Strike a Pose
Written by: Melanie Groves; Immersion Coaching
Did you know that if you hold a pencil in your teeth and force your face into a “smile” that you actually trigger the same chemical reactions in your body as if you were actually smiling? The things that stick with you from a customer service seminar years ago is funny to me. Go ahead, try it, I’ll wait.
How awesome is that? A quick shift in your mood by holding your muscles a certain way.
While I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time, I get now how we hold our body, our postures, is speaking to us. Like a subtle message driving our communication but also subtly signaling our power to others. I watched a Ted Talk by social psychologist Amy Cuddy where she talks about our body language and its link to confidence. You can watch it here if you haven’t seen it. She introduces the concept of Power Poses. It stuck with me. To this day, I stand like Wonder Woman just before a big moment, be it a big meeting, teaching a new class, even walking into the hospital.
Imagine we can summon confidence with how we hold our bodies. Indulge me in another video but this so brilliantly shows the difference in the player’s entire energy when his teammate gives him a lift.
Now let’s look at using a power pose before answering someone who is questioning your power, your life choices. I don’t know about you, perhaps it’s social media, perhaps it’s more than a year in Covid haze but it feels as though it’s becoming normal to pry and ask overly personal questions. Never before was I asked if I was up to date on my MMR vaccine but it’s all too commonplace to ask, did you get your Covid vaccine? Next will I be asked about my last pap or mammogram? It can be anything. For me the big one is around questioning my life choices. “Why would you ever leave a stable corporate job to follow your heart for a healing practice?” Ooh yeah, that one stings. If I let it, it can deflate me in an instant. What’s that question you get asked? What life choice that you have made that you know deep in your heart is authentically you do you get questioned on? Don’t answer yet! Stop. Breathe. Strike a pose. A power pose. Stand like Wonder Woman chest and head held high. Feet spread and firmly planted with hands on your hips. Feel the confidence oozing. Flowing through you. Now answer.
To get you in the confidence mindset and ready to rock your power poses, sink into this meditation for confidence:
La’akea
