Q&A: What does human connection have to do with fitness?

If you listen to your body as you exercise, you can feel your emotions arise to the surface. Many people try to mute out these feelings, or they exercise to distract themselves from feeling. In today’s episode, Ben and Ash talk about why it’s important to listen to your body and work through your feelings. As Ben mentions at the start of the episode, these moments are opportunities to connect with yourself which is an important part of connecting with other people. Ben talks about how exercise like yoga has helped him to explore his feelings and he reflects on how this helps in the long-term — where muting negative feelings only helps in the short-term. Ash and Ben then discuss how this makes you more proactive in life as it improves your focus while decreasing anxiety.

Ben links this to the energy work of John Amaral and shares the story of what happened when he attended a “nutty” neuro-feedback workshop. Near the end of the episode, Ben provides advice on how you can reinvent yourself by changing your habits before talking about why breathing, walking, and posture are the top three things that you should listen to in your body. To quote one of Ben’s good friends, “your body will tell you everything you need to know, if you're willing to listen and pay attention.” Listen to this episode to find out how.

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Timestamps

• Why Ben is back on a yoga kick and the benefits of yoga when muscle building. [2:26]
• Ben introduces the topic of connecting with others along with the self. [2:52]
• Feeling your emotions as they arise during exercise. [6:20]
• Why exploring your feelings results in long-term benefits. [7:18]
• How Ben convinces people in difficult situations to focus on exercise and meditation. [8:47]
• How John Amaral changed Ben’s life and helped him realize what he wanted to do. [10:01]
• Ben explains what John does by sharing a story from one of his workshops. [12:04]
• The importance of having an open mind and exploring different approaches in life. [15:51]
• Hear about Ben’s “nutty” experience with neuro-feedback. [17:24]
• How we can learn about ourselves by listening to our bodies. [19:32]
• Nurturing our human connections as a way to uplift our lives. [22:02]
• Connecting to yourself before connecting to others and how this might affect sex. [24:42]
• Why you should put aside distractions and take a day to explore your feelings. [26:57]
• Ben’s message to listeners; know that you are stronger than your circumstance. [29:19]
• Learn how changing your habits is the secret to reinventing yourself. [31:42]
• Why the idea of balance is subjective; you need to figure out your own targets. [34:55]
• Hear when and why Ben does yoga and why he doesn’t like yin yoga. [36:43]
• Ben’s top three things to watch in your body; breathing, walking, and posture. [39:17]
• Fixing your walking by focusing on points of weakness or instability. [42:17]
• Ben talks about his mentors — some of the best exercise gurus in the world. [43:57]
• Learn about Ben’s squat and body workout series; it teaches from the fundamentals. [45:25]
• How Ben’s heavy olive oil consumption has benefited him and which olive oil he buys. [47:56]