Facial Expressions

• When you interact with another person the face becomes a powerful vehicle for communication. Facial expressions such as smiles, frowns and partial smiles can give away how the person really feels. Happiness is often portrayed through facial expressions that include smiling, perked eyebrows and wide eyes. Sadness or anger, on the other hand, is communicated through frowns, flared nostrils, narrowed eyebrows and squinted eyes. Sometimes, you can see through a facade when a person wants to communicate that he is happy, but is really upset on the inside. If someone feels confident, he will look you in the eyes and make good eye contact. Individuals who are anxious, scared or nervous might avoid eye contact.
  
  

Posture

• Posture relates to how a person stands, and this is a communication tool for body language. When someone stands up tall and straight, you might presume that the individual feels happy, confident or proud. On the contrary, an individual who slouches her shoulders, slumps over and has overall poor posture is communicating that she does not feel very well. Her posture could be a cue that she is ill, sad or disappointed.
  
  

Gestures

• How a person gestures during conversation can be assessed to determine what he is communicating. Waving at someone from across the room, for instance, is a gesture that communicates a type of greeting, such as hello or goodbye. Sometimes, people gesture when they speak to others. A negative example is if someone points at you during an argument. Pointing is a form of gesture and body language with a negative connotation. One thing to keep in mind about gestures is that different cultures interpret gestures differently. While shaking hands in American culture is considered polite, it may not be so to members of other cultures.
  
  

Touching

• Touching is like gesturing, but it extends the gesture to involve the other person through a physical connection. Placing your hand on someone else's shoulder is a form of body language that lets the person know you are there for her or wish to comfort her. Hugging is another form of touching which is an endearing form of body language that brings someone else closer to you. Touching can also communicate negative feelings. Slapping someone on the hand, pulling someone by the arm or tugging on someone's hair are expressions of touching that communicate anger, frustration, annoyance and other negative feelings.