Stick your butt out [...] Stick out your chest
and fill up your lungs. Now tuck in your chin [...]
is that people interpret it to mean they should apply force to correct their habitual posture, which is like trying to bend something rigid back into place: it compounds the problem. Of course it's hard and often painful to do this, so we almost never keep it up (barring some sort of military regimen), which is probably a good thing.
What's really needed are ways to undo the rigidity. No doubt there are a variety of these. The most effective I've found is the Alexander Technique, an early 20th century form of bodywork that remains modestly widespread, i.e. it's not that popular but you can find teachers in most major cities. It's a curious, very gentle and non-invasive practice that is somewhat counterintuitive but in the hands of a good teacher (I tried three, only one of whom was good) delivers lasting results. I recommend it to anyone who likes to explore this kind of thing.
I highly recommend finding an Alexander teacher as well. I took Alexander classes through my university (it is common among musicians) with John Henes - a great Alexander teacher in Evanston, IL if you're in Chicagoland.
One day in class I particularly remember, prof Henes brought a balance board (one of those round boards on a ball) and asked us to balance on it. He then pointed out that the way we naturally tried to balance was to force the board down in reaction to movements. He taught us to instead balance our bodies, and if we were truly balanced, the board would be too when we stood on it.
Yes, the Alexander Technique is by far best known among musicians and actors, so much so that for many years it was thought of as an acting practice. (Of course Alexander himself was an actor and developed his technique while figuring out why he had lost his voice.) I think this is because these professions have a lot to do with how body and consciousness work together, and this is the area in which AT is very practical. To some people that might sound like gobbledygook, but when your profession depends on it you quickly go with what's practical.
The teacher I like best (who's in the San Diego area) told me that her dream was to get more athletes to realize how much they could get out of it.
I've been interested in the Alexander Technique for a while but haven't started yet (and it's quite expensive here in Shanghai). How would you evaluate a good teacher?
I would go for 2 or 3 lessons and get a sense of the chemistry between me and the teacher. I would also try as many different teachers as possible. The difference between a good teacher and an ok one is dramatic, so this is worth exploring. (Who's "good" may vary from student to student, of course.) I've also noticed that some of the teachers tend to be more doctrinaire than others. I avoid the latter, but YMMV.
If you give it a try, I'd be curious to hear your assessment. The Alexander work is one of very few practices I use every day -- "use" isn't the right word; it's integrated into my habits -- and I have reaped rich rewards from it. To pick a simple example, I've gone on many long motorcycle trips over the years. Typically once I'd been riding for a day or two pain management would become an integral part of the trip. The last trip I did I was astonished at not having that problem any more; I'm pretty sure the AT stuff was the reason.
What's really needed are ways to undo the rigidity. No doubt there are a variety of these. The most effective I've found is the Alexander Technique, an early 20th century form of bodywork that remains modestly widespread, i.e. it's not that popular but you can find teachers in most major cities. It's a curious, very gentle and non-invasive practice that is somewhat counterintuitive but in the hands of a good teacher (I tried three, only one of whom was good) delivers lasting results. I recommend it to anyone who likes to explore this kind of thing.