Your posture is like an emotional T-shirt: if you’re still wearing that old one you pulled on to survive years ago, it could probably use a change.

We often think of our posture as being something tangible and structural. Yet actually it is a visible representation of our intangible self: our history, emotions and personality displayed for all to see. Sometimes we started wearing this particular postural presentation at a specific time in our lives, or in response to an event or set of circumstances. And then we forgot to take it off again. Not only that, but we then identified with it so strongly that we called it “my posture” as though it is a fixed thing. So I wonder, would you wear the same T-shirt day in and day out for years and never take it off to wash it because it is “so you”? That would be crazy, not to mention unsanitary.

So just remember that if your posture isn’t comfortable, it is sensitive and dynamic, and you can choose to shrug it off and put on a fresh one. Change the t shirt. That old one was for a bygone time, and reflected past events. Right now, the emotional environment is pretty challenging, and that might be showing up in your present posture too. You might be struggling to stand straight, or rigidly over erect. Just become aware of yourself again. Where are you in space? What posture are you wearing? Is it uncomfortable? Imagine taking it off and putting something on that suits you better. Sometimes the key to finding something that fits better is to take off what you are already wearing.