I have always liked the phrase, firm but gentle, and have often appreciated people who seem to have these combined qualities. It is something to which we should aspire, no? They are qualities better to have than “spineless and brittle” or “evasive and harsh,” right? They need not always be in 50-50 proportions, of course. 90% firm and 10% gentle might seem best in some cases and the opposite in others.

It seems that a person could change their postural habits and many of their ways over time just using this concept as an exercise for change… by going about their body and imagining changes, here and there, along this continuum. For instance, maybe your legs could use a little more gentle and a little less firm… and maybe the arms need the reverse. Or maybe the right hand needs more of one quality and the left hand the opposite… and the feet need the reverse. Maybe your eyes and eyelids could use some tonal changes using these words.

The possibilities are numerous and the process is not complex. Does your neck feel a little too firm or a little too gentle or floppy? Just imagine a shift there from one to the other. It will not be long before the whole body feels and is positively affected. Remember, I am suggesting that you change the sensations you have. Do not wallow in what they seem presently to be. Sensations can easily be unreliable but habit is reliably affected, and usually positively, when sensations are imaginarily changed.

This exercise suggested here should perhaps be called “tactilizing” or “kinesthizing” instead of visualizing. No visual imagery is necessary. I do, predictably, offer a couple of visual depictions of the dorsal and ventral surfaces below that suggest how to visualize firmer or gentler body qualities. For those familiar enough with Posture Release Imagery, the continuum from very firm to very gentle illustrated here should make sense.

Use whichever approach you want.