As I was growing up, I was told on a regular basis to stop slouching and to sit up straight. My parents constantly reminded me that if I didn’t develop good posture, then I would end up with a hunch back as an adult. It took me years to listen and to develop the confidence to sit up and walk straight. I wasn’t aware until my early 20’s that it was my lack of confidence and insecurities that were causing this poor stance. I also remember when I was in the 7th grade there were these two girls from my middle school who asked me to walk down a hallway for them. As I walked down the school hallway, I heard one of them say to the other girl “See! She walks with her head down!” I was a bit embarrassed and for the first time I was told by my peers and not my parents that I had a poor stance. Again, my lack of confidence and insecurities were showing through my posture. Years later, I began my journey with yoga and my posture improved as well as my confidence. I remember when I was living in Colorado my friends and I were at an outdoor concert and as we sat and listened to the live music, one of them complimented me on my beautiful posture. She told me that my back was so straight and that she wished she could have the same posture. It made me feel so confident and secure. I had only remembered being told that I had bad posture and now I was being told the opposite. I am so much more in tune with my posture now that I practice yoga. Whenever I catch myself slouching I can’t help but notice that my thoughts affect my posture. I then begin to shift my negative focus by sitting up straight and shifting my perspective to something positive. It is through good posture that I am able to show an image of confidence and strength. Through the practice of yoga, one can achieve the mind-body balance. The spine is very important to yogis because it is the main energy conduit of our entire body. In yoga practice, the spine is the central channel for the vital life force. This life force is known as kundalini energy. This energy flows up and down the spine through the hollow canal in the center of the spinal cord. This can also be referred to as the Susumna nadi. The Susumna nadi connects with all the nerve plexus as well as the chakra centers. Feelings such as joy, wisdom and awakening all come from having a clear spine. A clear spine allows one to deal with stress and connect to the divine wisdom and natural gifts that exist within. Posture not only affects how one looks, but one’s over all health and well-being. When posture is out of balance one can experience issues such as spinal pain, headaches, moodiness, blood pressure, pulse and lung capacity. I have recently started going to a chiropractor. I was sent by my friend and Thai yoga therapist who had noticed some ailments in my lower back. She had asked me if I was injured in that particular spot, which I then expressed to her that I was not. A week or so later, I began having some terrible low back pain, which then turned into a terrible neck pain. It was hard for me to work, get out of bed or even do my yoga practice. Walking relieved the pain a bit as well as massage, but I needed more. After going for another Thai massage, my therapist/friend referred me to her chiropractor. I went in the following day and he did some scans and x-rays on my neck and back. After a day of waiting for the results, he told me I was developing arthritis in my lower back and that I had a minor form of scoliosis. I couldn’t imagine this to be real considering my active lifestyle and my regular yoga practice of 12 years. He expressed that the arthritis was developing from an old injury that I may have had within the last 7-15 yrs. I knew I had not been injured and later asked him if it could be from emotional trauma. He told me that it could be the case as well. I am convinced that this developed after my dad died. I have been in many emotional states since then where I curl up into a ball and feel numb. I am sure that the trauma has had a negative impact on my body. I will continue to strengthen my back and my posture through the practice of yoga. I will also continue to get weekly and eventually monthly adjustments on my back. After a month and a half of adjustments my chiropractor has noticed a tremendous difference in my spine as well as my back. He told me in my last visit that I have developed a new back. I am thrilled to know that! In the meantime, I too have noticed my body and mind moving different. Actually, I think that my mind and body are doing what they do naturally, just in a healthier clear way. I feel my sense of kundalini awakening stronger than before and I find myself going deeper in my yoga practice. So there it is. Remember to sit up straight and walk with confidence. Remember that your emotions affect your body in a powerful way. Curling up in a ball when trauma hits might feel like the best remedy, but in reality it only affects and traumatizes the body…