Trainers, Be Aware of Your Own Posture!

If you find yourself sitting down with your legs tightly crossed, clutching your speech notes and with a knot in your stomach you are probably not assisting your own relaxation.  Stand up and pay attention to your posture.  Devotees of the Alexander Technique will recognise that holding your body correctly is an intrinsic part of feeling good about yourself and there is definitely a correct way to stand.

• Make sure your head is balanced on the end of your neck, not jutting forward, tilted to one side or leaning back.  Unclamp your jaw and ensure your tongue is not sticking to the roof of your mouth.
• Check that your neck is not compressed between your head and your shoulders.  Stretch your head upwards to open up your vertebrae.
• Ensure that your shoulders are down and back, allowing your chest to operate efficiently
• Make sure your spine is in balance, holding your weight over your centre of gravity.
• Is your stomach tense - try diaphragm breathing rather than stomach breathing.
• Don’t hold onto papers or put your hands in your pockets.  Shake out the tenseness in your arms and fingers and let your arms hang loosely by your sides.
• Keep your feet about shoulder width apart and shake out any muscle tension in your legs.
• If you are unnecessarily twitchy on your feet then imagine that you have massive Kangaroo feet for feet and this will help you keep balanced and centred on your stage.

Once your physical body is relaxed, it’s time to deal with your mental tension. (Coming next week!)