Are you fed up with stiffness and pain?
Have all the things you've tried
massage / exercise / stretching / strength training / physical therapy / and more
(even if they helped for a time)
brought you the LASTING RELIEF you seek?
You weren't born with
chronic pain.
Watch any toddler and you'll see
what you once knew:
How to sit without strain, stand without effort, and move with relaxed ease.
Babies and toddlers embody this innate wisdom instinctively,
and then modern life intervenes and
most of us forget 🥲
Babies are natural alignment experts!
They figure out, through trial and error,
how to find the sweet spot of effortless alignment inside themselves.
This is the innate human design.
It's like coming home to yourself.
Let me guide you, as you read this, on an amazing journey
that I hope will forever change how you think about your body.
I am an Osteopathic (Family) Doctor in Hawai’i, who personally had a spinal injury that led me to study posture and to Kathleen’s work.
This resulted in complete resolution of pain from a herniated disc and moderate spinal stenosis. As a medical practitioner, I sought to learn more from Kathleen in a way I could effectively teach this to my patients.
I signed up for Kathleen's online course 'Pain-Free Living with Natural Posture' and, not only did I thoroughly enjoy her teaching style, I now feel able to convey this important 'message' to others.
As a D.O. (osteopathic physician), the body's natural posture is what makes sense, while perfectly blending structure with function.
Doede Donaugh, D.O.
Ka'u Wellness
Ka'u, Hawai'i
The illustration below shows the role of the skeleton in establishing your body's shape, as well as the postural integrity (or lack thereof) that defines it.
Why aren't we talking about this?
The aligned framework for our bodies is as important as the framework of the houses and buildings we inhabit.
Modern medicine and movement science have given us extraordinary insight into skeletal anatomy and function. We can measure bone density, analyze joint mechanics, and understand muscle physiology at levels our ancestors could never imagine.
Yet, in all this detailed analysis, something fundamental has been overlooked: the skeleton as a unified, whole architectural structure, designed to distribute load through aligned bones according to basic natural laws and principles of physics.
Professional training teaches us to see the functionality of parts brilliantly, but rarely asks us to understand how traditional cultures organize the entire system to work with gravity rather than fight against it.
It's not that professionals don't know their anatomy - it's that we've been trained to see many different parts working together without also considering the functionality of "integrated wholeness."
The alignment of our bones explains why exercise promotes ease of movement for some people, while it entrenches unhelpful patterns in the musculature of others.
The alignment of our bones determines if someone will reap the profound benefits of engaging in movement — playing sports, weeding the garden, practicing Tai Chi, or running a race — while others who do the same activities continue to struggle with discomfort and pain.
It's common to think of the skeleton
as being rigid and stiff—even "lifeless?"
If so, Bone Ami begs to differ!
Watch this 20-second video as Bone Ami demonstrates the grace and ease available to skeletons when they are
moved by naturally elastic muscles.
** Can you identify a former U.S. President in this line-up of natural, elongated spines?
Role models of natural alignment
come in all different sizes and shapes.
Those who never lost the alignment they discovered as children,
enjoy authentic, mechanical strength
that doesn't rely on overly developed muscles.
The people pictured above are less likely to struggle with conditions such as sciatica, herniated disc, or chronic neck, back, or hip pain
(including those who carry heavy loads on their heads).
While some people do suffer terribly from years of carrying heavy loads on their heads,
the outcome of this is determined by whether or not the weight of the load
could be distributed through aligned bones.
The power to transform your alignment is in your hands
(and your bones! : )
Only you can reset this
for yourself.
No one else can do it to you or for you because . . .
It's an inside job!
If this feels daunting, remember . . .
It's not hard to learn how to do this!
(you taught this to yourself as a baby!)
Plus, now you will have a clear roadmap and help if you need it!
Currently, our society's remedy for chronic stiffness and muscle pain focuses almost solely on muscles.
We massage and stretch tight ones and work at strengthening weak ones.
