Chris Reynolds discusses high-performance productivity and insights from his podcast "The Business Method". He explains the Greek word "ecstasis" which refers to an altered state of intense euphoria and connection to a greater intelligence. During ecstasis, activity slows in parts of the brain related to self and time, reducing anxiety and improving focus, creativity and productivity. Techniques to achieve ecstasis include meditation, exercise, music and experiencing flow states. Proper use of ecstasis can enhance goal achievement and performance.

1. High-Performance
Productivity Hacking
Insights from The Business Method Podcast
w/ Chris Reynolds

2. Let’s Dance

3. Are you kinky?
What’s the biggest lie you ever told your parents?
Have you ever been naked in public?
Have you ever punched someone in the face?
Have you ever checked your phone during sex?
Have you ever stolen from your parents?
Are you high?
Is Obama a Muslim?
What’s your Google password?

4. On a Ranch in Northern California

5. What happened on that ranch?

6. ● Founder of The Business Method Podcast
● High-Performance Coach for Entrepreneurs
● Founder of Get Shit Done Live Retreats
● 10 Events and retreats around the world
● Took a Rodeo Clown from 2500 to 200k and
got him on CBS’s Reality Show Big Brother
● Location Independent for over 7 years
● A little obsessed with productivity

7. There is a Greek word, that means to
stand outside oneself and be filled with
insight and inspiration!

8. “Plato described this experience as an
altered state where our normal waking
consciousness vanishes completely,
replaced by an intense euphoria and a
powerful connection to a greater
intelligence.” Stealing Fire

9. Navy SEALs

10. Navy SEALs used to take 6 months to
learn a language. Now it takes them 6
weeks.

11. Google Story with CEO
Eric Schmidt

12. Ecstasis

13. “Plato described ecstasis as an altered
state where our normal waking
consciousness vanishes completely,
replaced by an intense euphoria and a
powerful connection to a greater
intelligence.” Stealing Fire

14. Business Accelerators where we
experienced ecstasis

15. What is happening?
● When we reach ectasis the inner critic goes silent
● We go from competition to creative mode
● Risk taking goes up
● Creativity goes up and is very useful for solving problems

16. What is happening to our bodies during
ecstasis?

18. What is happening in the brain?
● Activity in the prefrontal cortex slows, the part of the brain that houses the higher
cognitive functions starts to decrease. It is an efficiency exchange. The brain is trading
extra energy to help you focus in the moment on other functions.
● This is where our sense of self is contained and as this part slows down, so does the
connection to self and increase the connection to other things
● Same with the sense of time...we step into a timeless moment...and intense present
moment and past, and future get deflated and you can only think about what is going on
in that very moment.
● Most anxiety most fear is not present moment fear. Its past and future.
● Anxiety goes down. Performance goes up and so does our ability to process data, get
more clear on direction and decisions.
Steven Kotler, author of Stealing Fire

19. What is happening in the brain?
● Next you get a sense of effortlessness. This comes from a flood of performance
enhancing feel good neurochemicals being released. Stress hormones get removed
from our system at these states. Then we get a huge boost in motivation. It feels like we
are being propelled from a force that is bigger than us. This creates purpose, meaning
and motivation. information in the brain is massively heightened.
● The brain takes in more information per second. Our ability to pay attention to that info
increases. Pattern recognition increases. And lateral thinking increases and creativity.
● 400% heightened creativity and 500% heightened productivity
Steven Kotler, author of Stealing Fire

20. A DOSE of Healthy Neurochemicals
● A = Anandamide
● D = Dopamine
● O = Oxytocin
● S = Serotonin
● E = Endorphins

21. Heightened Form of Intense Unity
● The most common spiritual/mystical experience.
● This decodes most all spiritual/mystical experiences and what is happening in
the brain.
● Ex. Tran-state, meditation, speaking in tongue, near death experiences,
prayer, chanting, out of body experiences, yoga, ayahuasca, rituals
● We are figuring out how to reproduce these experiences
● Team performance goes through the roof.

