The Role of Posture in Nervous System Health
There is a powerful connection between posture and nervous system health. Learn how your body’s alignment influences mood, energy, and emotional well-being, and discover practical tips for change.
Ron Kurtz, the originator of Hakomi therapy, teaches that two things influence the quality of our experience: what happens to us and how we react. Over time, these reactions can become ingrained in our bodies, shaping not only our emotional responses but also how we carry ourselves physically.
Posture, much like our emotional responses, can become "programmed" through experience. For example, a child who was bullied by classmates and/or faced emotional challenges at home might adapt by unconsciously adopting a posture of head lowered, a slumped spine, and avoiding eye contact. The body, in this case, becomes a protective tool - a way to hide, shrink, and avoid attention or potential conflict.
While this posture might serve as a coping strategy in specific situations and may help the person avoid conflict at home or escape scrutiny in social settings, it can become a default way of being in the world. When this adaptive posture is reinforced over time, it can become "stuck on." A person may find themselves living in a body that automatically carries this posture, even if the original circumstances have long passed.
The impacts of this physical posture extend beyond the emotional realm. It can affect one’s energy levels, social interactions, and even lead to chronic physical discomfort or pain. A slumped posture can limit breathing, restrict circulation, and contribute to feelings of fatigue, making it harder to navigate day-to-day life with ease.
The good news is that, just as posture can be learned and ingrained, it can also be unlearned. By gently bringing awareness to our posture and actively making changes, we can release the patterns that no longer serve us and begin to reclaim a posture that reflects our true sense of strength and confidence. Janina Fisher, PhD, demonstrates all of this well here.
Posture might seem like a small detail in the grand scheme of health, but how you carry your body directly affects more than just your back and shoulders. Your posture is deeply connected to your nervous system, playing a key role in your energy, mood, and overall well-being. From how you sit at your desk to how you stand while waiting in line, your posture sends constant messages to your brain. These messages influence not only how your body feels but also how you experience the world emotionally and mentally. This also can have a tremendous impact on how you relate to the world and how you connect with other people.
The Science of Posture and the Nervous System
Your nervous system is like your body’s control center. It constantly monitors your environment and your internal state, adapting to keep you safe and balanced. Posture serves as a silent communicator between your body and brain, impacting how your nervous system responds to the world around you.
Muscle Tension and Pain: When we adopt a defensive posture, certain muscles in the body are chronically engaged. Over time, the muscles may become imbalanced, with some areas being overworked while others become weak, contributing to chronic discomfort, pain, and fatigue.
Energy and Circulation: Slumped posture can compress your organs and restrict blood flow, making you feel sluggish. More upright posture allows your body to work more efficiently, sending oxygen and nutrients where needed most, boosting energy levels.
Breathing and Regulation: How you sit or stand directly affects your ability to take full, deep breaths. When your posture collapses, your chest and diaphragm can’t fully expand, limiting your oxygen intake. Deep breathing is one of the body’s natural tools for calming the nervous system, so posture plays a huge role in your body's ability to regulate itself under stress.
Survival Mode Response: A hunched posture can mimic the body language of stress or fear, keeping your sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system overly active. Open, relaxed postures send a message to your body that you are safe, encouraging your parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) system to take the lead.
If you are interested in learning more about the science behind this, I recommend this book as well as these articles (1, 2, & 3).
Posture and How We Relate to Others
The way we hold our bodies affects not only how we feel but also how we connect with others. For instance, if we constantly hold a defensive posture (crossed arms, scowl on face, narrowed eyes, body angled away from who we are talking to), we can limit our ability to fully engage with the people around us. This physical distance can create emotional distance, making the interaction feel more strained or disconnected.
Our posture serves as an invitation to others to engage with us, whether we realize it or not. When we hold ourselves in a collapsed position, we might unintentionally be signaling to others that we are unavailable or withdrawn. This can create barriers in relationships, whether with friends, family, colleagues, or romantic connections.
By becoming more aware of how we carry and hold our physical self as well as its impact on our relationships, we can begin to consciously shift how we present ourselves to the world, inviting more openness and connection (if that is what we want).
Practical Tips to Improve Posture and Support Your Nervous System
Small, mindful adjustments over time can create lasting benefits for your nervous system and overall well-being. Here are some simple strategies to get started:
Check in With Yourself
Throughout the day, notice how you’re holding your body. Are your shoulders rounded forward? Is your chin jutting out? Take a moment to shift your posture:
Sit or stand tall with your shoulders relaxed and down.
Stack your ears over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips.
Engage your core slightly to support a neutral spine.
Turn your neck, head, and eyes to take in your surroundings.
Practice Postural Breathing
Use your breathing as a tool to naturally align your posture. Try this simple exercise:
Sit or stand tall.
Place one hand on your chest & the other on your stomach.
Take slow, deep breaths, directing the air down into your belly while keeping your shoulders relaxed.
This breathing not only supports your posture but calms the nervous system too.
Observe Emotional Body Language
Notice how your body changes with your emotions. For instance, do you tend to fold inward when upset? Practice reversing this by standing tall, pulling your shoulders back, and lifting your gaze. This small shift in posture can have a remarkable impact on how you feel.
Reflective Prompts to Deepen Your Practice
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These guided journal prompts are designed to help you deepen awareness and cultivate change.