Posture is the individual’s bearing. In includes, walking and sitting. There is no definite or standard posture for everyone. A speaker must have in mind that being natural is the best way to achieve good bearing. He should be at ease, alert and must allow himself to move and breathe freely.
Poise is the ability of one to carry himself and posture can give hints of one’s emotional state. Similarly, posture must be congruent with speech. For instance if the speaker talks about love and charity, he must not show an arrogant stance.
At has been said, posture reveals one’s personality, therefore one must have a room for improving his habitual stance. To begin, one must experiment with varied postures and observe exact position of feet, torso, shoulders, arms and head. Once the best posture is determined, practice is next. Though, at first, it may feel awkward and unnatural, constant practice in front of a mirror or wherever can help erase consciousness of the improved posture.
Tips to improve posture:
Avoid slouching
Stand erect with the feet planted firmly on the floor and with the left foot forward or the right foot forward as to give the effect of an arrested walk. One must be conscious that the body must be in a line and not in an “S” form.
Walk with grace and ease
Walk naturally but slowly. Never approach the audience in a tip-toe manner nor with lots of noise. Don’t exaggerate the swinging of the arms on the sides.
Do not sit stiffly nor lazily
Sit with the back resting at the back of the chair and the arms resting on the chair’s arms or just place the hands on the lap. Avoid crossing the legs. Sitting lazily can give the impression that the audience is taken so casually by the speaker, thus creating unfavorable attitudes towards the speaker, while sitting stiffly may create the doubt that the speaker is incompetent.
Observe proper feet position
The distance between the feet in a standing position is from 6 to 12 inches apart. Feet maybe parallel to each other or not foot a little bit forward than the other with the weight of the body shifting either at the left foot or right foot, whichever is aligned with the body.
These things if followed might help the speaker gain the needed response and admiration from the audience.
