# Instructions in Spirella Corsetry/Chapter 8
### Chapter 8: Body Poise

1. The poise or position of the body is affected by the corset.
This is the reason why it is necessary far you to understand what
normal poise is. The normal types, 20, 60, 40, and 30 necessarily
stand in normal poise.
| NORMAL POISE | 2. This illustration represents normal poise. This is the position of the body in which its weight is distributed evenly around its center of gravity; as a result the body can move in any direction with the least amount of nervous and muscular effort. The light line passing through the center of this diagram indicates the line of gravity. This line passes through certain pivotal points upon which the parts of the body move. Notice that this line falls through the center of the neck, the center of the trunk of the body, the center of the hip and knee joints and ends directly under the center of the arch of the foot. A study of the outline of this figure will assist you to appreciate correct body lines. The poise here illustrated allows freedom of movement in any direction with ease. The illustration also shows a side view of the pelvic girdle. The slanting line passes through the pelvic girdle and crosses the front of the figure where the pelvic arch is located. This cross line shows the normal slant of the pelvic girdle. You can readily see that when the line of gravity falls through the pivotal paints as in this illus- tration, the body weight must be evenly balanced; as a result we have normal poise. |
| GORILLA POISE | 3. There are two conditions of incor- rect poise which occur frequently. The illustration of gorilla poise shows an un- even distribution of the weight of the body, on either side of the line of gravity. You can see the line of gravity does not pass through the pivotal points. When it reaches the hip and knee joints, it falls back of them instead of through the cen- ter and ends back of the center of the arch of the foot. The shoulder blades stand out, causing a round-shouldered ap- pearance. The chest is sunken, the ab- domen is protruding and the hips are thrown forward. The weight of the body rests on the heels. To, keep the balance, the head drops forward depressing the chin; the pelvic girdle is incorrectly slanted as indicated by the cross line. Compare this illustration of incorrect poise with that of normal poise and note the difference. |
| KANGAROO POISE | 4. The illustration of kangaroo poise shows an uneven distribution of the weight of the body around the line of gravity. In this poise, the line of gravity falls back of the center of the trunk, and in front of the center of the hip and knee joints. It falls in front of the arch of the foot, thus throwing the weight on the toes. In kangaroo poise the client must walk with her chin raised too high. This occurs because the head tries to counter- balance the uneven distribution of the body weight. The pelvic girdle is incor- rectly slanted as indicated by the cross line. Compare this illustration with that of normal poise and note the difference. |
5. When a corset is applied to the body the location of the
lacing, front or back, gives a positive compression over the back
or front of the body. This compression swings the pelvic girdle
backward or forward and so changes the balance or poise of the
body. The location of the lacing adjustment in the corset can
change abnormal to normal poise.
 6. When studying your client's figure, note her poise. If it is
not normal decide where she needs compression and select the
lacing adjustment in the corset over that part of the body. If her
poise is normal, preserve it and bring out her best lines.