These approaches aren't entirely wrong, just incomplete. They miss the bigger picture by treating symptoms rather than the cause of our discomfort:
The true underlying cause of our recurring discomfort is the misalignment of our framework of skeletal support, to which our muscles attach, via tendons. Our skeleton sets the stage (literally) for how we feel.
Somewhere along the way, we humans traded our natural alignment for modern habits: Sedentary desk jobs. Long commutes. Televisions and cushy couches. Misguided rules of “good” posture. All of this fosters a growing disconnect from the ground beneath our feet.
But here's what’s remarkable: Your body hasn't lost this knowledge. It's just been buried under years of acquired patterns.
Hello!
I'm Kathleen Porter ~
Thirty years ago, I learned how to release myself from years of ongoing stiffness and pain. I was a massage therapist and yoga teacher at the time, unaware that I had become addicted to daily stretching to release chronic tension in my body caused by misaligned bones.
In the years since, I've traveled the world studying people who carry heavy loads on their heads with ease, written books, taught classes to adults and children, created an online course, and devised a bones-based path back to inhabiting our body as Nature always intended it.
Today, I'm nearing 80 and still reaping the benefits of being pain-free, easily flexible (without stretching!, comfortably relaxed, and (mostly) full of vitality.
My journey with natural alignment didn't just transform my own struggles with pain. It ignited a lifetime mission in me to develop visually detailed ways of simplifying and sharing this overlooked and revolutionary information with anyone, anywhere—
Natural alignment is your birthright.
We're here to help you reclaim it,
wherever in the world you happen to be.
IF:
you struggle with stiffness and/or pain and nothing you've tried before has brought you the lasting relief you seek.
No matter your age—whether young, older or in-between, whether you've tried exercise-based remedies or various therapeutic treatments, the enduring kind of relief you dream of continues to elude you.
You find that even when the chronic tension, stiffness, or pain you experience does improve somewhat, it always returns.
To say that you feel discouraged and disheartened, is an understatement.
IF:
you wonder if the growing stiffness you experience is connected to your gradually collapsing posture.
You're definitely not getting younger, and now you notice you're taking on the stature of a much older person. You wake up feeling stiff each morning, and getting up and down from the floor (or maybe a chair?!) is becoming more of an effort these days.
You worry that you're doomed to keep shrinking with each passing year. SPOILER ALERT: You're not!
The GOOD NEWS is it's never too late to make improvements that matter, even if you can't turn back the clock to where you once began.
IF:
you're a doctor, health worker, fitness or wellness coach, and you're frustrated because you're unable to help some patients/clients find relief from chronic pain.
You chose the work you do out of a sincere wish to help others. You recognize the benefits of giving your patients, clients or students the tools they need to know how to participate in their own healing.
This is why it's especially disappointing when you find yourself at a loss to know how to assist with resolving chronic pain of unknown cause in those who trust you and turn to you for help.
"Kathleen's work, to me, has been personally transformative."
I am a family physician treating my share of patients with back pain, neck pain, osteoporosis, and dysfunctional labor . . . Kathleen Porter's observation of peoples around the world who retain their natural alignment, relaxation and movement is a clear window into the healing of the chronic pain syndromes of our culture.
Leah Morton, M.D.
Santa Fe. New Mexico
Let's talk for a moment about the "P" word—Posture—
sometimes loaded with expectations, guilt, and
memories of being scolded to "sit up straight!"
We've been taught that "good" posture means a lifted-up chest, pulled-back shoulders, and a rigid spine
(see "tense dog" below)—all of which work against the body's natural design.
It takes a lot of tension to hold the chest up.
This over-correction drives the epidemic of aches and pains just as much as "sad dog" slouching does.
Course lessons are richly illustrated (often animated) including video demonstrations with models.
While the course is self-directed, you can contact me directly via email if you ever feel stuck or have questions.
You'll have access to the lessons for the lifetime of the course,
to revisit as often as you like.
Revisiting lessons is an important feature of this course.
Since we're re-mapping long-held habits, it's helpful to be able
to review the material and return to it at any time.
Even while in-person instruction offers obvious advantages, it comes with limitations—class sessions come to an end, in-person follow-up can be expensive, and in-person lessons are not readily available in most locations.
