Creating Inner Strength Through Power Posing
Our bodies change our minds, and our minds change our behavior and our behavior can change our outcomes. ~Amy Cuddy
Recently a friend shared something that happened to her, when her teenage son, who played on the high school football team, was seriously hurt during a game. She had decided to take him to the emergency room to see if he may have sustained a concussion or brain injury. While she was waiting for him to emerge from the locker room, his coach came out with an attitude of dominance. My friend described the coach as “posturing,” as he stood glaring at her, with his arms crossed. The message she received was a threatening accusation about her being an overprotective mother.
This situation could have gone in many directions but here is what happened: at first, realizing the uselessness of being in reactivity, she stopped and took a few deep breaths. This allowed her to come to rest within her anxiety. Then she simply stood for a moment, not moving or speaking as her nervous system to came back into balance. She gently shifted her posture–standing straight, making eye contact, shoulders back, hands on hips, chest thrust slightly forward. At that point, without any words exchanged between them, the coach’s whole demeanor softened — he relaxed, dropped his arms to his side and even smiled.
This was the result of my friend surrendering into the situation in order to take back her power. No conflict, no struggle resulting in a win-win for everyone involved.
We humans are deeply, often unconsciously, influenced by non-verbal expressions. How we sit and stand dictates how we feel about ourselves and how others receive us. When our posture is closed, we convey fear and powerlessness. When our posture is open, we convey confidence and strength. Our posture has a direct impact on the outcome of life’s situations.
In a 2012 study social psychologist, Amy Cuddy states that “Power Posing,” boosts testosterone which increases confidence, and reduces cortisone which decreases stress.*
Creating Your Own Power Pose
The basics of creating a personal Power Pose:
- Before you start, consider using an essential oil blend, Believe.** It has been known to help calm and ground the spirit while stimulating the mind, helping us to Believe in our own limitless potential. Inhale. Apply. Diffuse.
- As you stand to face your day or the next segment in your day, stand tall, shoulders relaxed.
- Extend the neck, as though the head were being gently pulled up by a string.
- Stand with feet apart, knees slightly bent, and sweep your arms out to the sky to gather energy.
- Breathe several rounds of conscious breaths and feel your strength rise.
- Combine this with an affirmation that supports you in your journey. Repeat the affirmation in a confident, strong voice at least 3 times. If you’d like some awesome suggestions, check out this list from Louise Hay: https://www.louisehay.com/affirmations/
My favorite power poses are the Goddess yoga pose and the wonder woman pose. Do you have a favorite?
*Harvard Business School Working Paper, “The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High-Stakes Social Evaluation,”(https://dash.harvard.edu/handle/1/9547823)
**Before using any essential oils, please take a moment and read this brief disclaimer:
Enjoy this 20+ minute video where Amy Cuddy talks about body language:
I hope you loved reading this story as much as I loved writing it. If so, I’d love those claps and comments, let me know your thoughts. And you can buy me a cup of coffee!
Lee Byrd
Mystic, Lightworker, Intuitive Guide Essential Oil Educator Website: LeeByrdMystic.com Email: [email protected] Private one-on-one sessions available: https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/about/private-sessions/ Join us for Sunday Morning Guided Meditation: https://www.leebyrdmystic.com/about/meditation/meditations/ Subscribe: Everyday Wisdom weekly email: http://eepurl.com/gm8STj Help get my book published: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/help-lee-byrd-publish-her-book
