Observing Posture

❶  Objective: Stay in “1” or “2″ posture as long as possible

    ► Notice when our focus leaves “me” (speaker) or “you” (listener)

❷  Listener (facilitator) observes movements away from “2”
   ► Recognize moments of anticipation, interruption, judgment, etc

❸  Speaker (participant) observes movements away from “1”
   ► Recognize moments of self-doubt, losing track, searching for approval, etc.

It is perfectly normal to lose posture during Stretching. Indeed if you stretch for any length of time and you do not notice a loss of posture, the chances are, you lost it but didn’t notice! It is more important to notice these moments of posture loss than to be able to say “I maintained posture.”

Key Points

• Work to develop two key aspects of communication: centered expression and neutral listening.
• As Participant, focus on maintaining a centered expression, simply expressing your truth.
• As Facilitator, practice an enhanced style of listening, fully receiving the Participant’s expression with a focus on neutrality.
• “Stepping out of posture” (focus on “Me” or “You” respectively) is inevitable. However, noticing when this happens, and how you return to the intended posture, is a key aspect of practice.
• Continuously develop your capacity to stretch, aim to feel the stretch each time you practice.