22. Our Brainwaves are Changing

23. What are some ways we can get into
ecstasis?

24. Deep Work
Meditation & Prayer
Travel
Yoga
Exercize
Flow State
Dancing
Chanting
Singing
Sex
Laughter/Comedy
Music
Personal development seminars
DNX Festival

25. Where else does this exist, who else is
studying this?

26. EDM Concerts
Equal to Russia, S. Korea and Colombia!

27. This is why the correct music is a
superpower...takes us faster to ectasis to
elevate personal performance.

28. Jason Silva says “ Really what I found in altered states was
freedom first they gave me freedom from myself; then they
gave me freedom to express myself, then they showed me
what was actually possible. But it's not just me. I think almost
every successful person I have met - one way or another -
has found a way to use these states to propel them to levels
they didn't know were possible.” Stealing Fire

29. Using Ecstasis Techniques to Tap Into
High-Performance Productivity

30. Workshop Time!!!

31. What gets us to Ecstasis?
● Gets Me Into - Group singing, dancing, BJJ grappling, Chaos/State of
Emergencies, Meditation, Prayer, Travel, Improv, Scary Shit, Ice baths,
Motorcycles adventures, Spending time with like-minded friends and people I
love, Big Scary Projects Ex. Peru project
● “Doing what scares the hell out of you is one of the fastest ways to get into
flow!” ...Jackie Knechtel
● Ex. Getting into the zone, Navy Seals, Burning Man, Chanting, Dancing,
Singing, Meditation, Prayer, Personal Dev. Seminars

32. What gets me into ecstasis?
When do I feel the most free and beyond myself or
connected to my higher self or higher ________?

33. Play Music

34. Get Your Daily D.O.S.E
Dopamine
Oxytocin
Serotonin
Endorphins

35. The Enemy of Ecstasis -- Cortisol
Cortisol is being released in our bodies you feel dis-stress, anxiety, fear,
anger, frustration.
● Inhibits memory retrieval
● Impairs learning
● Suppresses the immune system
● Increase blood sugar
● Decrease bone formation
● Lengthen the time wounds heal

36. The Enemy of Ecstasis -- Cortisol
How to stop the release of Cortisol?
● Get away from the damn computer!
● This creates a pattern interrupt
● Rest & Relax
● Exercisze
● Eat healthy
● Meditate
● Anything to release the Daily Dose

37. Dopamine
● When Dopamine is low….so is motivation.
● Dopamine motivates you to take action toward your goals and gives you a
surge of reinforcing pleasure when achieving them.
● Procrastination, self-doubt and lack of enthusiasm are linked with low levels of
dopamine.

38. Ways to Increase Dopamine
● Listen to music
● Break down big goals into little pieces
● Rather than allowing your brain to celebrate only when you’ve hit the big finish
line, you can create a series of little finish lines for frequent dopamine release.
● It’s crucial to actually celebrate
● Reward yourself

39. Oxytocin
● Oxytocin is a neurotransmitter that makes people feel bonded to one another.
It has been called “the trust chemical” and the “cuddle hormone”
● The release of Oxytocin creates trust and builds relationships.
● Gives better ORGASIMS!!!!

40. Ways to Release Oxytocin
● Sharing a meal with someone
● Telling people you love them
● Bonding
● Touch...aim for 8 6-second hugs a day
● Interpersonal touch not only raises oxytocin, but also reduces cardiovascular
stress and improves the immune system.

41. Oxytocin Exercise

42. Serotonin
● Serotonin flows when you feel significant or important.
● Loneliness and depression are present when serotonin is absent.
● Unhealthy attention-seeking
● Most antidepressants focus on the production of serotonin.

43. Ways to Increase Serotonin
● Think back on a past achievement that you are proud of.
● Your brain has trouble telling the difference between what is real and what is
imagined, so it produces serotonin in both cases
● Gratitude practices are popular for this reason.
● Spend time with healthy/constructive people you enjoy being around.
● Expose yourself to the sun for 20 minutes. Your skin absorbs ultraviolet rays,
which promotes Vitamin D and serotonin production.

