I’ve been a longtime fan of Gray’s Anatomy and saw something this past season that motivated me. Superhero pose. Amelia Shepherd (A Brain Surgeon on the show for those who don’t watch) was found standing in the superhero pose before a complicated surgery. She explained how standing in this pose for five minutes before a challenging task, presentation or job interview was shown to build confidence. There’s an actual Harvard study that substantiates this claim. CLICK HERE >> for the abstract.
I found a fun article that describes more about the tv show and the author’s experience with Superhero pose: READ MORE >>
So I started practicing the superhero pose. Here are some positive things that I noticed:
Superhero pose automatically inspires me to take a breath
My chest and ribs feel more open
My shoulder blades glide together
I stand with my feet firmly on the ground
I feel grounded, centered and strong
I feel like smiling
And I also noticed a few less positive things:
I tend to tip my head to the side or extend my neck
(practicing Superhero pose in the mirror is helpful)
My humeral heads (top of the shoulder) round forward
My low back arches
While the study indicated that the power pose had no effect on body posture during the evaluation, I feel that using Superhero pose could lead to improved upright and open posture with a minor addition.
I frequently talk and write about Open Posture. Here’s a newsletter from 2017 worth reviewing: READ MORE >>
What if you started with a Superhero pose and then extended your arms and rotated your thumbs out? This opens the posture of your shoulders and inspires elongation and gentle extension from the bottom of your spine to your head. You can open and extend to whatever position feels like a comfortable stretch in your arms and spine.
If you experience any discomfort, reduce your range of motion. This should be a gentle stretch and not a feeling of stress. Add a slow, full inhalation and exhalation to bring you to the present moment of openness and calm.
As you gather with family and friends or just spend quiet time during this holiday season, please know that I have a special place in my heart for you. —Sari
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Sari has participated on the Teaching Team for multiple introductory and advanced Craniosacral Therapy courses, and a series of Concussion courses with Michael Shea PhD, including International courses in Switzerland. Sari was on an international teaching team in Switzerland in the Spring for a Neonatal Cardiovascular Craniosacral Therapy course.
