Squatting In A California Backyard & Talking Family, Movement Mechanics, Ice Baths & More With Aaron Alexander.

Dec 21, 2019

Aaron Alexander, an author and movement expert, brings his vibrant energy to the discussion as he shares insights from his book, The Align Method. He emphasizes the importance of body alignment and its impact on strength and confidence. The conversation dives into intriguing wellness practices like breathwork, ice baths, and the balance of natural wellness and biohacking. Aaron also explores mindful movements, the power of community, and how interdependence enriches our health journey while sharing playful anecdotes that make the learning process enjoyable.

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ADVICE

Pre-Cold Breathwork

Activate your parasympathetic nervous system with breathwork before cold exposure for a calmer experience.
This reduces the shock of the cold and nitric oxide release can cause lightheadedness.

ADVICE

Free Wellness Practices

Incorporate free and accessible wellness practices like sunlight, grounding, and cold exposure.
These simple habits offer numerous benefits for physical and mental well-being.

INSIGHT

Cost-Effective Wellness

The most sustainable and cost-effective health practices are often the simplest.
New technologies are often expensive and less enduring.

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The Align Method

Aaron Alexander

Conscious Breathing

Discover The Power of Your Breath

Anders Olsson

This book by Anders Olsson provides a comprehensive guide on how proper breathing can radically improve various aspects of life, including blood pressure, circulation, heart rate, sleep, energy levels, fat burning, immunity, and personal and spiritual growth. It outlines the five principles of Conscious Breathing: breathing through the nose, using the diaphragm, slow and relaxed breaths, rhythmic breathing, and quiet and reduced volume. The book draws on Olsson's vast experience and extensive research on human breathing, offering practical exercises and explanations to help readers achieve balanced breathing and its numerous health benefits.

Boundless

Tracing Land and Dream in a New Northwest Passage

Kathleen Winter

In 'Boundless', Kathleen Winter recounts her 2010 journey across the Northwest Passage, accompanied by marine scientists, historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists. The book delves into the impacts of climate change, the emergence of new hybrid species, and the geopolitical tensions over sovereignty in the region. Winter also reflects on her personal odyssey, including her childhood migration from England to Canada and the complexities of cultural identity and traditional ways of life among the Inuit population.

The Second Mountain

The Quest for a Moral Life

David Brooks

In 'The Second Mountain', David Brooks explores the concept of two mountains in life: the first mountain, which represents individual success and ego-driven achievements, and the second mountain, which symbolizes a life of deeper meaning, commitment, and contribution to a greater good. Brooks argues that our society's extreme individualism has torn the social fabric, and the path to repair is through making deeper commitments to a spouse and family, a vocation, a philosophy or faith, and a community. The book is both a personal reflection on Brooks' own life journey and a broader social commentary, offering practical advice and stories of people who have lived joyous, committed lives[2][4][5].

A paradise built in hell

the extraordinary communities and strange joys that arise in disasters

Emily Beresford

Rebecca Solnit

David Muñoz Mateos

In 'A Paradise Built in Hell', Rebecca Solnit examines how people respond to disasters and crises, often forming strong, resilient communities. The book delves into the human capacity for cooperation, altruism, and mutual aid during times of catastrophe, challenging the common narrative that disasters bring out the worst in people. Solnit draws on historical examples such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and Hurricane Katrina to illustrate these phenomena.

The Oxygen Advantage

Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques to Help You Become Healthier, Slimmer, Faster, and Fitter

Patrick McKeown

In this book, Patrick McKeown introduces the Oxygen Advantage, a revolutionary approach to breathing that can significantly improve health and fitness. The book explains the fundamental relationship between oxygen and the body and provides techniques such as the Body Oxygen Level Test (BOLT) to determine and improve oxygen efficiency. McKeown's methods include light breathing exercises and simulating high-altitude training, techniques used by elite athletes and military personnel to enhance endurance, weight loss, and cardiovascular health. The book addresses chronic overbreathing, a common but often overlooked issue that contributes to various health disorders, including anxiety, asthma, insomnia, and heart problems. By following McKeown's program, readers can achieve better sleep, increased energy, improved concentration, reduced breathlessness during exercise, and enhanced overall well-being.

