What If Everything You Have Been Told About Posture Is Wrong?
Why Good Posture Is a Lie
We have all heard it.
"Stand up straight. Shoulders back. Chest up. Tuck your chin in."
For years, we have been told that good posture is something we have to force, that if we just hold our bodies in the right position long enough, we will magically fix ourselves.
But rigid, forced posture is not sustainable.
A good posture is not about fixing anything. It is about reclaiming ease, stability, and natural movement, not locking yourself into an unnatural shape.
I learned this the hard way.
When My Body Betrayed Me
Before I started teaching posture, before I understood the nervous system, before I even questioned the way we are taught to hold ourselves, I was the one trying to force my body into position.
After my accident, my body felt like a constant battle.
I had chronic neck pain, mid-back tension, and a jaw that never seemed to relax. Every morning, I would wake up and immediately scan my body, asking how bad is it today.
I was doing everything I was told.
Seeing specialists
Strength training
Practicing yoga
Pulling my shoulders back and lifting my chest because that is what they said was good posture
And yet, I kept ending up in the same cycle. Tension. Pain. Fatigue. Repeat.
The worst part was that I started to believe this was just how my body was going to be forever.
That is the thing about pain. It does not just live in the body, it takes over the mind.
It was not until I started learning about postural mechanics, the nervous system, and diaphragmatic breathing that everything changed.
I had to unlearn almost everything I was taught about posture.
Why Good Posture Is a Lie
When we force our bodies into a stiff, unnatural shape, we actually create more tension, not less.
Instead of freeing our movement, we:
Overuse the wrong muscles, leading to tightness in the neck and shoulders
Limit our breathing, creating a stress cycle with every shallow breath
Lose our natural stability because real strength comes from alignment, not effort
Most people think posture is just about the way you look.
But it is about the way you breathe. The way you move. The way your nervous system holds onto tension.
Last month, I ran a three-day mini posture bootcamp live on Insight Timer, and over eighty people joined each day.
In just three days, I watched people change their entire belief system around posture, shifting from trying to force their bodies into place to finally understanding how posture is meant to feel.
And I knew I had to share this with you.
What You Will Learn in Today’s Session
Why the obsession with good posture is actually harming your body
How to find a restful posture that is effortless, not forced
Why your breath is the foundation of sustainable postural alignment
A simple but powerful practice to start shifting your posture today
This is not about sitting perfectly or standing stiffly. It is about understanding how your body is meant to move and letting it do that.
Watch Day 1 Here:
Reclaim Your Power Beyond This Series
This three-day series is just the beginning. If you want to go deeper into rewiring your posture, releasing years of tension, and building sustainable strength, join the forty-day posture bootcamp.
Sign up here: https://hedishah.gumroad.com/l/posture-bootcamp
Because you do not have to be trapped in tension. You do not have to shrink yourself to fit into outdated models of posture.
You can reclaim the way you move through the world, starting now.
Let me know, what is something you have been told about posture that just does not work for you? I would love to hear your experiences in the comments.
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Hedi Shah
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👁️ Bodyworker & Mindfulness Teacher
🌊 Teaching changemakers to uncondition their bodies, nervous systems, and voices from systems built to keep them small so they stand, speak, and move with sovereign power.
📲 Website | Youtube | LinkedIn | Insight Timer