transcript – downward dog like a real life warrior one...

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Transcript – Downward Dog Like a Real Life Warrior

One with Mark Divine - #319

Bulletproof Radio Mark Divine #319

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Speaker1: BulletproofRadio,astateofhighperformance.

Dave: Hey,it'sDaveAspreyoftheBulletproofRadio.Today'scoolfactofthedayisthatthere'sanewdiscoverythatyogacanincreaseheartratevariabilitybecauseitstimulatesyourvagusnervewhichisthebigbossofyourinnernervecenter.Infact,there'sarecentpodcastaboutPolyvagalTheoryifyoureally,reallywanttodigonthat,diginonthat.

Yournervoussystemcanrespondtomechanicalstimulation,sowhenyou'redoing,say,thewarriorposeandbreathingdeep,you'rerousingyourvagusnervewhichsendssignalstoyourhearttooptimizethespacingbetweenyourheartbeatortheheartratevariabilitywhichiscool.That'soneofthosethingsthatnooneeverknewaboutyogaexceptthepeoplewhoinventedyogawhoprobablysenseditwasdoingsomethinggoodtothenervoussystem.

Beforewegetgoingontheshow,ifyouhaven'thadachancetocheckoutthenewBulletproofInstaMix,you'vegottocheckthisstuffout.WejustmadeBulletproofCoffeeonthego,aloteasierandmorepowerful.Thisisbrainoctaneoilandgrass-fedbutter.Youjustaddthepowdertoyourupgradedcoffee,putitinyourbulletproof,travelmug,shakeitupandyou'reactuallygoodtogo.

Thisisacompletegame-changer.I'mgoingtospendtwoweeksontheroadinGreece,FranceandLondonflyingbackandforth,allthesethingsandI'mbringingcasesofthiswithme,becauseit'sprettymuchonandhaveforbreakfast.YoucanfindthemugsandInstaMixonBulletproof.com.

Now,today'sguestisafriendandasecondtimeguestonBulletproofRadio.He'saretiredNavySEALcommanderwith20yearsofactiveandreservedutyunderhisbelt.NoneotherthanMarkDivinewhohasprobablythecoolestnameofanyoneI'veeverseen.MarkistheCEOofSEALFIT.com,amulti-blackbeltmartialartist,ahand-to-handcombatexpertandthisiswhythecoolfactthatitwassocool.He'sacertifiedAshtangayogateacherandhecreatedsomethingcalledtheUnbeatableWarriorYogaProgram.

He'saNewYorkTimesbest-sellingauthorandhe'sontheshowtotalkabouthislatestbookcalled,"KokoroYoga:MaximizeYourHumanPotentialandDeveloptheSpiritofaWarrior--theSEALFITWay."Mark,thatisonehellofalongtitleforabook.Welcometotheshow.

Mark: That'sthesubtitle.Yeah.GreattoseeyouDave.Thankyouforhavingmeonyourpodcast.Bytheway,whenIstimulatemyvagusnerve,itjustmakesmewanttogamble,soIdon'tknowhowthatrelatestoyoga,but...

Dave: Doesitreally?Yougettheurgetogoplaypokerwhenyoustimulateyourvagusnerve?

Mark: [Crosstalk00:02:44],Idon'tplaypoker,soI'mjust...Itisthevagusnerveafterall.


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Dave: Sorry,Imissedthatentirely.Vagus,therewego.Ican'tbelieveImissedthat.I'mjustadork.Iwaslookingat...

Mark: [Crosstalk00:02:58]toomuch.

Dave: Allright.Beforewestartrecordingtheshow,foreveryonelistening,myteamjustyelledatmeenoughandsaid,"Dave,youhavetogetonSnapchat."Isaid,"Guys,doIreallyhavetotakemypantsoffatwork?"Apparently,it'susedinadifferentwaynow,soIjuststartedSnapchatting.It'sdaveasprey,allintogether.IfyouwanttofollowmeonSnapchat,IdidSnapchatwhenSkypewashiccupingandwhatever.Mark,areyougoingtoSnapchat?

Mark: Youknowwhat?I'mnotgoingtoSnapchat.No.

Dave: Allright.Icouldseethat[crosstalk00:03:33].

Mark: Iprobablyshould,butIcan'tkeepupwithallthestuff.

