The Legal Athlete

Embodied Agency: How Your Body Leads Your Mind


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In This Episode You’ll Learn1. The Lies We Inherited About Power

Jess unpacks the myths many of us learned growing up—that power is external, conditional, and granted by others.
From gold-star conditioning to perfectionism, this section shows how early messages shape our adult confidence traps. “Having personal power is believing you are in control of your own actions and decisions.” — Amy Cuddy, Presence

2. The Unlearning: Power Isn’t Granted. Power Is Accessed.

This section explains embodied cognition: the science behind how your posture, breath, and movement directly influence your brain.

Highlights include:

Why acting confident helps you become confident

How your nervous system reads your posture

The biological basis for personal authority

How elite performers use these cues intuitively

“Our bodies change our minds, and our minds can change our behavior, and our behavior can change our outcomes.” — Amy Cuddy

3. Presence + Self-Trust = Your Internal Revolution

Jess connects embodiment to Pillar 2 of her Fierce Agency™ system: Action Orientation.
You’ll learn why self-trust is built through behavior—not thought—and how presence unlocks your highest performance under pressure.

“Trusting yourself is the key to personal power, and that trust is built through action.” — Amy Cuddy

4. The Embodied Agency Shift: Tiny Tweaks, Big Changes

This final segment offers a powerful reminder:
You can behave your way into a more powerful identity.
Jess walks through small physical adjustments—like posture, breath, and even softening your tongue—that quickly regulate your state and shift you back into self-leadership.

Your 60-Second Embodied Agency Protocol1. Expand & Ground (20 seconds)

Stand tall with feet firmly planted

Chest open

Shoulders back but relaxed

Spine long

Cue to the body: “I can handle this.”

2. Breathe for Composure & Leadership (20 seconds)

Use the physiological sigh:

Inhale through the nose

Quick second inhale

Long, slow exhale

Cue to the nervous system: “I am safe.”

3. Level Your Gaze (10 seconds)

Eyes up.
Forward.
Steady.

Cue to the brain: “I’m here and I’m ready.”

4. Choose Your Identity (10 seconds)

Ask:
“Who do I want to be in this moment?”
Confident? Calm? Courageous? Compassionate?

5. Embody With Intention (10 seconds)

Take one slow, grounded step forward.
Hold your expansive stance—or step into a Wonder Woman / Superman pose.

Cue to your whole system:
Behavior → biology → belief.

Try this daily for two weeks and notice the shift in your confidence, posture, presence, and personal authority.

Resources Mentioned in This EpisodePresence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges

by Amy Cuddy
https://www.amazon.com/Presence-Bringing-Boldest-Biggest-Challenges/dp/0316256587

Maya Angelou — Still I Rise (Live Recitation)https://youtu.be/sNTnCANfjAo?si=0EUzbO8xe2PAQYXH

 

Work With Jess & Explore Fierce Agency™

Want to bring embodied leadership, high-performance psychology, and Fierce Agency™ to your firm, event, or executive team?

Connect with Jess for:

Keynotes

Workshops

Executive coaching

Team intensives

Trial team performance coaching

Visit: www.thelegalathlete.com
Follow Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesssargus

Are you looking for a speaker to energize and empower your organization to develop a fighter's mindset and master their mental performance every day? Or are you interested in a talk or workshop on The Green Light Method, a neuroscience- and performance psychology-based system that helps individuals and teams live and work with Fierce Agency (TM), override fear-based hesitation, rewire limiting beliefs, and take aligned, empowered action toward peak performance and purpose-driven success?

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

 

Ready to win more at trial without burnout? Limited spaces are still available to secure your own 1:1, 8-week Accelerated Trial Fight Camp.

DM me today on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected].

 

The Legal Athlete Website: Click to learn more about engaging Jess Sargus as a speaker for your group or event, or to explore coaching with Jess Sargus to master your mindset, execute under pressure, and thrive in your career and life for the long term through science and sports psychology.  

Also, through the website, you can download a free copy of The Legal Athlete Daily Planner to help you organize and prioritize easily to grow and get better every day, practice the 6 longevity habits studies show have the greatest positive impact, and implement your Daily Glimmer habit to bring more resilience and happiness into your life. Or, download and print the 4 Steps to Elite Habits flow chart PDF for free to guide your daily and weekly elite habits. 

 

Music: Bounce Like This, by Wolves - YouTube ID UUFGDERWUSZ9LXWL

Ready to Fight, by Arenas - YouTube ID XKO39W3SJHGS9EKW

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The Legal AthleteBy Jess Sargus