Lead From the Heart

Imagine a letter size sheet of paper, 8 and a half by 11, folded in half lengthwise. That's what's happened to my posture. My shoulder blades are slowly working their way towards each other, they're going to meet in the middle. Soon, I think. Here's what I have that the paper doesn't. A great hunch developing behind my neck, at the top of my spine. I'm folding in half. I'm not thin like a piece of paper, though, I am more like a top shoulder round in a family pack. Grab one of those bad boys and fold it in half and there's me!

How it happened doesn't matter . . . but I know I used to have great posture. I prided myself on my great posture, my great boobs pointing the way as I walked around, gazing down over my cheek bones, smiling at people, proudly, as if to say, look at me! Look at my great posture! Now I'm a sloppily folded, cheap piece of steak. I could blame it on breastfeeding. I could blame it on driving. I could blame it on curling around a pint of Harp at my local pub for hours a day every day for years too numerous to record. I could blame it on the calender, the sun, the moon, the Moonpies I ate last week on vacation, but really the cause of my condition doesn't matter. Here's what matters, I'm going to stop the fold.

A few days ago, I started leading with my heart. If you've ever practiced yoga, you know what I mean. For those who haven't yet had the pleasure, do this: pull your shoulders back and lift your heart towards the ceiling. Now, drop your should blades by trying to pull them away from your earlobes. Are you with me? Your chest should be reaching up and out, your back slightly arched, your shoulder blades back and down. It feels awkward and unnatural, at least it did for me at first, because I have been folding up for years now, but as I grow accustomed to my new posture I like it!

I'm not alone, I saw hundreds of folding women last week on our vacation. Perhaps leaning over the umbrella stroller at the alligator wildlife park made me aware but once I started to notice I saw women all around me with the same concave posture as me. And I thought, what body language is this? We're all folded in half, right down the middle, shoulders wrapping outwardly, hearts shrinking inwardly. What does this mean? I don't know. Maybe nothing but bad posture. But I do know that I didn't used to be this way and that something about leading with my heart is satisfying, more satisfying than just sticking my tits out. It is the very idea of leading with my heart that I really love. Like a small spiritual step, an affirmation that the heart and what is in the heart should lead the way, light the path (cue in "Love is My Religion," Ziggy Marley). Either way, I look a lot better, so there you go, my message for today, follow your heart.