The Pain-Free Living with Natural Posture course transforms this experience. Visually rich video lessons—complete with clear instructions and helpful animations— guide you through the steps in the course. Help is available whenever you need support or wish to deepen your understanding.
Repeating lessons as often as you wish is a key benefit of this course.
As you begin remapping long-held habits and movement patterns, having the ability to revisit specific details is a bonus. This allows you to deepen your understanding through review and repetition of key concepts, if needed, as your body rediscovers elements of its natural wisdom.
Mindfully applying the lessons to daily movement—tying your shoes, lifting a heavy box, navigating stairs, tending your garden, or simply rising from a chair—reinforces your natural blueprint. These everyday moments become powerful components of transformation, as your body and brain collaborate to rediscover how to live and move as a naturally aligned human. The more you integrate these principles into ordinary activities, the more effortlessly they become your new normal.
In other words . . .
This is not a once-and-done-it kind of course.
It's not a "quick fix" either, because—there is no such thing!
However, this can be your REAL FIX, as there is a high rate of success—
especially for chronic pain or discomfort of unknown cause.
Of course, certain injuries and conditions are beyond being repaired by realigning one's bones. Yet, even when the cause of your pain has a name such as sciatica, herniated disc, or stenosis, there's always more to the story.
You might have been told that tight muscles in your back or hips are putting pressure on your sciatic nerve or are compressing an intervertebral disc in your spine. It would seem reasonable for a daily stretching regimen to be prescribed for you.
But what if we flip the script? What if those tight muscles are connected to misaligned bones causing them to be tight? They usually are.
Same diagnosis, different root cause—and everything changes.
While traditional exercises, massage, and dozens of other therapies can offer immediate relief, resolution of the underlying skeletal misalignment is usually the most reliable path to lasting comfort.
" I kept thinking it shouldn't be this hard
to be human.
It turns out I was right! "
As an occupational therapist, I still struggled with chronic hip, back, shoulder, knee, and foot pain for over 20 years. It seemed I had tried every exercise approach, every treatment, and consulted with every specialist under the sun.
Injections and spinal fusion were recommended. That's when I decided to figure out how to heal myself.
Kathleen and her alignment work changed everything, and I began to feel better almost overnight! Since then, I've been able to work alongside my partner in creating a homestead and building our house ourselves.
We recently took a 10-day bike trip!
Now when I encounter discomfort, I understand it's something I will be able to resolve."
Liz Vogel Vernonia, Oregon Preparing cob for the house : )
Being sedentary is never a healthy option.
Regular movement is crucial to our health,
providing many benefits.
Luckily, there are many satisfying ways to move and stay active.
As you age . . .
the time will come when muscle strength and flexibility gained through repetitive strength training and stretching, will become more challenging to maintain. Without bones and muscles working harmoniously, you'll have to spend more and more time in an eventually futile attempt to prevent yourself from giving into shrinking collapse without the easy support of aligned bones.
The image below illustrates this progression. Exercise, in and of itself, doesn't predict how we age as much as HOW we inhabit our bodies while we exercise and move through our days.
We don't know if the elderly man in the brown shirt above was physically active in his younger years. However, being active would not have prevented him from gradually collapsing without the foundational support of vertically aligned legs (the wrinkles in his pants reveal this). The people in the top row are relying on muscles alone, a scenario that never ends well. Without authentic support from aligned bones, the spine loses its ability to be upright.
The man in the blue shirt in the next row directly beneath him in the next row is supported by solidly vertical legs and well-planted pelvis that support an elongated spine. This alignment keeps him on track to be comfortably upright throughout the years ahead. Ditto for everyone pictured to his left.
These images (left) reflect what we've tragically come to accept as "normal" aging. I came across the wordless sign that screams, "Caution: Old People Crossing!" sign near a retirement home in Portugal. It tells the heartbreaking story of how we've normalized structural collapse as if it were an inevitable feature of aging.
