As you step into greater leadership roles, one of the most powerful tools for commanding a room and inspiring confidence is developing Body Awareness. At its core, body awareness is the ability to tune into the signals your body constantly sends, while also being aware of your posture, gestures, and movement. Ultimately, it’s about understanding the link between your thoughts, emotions, and physical body.
In this installment of my series on Cultivating Self-Awareness, we’ll delve into this important yet often overlooked aspect of leadership. I’ll share practical tips for developing this skill, helping you improve your presence, regulate emotions, communicate more effectively, and deepen relationships. You can read the first article in this series here.
WHY BODY AWARENESS MATTERS
Your body is a powerful communicator, constantly sending messages to those around you and influencing how they perceive you. It’s also in constant dialogue with your own brain, impacting your mood, cognitive performance and self-perception.
Improve Your Presence: When you’re attuned to your body, you will naturally become more present and calm. This projects confidence and commands respect without you uttering a word. This is crucial as you seek to gain influence and visibility.
Regulate Emotions: Learning to recognize the early signs of emotional activation empowers you to intervene before they take over. For example, you might notice:
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- A clenched jaw
- Tension in your shoulders
- Knot in your stomach
Recognizing these signals gives you the chance to pause, manage your emotions, and respond thoughtfully to challenging situations. .
Communicate More Effectively: Your posture, gestures, and facial expressions communicate a great deal about you. Are you conveying strength, authenticity, and openness – or defensiveness and tension? By paying attention to your nonverbal cues, you can better align them with your verbal message. This strengthens your overall impact, especially in high-stakes presentations and conversations.
Increase Empathy: Tuning into your physical state sharpens your ability to read others’ nonverbal cues. This heightened sensitivity improves your empathic abilities, leading to greater trust, rapport, and stronger relationships.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO CULTIVATE BODY AWARENESS
Here are some practices to help you strengthen body awareness. The key to success is regular practice, especially in low-stakes situations. As I often advise my clients, using these techniques for the first time during an important meeting is unlikely to give you the results you want.
- Daily Centering Practice: Several times a day, take a few seconds to intentionally sense your body. Feel your feet firmly planted on the floor, your back supported by your chair, and take a few deep, intentional breaths. If you have an extra minute, perform a quick body scan, moving from head to toe, noticing sensations without judgment.
- Experiment with Posture: Notice your posture as you go about your day. Practice holding your body in different positions. For example, adopt an open posture: head high, shoulders relaxed and back, chest open, hips relaxed, and feet planted. Research from Harvard Business School shows that participants who adopt ‘high power postures’ report feeling more confident and courageous – and are perceived by others as more self-assured.
- Engage in a Movement Practice: Take up a body-focused practice such as yoga, martial arts, or dance. I personally find Qigong to be incredibly beneficial in helping connect my mind and body. The goal is to deepen your connection with your body and enhance your awareness – both of which translate directly to mental clarity and presence.
Becoming more embodied is a fundamental part of your overall self-awareness journey. It isn’t about making big gestures or adopting artificial poses. Instead, it’s about subtle shifts that boost your confidence and comfort, enabling you to lead with greater courage, resilience, and authenticity.