44. Serotonin Exercise

45. Endorphins
● If you want to relieve anxiety, which can block productivity, get some
endorphins pumping.
● Released in response to pain and stress
● Help to alleviate anxiety
● “Second Wind” and “Runner’s High”

46. Ways to Increase Endorphins
● Physical Activity
● Laughing
● Expectation of Laughter
● Dark Chocolate
● Spicy Foods
● Aromatherapy especially…
○ Lavender Essential Oil
○ Vanilla Scent

47. Endorphins Exercise

48. The Environments We Live & Work In

49. Weekly Estasis Planning

50. Goal Setting System
~ Increase Personal Productivity ~
~ Experience More Ecstasis ~

51. Establish a Ritual Sunday Night or Monday Morning
Time: 30-90 Minutes
● This ritual takes you through the process of getting into ecstasis and creating
more ecstasis on a daily basis to experience higher-performance productivity
● Created by Tony Robbins, altered by Chris Reynolds

52. Clean out my email - Time: 10-30 Minutes
● Cleaning your room or house
● Cleaning your mental capacity

53. Visualize the Big Picture Time: 10 Minutes
● Meditate
● Drink Tea
● Read my life purpose and goals
● Read over my 10 year goals
● Read over my 3 year goals
● Read over my 3 month goals
● Here we start to slow our prefrontal cortex down and slow down our brain
waves to alpha and theta

54. Celebrate Last Week Time: 5-10 Minutes
● This will help you feel more grateful of what you actually achieved.
● This releases dopamine and serotonin
● Write down at least 10 things you are grateful for…
I got to _______ !!!

55. Write Down Major Lessons Time: 2-5 Minutes
● A week of learning experiences is wasted if we don’t reflex back and learn
from the events.
● The good ones and the more challenging ones.

56. Analyze What Didn’t Happen Time: 2-5 Minutes
● I said I was going to do this but I didn’t…..Why?

57. Clarify Your Biggest Outcomes Time: 5-10 Minutes
● Create outcomes that are in alignment with your current goals.
● 3 year, 3 month goals
● Write down 6-7 major outcomes for the week.

58. Schedule EVERYTHING Time: 5-15 Minutes
● Schedule everything as much as possible
● Meeting
● Breaks
● Deep work
● Grocery store
● Exercize
● Relaxing time
● This helps keeps us in focus and prevents the release of cortisol in our
bodies. It allows the opportunity more often for ecstats to happen, our brain
waves to become more focused and more neurochemicals to flow through our
body.
● Everything Takes Longer Than We Think

59. Each Night Plan 3 MIT’s (Most Important Task’s For the
Next Day)
● Helps you visualize your day and become more clear
● Opens up time to increase ecstasis and decrease cortisol
● Everything Takes Longer Than We Think

60. Weekly Planning Process
1. Establish a Ritual Sunday Night or Monday Morning Time: 30-90 Minutes
2. Visualize the Big Picture Time: 3-5 Minutes
3. Celebrate Last Week Time: 5-10 Minutes
4. Write Down Major Lessons Time: 2-5 Minutes
5. Analyze What Didn’t Happen Time: 2-5 Minutes
6. Clarify Your Biggest Outcomes Time: 5-10 Minutes
7. Schedule EVERYTHING Time: 5-15 Minutes
8. Fill in the Gaps/Housekeeping Time: 5-10 Minutes
TheBusinessMethod.com/FreedomX

61. Christian Chasmer
This one simple discipline (of scheduling time) 10xed his productivity, made him
happier and helped him scale his company to $5,000,000.

62. What are your biggest takeaways from
DNX Festival?
How can you use ecstasis to accomplish
these goals?

63. “When we are reliably able to make this ‘shift’ (to ecstasis)
you start ….constructing a world that is much more friendly to
contradiction, to oppositeness, to being able to hold onto
multiple systems of thinking….By stepping outside ourselves
we gain perspective. We become objectively aware of our
coutumes rather than subjectively fused with them. We
realize we can take them off, discard those that are worn out
or no longer fit, and even create new ones. That's the
paradox of selflessness -- by periodically losing our minds we
stand a better chance at finding ourselves.” Stealing Fire

64. Q&A
Get Shit Done Live
Stealing Fire by Jamie Wheal and Steven Kotler
TheBusinessMethod.com/DNX