Body Language means the variation in and appearance of the body that occurs naturally and totally without our knowledge or consciousness, as a result of how we feel.

The commonest and the easiest to see are the facial expressions.

   
Click on any of the faces to see a larger image

When we are happy in our emotions we smile. When we are sad or cross, we frown.

The expressions  are brought about by the muscles  contracting in response to specific emotions.  It is an automatic reaction  and an accurate reflection of emotion.  We do not smile when we are cross and we do not frown when we are pleased.

The same principle applies to other parts of the body.  If you look at the cartoon, you can tell exactly what the little man`s emotions are,  even though  he does not speak.

Apprehensive & Shy  →  Slouching

Growing in Confidence  →  Erect

Now Assertive & Confident  →  Head Held High

We understand what is happening  in this cartoon, (`Familiarity breeds contempt` by H.M.Bateman) not by words, but by the mens` body movements, that is, their BODY LANGUAGE.

The two mens` movements are natural and not conscious. Their emotions are reflected in their variation in posture which is brought about by the different muscles, to a greater or lesser degree, tensing.

If the emotions  make our muscles tense  as shown by Body  Language, what is it that affects the emotions? The answer is stress.

Stress affects our emotions, which  makes our muscles tense and maybe keeps them tense, as shown by Body Language. MUSCLES WHICH REMAIN TENSE, become painful.

In these situations I like to call it a Body Language Complaint. It`s normal, it`s natural but it can be painful.

THIS IS HOW STRESS CAN CAUSE MUSCLE PAIN

However, we all have stress at some time or other, but we don`t  all suffer from muscular pain. No, thank goodness we don`t !  So why do some people suffer from muscular pain through stress, and others do not?  Why does one person suffer sometimes  and not at other times?

The answer is that muscles become painful when the stress lasts for some time, and importantly, when we do not allow ourselves free expression. It occurs when people `bottle up` their feelings and do not express them  because it would not be acceptable to say what they really feel. They do not say what they really feel  because it would hurt somebody or because it might not be in their own interest to do so.

If the stress persists  the muscles remain tense. It may be the whole muscle which is tense and movement of the body occurs causing for example,  frowning, or a `crick ` in the neck or a twisted spine and which can  be seen with the naked eye. Or it may be only part of the muscle which is tense,  that is the muscle looks normal and there is no visible movement of the body - for example, a headache. However, whatever the degree of tension in the muscle, if the muscles,  or part of a muscle, remain tense they become painful.

The important  point at this stage, is to emphasise very strongly that muscular pain, which results from stress is NOT  imagined, NOR made up; muscular pain is the result of tension in the muscles, revealing itself in BODY LANGUAGE which is the visible reaction to the tension and is outside our control.

Go to Muscle Tension