Does Posture Change Your Hormones? The Cuddy Story

The Cuddy effect – that holding a power pose (or its opposite) affects hormone levels and thus social engagement, often within minutes, instilling you with confidence (a la ‘fake it til you make it’ or ‘whistle a happy tune’) – has been an article of faith with bodyworkers since her TED talk first appeared.

There is nothing so sad as the destruction of a beautiful theory by an ugly fact. Read this and weep. (Link to PDF article below.)

Assessing the Robustness of Power Posing- No Effect on Hormones and Risk Tolerance in a Large Sample of Men and Women

In any case, we are looking in Structural Integration to a permanent or progressive change in posture / carriage / structure / presentation, not just a momentary one. While neuromuscular ‘attitude’ is of course important, the underlying and deeper pattern of the joints and connective tissues set the baseline from which we shine (or don’t).

We’re not high on false drugs (like hormones), we’re high on the real thing: powerful fascia!

-Tom Myers, August 30 2016