health. If you are on a healing journey through loss, grief, addiction, or are genuinely interested in personal growth, expressive writing is a beneficial beginning.


Benefits of Journaling Here are some of the benefits of journaling:

• Reduces stress
• Helps manage depression and anxiety
• Helps prioritize fears and concerns
• Provides opportunity for recognizing triggers
• Allows space for positive encouragement and self-talk

Benefits of Writing If these benefits of journaling aren’t enough to convince you to pick up your pen or pencil, did you know there is evidence that simply writing down intentions and revisiting your goals can significantly improve your mental state? Here are some of the benefits of writing:

• Improves blood pressure levels
• Improves mood
• Increases feelings of well-being
• Improves functioning of immune system
• Improves memory

Keeping a special therapy journal, or a journal dedicated to assisting you on your therapeutic healing journey, can increase awareness and insight. Writing can also be used as a tool to reset or de-stress during or immediately after a challenging situation. Writing can be used to interrupt negative thought patterns and reintegrate the brain to find helpful solutions. According to the Center for Journal Therapy, an education and training center whose mission is “to make the healing art and science of journal writing accessible to all who desire self-directed change,” journaling is a healthy therapeutic tool for healing, growth, and change. This therapy journal training center offers the following suggestions for journalers:

• Keep it private.
• Meditate before you write.
• Date each entry.
• Keep and re-read what you write.
• Write quickly.
• Write without censoring or editing yourself.
• Give yourself permission to tell yourself the truth.
• Write naturally in a way that works best for you.

Writing can be an essential part of a holistic approach to healing.


Journaling Is a Rule-Free Zone One of the coolest things about journaling, whether you’re just beginning, dabble once in awhile, or have been writing consistently for years, is that there are no rules. As you embark on journaling, you may like to consider the following:

• Will you use dedicated journals for a specific focus or an all-purpose, anything-goes journal?
• Will your journal be lined or blank?
• Will there be prompts or quotes, or will your journal be bare and reserved only for journal entries?
• Will it be a private diary with a lock kept in a safe place or are you comfortable with someone reading what you write?
• Will you handwrite your thoughts and feelings or type them into the computer?
• Will you write for yourself or share your writing on a blog for accountability?

Remember, there are no rules; the possibilities are myriad. Search around for what suits you and write on.

Journaling Tips and Techniques If you’re open to beginning a focus journal (see tip seven) or a therapy journal, and receiving the benefits of writing, may the following techniques provide encouragement for developing a sustainable journaling practice. Whether you are handwriting daily in a lined journal, starting a blog, or creating a special ritual, here are some tips for how to implement this healing practice into everyday life.


1. Free Write Set a timer for 10, 20, or 30 minutes and let your thoughts flow. Put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard and enjoy a process called stream of consciousness. Write with abandon! Instead of censoring yourself or writing with a goal in mind, write for the mere act of writing. You may notice you repeat yourself or you get blocked. If this happens, take a breath and keep writing. Write your name! Write “I don’t know what to write.” Write, write, write. You may discover you have lots to say. When you are through, read what you have written and highlight any notable findings.


2. Write a Letter Write a letter with absolutely no intention of sending it to the person or people you wrote it to. If you’re going through a divorce, breakup, or healing trauma related to a relationship, write a letter to the person involved. (Reminder: DO NOT SEND IT.) It can be helpful to write the letter, read it aloud to yourself or a friend, and then burn it. If you’re dealing with loss or a death, write a letter telling the person who has passed how you feel, what you miss, what you learned, what you forgive or can’t forgive yet, and how they’ll live on through you.
These letters are for YOU. If you’re dealing with addiction, fear, anxiety, grief, or depression, write a letter to these big, heavy concepts. Tell your anxiety to get lost. Ask your addiction to leave you alone. Thank depression for stopping by and send it on its way. In her book Big Magic, author Elizabeth Gilbert addresses a letter to fear as practice before embarking on any creative endeavor. If you’re looking for some motivation, pen a cheery letter to joy, bliss, optimism, positivity, or perseverance. If you enjoy this practice, you may wish to start a dedicated therapy journal in which you keep your letters.