You may recall the amazing, eccentric, crazy cool Aaron Alexander if you listened to my episode "Exogenous Ketones, Deuterium-Depleted Water, Near Vs. Far Infrared, Scorpion Stings & More! A Special Episode Recorded Live In Panama"...

...well today Aaron's back. I recorded live with him at his pad in Southern California and after chilling in an ice bath, doing nitty-gritty breathwork and getting up to all the other crazy tom-foolery biohacks at Aaron's place, we recorded for you a nice little podcast, and even discussed Aaron's new book "The Align Method: 5 Movement Principles for a Stronger Body, Sharper Mind, and Stress-Proof Life", which shows readers how posture and body alignment are powerful tools for building strength, achieving peak performance, reducing pain, and approaching the world with a new sense of confidence, and teaches you how to optimize activities such as:

-Floor Sitting

-Hanging

-Hip-Hinging

-Walking

-Nose Breathing

-And much more...

Blending Eastern philosophy with Western mechanics, The Align Method outlines the necessary tools to leverage the power of your own senses and body language to feel more flexible and confident, and details exactly how to reshape your environment for enhanced creativity and longevity. So check out the book and...

In this discussion with Aaron, you'll discover... -What makes green tea special...4:58

EGCG is the primary antioxidant
Regularly consume schisandra for fertility potency
Great Salt Lake trace minerals

-Natural biohacks that can be implemented for low or no cost...6:36

Cold thermogenesis
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system
- Nitric oxide release
- Humming/chanting increases nitric oxide production
  - Activates the vagus nerve
  - Inducing stress resilience prior to the stress of the cold treatment
Sunlight exposure
- Metabolic flexibility is increased w/ sunlight exposure
- Increased HRV and good vagal nerve tone
- Vitamin D activation
- Cellular resistance
When to choose tech over nature
- JOOVV lights can provide adequate infrared light in 10 minutes vs. 2 hours of sunlight
- PEMF tables can shortcut what can be derived from nature
Bottom line: Nature is preferable, but there’s nothing wrong with choosing better living through science

-Ben Greenfield’s morning meditation routine…15:37

Ecomeditation designed by Dawson Church
- Tapping
- Gratitude - into the universe, and into the body
Transcendental meditation (BGF podcast w/ Philip Land)
Deep breathing in the morning
Read devotional or scripture
Gratitude journaling
Exercise is moving meditation
- Lead w/ prana
- No music/podcasts in the ears
Book: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
Book: The Power Of Your Breath by Anders Olsson
Breathe through the nose as much as possible
BGF podcasts w/ Paul Chek
3x3 routine: 3 minutes cardio, 3 minutes cold therapy and repeat

-Hunting zen and interdependence with our fellow man…21:43

Innate instinct to provide, even with modern conveniences around us
Book: A Paradise Built in Hell
Interdependence is oft neglected
C.S. Lewis: We’re all spirits in human bodies w/ capability to go one way or the other
Skin to skin contact releases oxytocin; results in greater success in war, athletics, etc.
Don't sacrifice interdependence for self-dependence (self-made man)
Connections is the undying currency

-The two "mountains" in our lives...40:07

Book: The Second Mountain: The Quest For a Moral Life
Mountain 1: career, business, shelter, etc.
- Circumstances bring us into the valley, and realize Mountain 2
Mountain 2: we discover interdependence, community, connection, etc.
Mountain 1 is oftentimes a prerequisite to Mountain 2
No regrets about the past; using experience to scale Mountain 2 when we arrive there

-Practices that build indomitable connectedness in your family...46:00

Eye-gazing:
- Zero judgment zone
- See different parts of the other each time
- Deep connection reduces shame, increases vulnerability
- Eye-gazing during sex increases intimacy w/ your partner
"You're not raising your children, you're raising your grandchildren"
- Traditions, practices at the dinner table, etc. are observed, learned and passed on to the next generation
- Encourage children to participate in your exercise routine, even if on a limited basis
55/38/7 principle of communication:
- 55% is based on body language
- 38% is vocal tonality
- 7% is the words we use
Power of demonstration cannot be undervalued as a parent

-And much more... Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Book: The Align Method by Aaron Alexander

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