Posture and Emotion. Which comes first?
We convey a lot to the world around us by the way we carry ourselves. Our posture can say we are sad and shut down, ready for action, or a bit apprehensive. Our bodies also contract in to certain full-body patterns when under immediate threat. When startled the belly, chest, inner thighs contract to protect vulnerable bits on the front of the body. This is the startle reflex. We call this the red light reflex . The reflex to make us STOP! We respond to a threat/call to action with arched backs and puffed up chests, so we can either haul butt from, or attack back against a predator/threat. This is the fight-or-flee reflex. In the somatics world we call it the green light reflex . The reflex to make us GO! When we experience a physical trauma, such as a sprained ankle, the reflexive response is to bend and twist to protect from further injury. This is what we call the trauma reflex . The reflex to WATCH OUT AND PROTECT YOURSELF! These reflexes are meant to keep us alive as a species. As