PRI-Daily Living Guide

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“Awareness” of Habitual Patterns of Postural Behavior
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Awareness can be defined as the ‘knowledge or perception of a situation’. Are
you aware of how you sit, stand, sleep, eat, walk, breathe and live on a daily
basis? Most of these activities are performed unconsciously, meaning that
we perform them with relatively little effort or thought, and thus with minimal
awareness. Too often, these activities are carried out primarily through the
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dominant use of one side. You may not see the pattern, because the outside of
us usually appears symmetrical. However, if you start to develop curvature of
the spine (scoliosis), or a limp when you walk, this dominant pattern becomes
more visible. This pattern may become more recognizable after symptoms
develop, such as joint pain, headaches, stiffness or fatigue, among others.
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We all have two sides, a left one and a right one. We, as humans need
awareness of how these two sides cooperatively work together. We all know
that we have two eyes, two ears, two shoulders, two hips, two knees, two
ankles and two feet. But, do we really have awareness of each one on both
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sides, or how they work together? When was the last time you ran a vacuum
with your left hand? Do you chew your food on only one side of your mouth? Do
you tend to favor a dominant leg or foot? What leg do you use more to get out
of a chair? What ear do you hold your phone up to when you are talking on the
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phone? These questions can go on and on, but hopefully they make you think
a little more about how aware (or unaware) you are of each side of your body
when you perform activities like these.
The human body is not symmetrical. The neurological, circulatory, muscular and
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visual systems (just to name a few) are not the same on the left side of the body
as they are on the right. The Postural Restoration Institute® was established in
2000, to help healthcare and fitness professionals recognize this underlying
asymmetry of these systems in our body, and the postural imbalances and
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patterns associated with dominant, unconscious or conscious overuse, of one

side of the body; our right side.
This guide has been put together to help bring awareness to the activities that
we all perform regularly in our daily lives. These daily activities often become
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habitual. These ‘habitual patterns of postural behavior’ are usually associated

with a dominant side of our body. On the following pages, we will outline
several daily activities which are commonly performed in dominant or patterned
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positions. This guide provides alternate ways and instruction on how to reduce
overuse of patterned muscle, bone and joint working in habitual patterns
reflective of dominant behavior. After reading this guide, we hope that you will
understand the importance of decreasing the over-dominance of one side of
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the body, and using both your left and right sides. This integration of both sides
of the body is necessary for balanced sitting, standing, sleeping, eating, walking
and breathing.
How do you alternate in your daily life?
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Standing
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✓ Stand on your left
leg with your right
foot slightly ahead of
your left.
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✓ Shift your left hip
back behind your
right (rotating through
your pelvis and not
your trunk).
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✓ Your left shoulder will
be slightly lower than
your right.
✓ You should feel the
majority of your
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weight on your left
foot and heel.
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✓ If you are holding a
child, stand on your
left leg with the child
in your left arms.
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✓ If you are carrying a

purse or bag, place it
on your right shoulder
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or in your right hand.

This causes your body
weight to shift to the
left to counteract the
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weight from the bag.

✓ If you are wearing
a backpack, it is
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preferable to use both

straps across both
shoulders, however
you can alternate
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between this and

your right shoulder.
For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

www.posturalrestoration.com/pri-resources/pri-living
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Breathing
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✓ Breathe in through your
nose and out through
your mouth when
taking a deep breath or
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performing PRI non-
manual techniques.
✓ Focus on allowing your

chest wall (especially
on
the right upper and
lateral side and left
posterior mid-back
region) to expand when
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✓ A balloon is a great
tool to help facilitate
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abdominal opposition
for the diaphragm
during inhalation.
Consider blowing up
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a balloon in these
positions, as you keep
your tongue up on the
roof of your mouth
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when inhaling.
✓ If you are unable to

blow up a balloon, try
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a kazoo, straw, or party

favor.
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Nasal Breathing
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The left nostril is connected and sensed
more by the right brain hemisphere and
left side of the body, and the right nostril is
connected and sensed more by the left brain
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hemisphere and right side of the body. Our
alertness and ‘ready-for-action’ are provided
by the right nostril and left brain (sympathetic).
Our calmness, synthesis of information, and
sensitivity is provided by the left nostril and
on
right brain (parasympathetic).
We breathe predominantly through one nostril,

or the other, at any given time. Because of our
normal human body asymmetry and overall
lack of alternate lateral movement, many of
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us develop facial asymmetry that reflects
paranasal sinus compression on the left
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and paranasal sinus expansion on the right.
The following recommendations improve
nasal cycling and lateral alternation of body
movement.
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PRI Biased Alternate Nostril Breathing for

Integrated Calmness
✓ Close the right nostril and gently, slowly and
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fully inhale through the left nostril.

