Can you still take a breath with the proper mechanics?
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We can learn a lot about natural movement from our ancestors and children. Something common to both groups is sitting on the ground. Our earliest ancestors did not have comfy recliners or chairs at desks. They were sitting on the ground, tree stumps, and fallen logs.
Children live with modern furniture but often prefer sitting, learning, and playing on the floor. Sitting on the ground is natural; it engages our muscles and encourages our bodies to move naturally.
When you were younger sitting on the floor probably felt natural and comfortable. However, after years of sitting at work or reclining at home, it may feel a bit uncomfortable. That is okay; most people can build muscles to make it feel natural again.
Let’s look at how floor sitting could work for you.
Move Without Trying
We all know that movement is important for our health. Many people join gyms, sign up for personal trailers, take a run, or work out at home. Others struggle to make time for exercise but try to move more. These things are good, but they aren’t enough. You can be a gym rat and still be pretty sedentary the rest of the day. Sitting on the ground is a great way to move more during sedentary time.
Time-Lapse Video
A time-lapse video of sitting on the couch for two hours would be pretty boring; there would not be much movement. Sitting on the floor would involve much more movement, engaging your core muscles in ways comfy furniture does not.
Sitting or lying on the couch is so “comfortable” that you can turn off your major muscle groups. Even when in a compromised position where joints are placed in unnatural ways, the comfy cushions allow these damaging positions to go unnoticed.
However, since sitting on the ground in one position can become slightly uncomfortable, your body will shift to find another position often. This leads to more movement and muscle engagement in “sedentary” times. The video would probably resemble a stretching session.
When Should You Sit on the Floor?
Sit on the floor during your normal activities: watching a movie, playing with kids, or working on your laptop. While I may not have time to spend an extra hour stretching at the gym, I can use the time I already spend playing with my girls or watching a show.
This is better than having a perfect ergonomic that makes us comfortable enough to disengage our muscles. We tend to move and take more breaks when we are less comfortable. (Honestly, I don’t believe there is any good way to sit at a desk for hours of computer work daily.)
What Position Should You Sit In?
You don’t need to pick a position. That is the beauty of this, you don’t stay in any one position for a long time when sitting on the ground. Rather, you sit in one position and move to another when you tire.
Here is an article by one of my favorite authors, Katy Bowman. It discusses floor sitting and contains graphs showing different sitting options. She embraced the idea so thoroughly, she no longer has furniture in her house! You do not need to go to that extreme to benefit from sitting on the floor.
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Parents love watching their babies discover the world and meet new milestones. Everyone is excited when the baby rolls over, crawls, or walks for the first time. It is great to celebrate these achievements, but it is important to allow your baby to develop at their own pace without interference.
Our society tends to push babies to develop faster than what is natural. When caregivers try to help babies reach their milestones by putting them in positions they are not ready for, it can interfere with their natural development.
Babies develop better movement patterns when allowed to move naturally at their own pace. Developing movement in the proper sequence helps them learn to move more efficiently. This sets them up for a lifetime of healthy movement patterns.
Let’s look at a baby’s natural development and ways we tend to undermine it.
Natural Development
Lindsay Mumma DC says, “Children need to get a sense of how their bodies function in a gravity environment. This helps them coordinate and activate muscles in the proper sequence to initiate complex movements.”
While they need plenty of time in their caregivers' arms, they also need time to explore movement. Having a safe place to move independently will help them learn to move most efficiently. Babies don't learn to move properly if we interfere with this process.
When we try to rush them, they miss important steps in the sequence Mumma is talking about. As their muscles develop they will be ready for more advanced movements. We can not do this for the baby, it simply takes time! Of course, there will be times when a baby does not progress as expected and may need a professional to guide their care.
Interfering
It is so normal in our society to interfere with a baby's natural movement that parents rarely think about them. Many parents try to teach their children how to roll over, sit up, or walk. This interferes with their development. Allowing them to learn independently strengthens the muscles needed and provides a solid foundation for movement. This creates healthy patterns of movement that will stay with the child throughout their lives.
Propping them up on the couch sure looks cute, but if they cannot get in the position alone, they are not ready to be in it. Even the common baby devices that put them in positions they are not ready for set them up for restricted or unnatural movement. A good thing to know is that putting a baby in a position it can’t achieve or maintain on its own, places undue stress on the baby’s musculoskeletal system.
Maybe it's time to reevaluate some of the equipment our society thinks is normal.
- Bumbo seats - they aren’t ready to be in this position for long until they are sitting up independently.
- Swings - being strapped into a reclined position prevents the natural movements needed to develop the infant's core strength.
- Exosaucers - these tend to put the baby in a bad position for their posture and interfere with their development of balance. It also encourages babies to lock their knees and stand on their tiptoes which is less than ideal.
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People pleasing involves putting other people’s needs, desires, and opinions above your own. This may look like agreeing with others even when you have a different opinion, constantly volunteering for things, or excessively apologizing.
