Prosody refers to the auditory components of our speech—like rhythm, intonation, and volume.    In prosodic speech there is variance in these auditory components.  Prosody in speech has been linked to a feeling of safety, and to a corresponding state of ease in the nervous system.  When prosody is missing someone may sound like a robot.  And, we’re less likely to feel safe with them.  Our tone often says more than our words.

It is clear to me that movement is also prosodic.  The variations in our movement quality are a basis for subtle communication.  And, we regulate our nervous systems in tandem with the movements of those around us.  This is co-regulation.

At the end of Ecstatic Dance this past Sunday I witnessed a number of people holding their hands over their hearts in the finishing silence.  They weren’t copying each other—many had their eyes closed.  In moving together we had co-regulated into a state of group coherence.