Body Language Foundations

You don’t have to be a professional performer for your body to communicate your emotions, thoughts, and intentions. Nor do you have to be a mind-reader to fathom the people you interact with. What you need is an awareness of nonverbal behavior – including voice and body language – and how it impacts communication. Some movements and expressions are subtle; some are obvious. Some are designed to reveal; others seek to hide. All body movements and facial expressions tell a story. You just need to know what to look for to understand the tale.

Body language speaks the truth. While the spoken word conveys facts, data, and sometimes fake news – your body’s movements, gestures, and facial expressions never lie. No matter what words come out of your mouth – “I love you,” “I’m disappointed,” “I’m fine” – if your body isn’t reflecting what you’re saying, your listeners become confused and believe what they see and sense rather than the words you say.

Your body relays messages about your attitude, intentions, and general state of being. Although there are times when you can’t control your body’s movements or just haven’t a clue what your hands, feet, lips, and eyes are doing, all is not lost. With awareness and practice, you can determine which messages you relay through your gestures, postures, and expressions.

Although body language served as the means of communication long before today’s spoken word, only in the last 150 years or so has nonverbal behavior – including vocal sounds as well as physical gestures, movements, and expressions – been seriously studied. During that time, people have come to appreciate the value of body language as a tool for understanding and enhancing interpersonal communication. Politicians, actors, celebrities, and other high-profile individuals recognize the vital part that their bodies play in conveying their messages.

Each section of this course addresses a specific aspect of body language. In addition to focusing on individual body parts and their role in communicating your thoughts, feelings, and intentions, you discover how to interpret other people’s physical movements, including their gestures and facial expressions, giving you an insight into their mental state before they may be aware of it themselves. You see how performing specific actions and gestures creates the corresponding mental states within yourself and others. You find out how others perceive you and how you perceive them based on nonverbal behaviors. Approach body language respectfully and responsibly, and base your judgments on the clusters of movements you observe and the context in which you see them. Just as one word can’t tell an entire story, nor can one gesture. By aligning your movements with your words, you experience the powerful impact of body language and the clear messages you can convey.