Body language is a vital form of communication.
How you move reveals to the world and to you your inner state of affairs. It is a direct reflection of how you have chosen to live your life.
Research shows that 55% of our communication is conveyed by the body language we use.
Use of the voice, it’s quality, use of tone and inflections conveys 38% of our communication and only 7% is expressed in the words we use
What is your body saying to the world right now?
When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive countless wordless signals. All of our nonverbal behaviors—the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make—send strong messages.
Posture is not static, we are always moving, making postural adjustments constantly, even when we are still. It is like our personal signature in physical space – representing the unique characteristics and style that is unmistakably ours.
The way we hold ourselves and move about is a physical expression of our individuality and our personality.
From our posture, stance and gait, our friends can recognize us from afar or quite often even in the dark, even if they are unable to see our face.
Our posture (movement) is shaped and moulded by our unique blend of emotions. These are stored and deeply embedded in the body. Over time, the habitual and predominant use of a particular emotion creates our own signature stamp, our posture.
How we hold ourselves also affects how we view ourselves – how we feel.
◆ Stand with your usual stance. Notice where the weight is under your feet – rolled inward? rolled more outward?, in the heels or balls of the feet? Stay there a moment and notice how your body responds. What attitude do you sense you would project to a bystander now?
◆ After a short pause, make a slight adjustment in your stance. Ensure your feet are hip width apart. Roll your feet so you are standing with more weight toward the 3rd and 4th toes.
◆ Notice how that change in your feet affected the rotation of your legs, the feeling in your lower back and the relationship of your chest and head to each other.
◆ Breathe in this position. Do you sense you would relate to others a bit differently here?
Now comes the fun part.
How can you use this information?
By paying steady attention and growing constant awareness, you can learn new patterns of posture and movement.
Adjust your body language (play with body use) when you talk to people, individually or in group presentations. How do you feel? What do you notice?
Remember, just as your body language sends powerful messages to those around you it also sends powerful messages to your own brain, which in turn influences your attitude. Think of it as a form of self-talk.
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