3. Write a Manifesto A manifesto is a personal or public declaration of what you stand for, your core values, and a call to willingly act on your beliefs. Taking the time to think about how you intend to live your life can help give your life meaning and direction. Dedicate some time to thinking about and writing out your priorities. Get motivated and inspired by any insights from your therapy journal, morning pages (see below), or big life goals.
Once you’ve drafted your manifesto, write it or print it out on a beautiful poster and keep it posted where you’ll be reminded of, and guided by, your intentions daily. Next step? Live it!
Bonus: Stand in front of a mirror and read your personal manifesto out loud.


4. Write Morning Pages Begin a daily practice of writing three pages each morning. In her book The Artist’s Way, poet and playwright Julia Cameron suggests this “apparently pointless process” as a vital tool for recovering, reinvigorating, and harnessing your creativity. Cameron explains, “put simply, morning pages are three pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of consciousness . . . they might also, more ingloriously, be called brain drain, since that is one of their main functions.”
Note the date, time, day, and location at the top of each journal entry. When you complete a journal, go back, read your pages, and highlight any insights and any action to be taken. Not a morning person? Do yours midday! Or make them “evening” pages. Instead of making excuses, try it for 30 days and see how it goes. The idea is to show up, commit to yourself and your dreams, and make healing a habit.


5. Write Yourself a Birthday Card Write a birthday letter to yourself with your personal dreams, desires, and goals for the next one, five, and 10 years of your life. Write down any insights you’d like your future self to remember. Address it to yourself and sign it lovingly. Hide it away and open it on your birthday for a check in! Birthdays can be tender, vulnerable times as well as outstanding opportunities to consider if you’re living the life you dream of.


6. Write Your Goals Start considering radical ideas for creating balance in your life and work towards them with gratitude. Creating and nurturing goals is one of the best uses of journaling. Set some goals using a list format and watch your dreams become reality. Begin by writing down three to five big life goals. For each big goal, write down three to five small tasks you can do each day to support and work towards those bigger ideas. Remember, SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable/achievable, relevant to your life, and time-bound.
Bonus: After you finish writing, keep your journal open and practice one sun salutation per goal. In The Body Keeps the Score, doctor and researcher Bessel Van Der Kalk explains that moving the body mindfully helps to release trauma from your body and brain. Make space for inspiration and the motivation to follow through on your new goals by directly creating that connection with bodily movement. Remember to cool down and enjoy savasana to integrate your goals into your body.


7. Keep a Focus Journal Yoga teacher and author Elena Brower says, “Early on in recovery from any trauma, deep grief or addiction, shifting your smallest daily routine can make the biggest difference in your success.” Begin to track your personal cycles through a dedicated focus journal, or a special place you keep track of anything you’d like to shift in your life. Keeping a daily food diary, using an exercise journal, tracking your changing feelings through the day, noticing your rhythms as they connect to the moon, writing each morning in a dream journal, or listing three things you’re grateful for each evening can jumpstart your healing.  


8. Use Prompts Sometimes it can be challenging to know where or how to begin writing. You may ask yourself, “What do I write about?” Using prompts or questions can ease you of this potential block in your reflective journal. Begin by replying to the prompt. Later, go back and read what you’ve written to highlight themes or action items.
The following are 23 prompts to get you started. Try one each day for 23 days or dive in one lazy afternoon to tackle them all! The prompts followed by ellipses are invitations to complete the sentence as many times as you’d like.

1. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
2. Write a love letter to the world.
3. If I’m really honest. . .
4. What I do every day matters more than what I do once in awhile, so today I. . .
5. Imagine you’ve got a whole day to do everything you love. What would this blissful day look like?
6. I drank a sunset. . .
7. How are you feeling right now?
8. I am. . .
9. I feel. . .
10. I do. . .
11. I love. . .
12. I speak. . .
13. I see. . .
14. I understand. . .
15. What won’t let you be? What imbalances can you identify in your life?
16. What causes fear to arise when you think about the future? What would you do should what you fear come to be?
17. What causes happiness to arise when you think about the future? What could you do to create more happiness in your life as you are living it right now?
18. It angers me that. . .
19. I wonder. . .
20. Write your own obituary.
21. The best adventure I ever had began when. . .
22. If I wait to be ready, I’ll never. . .
23. I want. . .

Journaling is beneficial for the mind and spirit. Whether you’re new to this healing practice or seeking some inspiration to sustain you, start now. Healing from loss, trauma, addiction, or any of life’s daily challenges is hard work. May you find solace in the pages of your journal and trust your pen to guide you on your way. Happy writing!