Planet J in its continued mission of bringing value to its readers organised a workshop on body language on Sunday, August 28 at Dempo House, Panaji. Open to the age group of 16 to 23 years, the workshop aimed at giving participants some important tips on body language, first impressions, answering an interview, besides other related topics. Hundred and twenty one youngsters along with a few parents participated in the half day workshop conducted by certified behavior analyst and founder of BodySpeaksBetter.com, Kanan Tandi.
“Body language is not a single topic; it is vast and covers many areas,” said Kanan as she commenced the workshop. “Broadly speaking it includes kinesics (gestures, postures), proxemics (how to use space) and haptics (using touch to interact).” Explaining each of these with examples and role plays, she had the participants hooked right from the word go! Not only were they extremely receptive to her inputs but also eagerly absorbed all that was said and demonstrated.
Speaking on haptics, Kanan explained the areas where it was appropriate to touch men and women and the areas which were not acceptable. “Our head plays a very important role in haptics, we don’t let anybody touch our head, not because it may spoil our hairdo but because without knowing it we consider the head as a very private area. We allow only our mothers or someone very close to us to touch it,” she explained.
On the topic of public speaking, Kanan firstly stressed the importance of one-to-one conversation and said, “If you want to improve your public speaking skills it is imperative that you first learn how to speak spontaneously. The more you practice this, the better the transition when you speak in front of an audience.” She then spoke about how to connect with people and make a good impression.
Demonstrating the different looks, smiles and handshakes she also gave practical tips on how to be memorable and likeable. All the topics covered in the workshop were based on scientific research and findings.
Students and parents alike had a great time as they participated in the role plays, games and demonstrations. It was a truly learning experience for those present with a whole load of entertainment thrown in.
The workshop ended with certificates of participation being handed out by Kanan.






