Three Habits to Improve Your Posture

Reclaim Your Posture | Part 3

Contrary to popular belief, posture isn’t something we consciously "fix" or "change" in an instant. It's deeply tied to our subconscious mind, influenced by years of habits, lifestyle, and even emotional patterns. The way we hold ourselves, move, and even breathe, is a reflection of our nervous system's responses. Posture is essentially the body’s way of balancing its structure without you having to think about it constantly.

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The science behind posture is tied to neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. Posture is largely a subconscious function, shaped by habits and patterns formed over time. These patterns are ingrained in our neural pathways, meaning our body’s alignment is a reflection of how our nervous system has learned to respond. Instead of consciously “fixing” posture, improving it involves creating subtle shifts in movement and awareness that gradually rewire these subconscious habits. Over time, these shifts help the body adopt more optimal postural patterns, leading to lasting improvements in both posture and overall well-being.

Today, I’m going to share three habits that will help you build a healthier posture foundation and make those lasting shifts from the inside out.

1. Breathe Fully—With Your Diaphragm

One of the most fundamental aspects of healthy posture is proper breathing. Yet, many of us have developed a pattern of breathing from our necks, rather than from our diaphragm. As a society, we’re more prone to shallow chest and neck breathing, which limits the activation of the diaphragm and inhibits our core strength. This pattern not only reduces our ability to fully oxygenate our bodies but also contributes to poor posture, neck tension, and an underactive core.

The thing is, we breathe around 20,000 times a day—20,000 opportunities to strengthen or weaken our posture with every breath. When we breathe through our necks, the muscles around the neck and shoulders overwork, and the diaphragm stays underutilized. This prevents the core from engaging properly. The core is responsible for supporting your spine, helping you maintain good posture, and protecting your lower back.

In my video, I teach you how to start re-patterning your breath to engage the diaphragm rather than the neck muscles. It’s important to understand that diaphragmatic breathing doesn’t require belly breathing, as is commonly misunderstood. Diaphragmatic breathing is not about pushing the belly out with every breath but rather about fully engaging the diaphragm to allow for deep, effortless breathing. When you breathe this way, your lungs fill more completely, your core engages, and your posture naturally improves.

By focusing on diaphragmatic breathing, you can lay the foundation for a more grounded and aligned posture. It's one of the simplest, yet most effective ways to reset your body and build strength from within. And it starts with how you breathe.

2. Walking (Bring on the Rhythm)

Walking is one of the most underestimated activities, yet it holds remarkable benefits for our bodies and minds. Humans thrive on rhythmic movement—whether it’s walking, dancing, or other coordinated actions. This rhythm has been shown to promote synchronization between the brain and body, supporting coordination and improved body awareness.

The benefits of walking go beyond physical posture—many people find that walking helps clear their minds, reduce stress, and enhance creativity. Research suggests that rhythmic movements, like those involved in walking, can stimulate brain activity, helping to regulate emotions and improve mental clarity. This process helps activate areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, decision-making, and focus.

Though walking doesn’t directly engage binaural beats or EMDR protocols, it can have a similar calming and centering effect on the nervous system. For instance, just as rhythmic stimulation (like with binaural beats) can promote mental coherence and relaxation, walking taps into a natural rhythm that helps balance your physical and mental state. The repetitive nature of walking, paired with the physical movement, can help release tension and create a mental space for clarity—much like the calming effects of structured therapies, such as EMDR, which also relies on rhythm (in the form of bilateral stimulation) to help process emotional blockages.

In my video, I’ll walk you through how to make your walks even more effective for improving posture and mental clarity. Whether you’re using walking to center yourself or to strengthen your posture, these simple instructions can make a big difference in your daily routine.

3. Movement Snacks

Your body loves variability—you are built to move, not sit in a fancy ergonomic chair all day! Change it up as often as you can. When you sit for long periods, your body molds to the shape of its container, and you start to experience aches and pains. Over time, your brain gets conditioned to avoid certain ranges of motion. When you don’t use them, you lose them. This is a common misunderstanding—many people believe that we lose range of motion as we age, but the truth is, it starts when we stop using our full range of motion. Today, we see this issue in younger generations as well, thanks to the sedentary lifestyle of modern life.

I love sitting on the floor because your body will naturally tell you when it's time to move. The same goes for standing—you’ll notice when you're getting tired, and it’s a signal that it’s time to switch things up. In this video, I take you through a chair exercise you can do right from your office. I can’t emphasize this enough: this isn’t a permission slip to stay glued to your computer all day. You need fresh air, sunshine, and movement whenever you have a chance!

By incorporating these habits into your daily routine, you can gradually improve your posture and build long-term, sustainable change. Posture isn’t something to “fix” in an instant; it’s about creating a shift in the way you move, breathe, and think. When you do, the benefits will show up in how you feel, move, and engage with the world.

If you truly want to learn how to uncondition your posture from the limitations of modern life, release accumulated tension, and cultivate true length in your body—not through conventional stretching or yoga poses, but by rediscovering your natural alignment—what’s stopping you from joining me for a FREE 3-day mini Posture Bootcamp on Insight Timer?

Sign up here: https://insighttimer.com/hedishah/events

Thank you for joining me on the path of unconditioning,

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Hedi Shah
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👁️ Bodyworker & Mindfulness Teacher
🌊 Teaching change makers to uncondition themselves from systemic conditioning and create a sovereign life filled with creativity, vitality, and trust through the magic of movement and mindfulness.

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