Dave: You'rekickingsomeone'sassandSnapchattingatthesametime.ThesituationalawarenessisdiminishedwithSnapchatIthinkso.

Mark: Yeah,exactly.

Dave: Allright,let'sgobacktotheinterview,becauseyoutotallygotmewithanincrediblylamepunandtherewego.WhatisKokoro?Whydoyounamethebookthat?Kokoro,coconutoil?

Mark: KokoroisthewayIpronounceit,butitactuallyisKokoro.It'saJapanesewordifyouhadn'tfigurethatoutanditmeansheartmindorwholemind.Asyouknow,inEnglish,there'snoonewordthatcapturethatessence.Wehavetousetwowordslikeheartandmind.

IstartedusingthewordformySEALFIT50hourcrucibleexperiencebackin2008becausewhatInoticewhenpeoplearegoingthroughthiscruciblethattheywerehavingthistransformativeexperiencethatIcouldonlycharacterizeasdroppinginandconnectingtotheirheartandbeingreallyvulnerableandaskingforhelpandrequiringhelpandreceivinghelpfromteammatestosurvivetheprogram.

Thenattheend,havingthiswonderfulintimateconnectionthatthey'veneverexperiencedbefore,butallspecialoperatorsandmanypeoplewhohavebeenincombathaveexperienced.Thatexperienceoflovingyourteammatessomuchthatyou'rewillingtotakeabulletforthem.Now,wedon'thavetheKokorostudentstakebulletsandthere'snoliveroundsoranything,buttheywereexperiencingthiswhichisuniqueinoursocietytoday.Tohavesomethingthatcantriggerthatandgetpeoplethatconnected.

Lateron,fastforwardalittlebit,IstartedtrainingSEALsinthisyogatechniquesthatIhavebeenusingpersonallyandIwantedtotrainthem,becauseitwasveryeffectiveatcultivatingmindfulnessandfocusandskillsthatarereallygoodforcombat.Isaid,"Youknowwhat?IthinkKokoroisagreattermtouseforthisyogatoo."YoucanexperienceKokorothroughalongterm


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dedicatedpracticeofyogaandyoucanexperienceKokorothroughthefireofacruciblelikehellweekorKokorocamp.

Dave: Howmuchyogadoyouhavetodoinordertoexperiencethat?

Mark: 10,000hours.I'mjustkidding.Tome,yoga...

Dave: Greatanswer.

Mark: Yeah,yogacanbeexperiencedaslittleas5to10minutesaday.It'stheconsistencyofpractice.Agoodyogaprogram...KokoroyogaiswhatIcallintegratedtraininganditintegratesbreathingpracticewithfunctionalmovement.Thatfunctionalmovementcanbetraditionalasanawhichmostpeopleassociatewithyoga,butitcanalsobecrossfit,swinginakettlebellorfightingtypemovements.Anythingwhereyouhavetobeawareofyourbodyandspaceandtimeandconnectsyourbreathingwiththemovementandthenlearninghowtomovewithit,moreofaninternalfocusasopposetoanexternalfocus.That'sthefunctionalmovement.

Weintegratedbreath,breathwithmovementandsomeformofmentaltrainingtoincludeconcentration,visualizationormeditation.AllthreeofthosecomponentsexistineverypracticesessionofKokoroyoga.ThosepracticesessionscanbeanhourandahalflonglikemytraditionalAshtangapracticewasorfiveminuteslikeaquickmorningroutine.Wakeup,dothreetofourminutesofyourbreathing,dofivevisualizations,visualizeyourday,boomyou'reoutthedoor.

It'sthereallyconsistentpracticedayinanddayoutwhereyou'recultivatingtheinnerdomain,curatingyourthoughtsandemotionsandreallyconnectingwiththatwarriorspirit.That'swhereyou'regoingtofindKokoroinyourlife.

Dave: Ashtangayoga,ifyou'relisteningtothisandyou'reayogi,itmakesgreatsense,butalotofpeopledon'tknowthatthereevenaredifferentschoolsofyogaordifferentkindsofthings.Ashtangayogaprescribesasetofrecurringposes,youdothesameposesandthesameordereachtime.You'rejustdescribingprettydifferent.You'retalkingaboutdoingothertypesofmovementthatisn'tthefullAshtangaseries.WhatmadeyoulearnAshtangabutthennotdoAshtanga?

