Embodied is the term that psychologists are using to replace the misleading term "mind-body." They hope to eliminate the misconception of the "mind-body connection," since to speak of the "connectedness of mind and body" implies a false relationship, suggesting that there are three things (mind, body, and connection between them) when, scientifically, none of these things exist independent of one another. The term embodied accounts for the system of largely pre-conscious kinesthetic behavior and mental awareness.
Conductors are leaders and athletes and artists, with high demands on our bodies and our minds–which, of course, are the same thing. This level of demand makes us especially susceptible stress-induced symptoms and, eventually, burnout. The application of that science to improve our work is accessible through practical techniques from a variety of disciplines.
Decades of research tells us that mindfulness practice reduces stress and its associated health risks, improves resonance in leadership, and even increases creativity. Mindfulness is awareness without judgement. While stress on muscles and on emotions activates the sympathetic nervous system (in charge of "flight, flight, or freeze"), mindfulness engages the parasympathetic nervous system (in charge of "rest and digest"). For mindfulness practice, you can stop and do a meditation like Jack Kornfield's or Dan Siegel's; and, while it's useful to practice mindfulness as a meditation by itself, mindfulness can also be practiced all day long, making the choice to be aware of feelings–that is, physical sensations and emotional ones, recognizing the unity of the two–without judgement.
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