Ask someone to show you ‘good posture’ or outer confidence in their shoulders, and notice how they will likely pin their shoulders back and down, and straighten their upper back to lift their chest. This acculturalization of this particular shoulder alignment, deemed proper by modern society, is wide spread.
In reading the body language of a person who juts their chest forward and pins their shoulders back, we often say that the person appears more confident than scared, and is certainly more extraverted than introverted. However, when you examine this shoulder and upper back alignment from the back view, then it can be observed that the shoulder blades are typically flat on the back and the upper back is deflated and hollow. In this common alignment, the front of the ribcage is usually pushing forward, while the back is contracting, small and flat. Although the person might appear confident in this outer posture to others who are in front of them, inside the person might feel insecure and lacking.
With the Bowspring method, a good posture is not about aligning the outer body to what society dictates as proper, but instead it is a posture that arises from a positive mindset inside the center form of the body. Instead of focusing on opening the front of the body by closing the back side, the Bowspring expands all sides of the Central Channel and the ribcage evenly so no one side of the body dominates at the expense of the other side.
In the standard model, ‘opening the heart’ in a posture tends to be synonymous with expanding the chest, but in the Bowspring the opening of the heart is a 360-degree expansion of all sides of the ribcage. No side is closed, deflated or lacking in the Radiant Heart of the Bowspring. An inner radiance of accountability, full awareness, positivity, and compassion widens and fills in all sides of the ribcage and heart in this balanced posture.
This expansion of a positive mindset outward from the center of the ribcage widens and opens the Wings of our heart (shoulders, arms, and hands) forward and up so our outside truly reflects the fullness of our inside. When our Wings are pulled back and inward, when our elbows are pinned back and drawn close to our side ribs, our heart can’t fly with a radiant expansion. Under stress or feeling of fear, our ribcage tends to shrink and our elbows pull back and in for protection from the outer world.
To fully open our heart, we must have the courage to create an authentically empowered posture from inside the ribcage instead of trying to align the shoulders from the outside to force the front of the chest to expand. Without a meaningful intention to open the wings of our heart to fly to our highest potential, we will unconsciously form our posture from the outside in a way which might be considered proper in the eyes of society, but which will keep us from spiritually evolving. Be bold and brave, and open your arms wide, forward and up to help take your heart to a higher level of freedom.