✓ Pause 4 to 5 seconds.
✓ Then close the left nostril and exhale gently,
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slowly and fully through the right nostril.

✓ Pause 4 to 5 seconds.
✓ Inhale through the right nose.
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✓ Close the right nostril and exhale through

the left nostril.
*This completes one cycle. Begin second cycle by gently,

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slowly and fully inhaling through the left nostril and

repeating above cycle. Attempt to complete 6 cycles.

For further instructions, please visit www.posturalrestoration.com/pri-resources/pri-living
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Sitting
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✓ Keep your knees at
or above hip level by
adjusting the height of
the chair or placing a
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block or books under
your feet.
✓ Occasionally shift your
left knee behind your
right knee. You may
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feel your left inner thigh
muscle engage while
you are in this position.
✓ Occasionally place your
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knee, so that your trunk
rotates to the right.
This position may feel
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unnatural because we
so often reach with our
right hand, which rotates
our trunk to the left.
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✓ To stand, shift your left

hip and knee back and
push through your left
heel and mid-foot, as
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you keep your back

slightly rounded.
✓ If you need additional
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support, use your left

hand to help push you up,
while keeping your right
hand on your right knee.
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✓ If you do not need your

left hand for additional
support, then place
your left hand on your
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right knee, as your right

hand is behind you.
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Sitting
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✓ If you prefer to cross
your legs, attempt to
cross your right leg
over your left more
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often than your left
over your right. Again,
this will likely feel more
unnatural than crossing
your left over your right.
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Your goal is to balance
your sense of natural
comfort when one leg
feels more unnatural ati
to cross.
✓ When sitting on the Short seated

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with your back
floor, consider these supported and
positions. your knees to
your chest.
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Long seated
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with your back

slightly rounded
and your legs
straight out in
front of you.
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On your right
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hip and leg,

supporting your
upper body with
your right arm.
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Sleeping
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✓ When lying on your
left side, place a pillow
under your head, a
pillow under your left
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side, and a pillow or
two between your
knees. Roll or move
your right knee and
right shoulder forward
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slightly.
right side, place a
ati pillow under your head,
and a pillow or two
between your ankles.
Roll or move your left
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knee and left shoulder
back slightly.
✓ If you like to read while
in bed, we recommend
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placing pillows behind

your upper back and
under your knees for
support, as tolerated.
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back, place a pillow
under your head and a
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pillow under your knees.

✓ Before getting into
bed, say your prayers,
meditate or read a
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book in a Long Seated

position. If you cannot
get into a Long-Seated
position, then try
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kneeling first.

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Walking
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✓ As you begin to walk,
take the first step with
your right leg, as your
right arm swings back.
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✓ As your left leg
advances forward, focus
on left heel strike and
keep your right palm
on
turned up as your right
arm swings forward.
✓ When using a single

walking or hiking stick, ati
it is preferable to use
the stick in your left hand.
✓ Advance the left stick

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forward at the same
time you advance your
right leg. Keep the
stick on the ground for
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balance as you strike

the ground with your
heel on the next step.
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✓ When using two

walking or hiking sticks,
advance the left stick
and arm forward at the
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same time the right leg

moves forward. Then
advance the right stick
and arm forward at the
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same time the left leg

advances forward.
✓ Remain consciously
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aware of foot & stick

contact with the ground.

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Speaking
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✓ A kazoo is a great instrument to assist with
vocal cord vibration, and enhance vocal
quality, control and phonation, needed
for proper airway pressure and grounded
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awareness.
✓ Also consider humming through a straw
for larynx pressure regulation and postural
stabilization. Different straws will produce
different effects (narrow vs wide, ribbed vs
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smooth, short vs long).
✓ Speak out loud occasionally throughout

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the day; including, but not limited to talking
on the phone, reading to a child, reading
instructions, or singing.
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✓ Pronunciate and articulate words clearly
and slowly, using your tongue to do so.
✓ Breathe in through your nose after each
sentence.
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✓ Cluck your tongue occasionally if your

neck becomes tight while speaking.
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✓ Stand on your left leg and pick up your right

foot as you reach above your head with your
right arm.
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✓ If you are unable to pick up your right leg,

then keep your right toes on the ground to
help keep your balance, but the majority of
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your weight should remain on your left leg

and foot.
✓ Occasionally speak or sing out loud in
this position.
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Eating
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✓ Consider chewing and
eating while you stand,
especially if you are
sitting a lot throughout
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the day. As outlined
earlier in this guide,
stand with more weight
on your left leg, and
shift your left leg behind
on
your right. Your left
shoulder will be slightly
lower than your right.
✓ When eating with

utensils, we recommend
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the European style
etiquette. Hold the fork
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(with the tines pointing
down) in the left hand and
the knife in the right hand.
✓ Once a bite-sized piece

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of food has been cut,

bring the fork to your
mouth, rather than
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bringing your head and

neck to the food.
✓ Alternate food chewing

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by slowly chewing the

food bolus on one side
of your mouth, and
then the other side 3-4
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times each, continue

alternating as necessary
before swallowing.
✓ Whenever possible,
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use a straw to drink.

