Two Hundred and Twenty

Maintain correct posture.

My overall posture is composed of two separate components that come together, appropriately enough, at One Point. External posture is the posture of my body. It is characterized by how I maintain my physical structure in space. Internal posture is the posture of my mind. It is characterized by how I see myself in my mind's eye. External and internal posture combine to form a co-referential feedback loop which can prove extremely empowering.

The cooperative nature of Aikido training serves to foster correct external and internal postures. Over time as I continue to train, lapses of posture are less frequent and correct posture becomes my natural and most dependable state.



(Original blog post may be found here.)

Are you talking about kinaesthetics: When you say "how I see myself" does this mean how you see/feel/perceive your external posture inside?
Or does it meen seeing yourself in a wider sense: Sensing how you are?

Is your mind "only" seeing yourself? Only perceiving? Or has it got also an active role: Forming a state you are in? Or in other words building kind of "posture"/way of being by itself?
If so, how are, what you call, internal and external posture connected? How does it work that they affect each other? Which vehicel do they use to communicate?

Carsten Möllering wrote: Are you talking about kinaesthetics: When you say "how I see myself" does this mean how you see/feel/perceive your external posture inside?

I would have to say no.

Carsten Möllering wrote: Or does it meen seeing yourself in a wider sense: Sensing how you are?

This comes closer to the mark but it's more visceral than the type of recap your're referring to when you say 'sensing how you are'. Where external posture is the structure of my body in space, internal posture is the structure of my state of being in time.

Carsten Möllering wrote: Is your mind "only" seeing yourself? Only perceiving? Or has it got also an active role: Forming a state you are in? Or in other words building kind of "posture"/way of being by itself?

My mind is both observer and creator.

Carsten Möllering wrote: If so, how are, what you call, internal and external posture connected? How does it work that they affect each other? Which vehicel do they use to communicate?

If I perceive myself as downtrodden and victimized by events of daily life this image (internal posture) will be reflected in my external posture; probably in the form of bowed head, rounded shoulders, furtive glances and the like. My poor external posture will further enhance the poor self image I have of myself which will, in turn, reinforce my poor external posture all the more. Conversely, if I perceive myself as strong and confident, able to adapt to and cope with the events of daily life this image (internal posture) will be reflected in my external posture; probably in the form of squared shoulders, straight back and an overall relaxed physical appearance . My good external posture will further enhance the good self image I have of myself which will, in turn, reinforce my good external posture all the more.That's what I mean by a co-referential feedback loop.

Ron Ragusa wrote: I would have to say no. This comes closer to the mark but it's more visceral than the type of recap your're referring to when you say 'sensing how you are'. Where external posture is the structure of my body in space, internal posture is the structure of my state of being in time. My mind is both observer and creator. If I perceive myself as downtrodden and victimized by events of daily life this image (internal posture) will be reflected in my external posture; probably in the form of bowed head, rounded shoulders, furtive glances and the like. My poor external posture will further enhance the poor self image I have of myself which will, in turn, reinforce my poor external posture all the more. Conversely, if I perceive myself as strong and confident, able to adapt to and cope with the events of daily life this image (internal posture) will be reflected in my external posture; probably in the form of squared shoulders, straight back and an overall relaxed physical appearance . My good external posture will further enhance the good self image I have of myself which will, in turn, reinforce my good external posture all the more.That's what I mean by a co-referential feedback loop.

That is a very clear explanation - I will have to have a look on your weblog more often !
Thank you,
Tom

Thank you Ron for your explanation. I think I understand better now, what you mean.