| Whether you are a younger beginner or an adult | | | | you will stretch one side at a time. |
| beginner, being able to self-assess your posture gives | | | | So, pressing either both or one forearm into the door |
| you a place to start learning technique from. Teachers | | | | jamb, lean forward until you feel a stretch across your |
| try to correct every student in every class, but | | | | chest. Just stretch gently, holding for 10 seconds, and |
| sometimes that is just not possible. Most corrections | | | | releasing. You can do this several times a day - |
| take a few classes to get it right anyway, so keep | | | | whenever you walk through a doorway! Gradually you |
| working on them. If you don't get feedback, ask your | | | | will see that your shoulders will relax more towards the |
| teacher how you are doing with your particular finer | | | | side, in line with the plane your ears occupy. |
| details. With some technical factors, a teacher knows | | | | The lower part of your posture is your pelvis. If you |
| it will take some to correct, and you'll be left alone to | | | | have equal flexibility in your quads, or front thigh |
| build strength. So don't feel abandoned - take the | | | | muscles, and hamstrings, on the back of your thighs, |
| compliment that your teacher trusts you to work well | | | | and also your postural abdominal muscles, your pelvis |
| on your own. | | | | should rest in a "neutral" position. This means it is not |
| Standing sideways to a mirror, lift your chest a little, | | | | pulled into a tilt in either direction due to tight muscles. |
| breathe easily, and notice how you stand. Look to see | | | | Therefore your back does not sway, increasing the |
| if your shoulders are relaxed to the side of your torso, | | | | curve at the back of your waist, nor does the pelvis tilt |
| as opposed to resting forwards. | | | | back, pulling the natural curve into a straight line. |
| If your shoulders do rest a little forward, here is a very | | | | So flexibility affects posture. Just this one detail of |
| easy stretch. Commonly called the doorway stretch - | | | | many finer details is your starting point. Your posture |
| stand in a doorway. See if you can raise your arms so | | | | dancing in point shoes is going to be exactly how you |
| your elbows are shoulder level, and your forearms are | | | | are standing now. For this reason you want to build |
| raised upwards at a 90 degree angle to your upper | | | | strength from a correct posture. "...so how can I |
| arms. With your palms facing forwards, can you press | | | | improve the basics of..." starts with this. |
| your forearms into the door jamb on either side? If not, | | | | |