It was 4pm on a Friday afternoon and I was sitting in a “report of findings” from one of our research vendors. There were at least 25 of us packed into a conference room meant for 12. We really wanted to know the results of his research but due to his heavy travel schedule this was the only time he could come. So we waited with bated breath. When he started to speak I found myself trying very hard to pay attention. This was really unusual because even though his subject is a bit dry, I had previously experienced him as a dynamic and interesting speaker, able to weave a story of the findings. This time though, he sounded like a Charlie Brown parent character. You know, the one that says “Mwah, mwah, mwah mwah mwah.” I looked around the room and everyone’s eyes had glazed over. They looked as confused and stunned as I felt. After the meeting we talked about how he must have been having an off day.
Looking back, this has all the markings of what I would energetically call “brain scramble.” It happens when there is disorganization between the back and front parts of the brain. When I teach communication classes, it is one of my favorite energetic states to demonstrate because it clearly shows how easily we can scramble other people and also how easy it is to resolve. If we’re scrambled, they become scrambled. If we’re organized, they get our message. A simple exercise called the Wayne Cook Posture done prior to presenting could have been enough to enable our vendor to communicate effectively and be understood.
Here are some examples of how brain scramble shows up:
- It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon and you’ve been trying to write the same email sentence for 10 minutes.
- It’s 11 o’clock at night and you’ve read the same paragraph in your book at least three times and can’t remember what you just read.
- It taken you 3 hours to finish a test and other people finished an hour ago.
- A stutter.
- Dyslexia.
- Inability to focus.
- You have a hard time formulating and organizing your ideas.
- Or, you’re sitting in a meeting and the speaker sounds like a Charlie Brown parent
The next time you are having a hard time communicating, try this technique, called the Wayne Cook Posture. Better yet, try it out now and see how it feels.
- Place your left ankle on top of your right knee.
- Place your right hand on top of your left ankle.
- Place your left hand so that it is holding the bottom of your left foot at the ball of the left foot. (see the picture below)
- Gently pull up on your foot while breathing in deeply. Exhale.
- Do steps 1-4 four times on each side.
- Next, “steeple” your fingertips, resting your thumbs between your eye brows.
- Breath slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth three or four times.
This has become one of my favorite techniques of all time because it works so quickly to help people say and do what’s important to them. It helps to lift the fog. For a video of this and other techniques to improve communication, check out this 5-minute energy routine video.