Science Behind BQ - Andrena Woodhams

The Science behind BQ

Introduction

The Body Intelligence Quotient (BQ) is built upon five evidence-backed principles that work synergistically to reconnect mind and body in our digital age. Each principle is grounded in rigorous scientific research demonstrating measurable improvements in stress reduction, neurochemical balance, inflammatory markers, and overall resilience—creating a comprehensive framework for developing body intelligence that complements both IQ and EQ for optimal human functioning in today’s world.

The 5 BQ Principles

Mindset (Shifts of Consciousness) Takes you beyond self imposed boundaries and opens you to the bigger picture beyond the cognitive mind’s abilities.
Conscious Movement Releases beneficial neurochemicals, simultaneously reduces inflammation and enhances flexibility in both body and mind.
Embodied Meditations Cultivates present-moment awareness of physical sensations, teaching the body to become its own interpreter of wisdom that exists beyond cognitive understanding.
Healing Meals Supporting the body’s innate intelligence to heal, regulate, and thrive according to its evolutionary design
Somatic Massage Allows the body to release held patterns of tension and trauma stored within muscle memory to promote healing.

Scientific research supports each principle, demonstrating how these practices create measurable changes in human biology, psychology, and consciousness.

References

Somatic Massage
CORTISOL DECREASES AND SEROTONIN AND DOPAMINE INCREASE FOLLOWING MASSAGE THERAPY—International Journal of Neuroscience, 115(10), 1397–1413

Traditional thai massage : unveiling the misconceptions and revealing the health benefits—https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Traditional-thai-massage-%3A-unveiling-the-and-the-Ryan-Keiwkarnka/e615c42a86b5e2ee4958fb524da747a383535560

Acute Swedish Massage Monotherapy Successfully Remediates Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Proof-of-Concept, Randomized Controlled Study—https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27464321/

A preliminary study of the effects of a single session of Swedish Massage on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and immune function in normal individuals—https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20809811/

Embodied Meditation
Psychobiological mechanisms underlying the mood benefits of meditation: A narrative review—https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666497621000114?via%3Dihub

Reduced stress and inflammatory responsiveness in experienced meditators compared to a matched healthy control group—https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453016300439?via%3Dihub

Does meditation actually work? Here’s what the science says—https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/meditation-decrease-stress-health

Yoga, Meditation and Mind-Body Health: Increased BDNF, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Altered Inflammatory Marker Expression after a 3-Month Yoga and Meditation Retreat—Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2017;11

Meditation interventions efficiently reduce cortisol levels of at-risk samples: A meta-analysis—Health Psychology Review. 2020;15(1):56-84

Breath-based meditation: A mechanism to restore the physiological and cognitive reserves for optimal human performance—World J Clin Cases. 2016;4(4):99-102
World Health Organisation (WHO) physical activity guidelines—https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity

Conscious Movement

A growing understanding of the link between movement and health, Laura Williamson, American Heart Association News—https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/04/10/a-growing-understanding-of-the-link-between-movement-and-health

Physical activiry guidelines for Americans, US Department of Health and Human Services—https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf

Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association—https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2007/08000/physical_activity_and_public_health__updated.27.aspx

The influence of physical activity on mental well-being—https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/influence-of-physical-activity-on-mental-wellbeing/3C363AEECE5C8CAC490A585BA29E6BF8#

Effects of exercise and physical activity on anxiety—https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00027/full

Healing Meals
Food is Medicine: A Project to Unify and Advance Collective Action, US Department of Health and Human Services—https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/food-medicine

Nutritional psychiatry: “Towards improving mental health by what you eat”—https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924977X19317237?via%3Dihub

From Nutrients to Nurturance: A Conceptual Introduction to Food Well-Being—https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1509/jppm.30.1.5

Food is medicine: clinical trials show the health benefits of dietary interventions—https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02891-1