Book Smarts

I’d like for you to do one of two things: 1. imagine balancing a book on your head, or 2. grab an actual book and place it on your head. If you can, do it right now and then walk around for a minute or two, or go from sitting to standing a couple of times, all while maintaining the position of the book. Notice anything? 

What you probably notice is your head is micro-aligning – the angle of its tilt gets very very fine-tuned. Usually, the tips of the ears lift up, and the chin angles ever so slightly down. 

You may notice your shoulders stay down and your heart stays buoyant. This prevents the head for poking forward like a turtle coming out of its shell. 

You may notice your core muscles are stabilizing your spine. They are engaged 360degrees around, sustainably (you could maintain that level of core engagement for hours).

You may notice heightened awareness to movements. You’re “suddenly” sensitive to the subtleties of alignment, tracking and gate, and realize that even the smallest movement can trigger a ripple effect throughout the body. 

If you’re ever looking to be your own guru/personal trainer/posture coach/alignment expert, a good starting point is to spend a couple minutes with a book on top of your head. Your body will take over from there – its innate intelligence undeniable, and instantly (and also in the longterm) you’ll reap the rewards of proper alignment, which include 1. looking good, 2.  feeling great, and 3. shining brightly.

So go get yourself a book – literally or pretend (it’s the prop of the day!) – and use it to align, embody and shine. Let’s bring a whole new meaning to the term book smart.  📚