The misconception that drives me mad

What’s the widespread misconception that absolutely drives you mad as an expert in your field?

During my psychology studies, it was the nonsense about humans only using 10% of their brains (complete rubbish, we use our entire brain, and evolution wouldn’t preserve anything we don’t actually need).

Now, it’s the belief that you need perfect posture at your desk to avoid back pain.

It’s even worse than a simple misconception, because the truth is that trying to have "good posture" could be the reason you are in pain.

We’ve all heard the command to "sit up straight." We’ve all tried typing with our backs perfectly upright and shoulders pulled back (only to slump back down within 30 seconds 🫣)

But the fact is... our spine isn’t meant to be straight at all. The four natural curves in your back are engineering marvels, not flaws to correct. Asking your spine to be straight is like asking a river to flow in a perfectly straight line.

Yet we’ve been following postural rules that come from Victorian social codes and military positions, not from science or biology.

When you force that "perfect" desk posture, you're creating muscle tension, restricting your breathing, and setting off a cascade of compensations throughout your entire body.

Think about it: cats don’t have good posture, and yet they move with grace and balance (most of the time). Children naturally know how to move and listen to their body intelligence, until we educate it out of them with our "sit up straight" commands.

Your body has an incredible proprioceptive system that knows exactly how to position itself for optimal function, but only when you trust it rather than control it. The best posture isn't a position at all, it’s a quality of presence, awareness, and constant micro-adaptation to what you’re doing in each moment.

This is where practices like yoga become invaluable allies. Not for achieving some perfect alignment, but for cultivating a deep body awareness and sense of spaciousness and fluidity that allows your natural intelligence to emerge.

The great news, and the one thing I would like you to take from this:

your body already knows what to do. The real "good posture" is about listening, flowing, and trusting the wisdom that’s already there.

So stop buying overpriced chairs or forcing yourself into uncomfortable positions, and start learning to listen to your body.

Om, peace 🧡

Clem