Body-language and nonverbal communication

Archive
Body language

Basic lesson in Chinese language (video)

this is a basic lesson in Chinese language as body-language: China Day Düsseldorf June 16 th 2012.

 

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Meister, Lehrer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese language is body-language -writing graphics- (2)

Well, I want to add some comments on the issue which I started yesterday. To focus it: Chinese language is body language at least because of two aspects:

  • the pronunciation
  • the writing / painting the graphics and “letters”.

If you want to write/paint very properly, that means, if you want that the person who reads, what you painted, knows what you mean by this word or graphic, you also have to be very calm and centered in yourself. And being centered is a very important state of emotion, state of bodily presence. Connected with a sensible awareness of what is going in yourself, what becomes alive in yourself, what you want to express or communicate and what your interest is to write this graphic or another one. All is grounded in the necessity to be also aware of your counterpart, the person with whom you communicate.

It is not only just writing down some letters or graphics.

In some way it reminds me of the monks ………..

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Chinese language is body-language -pronunciation- (1)

At the China-Day in Duesseldorf one week ago  there was a performance by the head of Deutsche Sprachschule. This performance was interesting in so far as the Chinese teacher pointed out two difficulties when learning  the Chinese language:

  • the pronunciation and
  • and the Chinese writing, the Chinese graphic character.

While listening to her I was astonished about the direct connection between the spoken Chinese word / sentence and the  body expression. Both seem to belong to each other. Both are the two sides of the coin.

Chinese language is, to make it short, a body-language. That means, ……………………..

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Definition of gesture

gesture is a main topic of body language. it tells us stories about the person himeslf AND at the same time is the beginning of nonverbal communication. More about the definition of gesture…………..see the following definition via the link

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/gesture

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On Chinese Body Thinking

when you are hungry you eat. when you are tired you sleep. ….what

does you astonish about this perspective? 😉

This book uses Western philosophical tradition to make a case for a form of thinking properly associated with ancient China. The book’s thesis is that Chinese thinking is concrete rather than formal and abstract, and this is gathered in a variety of ways under the symbol “body thinking”. The root of the metaphor is that the human body has a kind of intelligence in its most basic functions. When hungry the body gets food and eats, when tired it sleeps, when amused it laughs. In free people these things happen instinctively but not automatically.
The metaphor of body thinking is extended far …
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The Power of Emotion

there is an interesting talkshow today on tv. The issue “The power of emotions” is discussed from different points of view. My part is to illustrate the issue related to emotions in politics. The talkshow can be seen via th following link for about another week.

click on West ART talkshow

http://www.wdr.de/tv/westart/sonntag/sendungsbeitraege/2012/0617/uebersicht.jsp?sdatum=2012-6-17

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Fotografic body-language

 

 

 

 

 

 

At least in Germany body-language is a very popular issue. People often think that you can analyse someone very quickly in order to know what to do and how to behave. Or in order to be prepared about the others acting and behaving.

But there is a big misunderstanding about body-language and body-reading. Far too often body-language is regarded to be useful under the photographic perspective.

This means:

If you look at someone, see his actual gesture that this gesture always has the same meaning and when you can identify this gesture and the meaning that you know what it’s all about.

But this can be true but it has not have to be true. This photographic kind of body reading seems to be popular because it misleads to a, I will call it, instant body-reading.

Body-language has to be of course regarded, and I hope you will agree to this, under various perspectives. At least it is always as I told you about some weeks ago, expression of the other and my own impression as observer. And of course result of the specific culture.

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/weltspiegel/clinton-foto-ich-sehe-das-was-du-nicht-siehst/4147906.html

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Chinese as a compulsory foreign language in all schools

 This is an interesting and inspiring message. The more China moves towards the western countries, the more Chinese engage in western business and culture, the more western countries need to open up to the language.

Thus these means also to open up to a completely different way of nonverbal communication and body expression.  A way which we are not familar with at all. Just think of one fact: western are used to look at the other´s mouth when talking while Chinese are used to look at the other´s eyes while talking. 

Looking at the mouth makes it very difficult to get an impression of the facial expression. ……………………….

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Daoism and psychotherapy in China

Since about 25 years western psychotherapists and psychiatrists go to China for communicating on psychotherapy (training) and caregiving. At the same more and more collegues from China com to western countries in order to learn more about this. Since then quite a lot of studies were made, which show integrating approaches as well as culturally seen big differences in approaching mental and emotional symptoms, disorders or problems on a relational level. Here is some further information by a collegue from the States.

In North America, I often hear the speculation that the directive approaches to psychotherapy match well with Chinese people’s respect for authority and their advice-seeking behavior. Indeed, this makes apparent sense. The structure of CBT also works well for a population that emphasizes learning and education. The practical, present- and future-centered focus of CBT also resonates well with Chinese people. Dr. Jun-Mian Xu, my supervisor and dissertation Chair at Fudan University in Shanghai, first introduced cognitive behavioral therapy to China after finishing a fellowship in Canada. He and his team have been working from this approach since the late 1980s and have trained hundreds of clinicians in CBT. Now, over 20 published studies have examined the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and personality disorders, with promising results.

Chinese researchers are searching for cultural …………………..

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Cultural factors and psychotherapy in China

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regarding emotional or psychosomatic difficulties or problems we talk about I was asked to say more about how to handle this in daily life and or in therapy. Here is some comment:

What is the culture of psychotherapy in China? What makes up the thinking and feeling processes in the typical Chinese client? Understanding these questions gives us a beginning of how to understand and make trusting alliances with the Chinese patient. Several factors play a large role in the Chinese culture and character that affect attitudes toward seeking help and dealing with emotional difficulties.

Other-centered culture: Many Chinese people see their own problems as coming last compared to the welfare of others. While this is adaptive and socially valuable for the culture at large, it also keeps ………………….

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