The New Rules of Posture - by Mary Bond (Paperback)

About the Book

Mary Bond explains that healthy posture comes not by training our muscles into an ideal shape, but from a new sense that we can develop by learning to feel. She identifies the key anatomical features that impact alignment, and, proposing six zones that help create postural changes, she offers self-help exercises that enable healthy function in each zone.

Book Synopsis

A manual for understanding the anatomical and emotional components of posture in order to heal chronic pain

- Contains self-help exercises and ergonomics information to help correct unhealthy movement patterns

- Teaches how to adopt suitable posture in the modern sedentary world

Many people cause their own back and body pain through their everyday bad postural and movement habits. Many sense that their poor posture is probably the root of the problem, but they are unable to change long-standing habits.

In The New Rules of Posture, Mary Bond approaches postural changes from the inside out. She explains that healthy posture comes from a new sense we can learn to feel, not by training our muscles into an ideal shape. Drawing from 35 years of helping people improve their bodies, she shows how habitual movement patterns and emotional factors lead to unhealthy posture. She contends that posture is the physical action we take to orient ourselves in relation to situations, emotions, and people; in order to improve our posture, we need to examine both our physical postural traits and the self-expression that underlies the way we sit, stand, and move. The way we walk, she says, is our body's signature.

Bond identifies the key anatomical features that impact alignment, particularly in light of our modern sedentary lives, and proposes six zones that help create postural changes: the pelvic floor, the breathing muscles, the abdomen, the hands, the feet, and the head. She offers self-help exercises that enable healthy function in each zone as well as information on basic ergonomics and case histories to inspire us to think about our own habitual movements. This book is a resource for Pilates, yoga, and dance instructors as well as healthcare professionals in educating people about postural self-care so they can relieve chronic pain and enjoy all life activities with greater ease.

From the Back Cover

HEALTH / EXERCISE "The New Rules of Posture is a good adjunct to bodywork of all kinds, from chiro-practic and osteopathy to Pilates and yoga. Read it thoroughly, let it soak into your experience--your body will thank you." --Thomas Myers, author of Anatomy Trains "Few things are as overlooked and yet absolutely critical to our health and well-being as our posture. Mary Bond offers information, stories, and tools for learning how to stand and move with ease and elegance." --Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D., PT, author of 30 Essential Yoga Poses Many people cause their own back and body pain through their everyday bad postural and movement habits. Many sense that their poor posture is probably the root of the problem, but they are unable to change long-standing habits. In The New Rules of Posture, Mary Bond approaches postural changes from the inside out. She explains that healthy posture comes from a new sense we can learn to feel, not by training our muscles into an ideal shape. Drawing from thirty-five years of helping people improve their bodies, she shows how habitual movement patterns and emotional factors lead to unhealthy posture. She contends that posture is the physical action we take to orient ourselves in relation to situations, emotions, and people; in order to improve our posture, we need to examine both our physical postural traits and the self-expression that underlies the way we sit, stand, and move. The way we walk, she says, is our body's signature. Bond identifies the key anatomical features that impact alignment, particularly in light of our modern sedentary lives, and proposes six zones that help create postural changes: the pelvic floor, the breathing muscles, the abdomen, the hands, the feet, and the head. She offers self-help exercises that enable healthy function in each zone as well as information on basic ergonomics and case histories to inspire us to think about our own habitual movements. This book also is a resource for Pilates, yoga, and dance instructors as well as healthcare professionals in educating people about postural self-care so they can relieve chronic pain and enjoy all life activities with greater ease. MARY BOND has a Master's degree in dance from UCLA and trained with Dr. Ida P. Rolf as a Structural Integration practitioner. She is a movement instructor at the Rolf Institute and teaches movement workshops nationally. The author of Balancing Your Body, she has also published articles in numerous health and fitness magazines. She lives in California.

Review Quotes

"Recommended for anyone interested in the anatomical and emotional aspects of the movement of one's body."-- "Dede Archer, Library Journal, Feb 15, 2007"

"The New Rules of Posture is a good adjunct to bodywork of all kinds, from chiro-practic and osteopathy to Pilates and yoga. Read it thoroughly, let it soak into your experience--your body will thank you."-- "Thomas Myers, author of Anatomy Trains"

"At last, at any level of knowledge of the body and movement, everyone will have the joy of a discovery that can profoundly change our relationship to ourselves, to others and to the beauty of the world."-- "Hubert Godard, Ph.D., Professor of Movement and Research, University of Paris"

"Few things are as overlooked and yet absolutely critical to our health and well being as our posture. Mary Bond offers information, stories and tools for learning how to stand and move with ease and elegance."-- "Judith Hanson Lasater, Ph.D, PT, author of 30 Essential Yoga Poses"

"I have long searched for a book that addresses the human body as a whole, and with clarity, guidance, and completeness. This book is a multi-faceted gem offering all of that and much more--I highly recommend it to teachers of movement and to anyone eager to learn how to become a better occupant of their body."-- "Marie-José Blom-Lawrence, Pilates Specialist and Professor of Anatomy and Physiology, Departmen"

"Mary Bond's talent and expertise extended my professional dance career until age 52! Anyone who suffers from body dysfunction and pain must read her book. Actually, it should be mandatory reading for all institutions offering anatomy, kinesiology, and medical courses."-- "Bonnie Oda Homsey, Former member of the Martha Graham Dance Company, and Artistic Director of Americ"

About the Author

Mary Bond has a Master's degree in dance from UCLA and trained with Dr. Ida P. Rolf as a Structural Integration practitioner. She is a movement instructor at the Rolf Institute and teaches movement workshops nationally. The author of Balancing Your Body, she has also published articles in numerous health and fitness magazines. She lives in California.