Should one strive to keep a “good” body posture off the mat? I mean, it obviously is a medical recommendation. But I’m thinking spiritually. Does it make a difference to mind sitting straight, lenghten your neck, stretch your collar bones in terms of spiritual weelbeing (perhaps grounding as well)?
Hi Mats,
I could imagine that it has some relevance. I’m thinking of an emotional state and its eqiuvalence in one’s body posture. Or an opening of the heart-center versus a saggy body posture. You often can see people’s emotional state (generally and particularly) in their body posture or body language. But I could only guess how body posture in general might affect our spiritual journey, whether keeping a straight and open body posture might be beneficial to spirituality or not.
Somewhere on YouTube there is an Eckhart Tolle video where he reads out a viewer’s email.
“I used to think good posture was a prerequisite for enlightenment,” the viewer wrote. “Then I saw you!”
I think maintaining a good hip, back, neck and head alignment while reading, driving, walking, typing, fixing a bicycle, or doing my longer Iyengar Asana routine, is helpful. It helps me remain near a meditative state all the time, to be better at “rolling with the flow,” and just remaining calm and thinking before I react. It also helps with being agile, and preventing myself from falling.
I’m in favor of good positioning just about all the time, if possible.
As Dcame pointed out, it’s definitely not essential, but from personal experience working on your posture can have some spiritual benefits.
I’d encourage you to try and experiment holding your awareness with a slumped vs an upright posture - I’ve found the difference to be quite noticeable.
If you are interested in doing posture improving exercises, i highly recommend looking into rolfing - The New Rules of Posture by Mary Bond is a good guide.
Over the years I have overcome some cervical and thoracic spine issues, particularly due to genetics. Now with a conductive body, anytime I am intentional with my posture or movement, there is a sense of inner expansion. Inner attention pays immediate dividends.
Thank you all, these are some really interesting points.
Eckhart Tolle does not really have good posture. He was born close to enlightenment and might have had good posture along the the road 
Thanks for bringing up rolfing, I will have a look at that. My feeling is that good posture is beneficial in many aspects, amongst others emotionally and spiritually.