Autumn daze and positive bodies

A glad to be alive, glorious morning here in West Yorkshire….. so much so that after walking the kids to school I couldn’t resist a walk along the canal and river.  The sun was filtering through the trees in distinct rays like a kids’ sunshine picture and the autumn colours are beginning to show.  Suddenly the rain seems to have drained away and it was almost dry underfoot (just as well, since I hadn’t planned the walk and was wearing my nice suede boots).  When the weather has been grey for so long and suddenly a perfect autumn day comes along, it lifts the spirit and the mind.  I was walking with a jaunty step and happily humming a little ditty (a la Pooh).  I didn’t have my camera with me, but here’s one I took earlier…. actually it was taken last November but it’ll have to do for now

So, thinking about how the walk effected me I remembered this little Ted talk by Amy Cuddy.  She’s talking about the way in which mind effects body effects mind.  It’s pretty well known that when we feel happy we generally adopt a happy looking body position (head up, smile on face, twinkling eyes etc)….. and likewise, when we feel down our body reflects that.  But, did you know that you can change the state of your mind by adopting a different body position?  I’ve heard of this before (notably, Tony Robbins talks about how changing your physiology will change your thought processes (NB the link shows and extreme example, but it sure works)).  Interestingly, even the simple act of faking a smile by putting a pencil in your mouth can make you feel happy….. but you do look a bit silly:

Wallace 'n Gromit eat yer heart out

Anyhow, faking it can have much deeper impact, in fact, it can be life changing.  Watch the video and let me know what you think: