How Does The Body Know Its Mind?

A couple of nights ago I was watching a program called "The Amazing Meeting". In this program a group of skeptics and debunkers offer practitioners or people who promote products to come on stage and prove that it works or that their product works. If they can do so they get $1 million dollars.

In this particular episode I was struck by the claimant's body movements and how he carried himself. He appeared to be about 40 years old but his movements were very juvenile. Unsure, like a 15 year old. He kept shuffling his legs, making them jut out in a way that said 'This-is-probably-not-going-to-work-but-I-really-don't-care-if-it-does-or-not-and-anyway-I'm-going-to-make-it-seem-that-I-can-take-it-or-leave-it'. Very strange body language for someone who offered a product that helps people and in fact he demonstrated quite a few people that benefitted by it. It was one of those bracelet things that supposedly give you energy, balance you and things like this.

He did not get the million dollars.

It did not surprise me that he didn't get the money. What surprised me was how he carried himself. I thought to myself why carry yourself in a way that is rude to your product and rude to your business. No product works for everybody. There will always be someone (more like many) who will hate you, your product, what you stand for and myriad other points of view. There are things that you can do to have success in spite of this but that's a post for another time. For now it is wise to keep in mind that our bodies tell all. Not only how it looks, how we treat it but especially importantly how we move it around. For anyone more interested in The Amazing Meeting just go to Youtube. Google wouldn't pull it up for me.

Before I closed I wanted to also tell you about a book I found on the body and how it affects the minds. Here is a juicy quote:

"At the heart of How the Body Knows Its Mind is the tantalizing idea that our bodies “hack” our brains. The way we move affects our thoughts, our decisions, and even our preferences for particular products. Called “embodied cognition,” this new science—of which Beilock is a foremost researcher—illuminates the power of the body and its physical surroundings to shape how we think, feel, and behave. Beilock’s findings are as varied as they are surprising. For example, pacing around the room can enhance creativity; gesturing during a speech can help ensure that you don’t draw a blank; kids learn better when their bodies are part of the learning process; walking in nature boosts concentration skills; Botox users experience less depression; and much more. From the tricks used by advertisers to the ways body language can improve your memory, Beilock explains a wealth of fascinating interconnections between mind and body and how mastering them can make us happier, safer, and more successful."

Google -

How the Body Knows Its MindThe Surprising Power of the Physical Environment to Influence How You Think and Feel

By Sian Bellock

Note the yeah what of it look on my 17 year old face. Yes I was a smartaleck - sarcastic and always wanting to get the last word!