Wondering what Physical Intelligence is and how it can help you and your career?
Watch this interview on BBC World with our Patricia Peyton for more, including a demonstration of techniques that enhance cognitive function by 62%.
Interested in finding out more about Physical intelligence after watching this video?
Get the Physical intelligence book to find out how physical intelligence can impact business results including how one client experienced a 12% increase in profit margin after using Physical Intelligence for three months.View the Physical Intelligence book on Amazon.
Video Transcript
Aaron Heslehurst: Now, in this dog-eat-dog competitive business world, how can you manage stress while advancing your career? Well, this could be the next big thing and it’s called ‘Physical Intelligence’, yeah! Patricia Peyton is the co-author of ‘Physical Intelligence’ and joins us. Great to have you with us in the best studio. Here’s the book! I have to confess, hands up, I didn't really know about it. What is it?
Patricia Peyton: Well, you’re not alone! Because there’s the capacity to build Physical Intelligence but most people don’t have any idea what it is. Right now, there are hundreds of chemicals racing through each of our bodies and brains. And those chemicals dictate how we think, feel, speak and behave. Yet, most of us operate largely at the mercy of those chemicals, experiencing thoughts, reactions and emotions without knowing that we can actively manage them through a number of very simple techniques – some only take seconds: ways of thinking, ways of breathing, moving and interacting with other people.
Aaron Heslehurst: So, is this fairly new neuroscience?
Patricia Peyton: It is all supported by neuroscience, there are in the book 80 techniques but in life there are 100s of techniques, we’ve chosen 80, you decide which ones resonate for you, which will help you most, and you habit stack them into your day. They are drawn largely from the world of sports and the arts, but we want to bring them out to everyone. Why should only those dancers and singers and athletes know about it, right!?
Aaron Heslehurst: Yeah, exactly, huh!? Bring it into the corporate world!
Patricia Peyton: Yes, and we have!
Aaron Heslehurst: So that’s what you do, you actually go around … I mean, I know you’ve been working in huge companies for many years but do you go to these companies now and talk about this?
Patricia Peyton: We do. So, my career prior to this, 30 years of working with corporations. But Physical Intelligence, I’d say in the past 5 years we’ve been actively taking this into companies, maybe 10-20 years for my co-author, and we’ve worked with organizations, for example, a pharmaceutical company, put their sales people through this and in 3 months experienced a 12.5% increase in profit margin, because they took control of how they were showing up at their negotiations.
Aaron Heslehurst: And it was from this!? You claim it was from these practices?
Patricia Peyton: We don’t claim it, the client claims it and that is not an easy statement to get someone to make.
Aaron Heslehurst: Can you show me a little something? … Go on!
Patricia Peyton: Alright, let’s star with the basics: Posture; you want to be grounded. You want to feel the weight of your body through your feet, right into the floor, scoot forward to the edge of your chair, feet flat on the ground and feel your weight anchor you to the ground. Now, you want to start breathing in a paced way, paced breathing improves cognitive function by 62%. That is proven.
Aaron Heslehurst: Wow!
Patricia Peyton: Who doesn’t want some of that, a simple breathing technique that shoots that cognitive function right up!? And paced breathing is breathing in and out in a steady rate, you choose the rate that works for you, ideally a longer out breath, so you’re getting that carbon dioxide out, it’s heavier than oxygen, we have to get it out from the bottom of the lungs or it becomes toxic, it builds up and the cortisol goes up. So, some of these techniques are very simple; smiling at yourself in the mirror, do it every morning after you brush your teeth, it’ll send serotonin up…
Aaron Heslehurst: Oh wow! Oh, look, there is some amazing stuff, I wish I had more time, but good luck, good luck with the book, good luck in spreading the word and I don't know if you’ve ever worked on Wall Street?
Patricia Peyton: Oh yes, for many, many years.
Aaron Heslehurst: Well, you and I are going to go there right now, we’re going to go and see how the markets are faring!