Remember that these are only clues. The key with NLP is to
calibrate to what is true for each person you meet. In this way
you respect everyone’s unique culture.
So body language is:
All of these elements and more are communicating our
innermost thoughts every moment of every day. It is not that
people don’t recognize these signals—they do. The staff in
one company I worked in knew very well that when the
managing director’s lip became taut and whitened slightly, it
was time to stop asking questions! We do all read one
another’s body language, but many of us have become used to
ignoring signals we detect unconsciously. We have learned to
delete or distort what we pick up intuitively. By developing our
conscious awareness of what these signals might be telling us,
we start to draw on an immense untapped potential in our
communication.
THINKING WITH YOUR BODY 65VoiceHead and faceBodyIntonation
Tone
Accent
Rhythm
Pauses
Facial expressions
Eye movements
Muscle movements
Muscle tension
Skin color
Body movement
Posture
Arm and hand gestures
Frequency and nature of touch,
both self and others
Body rhythm—the kind of
movement or stillness that
is characteristic
Stresses
Speed
Hesitations
Emphasis
Frequency of response to
others
Head movements
Facial lines
Eye contact
Head position
Mouth expressions
Proximity to others
Timing of movements
Breathing rate
Breathing position: high, mid,
or low in chest
Position and direction of legs
and feet