Your physiology is an incredible indicator of your mental state. It is possible that you have read or heard something about the incredible correlation between your body and your mind. If you watch shows like “the mentalists” or “Lie to me”, you will see the protagonist do amazing things just by watching and manipulating body language.

It is nearly impossible to separate body action and reaction from mental focus. When you are depressed for example, you hunch over, look down, and tend to frown. When you are happy and excited, you tend to look up, arch your back, and smile. Most emotional states tend to have some kind of physiological variant where you are usually assuming this or that body language. It is even possible for some experts to be able to clue in on whether you are lying or being truthful and even on specific  thought patterns.

While most body action can be controlled, to a varying degree, depending on how experienced you are at controlling yourself, there are some physiological reactions that no one is said to be able to control. The most powerful of these is the ‘microexpression’. This is an expression that your face performs so quickly that it is impossible to stop. Some say that some microexpressions actually happen before you are conscious that you are having a certain thought. For example you could have a micro expression of fright before you are even conscious that you are frightened.

What I want to share with you here is something that is a little more down to earth and something that could really help you to control your self and others. Since Physiology is so powerful at indicating mental and emotional states, it was also discovered that changing posture could also CHANGE mental and emotional states. This is actually great because it gives us a barometer that we can use to read hidden subjective experiences and to control our reactions in general.

One of the most powerful and easiest to use physiological indicator is your posture. This is the position of a person’s body when he /she is standing or sitting. You can use your posture as a way to discover your feelings at the moment and to control your mind in that moment also.  To do this, begin to pay attention to your posture as you go about your day.

If you:

• Are leaning forward or in the direction of the person you are engaged in addressing, then you are taking the lead in that situation. It’s possible that you are excited and are intent on making your point. Others are usually aware of this physiological posture and it may cause them to be provoked or overwhelmed. When you are leaning forward you are aggressive and taking charge.
• Are leaning back in general or away from the person that you are talking to, then you are most likely being overwhelmed yourself. It’s possible that you are feeling self conscious or scared. When others see you lean back, they often take it as assign of weakness or that you are not interested in what they have to say.
• Are perfectly centered, not leaning forward or backwards, you are most likely relaxed and feeling un –emotional. A centered position like this usually indicates a balanced mental state and a secure and un-affected confidence. Some people exhibiting this kind of body language could even be lost in reverie, not even present in the current situation, completely involved in a personal daydream. Others see this stance (whether you are sitting or standing), and they feel that you are in control of yourself and balanced. They tend to see individuals showing this body language as being fare, leaders, and mature.

Next time that you find yourself in a social situation, pay attention to how you are standing or sitting. You will discover a lot about your feelings by paying attention to your physiology. And if you feel that you might want to go from feeling one way to feeling another, then change this physiology. You will be amazed how you can control any conversation and your feelings by just paying attention and controlling your body language.