Posture and Gestures

I think I have bitten off more than I can chew with this blog. I am obligated to write 5 posts, so I think my original itinerary is a bit ambitious. Currently, I would like to talk about Posture and Gestures. How we hold ourselves in daily life, our posture, our stance, all says something about us and our relation to our surroundings, and how we communicate.

Imagine talking to someone with their arms crossed, it seems like a barrier. Fingers crossed can mean wishful thinking or telling a lie. While someone's head nodding up and down seems like agreement and head shaking from side to side seems like a negative or a "no" . In some cultures, these movements are exactly the opposite. Nodding means no, and shaking means yes,this seems an important gesture to get right.

Imagine someone leaning in towards you; "invading" your space. This can seem aggressive, but in some cultures,. this is not an invasion of space. But for a North American this can unconsciously feel like being forced to  move back, or stand ground which can be uncomfortable. Another subtle  gesture is loud sighing. Sighing when someone is giving a presentation can signify loss of attention, can be disconcerting for the speaker, but can also be meant to mean no harm. A sigh can just be a sigh. 

Winking is a gesture that can be used to catch someone's eye in a playful way, can signify a joke and can also be misunderstood and considered a sexual overture. Clapping can be showing appreciation for someone's work, but slow clapping, by teenage girls to other teenage girls is bullying. Finger snapping can be used to get someone's attention, i.e. a waiter's attention,  rudely, or in the 60's was an accompaniment to the reading of "Beat Poetry", a rhythm.

A standing ovation means appreciation and respect. The gesture of "talking to the hand' is disrespectful and stifles communication. Smiling can be encouraging, or ironic. Everything depends on the context and the environment. Understanding and education of cultural customs goes a long way.

For the hearing impaired in our church, we have been asked to rub out hands together to visually show appreciation. The hearing members find this a warm and contemplative gesture. Two hands clasped or touching over the heart can signify prayer, love or peace. A nice gesture to end with