Table of Contents

Foreword by Jean Couch Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part One A Body of Knowledge 1 Design for Life 2 Architecture in Flesh and Bone 3 The Core of Well-Being 4 Meet Your Feet 5 Wheels, Bells, and Puppet Strings 6 An Exploding Crisis in Children's Health 7 Amazing Grace 8 Pregnant with Possibilities 9 In Fitness or in Health? 10 Beyond the Physical Part Two Putting It All Together 11 Down to Basics How to Sit * How to Lean Back on a Backrest * How to Stand * How to Walk * Take Yourself for a Walk * How to Bend * Sitting Down and Bending to Sit * Getting Up from a Chair or Sit to Stand * Sitting to Meditate * Lying on Your Side * Sleeping and Resting on Your Back * The Ultimate in Relaxation 12 Yoga on the Axis Chair Pose * Tree Pose * Triangle Pose (Modified) * Warrior II * Garden Gate Pose * Plank Pose * Sphinx Pose * Head-to-Knee Pose * Seated Spinal Twist * Relaxation--Corpse Pose A Few Parting Thoughts Resources Notes Index

About the Author

Kathleen Porter is the director of the Center for Natural Alignment in Portland, Oregon. She offers programmes for people with posture-related pain and for children and teachers in classrooms. She has taught principles of natural alignment at the University of Hawaii in Hilo, the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon and the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

"Kathleen Porter's eloquent photojournalism adds powerful, persuasive impact to her message about the relationship between dynamic structural alignment and health of body and mind. The chapters about children, pregnancy, and fitness should be required reading for all parents and physicians." Mary Bond, author of The New Rules of Posture and movement faculty chair at the Rolf Institute "As a family physician treating my share of patients with back pain, neck pain, osteoporosis, and dysfunctional labor, I find this book instructive. Kathleen Porter's observation of peoples around the world who retain their natural alignment, movement, and relaxation is a clear window into the healing of the chronic pain syndromes of our culture. More than that, her work has been personally transformative." Leah Morton, M.D., family practitioner "In Natural Posture for Pain-Free Living, Kathleen Porter powerfully portrays the extensive damage we do to our bodies when we lose connection to natural principles of body alignment. Rather than looking to surgery, medication, and infinite exercise technologies to find freedom from discomfort and pain, we need only learn to stand, sit, walk, and move the way we did as young children when we learned organically to let our bones support us. Porter offers an abundance of useful tools for returning to our natural wisdom and greater body fluidity." Ingrid Bacci, Ph.D., author of The Art of Effortless Living and Effortless Pain Relief "This updated second edition is an instructive, comprehensive look at how we move unconsciously in ways that cause our bodies pain and injury. Kathleen Porter, who directs the Center for Natural Alignment in Portland, Oregon explains through photographs and exercises the ways a supple spine can help remedy much of what ails our stiff bones." Joshunda Sanders, Spirituality & Health, July 2013 "The book is amazingly understandable, beautifully designed for maximum ease of use, and contains lots of documentation that justifies Porter's claims. I happened to be struggling with a knee strain when I read it, and applying a simple change to my stance, per Porter's instructions, brought instant improvement." Anna Jedrziewski, Retailing Insight, August 2013 "Guidelines for daily activities including sitting, walking, sleeping, and safe yoga practice fill this user-friendly reference and resource. This helps the practitioner ease chronic muscle tension, combats chronic neck/shoulder/back pain, and improve everyday life. Color photographs enhance this thoroughly accessible guide, highly recommended to readers of all walks of life." Library Book Watch, September 2013 "Kathleen Porter's book is a great companion for teaching for many other modalities, but I found her information exceptionally beneficial in regard to the active meditations I teach. Movement is obviously important, but conscious movement is not as obvious for most people." Dhara Lemos, Lotus Guide, November 2013 "Never before in the world of fitness has there been a more readable, groundbreaking, or seminal book than Natural Posture for Pain-Free Living. Through this revolutionary book, Kathleen Porter is about to rock your world!" Jean Couch, founder and director of the Balance Center and coauthor of The Runner's Yoga Book "'I believe, barring accidents, most orthopedic surgeries could be avoided if the body's natural alignment is never lost in the first place,' Porter says. Natural Posture for Pain-Free Living provides a blueprint for returning to that state of nature." Lisa James, Energy Times, November 2013