Resting position explained

A resting position or rest position is a default human position or pose assumed (typically deliberately) when a person is not engaged in an activity that demands some other pose, or between poses.

General rest positions

Common resting positions of the body include kneeling, leaning, lying, sitting, and squatting. In microgravity, the relaxed human body naturally assumes neutral body posture.[1]

Rest positions in specific activities

A number of disciplines specify particular resting positions, with various purposes.

Body

Ballet incorporates several resting poses, including a neutral pose described by Cesare Negri and Jacob de Gheyn II with the feet at 45 degrees, back strait, and chin erect.[2] Neoclassical ballet includes a rest or "preparatory" position called "B plus" (possibly named for George Balanchine), also called attitude a terre, in which the standing leg is straight, and the back leg curved with the toe pointed.[3]

Military parade discipline includes standing rest positions, generally assumed following a command of "At ease", "Stand easy", or "Relax".[4] [5]

Some forms of yoga incorporate the Shavasana or "Corpse Pose", a rest position used for wakeful relaxation and meditation, often at the end of a session.[6]

Hands and arms

Gun safety rules generally specify that the trigger finger should not rest on the trigger when not firing, but alongside the trigger guard.[7]

In various sign languages, rest positions may be used to convey grammatical meaning.[8]

In touch typing, the home row is a rest position for the hands, placing all the standard keys within easy reach.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NASA Standards Inform Comfortable Car Seats . NASA . 28 May 2015.
  2. Book: Gilman . Sander L. . Stand Up Straight!: A History of Posture . February 15, 2018 . Reaktion Books . Chapter 5: Dance and the Social Taming of Posture . 9781780239644 . 18 September 2019.
  3. Web site: Minden . Gaynor . Terms & Positions . Dancer.com . 21 October 2013 . 18 September 2019.
  4. Web site: Powers . Rod . Individual Drill Commands: How to Execute Drill Commands . 18 September 2019 . September 17, 2018.
  5. Web site: Understanding Stationary Drill . Military.com . 18 September 2019.
  6. Web site: The History Behind Savasana . Boston Yoga . 6 October 2012 . 7 March 2017.
  7. Web site: Ayoob . Massad . The subtleties of safe firearms handling . Backwoods Home Magazine . January–February 2007 . December 22, 2015.
  8. News: Lackner . Andrea . Sign language has grammar—and it goes way beyond what you do with your hands . 9 September 2019 . . June 28, 2017.
  9. Web site: Home row . Dictionary.com . 11 September 2019.