Fashion vs. Body

by Bianca Raffety
Seattle Yoga Arts Teacher

Pulling together our ‘look’ doesn’t need to drain the bank account, require a lot of effort, or even demand a great deal of thought. Ultimately though, we want to feel good in what we’re wearing and feel good about how we put ourselves together, regardless what we’re willing to financially dedicate to this end. So what happens when some of these things to complete our look start having hidden costs we didn’t anticipate? And how do we know if we’re paying that hidden price?

You may already be thinking about those shoes that are a little too tight (but oh so cool) or those heels you bought with the guilty knowledge they are probably terrible for your feet (let alone your calves, your hips, your low back, heck the whole body). But most of us don’t realize that what we wear, how we adorn ourselves, what we use to haul our belongings around, and even how we style our hair can begin to wear down on us. We just know that we’re experiencing creeping discomforts in our bodies.

For a long time, I was working with a student that had chronic discomfort in her back and neck. We did work to develop postural support and appropriate stretches for her chest and shoulders, but our progress was very slow. This was primarily because every time she came in her head was cocked to one side because her hair style made it difficult for her to see. I pointed this out on several occasions, but this was a well-entrenched ‘look’ for her and there was just no way she would give it up. So the pain continued.

Another fellow I was working with was a young man with severe back pain. This wasn’t surprising. He had a serious sports injury the year before and he spent most of his days on his feet on a concrete floor. He couldn’t figure out why things weren’t improving. He was young, athletic, and had done some physical therapy to remedy the situation. There was no indication from thorough medical examinations that there was any lasting injury to his spine. As I looked at him, his bright face and sincerity in wanting to remedy this situation, I pointed out the most obvious contribution to his problem. His posture was terrible. Why? Because in order to keep his pants up, he had to tuck his tailbone under, turn his knees out and walk with a slouch! Not only that, his ample trainers were loosely tied so they were loose on his feet. I strongly believe we have a back pain crisis of epic proportions heading our way due to low slung jeans. Luckily he took my observation to heart and at the end of our session, his shoes were tied and his belt was holding up his pants. His posture looked great.

I can offer numerous anecdotes and observations about the phenomenon of physical pain due to fashion, e.g. heavy shoulder bags, headwear, oddly fitting clothing of all types, etc. Look around, you’ll be surprised what you’ll see; and then look to your own investments in your ‘look’ and decide what price you are willing to pay. Then get yourself to yoga, a physical therapist, massage therapist, etc. and get to work avoiding those hidden costs!

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