Title: Your Body posture can change your brain.Source: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/your-body-posture-can-change-your-brain/2710394.html

Title: Your Body posture can change your brain.Source: http://learningenglish.voanews.com/content/your-body-posture-can-change-your-brain/2710394.html

Your Body Posture Can Change Your Brain

From VOALearningEnglish, this is theHealth&Lifestylereport.Wehaveknownfor alongtimethatourbodyposture thewayweholdourbodieswhenwesit,standorwalk--tellstheworldalotaboutus.Peoplewhowalkwiththeirheadsbentdowncan appearunsure, or notconfident,aboutthemselves.Whilepeoplewhowalkwiththeirshouldersbackandheadsheldhighappearconfident.Butcanourbodypostureaffectthewaywesee ourselves? AsocialpsychologistnamedAmyCuddy believesitcan. And shewantstosharethisinformation withtheworld.Thenow-famousTEDtalkMorethan24millionpeoplehaveviewedAmyCuddysTEDtalkonpowerposing. It is thesecondmostviewedTEDtalkin thehistoryofallTEDtalks.TEDis anon-profitorganizationwithonegoal: tospreadideasin theformof shorttalks.Thepowerof the powerpose hastakenon alifeof itsown.MsCuddy speaksallovertheworldsharingthepowerof thetwo-minutepowerpose. Shesayshergoalit toempowerthepowerless.Beforefacingyournextstressfulsituationor adifficultchallenge,Ms.Cuddywantsyoutotaketwominutestopowerpose.Spreadyourarmswideaboveyourheadasifyouarewinningarace.Or,standlikethesuperheroWonderWomanwithhandsonhipsandfeetshoulder-widthapart.Holdtheseposesfor atleasttwominutes.AccordingtoresearchbyMs.Cuddyandhercolleaguesyourbrainchemistrywillchange, givingyoumoreconfidence.TheexperimentAmyCuddyis aprofessoratHarvardBusinessSchool.Backin 2010, shebecameinterestedinmaleandfemalebodylanguagefromwatchingstudentsinoneofherclasses. Shesaid, for themostpart, themenheldpowerposes.Thesestudentswouldtakeupalotofphysicalroomin theclass.Theywould raisetheirhandsandanswerquestions.MsCuddysaidthefemalestudents, for themostpart,didtheexactopposite.Theysatwiththeirlegstogetherandmadetheirbodiesassmallaspossible.Theyseemedunsurewhentheyraisedtheirhandstoanswerquestions.MsCuddyknewmuchaboutbodylanguageas asocialscientist.Bodylanguageiswhatthelookofourphysicalselfcommunicatestoothers. ButProfessorCuddystartedtowonderwhatourindividualbodylanguagesaystoourindividualselves.So, shesetupanexperimentwithcolleagueDanaCarney,thenasocialpsychologistatColumbiaUniversity. Thetwowomenwantedtoknowifa personsbodylanguageaffectedthebrainschemistry.Theyasked42menandwomentorandomlyholdhigh- orlow-powerposes. Theresearchersdidnottellanyof theparticipantsin theexperimentwhat theyweretesting.Peoplein thehigh-powerposegroupheldposessuchasputtingtheirfeeton adeskwiththeirhandsbehindtheirheadsorstretchingarmsoutwideasifwinningarace.Peoplein thelow-powergroupheldposessuchassittingin achairwitharms heldcloseto thebodywithhandsfoldedorstandingwitharmsandlegscrossedtightly.Bothgroupsheldtheposesfortwominutes.ThenMs.CuddyandMs.Carneytestedhormonelevelsof thestudysubjects. Thebrainchemistryofboth groupshadchanged.Theresearchersfoundthattwominutesofhigh-powerposingloweredthestresshormonecortisolandincreasedlevelsoftestosterone.Also,allthesubjectsin thehigh-powerposegroupsaidtheyfeltpowerfuland incontrolafterthepose.Theyalsotookmorerisksduringtheexperiment.Lower-powerposingdidtheopposite itraisedcortisollevelsandloweredtestosteronelevels.Theselow-powerposersalsotookfewerrisksduringthecourseof theexperiment.Howdothesechemicalsaffectthebrain?Toomuchcortisolinterfereswithlearningandmemory.Highcortisollevelsalsoincreasetheriskofdepressionandmentalhealthproblems.Testosterone, on theotherhand, is thehormonelinkedtoassertivenessand confidence.Ms.Cuddy,Ms.CarneyandanotherColumbiaUniversityresearcher,AndyYap,co-wrotethe 2010study. It waspublishedin thejournalPsychologicalScience.Ms.Cuddyandhercolleaguesfoundthatbodylanguageandposturecantemporarilychangethechemistryofourbrains.MsCuddyhassaidhergoalforresearchingthissubjectwas not tocreate testosterone-driven,super-competitivepeople. She hassaidthat thisresearchcanhavereallife-changingeffectsonpeoplewhofeelpowerlesspeoplewhoarehealingfrom anillness,facingajobloss, ordealingwithabuse orbullying.Sheaddsthatanyoneneedinghigherconfidencelevels-- fromathletesandperformerstopeopleheadingintoajobinterview--couldbenefitfrompowerposing.FakeittillyoumakeitMs.Cuddysaysshealsowantstohelppeoplewhohavewhatsomepsychologistscallthe impostersyndrome. The impostersyndrome is the feelingthatyoudonotdeserveto bewhereyouare and thatyouwillsoonbe discoveredto be afake, or well, animposter.Sheknowstheimpostersyndromewell.Atage19whileincollegegettingherundergraduatedegree,Ms.Cuddywas in aseriouscaraccident. Theaccidentleftherwithaseverebraininjury.Doctorsadvisedhertogiveupherdreamsofgettinganadvanceddegreeandtakeanotherpathinlife. Shesaysshe wasalwaysknownas anintelligentgirl andgoodstudent. Thenewswasdifficulttohear.Finally,Ms.Cuddydecidedtostayincollege. Sheworkedhardand,eventhoughittookherfouryearslongerthaneveryoneelse, shefinallygother degree. ShewantedtogetherMastersdegreeatPrincetonUniversityandfoundanadvisorwhobelievedinher.ButMs.Cuddylosthernerve. Shetoldheradvisorshewantedtoquit. She feltlikeanimposterwhowas notgoodenoughto be atPrinceton.Heradvisor orderedherto go toclassand tojustfakeit.Fakeittillyoumakeit, is the expressionheradvisorused.Ms.Cuddycontinuedfakingit,gettingmoreandmoreconfident. Shefakedit allthewaytoHarvardBusinessSchoolwhereshe isnowaprofessor.Then Ms.Cuddysimplyforgottofakeit.Sheforgotuntilonedaywhenafemalestudentcameintoherofficeandsaidshewantedtoquit.Thisstudentsaidshefeltasifshe didntbelong.Ms.Cuddytoldthegirl, You dobelong! andgavethestudentthe fakeittillyoumakeitspeechthatMs.Cuddysadvisorgaveherallthoseyearsago.It was at thatmomentAmyCuddyrealizedthatfinallyshe hadmadeit. She no longerfeltlikeanimposter. She hadbecomethepersonshewantedto be. She hassincechangedtheexpressionto fakeittillyoubecomeit.AmyCuddyurgespeopletosharetheinformationonpowerposingwithanyonewhomayneedtofeelmorepowerful. It issimple,freeandmightbe life-changing.ImAnnaMatteo.And ImMarioRitter.AnnaMatteowrotethisstoryforLearningEnglishbasedonAmyCuddysTEDTalkandotherarticles.CatyWeaverwas theeditor.