Mark: WhenIfoundAshtanga,itremindedmeofmymartialartstraining.Eachserieswasalongkataandyouhadtomemorizethemandyouhadtohavetheprogressivenatureofgoingthroughit.LikegraduatingfromthefirstseriesinAshtangatomewaslikegettingyourblackbeltandthenyoudothesecondseriesandbelikeyoursecondaryblackbelt.That'sthewayIlookedatit.It'sveryachievementoriented.

AlotofpeopleapproachAshtangathatwaywhichis,inmyopinion,notagreatwaytoapproachyogatraining.Manypeopledon'tknowthis,butAshtangayogawasdevelopedbyaguynamedShriPattabhiJoisanditwastransmittedtohimbywhatweconsideredtobethefatherofmodernyoga,aguynamedKrishnamacharya.


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KrishnamacharyataughtthisversionofyogatoPattabhiforthetrainingofyoungathletesandwarriors,soit'saverymilitantstyleofyoga.It'sverymilitant.It'sverychallenging,it'saggressive,it'sathletic.Youstayinanattentionallthetimeandit'sveryfocusedonthephysical,buttraditionalyogawasmeanttobeaboutmentalspiritualdevelopment.Thephysicalwasreallyjusttoprepareyoutositinmeditation.

Dave: It'sfunnythatyoujustdescribeditthatway.IpracticeavarietyofyogaandIwasprettyseriousatyogaforprobablyeight,nineyears.Iwasdoingitonaveryregularbasis.IwoulddoanAshtangaclass,butIalwaysdescribeitaslikemilitantyoga.Youdoavinyasa...IalsofoundtheAnusaraformforalongtimewhereit'salittlebitmoreplayfulandalittlebitmorebreathingandjustenergyfocused.

Youstartedout...You'reamilitaryguy,soyouareattractedtothemoremilitantformofyoga,andthenhowlongagodidyoudivergeandgointoKokoroyoga?

Mark: 2004.Inoticedacoupleofthings.Onewasaneventthathappened.TheotherwasaseriesofinjuriesandburnoutthatIwasexperiencing.Becauseyou'redoingthesamesetofsequenceoverandover,itwouldbelikegoingintothegymanddoingthesamecrossfiteverysingleday.Youdevelopdysfunctionalmovementpatternsandalotofpeoplegetinjuredinyoga.Yeah,inAshtanga.

Alotofpeopleactuallygetinjuredincrossfit,becausetheycometoitwithdysfunctionalmovementpatternsthattheydon'thavethesensitivityorthecoachingtofixandthengofromzerotoheroandboomtheyspringagasket.SamethinghappensinAshtanga.

InoticethatIwasgettinginjuredandIwasgettingburnedoutandIsaid,"There'sgottobeabetterway."ThesecondthingthathappenedisIwasmobilized...AsyoumentionedinyourintroductionthatIwasareserveofficerforabouthalfofmyNavySEALcareer.In2004,itwasmytimetogotoIraq.WhenIgottoBaghdad,therewasreallynoplaceformetotrain.There'snogym,somostoftheguysattheJointSpecOpsTaskForcethatIwasoveratwiththeSEALswouldjustbasicallyrunthethreemilelooparoundthecompoundanddoPT.Justlikecalisthenics.

Thatwasn'tgoodenoughforme,soIfoundalittleplacebehind...We'reatSaddam'spalacecompound.It'sallpacked,markedwithbulletholesandmortarroundsandstufflikethis.IfoundalittlespotnearthislakeandIstartedtodoearlyversionofKokoroyoga.Icalleditwarrioryogaatthetime.ThetraditionalAshtangathingwasn'tgoingtoworkforme,andsoIjuststartedexperimenting,combiningandintegratingthesedifferentthingsandthat'swhereitstarted.

WhatIfoundwasthatitwasmuchmoreeffective.Icoulddoarecovery.Icouldchoose...ThistimeDave,Ihadenoughknowledgeofthemovementandbreathingpracticestobeabletocombinethemsensibly.IfIneededtorecover,Iwouldchoosetheposesandthebreathingandthevisualizationthatwe'regoingtoleadtorecoveryandthathelpmewardoffcombatstress.