While it’s okay to put others' needs before yours at times, if you feel you don't have a choice there may be a problem. Checking in with yourself to see your motivations can help you determine if you struggle with people pleasing.
Recognizing that you are a people pleaser and wanting to change are important first steps, but it can be hard to show up differently. Many people are unsure of what they think and feel, so they just go along with others. Some people know what they want but have not learned to say "No" without feeling guilty.
Let's look at some things that will help you break the people-pleasing cycle.
Know Thyself
To break out of people-pleasing patterns, it is important to know yourself. Are you trying to avoid conflict, win love, or gain acceptance? People-pleasing tendencies may make others happy for a while, but they will not help you build authentic relationships. Deep relationships involve knowing the other person's true thoughts and feelings.
Figuring out what you want is crucial to stop being compelled to please others. It can be as small as thinking about what show you want to watch rather than just going with the flow. Develop the habit of checking in with yourself. At first, you don’t have to act on it, but over time you can come to believe that your desires matter.
Your body can help you notice feelings that may have been overlooked for too long. Is there tightness in your body from stress? Do you feel a sense of lightness when you are peaceful or happy? Recognize your thoughts and emotions without judgment; pay attention to their intensity. This valuable information can help you recognize things that matter to you.
Everyone will do this differently, but here are some ways to connect with your inner world...
- go for a relaxing walk.
- try meditation.
- read a book and contemplate your reaction.
- take some time to journal.
- go to a coffee shop by yourself (Kindred in West Chicago is my favorite).
- do a guided self-compassion meditation with Kristen Neff.
- practice box breathing (also known as Four Square breathing).
- use art as a tool for self-connection. (You don’t have to be an artist, even an adult coloring book can help with reflection.)
- experiment with the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise.
- work with a therapist to get in touch with your internal world.
Communicate
When you recognize what you want in a situation, communicate it in a kind and clear manner. This can deepen the relationship because you are showing up in a more genuine way. However, these changes will not please everyone; some may fight to keep you in your please-pleaser role. Notice the response, and see what it tells you about the other person and your relationship. Don't let it stop you from...
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In our culture, being tired can seem like a badge of honor. Being sleep-deprived implies you have important things to do. If you say you feel great and are well-rested, you may be greeted with a statement like "It must be nice."
However, sleep is essential for the basic repair of systems of the body. This includes the neurological, endocrine, immune, musculoskeletal, and digestive systems. Without adequate sleep, you cannot be healthy.
Let's shift our perspective on sleep and realize it is an important task we need to prioritize every day.
Make Sleep a Priority
Take a minute to ask yourself if you believe that sleep is important. You may know it is good for your health, but do you personally value it? If we are truthful with ourselves, we may find that we do not think it is important enough to put ahead of other priorities.
In one study, researchers put a group of people in a stimulus-free room with no clock for 14-24 hours daily. Subjects didn’t know when they went to bed or woke up. Participants slept an average of 12-20 hours the first couple of nights. Over a few days, the participants' sleep began to average approximately 8 hours a night.
Many subjects seemed to be catching up from chronic under-sleeping. How long do you think you would have slept? You can do a little experiment to determine how much sleep your body needs by testing your reaction time. Here’s how...
- each morning at the same time after waking up, take the reaction time test here https://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime.
- make a note of your score each day.
- try moving your bedtime up by 30 minutes on the fourth day. Continue with that amount of sleep for 3 days, checking your reaction time each morning.
- notice if your score is significantly different with more sleep. Pay attention to how you feel throughout the day. How is your energy level? Is your mental functioning better?
- after a few days, try moving your bedtime up another 30 minutes. Pay attention to your reaction times and how you feel.
- repeat the steps in this experiment again until you find a bedtime that seems ideal for you.
Control Your Exposure to Light
Our ancestors generally slept when it got dark and woke up when the sun came out. Now we are constantly exposed to artificial light which can disrupt our circadian rhythm and melatonin levels. We can address this by...
- avoiding screens two hours before bed (computers, smartphones, television, etc.).
- using blue light-blocking glasses.
- installing blackout shades to ensure pure darkness in your bedroom at night.
- turning off digital devices that give off light (cover your alarm clock).
- wearing a sleep mask.
- getting natural morning light.
Get Adequate Movement
Moving your body throughout the day is another important aspect of getting adequate sleep. It doesn't have to be strenuous; even gentle movement has been shown to improve sleep. Here are ways to incorporate movement into your daily life.
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World Kindness Day encourages us to show kindness to strangers, co-workers, acquaintances, loved ones, and ourselves. Twenty-eight countries celebrate the holiday which was introduced by a coalition of nations' kindness organizations in 1998.
Proper breathing is crucial to health and helps maintain spinal stability. Faulty respiration mechanics can lead to recurrent back pain, shoulder problems, poor coordination, and lower cardiovascular endurance. It can also play a major role in chronic fatigue, anxiety, and panic attacks.