Alright, so this whole thing, this “practice” if you can even call it that, it started pretty randomly. I was binge-watching something, I think it was an old season of Californication, or maybe it was that space movie, Solaris. Anyway, Natascha McElhone was in it, and it wasn’t about her “body” in a weird way, you know? It was more about how she, like, carried herself on screen. Her posture, her presence. Some actors just have that, and it got me thinking.
I was feeling a bit, well, schlumpy at the time. Always slouching at my desk, you know how it is. So, I thought, “Okay, I’m gonna try this. I’m gonna try to be more aware of my posture, try to stand up straighter, move with a bit more… intention?” Sounds daft, I know. This became my little secret project. No big deal, just a small personal experiment.
Well, let me tell you, it was harder than it looked. I’d remember for five minutes, stand like a soldier, then completely forget. Or worse, I’d overthink it and end up looking like a robot. It was actually pretty frustrating. My family started asking if I was okay, ’cause I’d suddenly straighten up like I’d been zapped.
Then came the real kicker. One afternoon, I was carrying a couple of heavy grocery bags. And I’m there, trying to maintain this “perfect posture” I’d seen on screen, all while lugging spuds and milk. Next thing I know, ouch! A sharp pain in my lower back. I’d properly strained it. All because I was trying to look elegant while wrestling with a leaky carton of orange juice. How ridiculous is that?
So, off I went to the physio, feeling like a complete idiot. The physio, bless her, was very professional. She asked what I’d done, and I mumbled something about groceries and, eventually, my little “Natascha McElhone posture project.” I was expecting her to laugh me out of the room.
But she didn’t. She just sort of nodded and said, “Look, consciously trying to force ‘good posture’ when your underlying muscles aren’t ready for it, that’s just asking for trouble. You need to build a bit of core strength first, make things more stable.” Then she suggested this super gentle exercise class she ran on Tuesday evenings. Not yoga, not Pilates, just basic stuff for people with iffy backs or who, like me, had done something silly.
I was skeptical, but my back was killing me, so I gave it a shot. And you know what? It was brilliant. No Lycra-clad superhumans, just normal folks trying to get by. My back got better, and yeah, my posture improved too, but kinda naturally, without me thinking about it so much. But here’s the unexpected part. Through that class, I met a bunch of people. One guy was involved with a local amateur dramatics group. They were always looking for folks to help out backstage, paint sets, find props, that sort of thing.
I’d never have thought of it myself. But I remembered watching actors like Natascha McElhone and being fascinated by that whole world, even if my attempt to emulate a tiny part of it went sideways. So, I said yes. Started helping out on weekends. And I absolutely loved it. Got a real buzz from it. Even ended up on stage saying a few lines last Christmas. Who’d have thought?
So yeah, it all started with me noticing an actress’s screen presence and trying to fix my slouch. Led to a strained back, a physio visit, and now I’m part of a theatre group. Life’s a funny old thing, isn’t it? You try to do one thing, and it leads you down a completely different path. Definitely not what I expected when I first started that “practice.”
