Heart Posture is essentially “the way mom always told you to stand” – shoulders back, stomach in, head held high. This posture conveys a sense of trust, which is an important signal to send whether you are pitching a new idea, interviewing for a job or trying to close a deal. The last thing you want is for your posture to be interfering with what you are trying to communicate.
How we stand, carry ourselves and perceive others’ body language is generally an unconscious act, but we can consciously change our posture. (Learn correct posture here) Start by evaluating your natural stance. Stand in front of a mirror or an honest friend and look at how you stand and sit when you are relaxed. Don’t try to hold yourself upright. You may find that you naturally hold your head down (from looking at your smart phone all day) or you might naturally have a larger sway in your low back pushing your hips forward.
Once you figure out where your problem areas are, try sitting and standing with a heart forward posture. You want to be able to draw a straight line from your ear through your shoulders, hips knees and feet. There many resources on the internet regarding good posture to help you accomplish this.
It is probably impractical to think about your posture 24 hours a day; we have a million other tasks to do throughout the day. Start by consciously holding your posture in the heart stance when walking into important situations or sitting in important meetings.
Over time it will become a habit, creating a natural, powerful presence. Plus your back will thank you, too!