Blog Post #6
The Art of Carrying Bags with Ease
We all carry bags—backpacks, purses, totes, briefcases, musical instruments, shopping bags. What we may not realize is how often these seemingly small habits are subtly (or not so subtly) shaping our posture, our mood, and even our energy levels. In the world of AT (the Alexander Technique), how we do something matters just as much as what we’re doing. And when it comes to bags, it’s not just about what we carry—it’s how we carry it.
Let’s take a moment to slow down and tune in.
A Bag Is Never Just a Bag
When you pick up your bag in the morning, are you already bracing for the day? Do your shoulders lift, your jaw tighten, your breath shallow? The Alexander Technique invites us to notice first, to become aware of the habits we often enact unconsciously. Carrying a bag can be a physical act, yes—but it can also be a mirror reflecting a deeper internal state. Are you rushing? Holding your breath? Bearing not only the contents of the bag but the invisible weight of stress or expectation? If you have symptomatic TOS (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) and/or HSD (Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder) or another condition or symptoms where carrying a bag causes you pain/numbness ask yourself 1) How can I lighten my load? 2) Could this fit into pockets or a hip/fanny pack? 3) Would using a rolling bad be better for now? 4) Can I ask someone to carry my bad for me while I am symptomatic? As someone who had issues with carrying my heavy instrument and too much stuff I have felt your pain and no longer have issues with bags!
Let’s explore a few ways your bag(s) might be impacting you—and how you can carry what you need with greater ease and awareness.
1. The Shoulder Sling Habit
One of the most common bag habits is slinging a tote or purse over one shoulder, often the same shoulder every day. This creates a chronic asymmetry that can go unnoticed until discomfort sets in.
Instead, try this:
Before putting on your bag, pause and let your shoulders release out to the right and left and away from your ears.
Once it’s on, notice if you're lifting the shoulder unconsciously to "help" hold the strap. You don’t need to.
Imagine the weight traveling down through your whole skeleton—not just resting at the shoulder.
Bonus tip: Alternate shoulders throughout the day, or consider using a crossbody or backpack style that distributes weight more evenly.
2. The Arm-Hold Shuffle
Holding a heavy briefcase, grocery bag, or tote in one hand tends to make us tilt or counterbalance with our hips and lower back. Over time, this can lead to imbalance and even chronic tension.
Try this:
Slightly bend the elbow of the carrying arm so you’re not locked and rigid.
Let your other arm swing freely—don’t clench or fix it.
Occasionally shift the bag to the opposite side or use two smaller bags for more symmetrical loading.
3. The Backpack Trap
Backpacks have the potential to be the most spine-friendly bag—but only when used consciously. Too often, they become an excuse to carry too much, or to slump under the weight. Consider Buying a backpack with a hip/waste strap to take some of the weight off your shoulders.
Bring awareness here:
Tighten the straps so the pack sits high and centered—not dragging low and pulling you backward.
Let your head float up from your spine—no need to thrust your chin forward like a turtle!
Sense the weight distributing through your legs and feet, rather than clinging to your shoulders.
4. The Roller Relief (with a Catch)
Rolling suitcases and carts may seem like a cure-all, but even they can subtly pull you out of alignment if you’re leaning, twisting, or dragging them from your shoulder.
Here’s how to keep your poise:
Use your hand, not your shoulder, to initiate movement.
Walk with your head leading, spine following, not the bag dragging your body off course.
Stay tall. Imagine a gentle upward flow from your feet through the crown of your head.
Daily Practice: From Burden to Balance
The Alexander Technique isn’t about avoiding activity—it’s about bringing conscious coordination to everything we do. Carrying a bag becomes an opportunity, not a burden: a chance to rediscover balance, to awaken an energy efficient coordination, and to remind ourselves that we don’t have to “muscle through” life.
So the next time you pick up your bag, pause. Notice. Lighten up—physically and mentally. Let the weight be supported by your whole self, not just a tense shoulder or a locked arm.
You might just find yourself standing a little taller, breathing a little deeper, and arriving at your destination a little more...yourself.
Want to explore how small changes can transform your body and your day?
Join me for an Alexander Technique class or a one-on-one session. Email Kristin at artofreleasing@gmail.com.
Learn to move through life with ease—bags and all.
Let your load become your lesson.