Muscle memory dies hard - how long til it feels normal to be straight?

[Naiad]

UGH!! 

So I am now working on one of my most critical and remaining riding position flaws. My pelvis has a slight rotation to the left, which pushes my left leg back and my foot tends towards tippy-toes - and then my less flexible right/hip and leg move forwards relative to that left leg.

I am doing steady simple work every ride with Amigo, so I can really pay attention to my position to ensure it is straighter (even if not perfect, I want to be at least reasonably straight). But when I straighten myself out now, it feels sooooo wrong. So much so, that even though I know I have corrected it, I feel quite convinced I cannot possibly be straight so I keep looking down at my body all ready to correct something - and even though I feel all crooked, I am not actually that crooked. It just feels AWFUL!!

I wonder how long it will take to get rid of this muscle memory? Any ideas anyone?

[Erin's mum]

Have you got an exercise ball? I have been finding recently that using this to practice balance is helping me to begin to be straighter in the saddle simply because if i'm not straight on the ball I fall off  The exercises I have been doing are very simple- firstly sitting on the ball and then taking both feet off the ground and balancing on it, secondly putting all fours on the ball and balancing then lifting an arm up and balancing. The latter I guess is more about core stability than straightness but may help you! Re muscle memory, think it takes a while i'm afraid to say  but the fact you're concentrating on it a lot i'm sure will mean it'll come quicker than average 

[Nettie]

Sorry - it's yet another book recommendation for your groaning shelves . But the excercises suggested in this book may very well help. It explains how poor posture can develop from physical or emotional truma as well as cultural influences and looks at how to fix this. 
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Rules-Posture-Stand-Modern/dp/1594771243/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1303991379&sr=8-1

[shoveltrash]

i've recommended a book "Living Pain Free" many times here......because it works.  here's a link to the website: http://www.egoscue.com/painfree/themethod.php

personally, i have found that exaggerating what i want to 'fix' position-wise really helps. 

[Naiad]

thanks for exercises, book ideas. much appreciated.

What scares me is that if not for horse riding, I might never have noticed this asymmetry - as to the rest of the world, I look to have nice posture. I could have spent my entire life with this slight pelvic rotation. 

[Torsornin]

10,000 perfect repetitions

thoughts count too

I know this is an older thread - just saw it

I know mary waneless isnt hugely supported here - but her one book really goes into detail about learning, maps and muscle memory - I have found it soooo helpful!