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Have you ever looked at people begging - they need not ask you for money in order for you to know that they are on the prowl for your loose change.
Although people begging is far removed from "making ageing and living a stunning experience (TM)" it is very interesting to note that beggars use all the attributes to portray their destitute situation, and we unwittingly use the same persona not to live our lives to the full, to keep us unhappy, unfulfilled and not wanting to live life to the fullest.
Since we are very involved with slimming and "body beautiful" it is interesting to note that people that wish to try to make the most of their bodies and looks sometimes fall into the same trap used by beggars, although they are desperately trying to do exactly the opposite.
What I am referring to here is posture - although our parents always said that we should not
slouch, they never explained that a good body posture can have positive influences on your body and general health, as well as your
mental well-being, since bad posture influences all three of these areas.
But before we go any further with this discussion, I would like to make something very clear.
We at Sallamander Concepts (Pty) Ltd do not think that outside beauty is more important than who your are in essence. The reason for this statement is the fact that we received a couple of very acid and annoyed e-mails from readers stating that a person should not work towards improving your
physical beauty and appearance and that a person must be content with what was granted to them by their God and that a preoccupation with your looks is not in keeping with religious teachings.
Although we are not a religious site, we all have deep religious beliefs but also believe that God (whichever religion you believe in) gave us the knowledge to make and keep our
bodies in the best possible shape.
In the Bible we are also taught to look after our bodies as Temples - and although an unhealthy preoccupation with looks can be detrimental, we do believe we all have the right to make the most of what we were given and to correct flaws that can possibly be corrected.
But returning to people wishing to lose weight and to look better. Although dieting and supplements will help you
lose excess body mass, you need to look at your body posture as well, not just for looking thinner, but looking better in general.
It is also interesting to note that good body posture will make you look slimmer even if you are carrying a few extra kilos/pounds.
A good body posture radiates
self-confidence, health and mental well-being, and this in turn will impact on our daily lives and the way other people perceive us.
Just think of the person at the water cooler that is continuously bitching about everything in life - do they
walk tall and straight - we don't think so. Perpetual complainers usually have bad posture and continuously have their faces and eyes turned down - and very seldom look life straight in the face.
A straight erect body carriage will not only make you look better, it will help with a variety of other problems as well. Your internal organs, such as your stomach and colon will be able to work better since they are not restricted and confined by a ribcage bearing down on them.
Your lung capacity will be improved, as your lungs will be able to expand properly which will cause more oxygen transference to take place, which in turn will lead to more oxygenated blood and to feeling better and mentally sharper, while the body will be able to get rid of toxic gas wastes more effectively.
With a good posture, your mental attitude will also improve since an erect positive and strong posture is not a "residence" that a bad attitude and depression will dwell in.
It is also interesting to look at the phenomena of "where the mind can go, the body will follow" - the basic principle works like this - if you think yourself into a positive state, you will become positive, even if you still have problems surrounding you. This will happen because you have in a sense removed the power that the problems have over influencing your life.
I have the distinct pleasure and honor to know the talented and famous artist Annamarie Wessels, who has always been a very vivacious person, and then had a freak accident, leaving her paralyzed and totally wheelchair
bound, her husband also divorced her after the accident.
In all the years that I have known her, I have never heard her ever complain about her problems, and even if you see that she is in pain, she still will never complain - in that way she refuses to empower any problems to influence her life.
But returning to posture - if you are one of the people (most of us I think) that wish to lose a few kilos, try the following.
When walking or sitting, always have an upright posture, with your spine straight without over-curving your lower spine. Then decide on a color - for instance red.
Then every time that you see red in any form, be that a traffic light, a button, a shirt - anything that is red - pull in your stomach muscles from below your ribcage to below your stomach, towards your spine, and keep pulled in for a count of 20.
Do this every time you see the color red - not only will it tone your stomach muscles, it will help you get a flat stomach and also help with your back support.
The Alexander
Technique, which busies itself with posture, also proves that even your voice will be far more commanding (and therefore more positive) when you practice better posture.
Bad posture creates muscle tension, which will not only lead to sore muscles, but is also indicated in draining vital energy from your body.
So next time when you enjoy slouching in a chair, or walking with bent shoulders and stomach hanging down, head facing down and dragging your legs, think of what we have said here today, and then decide to improve your posture - the results can be truly magical and it could be the first step in "making ageing and living a stunning experience TM" in your life.
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