What makes this especially poignant is knowing these people could probably have avoided this fate. Had they understood the fundamental importance of a naturally positioned (anteverted) pelvis supported by vertical legs, their spines would have remained elongated, and their journey into old age is likely to have been dramatically different.
Now look closely at these elders (right). Their bodies reveal what lifetime alignment truly means: vertical legs that provide solid pillars of support, elongated and supple spines, and joints that move freely, unencumbered by misalignment.
When I met the 93-year-old woman pictured squatting (bottom right), she was carrying a basket with an enormous load of bananas on her head. Later, she bent down to pick up something off the ground, and as you can see, she still bends the way she did when she was a toddler.
This woman has maintained the solid strength of her legs and the easy mobility of her knees and hips by bending this way for over ninety years. I'm pretty sure she has never "exercised" other than to live a physically active life, nor is she likely to have ever heard of a gym.
This isn't the artificial strength of acquired muscle.
This is the original power of our human design.
Such vital aging is the outcome of maintaining the body's natural blueprint—
kept alive in these people since childhood.
The good news is that long-forgotten movement patterns
can be re-learned, and mechanical strength
and fluid mobility regained.
This is where
Pain-Free Living with Natural Posture comes in—
to guide you through learning HOW
to inhabit your body and move it naturally!
The photos of these aligned older people were taken twenty-two years ago,
and while it's likely they have all passed on by now,
something else profound is fast disappearing:
their example of natural aging.
As technology now reaches into the world's most remote corners,
younger generations everywhere are becoming glued to digital screens,
unaware they are likely trading their birthright of easeful alignment
for the gradual structural collapse so pervasive in modern society.
We're witnessing the twilight of this living wisdom.
Soon, keepers of humanity's natural blueprint will all be gone,
along with
actual physical evidence that structural collapse
is not an inevitable feature of aging—
or just being human.
"Wow! This all makes so much sense!"
I hear this a lot when people first grasp these overlooked concepts. And of course,
it does make perfect sense that we humans who live in technologically advanced places
in the world, despite our many remarkable accomplishments, have lost our way.
We have forgotten our evolutionary design
and our inseparable physical relationship with the natural world,
of which we are all a part.
It's not just about old folks and aging . . .
During the year I traveled to faraway places, I was continuously struck by the stunning differences between the way young local people (top row) inhabited their bodies compared to the tourists who visited their countries.
This montage tells a powerful story of contrasting skeletons in relationship to gravity. In the TOP ROW, we see bodies in harmony and partnership with gravity—relaxed, aligned, at ease— poetry in motion.
BELOW, we witness the all-too-familiar struggle against gravity's downward pull,
a battle marked by structural collapse, distorted muscles, and discomfort.
The solution to this might seem obvious:
stretch what's tight, and strengthen what's weak.
For one thing, this can feel good—temporarily—but soon we find
we are having to repeat stretching and/or strengthening
. . . without end.
Why?
Because focusing on muscles (including fascia),
addresses the symptoms and not the root cause of our problem.
Developing strength and stretching muscle tension have value in specific therapeutic situations, PROVIDED THAT structural integrity is upheld to maintain the wholeness of the musculoskeletal system.
Transforming your alignment requires you to go deeper
—bone-deep!—
and begin with putting your bones where they belong in relationship with each other.
It's not hard to do this—you just need to know HOW it's done.
(Pssst! Pain-Free Living with Natural Posture shows you how!)
⭐️⭐️ If you truly love your gym routine, go right ahead and keep it! But do consider this: Your future comfort and health is likely to be best served if you take the time to understand your body's natural design—the actual "form" you will need to apply to your gym workouts— and everything else you do.
"Building muscle" can be beneficial, especially as a way to head off sarcopenia (lowering muscle mass) as we age. But such benefits are often undermined without the support of aligned bones while working out.
A more productive and sustainable goal in strength training at any age is to become naturally strong, not just bulky or "shredded."
Otherwise, it's like painting over rust when you ignore the deeper (bone-deep) misalignment problem that often leads to common injuries, muscle imbalance, a dependence on workout sessions, and joint restriction and mobility problems down the road.
