Below are some ways I increase my body awareness. I need to do this because what I look like in my “mind’s eye” and what I look like in reality don’t always match up.
Just to be clear, this post is about awareness, not about judging yourself or beating yourself up. And you don’t want to force “alignment” because if you do, that’s not true alignment, and you will end up straining or hurting yourself. Seek help from a PT or Nutritious Movement™ practitioner. Make changes gradually to allow your tissues time to adapt.
1. Use the windows to check to see if you are landing on a fully extended leg. “Landing on a bent knee is an indication that the strength in your hips is less than the weight of your body,” Katy Bowman, a biomechanist.
Notice the red plumb line, hip, knee, and ankle aligned, NICE!.
Be gentle with yourself, accept what you see.
2. Drop a plumb line from the ceiling and have your alignment buddy take a photo of you behind the plumb line.
Start by backing up so your hips are lined up with your knees and ankles, then drop the ribs so they are over the ASIS. You can work on the rest later.
The red plumb line indicates what’s cool… not the aviator sunglasses.
3. Look in the mirror.
Gosh, I have a sassy reflection. I officially creeped myself out doing that last photo. Read more about how to move toward letting your clavicles down neutral here.