IfIwantedaworkout,thenIwouldchooseamoreaggressiveposestowarmup,thenIwould


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actuallygetaworkoutinthemiddleofitlikeacrossfitwod,bodyweightonly,becauseIdidn'thaveanytools.ThenIgointosomeseatedposesanddomyconcentrationtrainingafterwards.ItevolvedinthisverymoduleormodularIshouldsaypracticethatwascustomizableandpersonalizedforanyonewhowishtotakeiton.

That'swhatItrytoconveyinthebookthatauthenticyogaasKrishnamacharyataught,itwaspersonalpractice,meanttobedoneonyourown,meanttobeadaptedtoyourstageoflife,yourgoals,thetimeofday.Onlyonceinawhilewouldyoudoitinagroupsettingandthatwaslikeforanexhibitionortogogetsomeskillslikeataseminar.That'skindofhowIapproachit.IrarelygotoastudioanymoreforyogaunlessI'mgoingtogogetsomeadditionaltrainingorIwanttotuneuporIwanttogocheckinwithateacherthatI'veconnectedwith.

Dave: Youtalkaboutcombatstressandburnout,tellmemoreaboutthat.Whatisthatlike?Whathappensandhowdoesthatrelatetotherestofuswhohaven'tbeenincombat?

Mark: PTSDcanbeexperienced...IwouldsaymostmilitarymemberswhogotocombatexperiencesomeformofPTSD.It'syourresiliencybeforeyougointhatwillaffecthowmuchitimpactsyournervoussystemandthentheresiliencyofyourabilitytobouncebackandtorecoverfromthat.

NavySEALs,wetendtobeprettyimmune,althoughwe'renotentirelyimmunetocombat-relatedstressbecauseofourtraining.Ourtrainingissointense.It'sveryrealistic.It'spunishing.Whenwegotocombat,we'relike,"Okay,we'vebeenherebefore."Guystendtodofairlywellinthatenvironment.Theydon'ttendtogetcombat-relatedstressasmuch.

Havingsaidthat,theeffectofitisreallydebilitatingbecauseit'snotsomethingyou'realwaysconsciouslyawareof,butitshowsupinyouremotionsandanxietyandthesenseofdread.Ofcourse,you'veheardaboutwakingupincoldsweatsandhavingflashbacks.Allthisjuststartstoreallywhittleawayatyourconfidenceandyournervoussystemisjustcompletelyafraid.

Whathappenedis,let'ssayyouspendayearinacombatzoneorevensixmonths,everydayyoursympatheticnervoussystemisjustgettingbombarded.Ithasnoopportunitytocalmdownandsoyourcortisollevelsarejacked.Everythingisjackedandyougetsooutofbalancethatunlessyouaggressivelyworktoovercomethatbalancebygoingintheoppositedirection.

Everybodycomingoutofthecombatzoneshouldgotoamonasteryforamonthandjustpracticebreathingandmeditationandsomeyogaandthenprobablybefine,becausetheparasympatheticwouldgotoworktoovercomethatbalance.Instead,theygorightbacktofamiliesthathavemissedthem,there'salotofstressfrommaybegoing,gone,there'sfinancialstress.Itjustexacerbates.It'sacrushingissue.

Alotofmilitarymemberswhohavelosttheirlivesandhavecommittedsuicidefromit.I'mhopingthatatKokoroyoga,wecandooursmallpartinhelpingmilitarymembersandothersthatcouldbeanyoneinlife.Thinkaboutabusycorporateexecutive.It'salmostlikeyourversionofcombatgoingoutintothebusinessworldeveryday.Itmovessofastandthere'ssomanystressors.


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Wecanusetheseskillsasanantidote.Everyday,ifyou'redoing10,20minutesofKokoroyoga,

yourbreathingandmovementandmindfulnessorconcentrationtraining,thenit'sgoingtohelpyouwardoff.It'slikeyougothroughyourdaywiththisforcefieldaroundyou.Thesestressesjustbouncingoffofyou.Youbecomeverystableandbalancedandjustnon-attachedtothosestressorssotheydon'taffectyouasmuch.

Dave: Iseewhatyou'resayingthere.TheCEOstressesisdifferent.Yougetthedailygrindwherethere'salwaysmore,alwaysmore.I'veneverbeenincombat,butIhaveveteransworkingforBulletproofandcertainlyfriendswhohaven't.It'ssomethingthathangsoveryourhead,you'rewaiting.You'renotactuallyincombat,soyougetawaitingtime,butwaitingwithpressure,becauseyoudon'tknow.

