I like to think of this as a little hack or cheat to transform something that is likely impacting you in a negative way into something positive that helps you along your Integrated Strength journey.
Specifically I am talking about changing how you use your smartphone or really any handheld electronic that you spend a lot of time using. This would include your phone, tablet, eBook or even gaming device. If your device is triggering a poor posture habits in your life, we need to change that.
As a lawyer, I predict the day will come where class action lawsuits against the makers of these devices will be in the news because of the damage they can cause to our health. Much like the laptop computer, handheld electronic devices cause the vast majority of us to collapse our structure and spend inordinate amounts of time in positions that place undue stress on our necks and backs, resulting in horrible overall posture. Unfortunately, the long term health implications of the postural habits encouraged by our favorite devices will catch up with us individually far sooner then any recompense will flow from their creators. What can we do NOW?
What if we could turn the tables on these sneaky devices, flip the script so to say?
What if we could transform our handheld devices into positive triggers that remind us to remain centered and balanced, connected and calm?
What if we could turn the negative postural habits that come modern tech into a way not just to fix, but optimize our shape while enjoying (or suffering) screen time?
Check out my video below were I run you through the basics of incorporating our Standing the State training into the ubiquitous screen time that dots (or underlines) many of our waking hours.
When you are finished, see below for my takeaway summary & tips for getting the most out of the practice.
The core of The Method is 'Standing the State' (my translation of 'Jam Jong' or 'Zhan Zhuang'....the ancient art of standing like a tree to develop Integrated Strength) is something that is learned and developed incrementally over time. The idea here is to use our device as a trigger to remind us to activate whatever aspect of the art we are focused on at the time, whatever qualities we are seeking to develop.
Here are the key takeaways for this lesson:
Handheld devices like your phone and tablet subconsciously trigger unhealthy postural & awareness habits
First we interrupt this habitual pattern by remembering to apply our Standing the State requirements when using our devices
As our practice of Standing the State personal practice evolves & matures, the quality our posture during device time will also evolve and mature
Overtime, disciplining ourselves in this way will replace a bad habit with a continually evolving good one and condition us to apply our StS principals subconsciously....something that is invaluable for Holistic Self -Defense
Some simple recommendations to flip the script on poor posture habits:
Spend a bit of Formal Practice time familiarizing yourself with some of the shapes I suggest in the video & have added snapshots of below for your convenience.
Remember to remember....use reminders, alarms, post it notes on your screen or whatever to remind yourself to activate your frame while using your device. Be patient, it takes time and repetition for it to happen more often then you forget
Keep in mind this is not a substitute for Formal Practice, but a way to enhance and extend the work you are doing there. This is a type of Casual Practice which will become an invaluable tool for you as your practice grows.
It can be useful to keep training notes or track your experiences with this practice in a journal
You can always book a Check In session with me for feedback and specific guidance on tuning the practice to your needs
My hope is that experimenting with flipping the script on negative habits associated with your handheld will get you wondering.....what other negative ques can be converted to positive ones?
Some shapes for quick reference:
Have a scroll through some of these basic shape postures that can be used with your device. As you can divine from the images, some shapes are good for reading or watching, some for typing or interacting with an app. You can connect your arms to each other directly, through the device, through your own frame or intentionally like in standard practice.
Share your experiences!
Use the comment section below to share how you make this practice work for you!