How we appear in the mirror is a reflection of our subtler inflexibilities; inflexibilities that may not be noticed in our daily routine. A slightly rounded shoulder; one shoulder higher than the other; a slight lean of our rib cage to one side or the other; a kink or twist in our neck; a hip rolled forward or backward compared to the other; one hip higher than the other; all of these and any other incongruence you can see when you are looking dead on at yourself in the mirror are indications of an inflexibility or a misalignment of our subtle, powerful spinal vertebrae. When looking at yourself straight on in any mirror, you should see a straight spine, with your chin in alignment with your belly button; with your nose in alignment with your chin; with each shoulder and each hip in perfect balance with the other. You should be perfectly symmetrical.

If you can look at your body from behind, we should see the same picture: symmetry. The spine should drop straight down the back, with no evident curves to either side. Your shoulders and pelvis should not roll backwards. Your shoulder blades should appear identically placed and identically shaped. Your gluteal muscles should be equally balanced and shaped. Your leg, arm, and back muscles should all be equivalent in shape and length, and no structure should naturally hang higher or lower than the same structure on the other side.

From the side, things are a little different. We do not want any excessive curvatures. The most common excessive curvature is the 'stooped' appearance, also known as a 'humped' back. Commonly ascribed to osteoporosis, this curve is entirely a function of posture and flexibility, and can be reversed as surely as it was created. More than wrinkles, more than graying hair, this stooped upper spine tells those around us that we are old, no matter what our age is. Reversing this stoop is as important to your heart and pulmonary health as any diet, any exercise plan you have ever taken, possibly more so. But we will explore this issue later.

We do not want a poker straight version of the human frame when we are looking from the side. A straight neck inevitably leans forward, and begins the formation of a stooped spine. A straight neck or a straight lower back created the conditions by which our vertebrae become misshapen, and eventually fuse.

Still, from the side view, we should have the gentle forward neck curve, which in its natural form would make our noses poke into the air even if only by one millimeter. The proper curve would also see our shoulders perfectly straight and rolled backwards, far from pressing onto our chest. We would see a gentle arch in our upper spine pointing backwards, complimented by a gentle arch between our rib cage and pelvis, pointing forwards.

Having said all of this, if we could place a dot in our ear, a dot in our shoulder, a dot in our hip, our knee, and our able bones, we should have one straight line.