Thenyougetintensefirefightforsomeamountoftimeandthenwaiting.There'sapressurecookermentality.Onthebusinessside,it'sdifferentinthatthere'salwayssomethingtodo.Nomatterhowhardyoupush...It'slikerunningamarathon,butthefinishlineisneverthere.Nomatterhowhardyourun,there'sprobablysomeonenexttoyou.Theremightbedifferentpeopleandthey'realwaysrunningtoo,sowetendtogrindourselvesdown.

TherearemorethanafewCEOswhohavePTSDfromsomethingintheirlife.It'sdifferentthancombatPTSD,butit'sthesameactivationofthebrain.IhadlotsofPTSDfromthewayIwasborn.IhadthecordwrappedaroundmyneckwhenIwasborn.Birthtraumalikethatwillliterally...Yournervoussystembelievesthateverythingintheworldisathreatbecausethat'sthewayyou'rewired.I'verewiredmyselfthatway.Idon'thavethatinmybehaviorpatternsanymore.It'slostitscharge.

Youcouldsomeonelikesomethingtriggersthem.Itcanbesomethingbigorsomethinglittle.Isityourexperiencethatyoucantakesomeonewiththatkindof...We'llsaynon-militaryPTSD,buttrauma-derivednonetheless.Whetherit'straumaornot,it'snotthatrelevant.HowquicklycouldKokoroyogahelpshiftsomeone,CEOornot,outofthatreactivepost-traumaticsortofthingintoamorefunctionalpatternthat'sgoingtoimprovetheirhappiness?

Mark: Greatquestion.Ofcourse,itdependsuponthereceptivitytothetrainingandsoifthey'vehadsomeprioryogaexperienceormeditationorevenathletictraining,thenyou'vegotsomeneurologicalpathwaysthataregoingtobereceptivetothis.Iwouldsaygenerally,30daysoftrainingdonedaytodaywillhaveaprofoundeffect.Thisisgenerallythefeedback.

Igetfeedbackfrompeoplesaidthey'vebeenpracticingfortwoweeksorthreeweeksandboom,allthesudden,thingsstarttochangeforthem.Thewaytheyrespondtostress,theirworldview,theirabilitytoreframeveryquickly.Somethingtheyusedtotakeonasnegativestressandhaveitbeboilingwiththemforhoursorevendays.They'reabletoletitgoreallyquicklybecausethey'vecreatedanewmentalorientationaroundtheirrelationshiptotheworldandotherpeopleinitandalsotheinformationthatthey'rereceiving.

Itreallycanbeasquickas30daysandwejustlauncheda30daychallengeandgaveitawayforfree.WehadacouplethousandpeopleenrolljustbecauseIwantedpeopletoexperiencethis.


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It'sonlylikesevenoreightminutesoftrainingaday,sometimesalittlebitlonger.Thefeedbackhasbeenphenomenal.Itcanhappenfairlyquickly.Thebrainwillrewireitselfreallyquickly.Youknowthatmorethananybody.

It'salwaysseekingnewwaystoruntherivuletsofinformation.Thebreathinginparticularissointensely...Wesayinyogathatthebreathisthelinkbetweenthebodyandmindandthenthemindandspirit.Thebreathingexercisesarelikeawholenewwaytouseyourbrainandtheyjuststimulateallsortsofactivity,allofitgood.Whenyoucombinethebreathingwiththemovementwiththevisualization,magichappens.Itcanhappenprettyquickly.

Dave: Iappreciatehearingthat.Itishardforsomepeopletodothat.Ididn'twhenIfirststartedpracticingyoga.It'sactuallykindofacoolstory.Ijustmetthewomanwho'snowmywifeandwewerejustgettingtoknoweachother.Shehadn'tmovedtowhereIlivedyet,sowehadalongdistancerelationshipandshesaid,"Yeah,youshouldstartdoingyoga."I'mlike,"Okay.I'mdatingahotwoman,allright,I'lldosomeyoga."

Mark: Whynot?