The benefits of movement throughout your life multiply when you're aligned while moving and exercising.
Naturally aligned movement sustains itself in everything you do and gracefully carries you along into old age.
Natural alignment isn't just for people who live far away.
It's your forgotten birthright!
It belongs to each one of us!
When you sign up for
Pain-Free Living with Natural Posture
A new module will land in your inbox once a week for 10 weeks.
Simple, clear videos guide you through each module, with time to apply and integrate what you've learned before adding the next layer of information. Slow and steady is how you will succeed with applying this to yourself.
When I first learned this, I wanted to know how long it would take
for me to master it, so I wouldn't have to think about it anymore. 😂
The answer, of course, is never!
And this turns out to be a wonderful thing.
Learning to align your bones is an invitation to become more mindful.
You pay attention to not just having a body,
but BEING a body,
moment by moment for the rest of your life.
Well, at least as often as you can remember . . . 😉 Everybody forgets a lot in the beginning!
Never mind. Just keep going.
There's no final destination. Just an ongoing and unfolding journey anchored in your body.
Natural alignment and mindfulness are perfect partners because
practicing one enhances the other.
This combines the best of both worlds as you become
Embodied Presence
Rather than working to build a new body, you'll be uncovering the one still waiting to be rediscovered.
" I cannot express the life-changing benefits of the work Kathleen Porter does. I joined this course after a crippling back operation that left me with left leg numbness and no reflex in my right knee. I had to use a walker and was advised not to bend or twist.
I am 69 years young and have three beautiful grandchildren and was unable to enjoy being with them. After googling madly, I found Kathleen and started her online course.
Now I have a wonderful life, walker-free, going on picnics, and able to play with my grandchildren.
I am leading a normal life again.
I have to pinch myself sometimes to believe that this has happened."
When you sign up for
Pain-Free Living with Natural Posture:
-
You'll be guided through a step-by-step process of learning how to align your bones according to our human design. This is THE KEY to easeful living since muscles that attach to aligned bones become naturally elastic, rather than tight or weak.
-
You'll re-discover the strong, yet relaxed, middle way found between slouching and tense over-corrected posture. It's likely you once knew this aligned way of being as a small child—so how hard can it be, right?
-
Your muscles won't complain so much, now that your bones will be doing their assigned job of providing the underlying framework Nature intended for them to for you all along.
-
You'll learn how to apply the basic alignment principles to sitting, standing, walking, bending, lifting, carrying, reaching, and much more—and how to incorporate these various actions into everything else you do.
-
You'll be taking that first giant step forward on the path of transforming your body from longstanding habits and patterns of tension, stiffness, pain, disconnection, structural collapse, overcorrection— the list goes on . . . and you'll discover the freedom that awaits you at the other end.
-
You'll be guided in the years ahead by a key fundamental principle: Your bones must align in a specific arrangement that distributes gravitational forces through them. Learn to embody this one detail (sadly, doctors and today's fitness culture have overlooked or misunderstood this) and you'll feel great today, and age with ease tomorrow.
"Each module is a stepping stone
along a seemingly magical path of renewal."
Heather MacMillan
12 Modules delivered over 10 weeks.
An Alignment Overview
It all begins with a brief overview of details of related to natural alignment, which is delivered at the same time as Module 2: Sitting.
The Basics of Sitting
You'll be sitting pretty, and oh-so-comfortably, once know how to position your pelvis for supporting an upright spine
Your True, Deepest Core
There's a ton of misunderstanding about our true core, but this will sort it out for you, once and for all. Your core is key to everything.
Neck & Shoulders Together
Your neck and shoulders each have to do their part. Learn how to help them get along and enjoy how good it feels when they stop complaining.
More Ways to Sit
Whether in a chair, on a couch, driving a car, or on the floor, here are tips for sitting galore. You'll want to have some pillows on hand.
Standing on Two Legs
You might be in line at the grocery store or waiting to vote, once you know how it's done, you can even meditate while you wait.
Support from the Earth
Feet are good at letting us know when we've strayed from their natural design. It's not a quick fix, but it's the one you'll need 4ever.
