Quick, imagine someone sad and depressed – What does their body language look like? Where are their eyes looking? How about their shoulders? Down and slumped or up and back?
Now imagine someone happy, thrilled, and overjoyed by news of a clean bill-of-health – How is this person moving? Where are their eyes looks? Maybe up and out towards the horizon? How about their shoulders and body posture? Are the shoulders up and back, proud and tall?
What does any of this have to do with IBD?
Power posing, a term coined in Amy Cuddy’s TED talk, is the idea that our movement and posture (how we move and hold our body in space) affects our physiology (how are body functions).
Simply by standing up taller or taking up a bit more space in your immediate environment you can alter and improve hormone levels like testosterone while lowering stress hormones like cortisol.
Do you think this could help you think, feel, move, and even eat better?
Without ANY side-effects…except for the chance of improved well-being, confidence, and outlook towards the world.
Not too bad for a few seconds of improved posture.
Try this:
Watch Amy Cuddy’s Ted talk in the above link. Practice a power pose (arms outstretched overhead) for 30-60 seconds. Notice how you feel before and then after. Is this something that you could easily adopt into your daily habits?
