Four-week Spinefulness Series with Eve Johnson

Wednesdays, October 2 to 23
The ease of a body on the gravitational line.

Human bodies are physical structures, as vulnerable to the force of gravity as any brick building. When we stand like the safari guide in Botswana, above, with our pelvis in the centre, and the weight on our heels, our posture is upright and effortless.

When we stand in modern posture, like the gallery visitor below, with our pelvis forward of the line of gravity, we set off a chain of adjustments to keep from falling over. The upper body moves back and rounds, then we compensate for the backward motion by taking our head forward.

The way we stand is not our fault.

Posture is cultural, and our culture surrounds us with images of super models, movie stars and even mannequins in modern, pelvis-forward posture.

Too bad this posture also creates back and joint pain, and spines that become more misshapen as we age.

What if it didn’t have to be this way? What if we could learn to sit – and stand, walk, bend and sleep – in such harmony with gravity that our muscles would relax, our spines would straighten, our digestion and breathing would improve, and we’d be able to wave goodbye to back, neck, shoulder, hip, knee and foot pain?

That’s the promise of Spinefulness.

Based on careful study of populations that don’t suffer back pain from daily activities, Spinefulness teaches us to put our bones into line with gravity. When bones bear the weight, muscles relax. The results can be magical.

The contemporary slouch, out of the line of gravity

In this five-week series you’ll learn to feel balance in your body. You’ll know when you’re out of balance, and know how to correct. We’ll cover basic guidelines for standing, walking, bending, sitting back in a chair and sitting forward in a chair, as you would for working at a desk.

Week after week, the experience of being settled into a balanced seated position, as well as the repetition of the guidelines will begin to turn these new postural ideas into habits.

  • See images that will remake your idea of good posture and your understanding of your own body.
  • Receive individual assessment of your spine and learn how to bring it into a healthy position.
  • Work in a small, friendly group.

Note: to take this series you must have attended an Introductory session. There are two currently scheduled: Sunday, April 7, 2:30 to 4 pm and Thursday, April 18, 6 to 76:30 pm. Email Eve at evej@shaw.ca to register. Cost is $25.

Four Wednesdays, October 9, 16, 23, 30.  $295  + GST = $309.75.

Returning students who have already taken a Spinefulness weekend or series, $250 + GST = $262.50.

To register, email Eve at evej@shaw.ca

Eve Johnson is a certified Spinefulness teacher and a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. She has been teaching at Yoga on 7th since 2002.