How Your Body Language Changes Your Hormones

We all know that our body language affects how others see us. But do you know that it may also change how we see ourselves and how our hormones function?

How Body Language Affects Testosterone and Cortisol

In a TED talk, Amy Cuddy, a professor and researcher at the Harvard Business School, shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

In her research, Amy discovered that power posing can increase testosterone while reducing levels of cortisol, also known “the stress hormone” – two common traits of effective leaders.

Generally speaking, these power postures are open and expansive and take up space in an environment. A couple of examples would be spreading out your arms and legs while sitting down, instead of collapsing your body into a ball; or standing upright, chest out, hands on your hips in a hero pose.

I find her discovery fascinating, and wonder if this is true for other hormones as well. If so, what kind of body language would influence estrogen and progesterone?

Here are some thoughts that come to mind…

How Body Language Affects Estrogen

To me, estrogen represents nourishment (the yin quality). 

After all, it’s the hormone that enables a woman to produce and mature an egg that contains the potential of a new life. So perhaps when we engage in acts that nourish ourselves, we’re also boosting the estrogen level in the body.

Such acts may include cooking, taking a hot bath, making us look pretty, reading a book that nourishes our spirit, tending and befriending our girlfriends, beautifying our home and environment, playing with kids and animals, or whatever act that makes us feel nurtured and nourished.

How Body Language Affects Progesterone

On the other hand, progesterone is about getting out there and make things happen (the yang quality).

So activities that boost progesterone may be those that activate and excite us, for example, exercising, doing things we’re passionate about, taking actions to achieve our goals, etc.

This is interesting, because with this knowledge we may be able to balance our hormones, naturally.

For example, if you feel that your estrogen level is a bit low or deficient, you may be able to increase it simply by engaging in activities that nourish you.

On the other hand, if you suspect that your progesterone level may be low, you might give it boost by engaging in activities that energize and excite you.

These are just some intuitive thoughts I have, and I’d love to see some research that would validate my hypothesis. But for now, I know this is true for me and in my life. And I’m applying this principle to balance my own hormones.

What are your thoughts? I’d love to hear your perspectives on this.