How to Use, When to Use Your Body Language......Important..

Body language is an important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating. If you wish to communicate well, then it makes sense to understand how you can (and cannot) use your body to say what you mean.

Message clusters
Body language comes in clusters of signals and postures, depending on the internal emotions and mental states.  Recognizing a whole cluster is thus far more reliable than trying to interpret individual elements.


 

• Aggressive body language: Showing physical threat.
• Attentive body language: Showing real interest.
• Bored body language: Just not being interested.
• Closed body language: Many reasons are closed.
• Deceptive body language: Seeking to cover up lying or other deception.
• Defensive body language: Protecting self from attack.
• Dominant body language: Dominating others.
• Emotional body language: Identifying feelings.
• Evaluating body language: Judging and deciding about something.
• Greeting body language: Meeting rituals.
• Open body language: Many reasons for being open.
• Power body language: Demonstrating one's power.
• Ready body language: Wanting to act and waiting for the trigger.Relaxed body language: Comfortable and unstressed.
• Romantic body language: Showing attraction to others.
• Submissive body language: Showing you are prepared to give in.

Core patterns

A number of core patterns can be identified that include clusters of body movements:

• Crossing, Expanding, Moving away, Moving forward, Opening, Preening, Repeating, Shaping, Striking and Touching

Parts-of-the-body language

You can send signals with individual parts of the body as well as in concert.

• Head: Face, Cheek, Chin, Mouth, Lips, Teeth, Tongue, Nose, Eyes, Eyebrow, Forehead, Hair
• Arm: Elbow, Hand, Finger
• Torso: Neck, Shoulder, Chest, Back, Belly, Bottom, Hips
• Legs: Thigh, Knee, Foot

Other notes

Remember that body language varies greatly with people and especially with international cultures (so be very careful when applying Western understanding to Eastern non-verbal language).

• Body as Cue, Evidence, Persuasion: How we shape changes how we feel.
• Body language caveat: You can't control all of your muscles. So why bother?
• Emphasis with body language: Adding emphasis to what you are saying.
• Social distances: The space between us.
• Touching: Using physical touch.

You’ll definitely notice a whole new reaction from people if you unleash the power of body language. Everyone communicates non verbally even without having to think about it.

If you want to have a powerful edge in life, you need to convey the proper body language signs, with or without having to say anything else. Here’s how to use the power of body language.

The Approach

First and foremost, you need to establish territory to utilize the power of body language. You’re responsible and confident for anything you are about to do or say during the expected conversation.

Spread your feet without your knees completely locking out. Relax your shoulders, keep your hands at your sides (never inside your pockets) and breathe carefully. Assume an open posture and have a warm, welcoming facial expression as if you look forward to communicating. Depending on the situation, you may smile when appropriate.


Using the Power of Body Language When Conversing


Face the other person or your audience squarely and maintain eye contact as much as possible throughout the conversation. Nodding, arching your eyebrows and tilting your head closer, shows that you are listening.

Do not fold your arms, look down at the floor or put your hands in your pockets. These can subliminally show that you are uninterested.

If you have any comments, you can show it in negative but respectful ways like raising your eyebrows, pressing your lips together and raising your palm up front as if telling the person to pause.

Keys to Confidence

A lot of your body language can show how confident, interested, bored, angered or nervous you are. Keep your head up throughout the entire conversation to show that you are very much into the conversation at hand.

You may feel free to use a few hand gestures to emphasize a point. If you’re enumerating things, it’s better to use each of your fingers as you mention each item to help your audience keep track.

Pacing will help you establish more ground if you have a larger crowd to communicate with. It will also show confidence on your part as you think of more things to say. Swinging your arms and walking tall are good indicators of confidence as well.

Safety Precautions

Avoid fidgeting or twiddling with different items like pens, coins and shirt buttons. Practice feeling comfortable having your arms stick to your sides. If you intend to depict a reserved attitude, you may cross them as needed but open up again with new and accepted ideas. You may sit if it is proper or necessary, but never slouch. Covering your mouth after you speak suggests a false statement or lying.

It is also not recommended to point a finger directly at your audience unless you intend to discriminate or accuse. Be very careful when touching the other person since you are crossing the boundaries of body language through actual contact. Remember that in body language, it is your body that does the talking for you. It is only fair that you dress well to properly send your message across without any unnecessary distractions. The power of body language is fascinating; please use it wisely.