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Living
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Based on the principles
outlined earlier in
this guide, consider
modifying how you
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perform daily activities
around your home.
✓ Stand on your left leg
with your right foot
ahead of your left and
on
your left hip shifted
back, as you reach
forward with your
ati left arm, whenever
possible.
✓ Stay aware of your
body alignment over
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your left hip and ankle
as you reach forward
with either your left arm
or right arm.
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✓ Keep your knees

unlocked when
reaching forward with
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your hands and arms.

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Living
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✓ Stand on your left leg
with your right foot
ahead of your left and
your left hip shifted
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back.
✓ When putting on
makeup, use a
handheld or extendable
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mirror so that you do
not have to move your
head and neck towards
the bathroom mirror.
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✓ When driving, keep

your left knee shifted
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back behind your right

knee, and try not to let
your left knee rest on
the door. Try placing
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something like a soft

child’s pillow behind
your right lower back to
help position your left
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hip behind your right.
✓ Adjust the seat in the

car to accommodate
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support for your lower

back.

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Living
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✓ When playing with
your children, consider
these positions (in
addition to the seated
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positions outlined
earlier in this guide).
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✓ When picking up toys
or other items off the
ati floor, consider these
positions that empower
the legs, ankles and
arms.
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✓ When bathing your

children, consider
kneeling with a towel
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under the left knee,

short sitting on a
stool, or fully squatting
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with support offered

by good shoe heel
counters.
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Office
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✓ Select an office chair
that is adjustable (i.e.
ability to move the chair
up and down, the seat
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forward and back, the
lumbar support up and
down, and arm rests up
and down).
✓ The top of your
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computer screen should
be approximately at
eye level.
✓ Keep your knees at or
slightly above hip level.
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Place a block under
your feet if needed.
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✓ Keep your phone and

any papers you are
reading from positioned
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on your left side.

✓ Occasionally use
your left hand to hold
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the phone, and if

possible, occasionally
try to operate your
computer mouse with
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your left hand.

✓ When operating a
computer mouse
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with your right hand,

keep your left hand
on your thigh, and/or
consider raising your
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right arm rest higher

than your left.

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The Postural Restoration Institute® (PRI) was established in 2000
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to explore and explain the science of postural adaptations,
asymmetrical patterns and the influence of polyarticular chains
of muscles. Our mission is based on the development of an
innovative treatment that addresses the primary contributions
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of postural kinematic movement dysfunction.
We are committed to the ongoing search for improved pathways

of physical medicine. PRI creates resources, educational
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opportunities, patient-care programs and research supported

practice-based evidence approaches to assist those who wish to
maximize their knowledge and skill in respiration, myokinematics,
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neuromuscular applications and postural imbalances.

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402.467.4111
5255 R Street | Lincoln, NE 68504
www.posturalrestoration.com
©

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patterns associated with dominant, unconscious or conscious overuse, of one

habitual. These ‘habitual patterns of postural behavior’ are usually associated

✓ If you are carrying a

or in your right hand.

weight from the bag.

preferable to use both

between this and

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

✓ Focus on allowing your

✓ If you are unable to

a kazoo, straw, or party

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

We breathe predominantly through one nostril,

PRI Biased Alternate Nostril Breathing for

fully inhale through the left nostril.

slowly and fully through the right nostril.

✓ Close the right nostril and exhale through

*This completes one cycle. Begin second cycle by gently,

slowly and fully inhaling through the left nostril and

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

✓ To stand, shift your left

you keep your back

support, use your left

✓ If you do not need your

right knee, as your right

✓ When sitting on the Short seated

with your back

hip and leg,

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

placing pillows behind

✓ When lying on your

pillow under your knees.

book in a Long Seated

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

✓ When using a single

✓ Advance the left stick

balance as you strike

✓ When using two

same time the right leg

same time the left leg

aware of foot & stick

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

✓ Speak out loud occasionally throughout

✓ Cluck your tongue occasionally if your

✓ Stand on your left leg and pick up your right

✓ If you are unable to pick up your right leg,

your weight should remain on your left leg

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit

✓ When eating with

✓ Once a bite-sized piece

of food has been cut,

bringing your head and

✓ Alternate food chewing

by slowly chewing the

times each, continue

use a straw to drink.

For additional activities and recommendations, please visit