Posture
Most people do not realize how improtant it is to stand and sit correctly. Band posture is the main cause of chronic back pain and contributes to painful ailments such as slipped discs and sciatica. Invariably, people with bad posture lack energy and vitality. Their chests are slumped and they do not breathe correctly as they only use a small portion of their lungs.
Yoga is designed to stretch the spine constantly and build the muscles in the lower back, enabling you to achieve perfect posture. You may think that you are standing or sitting correctly, but you may not understand your own body alignment. Indeed, pregnancy or weight gain or loss can unbalance you.
Whether you are standing, kneeling or sitting, imagine that a string is pulling you upwards from the top of your head. Push your shoulder blades down and lift the chest naturally. When you are in perfect posture, you will feel centred. It is rather like placing building blocks on top of each other. If they are not evenly placed, they will come tumbling down.
The exercises in this web frequently refer to 1st and 2nd position. In 1st position, stand with you feet together and touching each other. Open the toes evenly and press your heels down. In 2nd position, stand with your feet approximately 30cm apart. The feet should be positioned below the hips with toes pointing forwards.