<strong>BLUSH</strong> | HEALTH & FITNESS POWER in your POSE Research shows strong connections between our mind and body – so when you position your body into a particular pose – you are actually telling your mind how to think... Core of Steel Coach Emily-Rose explains... 90 <strong>BLUSH</strong> | WINTER <strong>2019</strong> sevenstarmedia.co.uk
<strong>BLUSH</strong> | HEALTH & FITNESS If you want to change your mood and feel more powerful and confident, forget the stuff out there that says, “think your way to being happy”, because this alone is not going to cut it! You need to get up, move your body – basically change your physiology and that will change the biochemistry that makes up dominance and stress. As Tony Robbins says: “Physiology creates psychology.” And “Motion creates emotion!” You see, our posture does more than change our emotional state; it has a huge effect on those around us too! Becoming consciously aware of your pose gives you the ability to build rapport with everyone you meet – it’s your superhero power! even the types of hand gestures they use when it’s your turn to speak can level out the power. You will quickly see that you regain a balanced level of rapport – and you are both likely to relax too! If you are not in a great mood, or you aren’t feeling particularly motivated then take note of the way your body is positioned... You’ll probably notice that your body is a bit more slumped over, and if you’re tired, maybe the way you are talking and moving is a bit slower too. Generally, your body posture will be closed-in and smaller than your natural frame. Now picture a dominant person or a highpowered leader, how do you imagine their body is positioned? Their posture would likely be big, open – taking up space: This is called the ‘power pose’. The power pose is incredible, because it not only makes you feel empowered; it also enables you to be less reactive to stress. like it. (The power of a smile is incredible.) Hold the smile for two minutes with one of the following: 1 Power Pose – Hands on Hips 2 Power Pose – Hands behind Head with Leg over Knee 3 Power Pose – Hands in the Air it not only makes you feel empowered; it also enables you to be less reactive to stress. Think of a time when you were speaking to someone who stood in a dominant pose, you may have closed your body off, which in turn made you feel disempowered. We can only feel dominated when we allow ourselves to be dominated! To counteract this, simply mirror the other person’s body language. Little things like matching their facial expressions or the tempo of their voice, Here’s how to effectively use power poses: During everyday interactions, you may want power poses to be a little subtler – we could run around with our arms in the air like an athlete who’s just won a gold medal, but in some settings, this option may not be a suitable reaction. Small adjustments are sufficient in social situations. For example, you could uncross your arms, pop your hands gently on your hips, keep your shoulders back. When you are seated, being mindful that your back is straight and strong and your shoulders are back, creates positivity and a feeling of empowerment. If you want to change your emotional state quickly, or you know you are about to do something that requires confidence, find a bathroom or a private place and use one of the following power poses: Start by smiling, even if you don’t feel How would it feel to feel confident in everything that you do? Amy Cuddy did some research into the power pose and found that in the high-power pose there was a twenty percent increase in testosterone (dominance) and a twenty-five percent decrease in cortisol (stress). As you can imagine, this is not just about changing how we feel in the moment. Once you understand how powerful this technique is, you’ll experience how quickly it affects your entire life! How would it feel to just know that you are totally capable and can assert yourself in situations that you would have previously felt small in? From now on, if you hear the phrase ‘no-one can make you feel anything’ you’ll know it’s completely true, because at any given moment you can whip up your superpower, change rapport, react confidently and totally transform the way that you feel. Enjoy the results! www.coreofsteelcoaching.com sevenstarmedia.co.uk <strong>BLUSH</strong> | WINTER <strong>2019</strong> 91
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