Embodied Leadership with Dr Kelly Mahler

The Eighth Sense and Leadership

Have you had a day recently where you skipped lunch or forgot to drink enough water? Perhaps you sat at your computer without stretching for far too long. For some of us when we feel under pressure, we ignore the signals from our body. But science tells us that acting on these cues really matters.

For thousands of years, ancient practices like yoga and Tai Chi, have recognised that the mind affects the body, and the body affects the mind. These complex systems are profoundly interconnected. By way of contrast, traditional theories in psychology place the responsibility for generating our behaviour in the brain.

Modern science is gradually reconnecting the body-mind. We know that 80% of the fibres in our sensory pathways travel from the body into the brain, while only 20% head the other way. Our experience of these sensations is the little-discussed, yet ever-present sense called interoception. As Sharon’s guest in this episode explains, interoception has vast impacts on our life.

Dr Kelly Mahler is an author, speaker and researcher from Pennsylvania, USA. She has a doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Her publications include Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System, and The Interoception Curriculum: A Step by Step Guide to Developing Mindful Self-Regulation, which is part of a comprehensive online program.

In this conversation, Kelly and Sharon explore the embodied mind, the science behind gut feelings and why being attuned to the ever-changing subtle sensations within your body significantly impacts your ability to skillfully manage yourself and lead others.

What We Cover

• Interoception - encoding and decoding the signals from our body 
• Digital numbing - screen time and the awareness of our bodily sensations 
• Interoception at work - impacts on problem-solving and decision-making 
• Calibrating interoception - reducing reactivity and the negativity bias 
• Interoception and empathy - how body attunement improves connect with others 
• Training in interoception - the path to improving workplace cultures 
• Mindfulness and interoception - practising body awareness 

Resources: 

• Kelly Mahler's Website 
• Twitter: @kmahlerkmahler
• Interoception: The Eighth Sensory System by Kelly Mahler 
• The Interoception Curriculum by Kelly Mahler