Body Language
Be Posture Conscious
By Anne Hunt
Jan 7, 2008

About a year ago, something shifted in my consciousness and I became aware of how good I could feel if I concentrated on good posture. I remember the moment, standing in line at the grocery store. I was tired and felt a little run-down. I consciously straightened my spine, rolled my shoulders back, stretched my neck a little, and then relaxed in my new, "chin-up" position. I felt better immediately, and I'd like to ask you to do the same right now, and then return to reading this article.

Feel better? As it turns out, Edgar Cayce would have predicted that you would. And so would Dr. Harold J. Reilly, author of The Edgar Cayce Handbook for Health Through Drugless Therapy. Many people asked Cayce about their posture, and he also brought it up independent of questioning. Imagine if he were giving readings today, in a world that is so much more sedentary in nature than his and Reilly's time? What would be Cayce's message about posture, and what would it be to you today?

Cayce's Three-Point Posture Plan

Researching Cayce's readings and referencing Harold Reilly's work, I have concluded that Cayce would make three suggestions to all of us regarding our posture. (1) Be conscious of standing and sitting with good posture. (2) Exercise in the morning and evening. (3) Get spinal adjustments and massages regularly.

The Mind-Body Connection

It's interesting that two of the readings I found that were particularly direct to the "posture point" were on parents asking the sleeping Cayce about their daughters' posture.

"(Q) What should be done to improve her posture?

"(A) Only her own mental attitude, and her own activity. Of course, to remove the pressures in the cerebrospinal system will assist, but there must be thought taken by the body." (308-4)

Above, Cayce is suggesting adjustments - physically and mentally! In this next reading he addresses a similar, but more complex situation.

"(Q) She is sorely inclined to sit and sometimes stand in bad posture. What is best way to correct this?

"(A) Quit the correcting, but demonstrate in rather the pointing to others but not holding it a fault in the body; but pointing to those whom the body considers as ensamples, or those it would like to be like! But do not continue to call attention to the fault! This creates in the mind of the body resentments, and will build conditions that will be hard to overcome.

"But with the massages and with the gentle correction - but positive - these will be changed." (608-10)

Although given for young people, Cayce's message about posture is clear. Thoughts are things, and you can use the power of your mind to improve posture - through awareness and intent. Secondly, a body therapy that corrects and relaxes the body's structural elements is a vital element as well.

Exercise

But what about exercise? Many of the readings that include advice regarding posture also give advice to the individual (adults and children alike) to exercise. Walking is suggested (in the outdoors, if possible). But Cayce's famous morning and evening exercise suggestion surfaces in one reading where posture is an issue, the individual being told that she "should be more erect in carriage":

". . . the evening exercises for the blood fl ow away from head, and of mornings with the upper portion of body. Swinging, circular motion then of lower portion of body in evenings, and the circular motion of hands and upper portion of body of mornings, taking rub-downs of cold water on the spine after each exercise." (288-11)