V. STANDING
“Many human qualities that are worth mentioning have been directly attributed to the erect posture of our species. Most important is that it frees the forelimbs from their subservience to the functions of support and locomotion and allows their evolution into the human arm and hand...A second result, however, is that man faces the world with the most vulnerable aspect of his body exposed, his ventral side. Thus, his chest and heart, his belly and loins are more accessible to touch and less protected from attack. It is conceivable that the quality of tenderness is related to this way of being in the world.”[18]
—Alexander Lowen, Bioenergetics
Shelley Lake, Superman Animation, 2017, digital scene simulation
The depiction of Superman represents a humanoid, hypertrophic, herculean character with supernatural powers. In the role of guardian, his grounded, symmetrical, posture of stability reassures us that we are safe. Hands-on-hips accentuate physical size. In contrast to a classical contrapposto posture, this is the quintessential superhero stance, a symbol of strength, protection and security. Head and feet point forward, another sign of physical readiness for engagement. Openly exposing the heart and throat can be a non-verbal display of fearlessness.
Erect posture broadcasts our social stature—from standing firm, to no standing, to good standing, collapsing, slouching, shifting, slumping, standing off, standing your ground to standing up well. Our relationship to the ground begins with our footing. Is there an equal distribution of weight over each foot, are the knees locked out, is the bodyweight over the heels or the balls of the feet?
Carl Rogers, in his lecture What It Means to Become A Person asserts that “the most common despair is to be in despair at not choosing, or willing, to be one’s self; but that the deepest form of despair is to choose “to be another than himself.”[19] The desire, to be another, is a form of not taking a stand, not choosing to be one’s self.
Shelley Lake, Superhero, digital scene simulation, 2015-2021
Our standing in the world presents a unique challenge to the bodymind, in a world where danger, real and imagined, haunts our sensorineural circuits. Finding a safe haven from which to take a stand begins with acknowledging the truth of one’s character. Learning to hear the whispers that afflict the heart and mind. Replacing the public masquerade with authentic interiority, revealing hidden thoughts and emotions that emerge with fearless introspection. Feeling secure enough to stand out in the crowd. Becoming safe enough in one’s convictions to allow others inside our circle of trust. The physicality of getting in touch with the ground and rising to the occasion, requires becoming present while gaining a foothold in the gravity field.[20]
Oral storytelling traditions may be the most common form of communication, however—nonverbal communication—posture, gesture, and facial expression speaks the Language of the Body. The unspoken Language of the Body is a timeless, unfiltered representation of our inner voice.
[18] Alexander Lowen, Bioenergetics (New York: Penguin/Arkana, 1994), 228.
[19] Rogers, Becoming a Person, 11.
[20] Ida P. Rolf, Rolfing (Healing Arts Press, 1989).