Body and Breath - Yoga Shop Talk

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Yoga shoptalk, August 2001

Question: I am 65 years old and tend to slump forward when I walk. How can I correct this situation?

Answer: Unfortunately, this is one of the commonest postural curses of getting older. Fortunately, there are many options and possibilities for correcting the problem. It is a long-term project, however, that requires a lot of work and constant attention to detail.

If you are already practicing asana, take note of how much time you spend on forward bending as compared to backbending poses. Most likely you find yourself spending more time on forward bending. After checking this out, the first thing to do is to perhaps quadruple your commitment to backbending poses, or at least make sure that you are spending twice as much time and energy on backward bending as on forward bending postures. Concentrate on the many variations of the cobra, locust, bow, prone boat, and the many forms of standing backbends, as well as other backbending postures that are within your capacity such as the beginner’s pigeon, the camel, and even the wheel.

The series of 48 twists and bends described in chapter 7 of Anatomy of Hatha Yoga can be productively modified to include 72 twists and bends simply by doing 9 bends with each arm position instead of 6. So using each arm position do this sequence: a) twist right and bend back, b) staying twisted right, bend forward, c) staying twisted right, bend back again. Then come up and d) twist left and bend back, e) staying twisted left, bend forward, f) staying twisted left, bend back again. Then come up and g) bend straight back, h) bend straight forward, and i) bend straight backward to complete the series. Repeat with each of the arm positions.

Even if you do a lot of hatha yoga postures, you will still need to bring the habits of standing straight into your everyday life. Walking, try to keep your pelvis in an anterior pelvic tilt, thus increasing the lumbar curvature. Lead with the pelvis with the aim of thrusting the anterior borders of the ilia forward with every step. At the same time try to keep your shoulders, head, neck, and especially your chin pulled to the rear, and try to generate a constant feeling of lift at the top of your head.

Sitting in front of a computer screen, adjust the monitor so that it is natural for you to look straight ahead or even up instead of down. Driving an automobile, keep your head and shoulders pulled to the rear. Watching television, don’t sit, but stand, remaining in a slight backbend and keeping the shoulders and head pulled to the rear the entire time. You have to go to extremes to break habits. Mount your television set at ceiling height so you can conveniently watch the monitor while pulling your head and shoulders to the rear. Habits are after all no more than behaviors that take the line of least resistance. With effort they can be changed.

Be patient, be consistent, be observant, experiment constantly, never give up, and keep smiling.