You can be more influential by getting your ideas heard, and in order to do that, you must be fully present and grounded. This is a form of embodiment.
Your wisdom lives in your full body, and often you disconnect from your most powerful ally, yourself.
Zoom and the various forms of virtual communication unintentionally grant permission to disconnect, not only from other participants in the virtual session, but also from your own body. It’s a hurdle to make the effort to stay fully present and engaged. Elements of virtual communication can cause us to feel uncomfortable. When we feel uncomfortable many of us habitually leave the situation, exit, and how we exit is by disconnecting our bodies – choosing intentionally, or not, to be disembodied.
Being Fully Present
If being fully present and embodied builds trust and facilitates authentic communication, then, trust and connecting is sacrificed when you disconnect.
Are you even aware when it happens? It’s not as much a choice as an instinct. Self-awareness is essential to staying intentionally connected and present.
If it’s more beneficial to remain embodied and present, why do we disappear? The most obvious and all-encompassing answer is feeling safe. Your instinct to remain safe is a strong force.
There are so many elements of business communication being conducted virtually that it makes it super challenging. For instance, feeling uncomfortable with being looked at, being on camera, not knowing if anyone is looking at us, the difficulty of jumping into the conversations, etc.
Drone Ideas
When you aren’t connected to your body and feeling grounded, it can seem like you’re sending your ideas into a conversation like a drone – only surveying the situation rather than being present and standing with your idea. You can waffle and then your influence diminishes. Embodiment is the key to maintaining the power of your influence.
What is embodiment exactly?
For actors, embodiment is our most essential tool and process that we use to create a character, psychologically and physically. It’s expressed visibly through the whole body. It’s an honoring of the whole character – head, heart, and gut. Even voice actors involve their whole body in the creation and expression of a character. Sometimes, actors refer to some folks as “talking heads” with an inference that they’re not fully present and not necessarily trustworthy. Lack of embodiment undermines trust.
We’re surrounded by actors, athletes, and speakers that are fully aware of how they embody their experience. Actors explore this concept as they embody the character they’re playing. Their voice and movements are as intentional as the words being said. This holds true for athletes as well. If you’re an athlete, you may have been given direction by your coaches: “Get in your body and out of your head.” You can also see examples of embodiment when you watch a great leader or excellent speaker. There’s a grounded sense of a whole person being present. They’re fully in their body. Watching dancers and then watching the Olympics and Paralympics is a profound reminder of the power of embodiment.
Not always easy
In your professional life, staying present and connected to your breath and body seems like a communication technique that should be easy. But your body’s instinct to keep you safe is constantly overriding your decision to step out. Business interactions aren’t always safe – not that you’re about to be eaten by a lion but that you’re exposed to the possibility of negative judgement, opinions, and perceptions. This can be seen in working relationships when ideas are being shared in a group, etc.– and your body often protects you to keep you out of harms way. Unfortunately, this means you cut off from the people you’re attempting to connect to and communicate with. That disconnect doesn’t help with business, relationship building and ultimately, your influence.
Overriding your instinct
You must choose when to override your instinct to protect yourself. One of the first steps toward being present again, is to get into our bodies. In order to override this safety mechanism, you must practice self-awareness. Understand and know how it feels to be present. It will take more energy – especially in the virtual environment.
At ARTiculate: Real&Clear, our performance background supports our clients being in the present. As performers, we’re trained to observe, seek to understand, and then, embody a character. With clients, we assist you with observing and understanding your own behavior, breath and voice. We focus on where you’re being grounded and when you’re stepping out of alignment.
Practicing embodiment can be as simple as noticing an intentional exhale followed by an awareness of the oxygen flowing back in on the inhale. Another technique is bringing focus to your feet on the ground, wiggling your toes, and feeling your weight being supported as the earth beneath your feet holds our body. We build trust and an awareness with breath. Let’s explore how to find it, capture it and live into it.
3 tools to get into your body so your head and thoughts aren’t doing all the work:
Your breath. Start with a gentle exhale to release the used air and to reset the natural flow. Allow the breath back in. Feel the expansion and swing of your ribs as the lungs are filled. If your belly pooches, that’s ok. It can be part of the relaxed breath process. If your shoulders move, allow more relaxation and let them lower. Exhale again, and while releasing the tension, feel the air rush in and your lungs/ribs expand with the oxygen.
Your body. Release your shoulders with a few rotations. Notice where else you hold tension and give a shake, a rotation, or a stretch – whatever your body craves in order to release.
With the release comes the sense that the whole body is working together.
Your alignment. Notice your head, shoulders, and hip placement. Intentionally bring them all back into alignment – not forcing anything, but definitely guiding the head onto the shoulders, the shoulders to open up, and the hips to be under the head and shoulders whether standing or sitting.
With these 3 steps, notice the change in your openness, your energy, your sense of availability to others – and whether it feels a bit over-exposed. Our bodies are often closing us off to protect us. Honor that, acknowledge that and then intentionally open up – your breath, your body and your alignment.
From this embodied place, you’re able to connect in your conversations. You’re present and in a responsive dialogue with your body. Your message will make an impact and you will be able to listen, hear, and respond. Now, you’re move empowered to share your influence.
Hilary Blair is a leadership keynote speaker based out of Denver, CO, and is the co-founder of ARTiculate: Real & Clear. She is also a highly regarded, actor, improviser, facilitator, voice-over artist, and voice expert coach. Contact us today to learn more.
