Mirror Neurons is our brain's capacity to record the actions of others by merely witnessing those actions.   Dr. Pier Ferrari, an Entologist and Neuroscientist, presented to our group of hypnotherapists, dance therapists, and body psychotherapists, a fascinating workshop on his studies of Mirror Neurons.  We discussed the communal process of understanding and empathy and the possibility that they may come from a much deeper place within us than we previously imagined.   Because Dr. Ferrari's studies were done on newborn macaque monkeys, I naturally assume that the ability and intensity whereby mirror neurons are produced begins in the womb.  I think this phenomenon occurs way beyond that... perhaps at conception?  Past life maybe?  That's a different topic altogether, and I doubt science will take that on in my lifetime, but I digress.

When you're in a group setting, focus your attention on someone nearby and within a few minutes notice them "mirroring" you by way of positioning their bodies like yours, or showing a certain mannerism (talking w/hands; a look) you know is similar to yours.  We can intellectually understand the importance of body language in communication, but when tested you immediately get the sense that you may have more influence on others' behaviour than you ever imagined.  Are we aware of just how powerful we are?  Most of us are not, and that can cause big problems.   

Ever notice a person's mannerism matching other members of their family, like parents and siblings, or even a very close friend?  Notice it in your own family?  In my observation (because I teaching Pilates and naturally study movement) I've noticed that we clearly inherit our posture and body language from close family members and/or friends.  We do this on a deeper, more primal level in an effort to understand each other (like macaque monkeys).  However, I don't believe it stops there.  The emotions we feel and hide also come through our bodies in movement and speech.   Now if the people close to you are recording all this information, would they behave and move like us?  Well, there is certainly a good possibility they will reflect or "mirror" our deepest emotions... the stuff that may not even be obvious to us.

Let's go a little further in our experiment.  How many times have you been angry with a loved one because they just wouldn't do what you wanted them to?  I know I have.  I blamed (past tense!) plenty of people in my life for putting me in situations "beyond my control".  The truth is, I was ALWAYS in control.   I wanted to be understood, so I should've expressed understanding.  I wanted better communication, so I should've communicated.  The point here is we rarely express what we truly desire.   Our intentions seldom match our performance in this world.  We are simply unaware of our power to create harmonious relationships.

How do we match our intention with our actions?  Well, hypnosis works very well, but so does meditation.  Couple this with exercises like Yoga, Pilates,  Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or any other movement art out there that teaches you awareness of your body and control of your movements.  Once you become aware of your intentions matching your actions, watch others around you mirror you.  Oh, and please use your power for good.