All day long, we are dancing with gravity.
Every time we stand, walk, or sit upright, a network of postural muscles works in the background. These are the antigravity muscles — the ones that keep us lifted and moving on our feet. They don’t fight gravity. They cooperate with it. When they’re awake and balanced, we feel light and supported. When they’re tired or switched off, everything starts to feel heavier.
The Muscles That Hold Us Up
Most of your antigravity muscles are found along the back of the body — the calves, glutes, hamstrings, spinal and neck muscles. They form the body’s natural lift, holding you upright with subtle, steady effort:
- Calves: Keep you from tipping forward and stay active whenever you stand.
- Glutes: Support the hips and keep the pelvis steady.
- Hamstrings: Work with the glutes to stabilise the body as you stand and walk.
- Erector spinae: Keep your spine lifted and prevent the trunk from folding forward.
- Deep core muscles: Provide internal support and balance pressure from within.
- Neck and upper back stabilisers: Keep the head balanced over the spine instead of drifting forward.
Together, they make standing and moving possible.
In Yoga: Root Down to Lift Up
In yoga practice, we explore these muscles through awareness.
They’re the ones that help us root down through the feet and legs while lifting up through the spine and crown.
This is where alignment becomes more than a shape — it’s a felt experience.
When your body lines up with gravity, strength feels easy. There’s a sense of lightness that doesn’t come from doing more, but from doing just enough.
A Practice in Cooperation
In my upcoming course Uplift: Yoga For Antigravity Strength, we’ll explore what it means to move with gravity. We’ll wake up the postural muscles that hold us, build awareness of alignment, and find ease in standing tall — rooted, open, and strong.
If you are interested to join our group, we practice on Mondays at 7 pm is St. Leonard’s Church Hall in Streatham. You are welcome!
Photo by Alexandra Tran on Unsplash
