Nonverbal Communication
a 1-day workshop with Saara Rei
"Scientists attach great importance to the human capacity for spoken language. But we also have a parallel track of nonverbal communication, which may reveal more than our carefully chosen words, and sometimes be at odds with them. Since much if not most of the nonverbal signaling and reading of signals is automatic and performed outside our conscious awareness and control, through our nonverbal cues we unwittingly communicate a great deal of information about ourselves and our state of mind. The gestures we make, the position in which we hold our bodies, the expressions we wear on our faces and the nonverbal qualities of our speech – all contribute to how others view us." - Adapted from Subliminal: how your unconscious mind rules your behavior, copyright 2012 by Leonard Mlodinow, Psychology Today
Verbal communication is a very small part of the way we humans communicate with each other. Movement, tension, posture, facial expressions, gesture, and other forms of nonverbal communication make up a greater part of how we communicate with each other.
But how exactly does nonverbal communication work? How can we learn to consciously recognize the nonverbal information we are being given by others and react accordingly?
Body work practices, such as dance, martial arts, sport, theater, and massage, give us ways to train body awareness. Such practices also train us how to listen to the bodies of others as well as different ways of reacting to what we "hear" from these bodies. From knowing exactly where a ballerina will jump, so that you can catch them safely... to reading where your opponent will try to strike you next, so that you can defend or attack accordingly, body work practices are where we can turn to for practicing our nonverbal communication skills.
In this workshop, we will go through a series of guided exercises, inspired by various body work practices, which will help us explore reading the nonverbal signals of the body.
If you are interested in booking this workshop in a part of the world near you, then please send an email.
Testimonials
“Rather peculiar and enlightening exercises from the workshop, allowing for one to self-explore their own behaviour and hopefully develop further communication skills that can improve their interaction with others. For some, it needs to be maintained otherwise it gets lost very easily after a short period of time already. The more one practices it. The better their nonverbal communication skills and body language improves.” by Lazander
“This workshop was brilliantly designed, using simple exercises that allowed participants to really experience some of the key emotions that guide our nonverbal tells, expressions and cues. Thus allowing us to observe both our own reactions and the responses we get from others, especially in social interactions in which there is some ambiguity, power dynamics or even sexual tension at play. All this, while never crossing the lines of the participants' integrity. This was not a lecture, but a really important life lesson learned through experience. Thank you, Sarah, for a truly thought-provoking workshop!” by Mattias