What if influence begins not with what you say, but with the state of your own nervous system? In this episode, Dr. Andrew Miles connects an ancient Chinese guide to rulership (淮南子）with modern ideas about resonance, heart rate variability, and the body's interconnected rhythms.
The conversation explores how the autonomic nervous system relates to yin and yang, what the central autonomic network can reveal about the heart, brain, and gut, and why some people seem to calm a room while others create tension. Dr. Miles also explains how heart rate variability is measured, why chest straps may be more accurate than many wearables, and how paying attention to your body can support emotional regulation and presence.
Listeners will hear references to brain waves, the vagus nerve, oscillatory coupling, and the heart-brain-gut axis, alongside practical reflections on recognizing when the body feels flexible and coherent—or rigid and unsettled.
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