Bending is Pure Gold
This may come as a surprise, but bending is one of the most healing ways to transform your body, when you know how to do it.
Take Yourself for a Walk
Walking naturally does wonders for transforming unhelpful patterns of movement. So get your leash (really!) and take yourself for a walk ; )
Deep Resting & Renewal
Whether lying down to rest or sleep for the night, relaxation is especially deep when your body aligns itself in a resting position.
Mindfulness Is Key
Applying mindfulness to yourself as much as you can remember, is a key factor in your success with all of this.
Resources and Tips
Here's where you'll find a list of resources and some tips that provide support and help to keep you going.
Repositioning my bones brings an immediate feeling of relief and relaxation.
Now whenever I notice I'm stressed or in some unpleasant mood state, I check out my alignment. As a shrink, I ask myself if some of the symptoms my patients experience could be caused by the constant muscle tension of living in an unaligned body.
Daniela Gitlin, M.D.
Plattsburg, NY
Taking Kathleen’s Alignment Basics workshop changed my life.
At 67, I was experiencing neck, shoulder, and knee pain that worsened with age and seemed chronic. The pain melted away, along with what felt like a lifetime’s worth of stored tension. I began performing life’s daily activities—bending, squatting, climbing stairs, reading in bed—in total comfort again.
Martha Raglund
Portland, OR
The biomechanics of the course, coupled with her passion and grace made this the best!
Excellent! I encourage more courses from her for she inspires easy, wonderful learning.
John Metcalf, Ph.D., M.D.
Pittsburgh, PA
Joining today is 100 % Risk Free!
You'll have time to dip into the course to see if it feels right for you.
If you should decide for any reason it's not, just let us know
within 14 days of signing up,
and we'll refund your purchase in full.
My mission is to make this information available to anyone, anywhere
at a price that is affordable.
After years of studying various kinds of bodywork in order to correct my scoliosis, I’ve learned profound yet simple, easy to apply tools that have virtually relaxed my spine and posture almost overnight.
If this training was incorporated into public schools and yoga training, our society would discover a whole new comfort and ease with ourselves.
Sarah Smucker
Orville, OH
Kathleen's teaching is revolutionary. She states a case that could change the Western world (and should!)
The way she presents things is very inviting, comprehensive, and she never leaves a stone unturned. She is non-judgmental and answered every question with profound wisdom.
Patra Conley
Portland, OR
~ FAQ ~
Where your questions get answered
Reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions you have that aren't answered here.
Who will benefit from this course?
Aren't in-person classes more effective than online ones?
How long will it take to correct my posture? Days? Months? Or years?
How are the lessons delivered and what do they include?
If this approach to posture is really based on science, why don't we know all this already?
How do you define the real value of this course?
What if I need help with tech issues or I need a new password?
What if I don't like the course?
"In spite of a lengthy yoga practice, I was still in pain."
Kathleen seemed to have a new approach, so I signed on. This has been the most valuable workshop I have ever taken, and I hope it will be repeated here at Omega next year. Everything immediately made sense and I have been feeling an enormous release from my chronic pain.
Nancy Cavenaugh
New York, NY
"No surgery! Can you imagine?!"
I am so grateful we were put in the same place so I could benefit from this pain-free way of living.
The depth and breadth of this presentation is by far the best I have ever seen. You have mastered the art of communicating the information. Just by the common sense of its architecture, the body becomes the star!
Mia Flato
Portland, OR
"I cried when I realized that I could feel better. "
After two back surgeries I was still in almost constant pain. I thought I was fated to be this way forever. I didn’t see much point in doing this because nothing else I had tried did much good, but my husband insisted after meeting Kathleen.
Kathleen showed me I could straighten my spine and take pressure off areas of pain.
Tracy Maddox
Portland, OR
$497 USD
OR 3 Monthly payments of $175
INCLUDES:
— Continuous access to all materials included in Pain-Free Living with Natural Posture course—for always!
— Any and all future updates to the course materials (More soon!)