Dave: Like,"Whattheheck,sure.MaybenexttimeyouseemeI'llbemoreflexible,itwillbefun."Shegavemethisgreatpieceofadvice.Shesaid,"Youknow,whatIrecommendyoudoisyoufindthehottestyogateacheryoucanpossiblyfind."Isaid,"Okay,Ilikethisadvice,butwhy?"Shesaid,"Soyou'llactuallygotoyoga."I'mlike,"Okay.IlikethisadviceandIlikethiswomanitturnsout."

WhateffectthathadandjustthefactthatIhadnotmuchelsetodowasthatIwenttoclassprobablyforfivetimesaweekwhichwasn'tsevendaysaweek,butitwasenoughtoreallygetmeimmersedinitsothatIcouldexperiencesomeofthebenefitsyou'retalkingabout.Eventually,yousortofgettothefrontwhereyoudon'tfeelrightifyoudon'tatleastdoafewposeseverydayjustbecauseyourbodygetsusedtoit.

Idon'tknowifIfeltadifferencein30days,soIwasgivenIwasdoinghourlongclasseswithdifferentformsofyogaatdifferenttimesoftheday.TherecurringthingissomethingthatI'venotheardanyonesayonBulletproofRadiobefore,butIthinkthere'sgreatvaluetothat.Havingapracticethathappenseverydayinordertogetmaximumresults.Whataboutontheexercisesideofthings?Whatdoyourecommendthereoutsideoftheyogasideofthingsinthebook?Justtalkaboutwhattheexerciseprogramlookslike.

Mark: WhatIrecommendisthatyouryogaisacomplementtoasolidfunctionalfitnessprogram.Itdoesn'treplaceit.Itdidn'tworkedformewhenIwasdoingAshtangaformyfitnessprogram.LikeIsaidearlier,itledtoinjuryandamonostructuralexercisejustasifIwasalongdistancerunner.It'sanincompletefitness.Alotofpeopleuseyogaforfitnessandit'slookedasagroupexerciseinthiscountry.

ThisisoneofthethingsIwanttotrytochangewiththisbook.Whatmyroutineis,becauseIalsorunSEALfitisIdoanhourandahalf,sometimestwohours.Ihavethetimeandit'spartofmyroutine,butitdoesn'thavetobe.Itcouldbeahalfhourortoanhourofvariedfunctional


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fitnessthatincludesseveralreallyintenseworkoutspacethroughouttheweek.Thenothersoflesserdegreesofintensityandalsotoincludesomeformofweighttraining,soyouhadthatresistancebecauseit'sphenomenalforgrowthhormonesandtestosteronebalance,thosetypesofthings.

Itcouldlooklikeareallygoodcrossfitcoach.Youcanbuildatrainingplanforyou.Yougotthat,buteverytimeyoudoahardphysicaltrainingsession,yourbalanceyoursystemoutwithsomesortofrecovery.Kokoroyogaprovidesthat.Itdoesn'thavetobeKokoroyoga,itcanalsobejustactivestretching,somesortofmindfulness.Itcouldberollingoutinafoamroller.

Thepointis,youwanttohavemorefocusthaniscommononthepost-workoutrecovery.Kokoroyogahasalotofthatbenefit,becausenowwhatyou'vejackedupyournervoussystem,youstimulated,you'vethrownenergyoutintheworld.You'veexpandedallthisenergy.Now,youwanttobasicallyrebalance,reabsorbenergyandrecover.Thisleavestoprogressivebuildingofyourfitnessskillswithoutdegradingyourperformancethroughrutsandburnoutsandbeingforcetotaketimeoffthroughinjuryorthroughnotgettingenoughsleepbecauseyourcortisollevelisjackedorsomethinglikethat.

Iwouldsaytosummarizeafunctionalfitnessprogramwhereyou'redoingavarietyofdifferenttrainingtoincludeweightliftingandhighintensityintervaltraining.Somehard,somemedium,somelong,someshort,becausevarietyisthespiceofthephysicallife.Thentobalanceallthatwithadailypracticeofanywherefromfiveminutesto45minutestoanhourofKokoroyoga.That'swhatIdoanditturnedouttobe,at52,tobeareallyincrediblebalance.WorkingoutandworkinginIcallit.Thosetwotogetheraremutuallysupportive.

Dave: Allright.Icouldputmyanklesbehindmyhead,butIcan'tdothesplits.Talktomeaboutflexibility.I'vegotsomeflexibility,butwhatthehell,whycan'tIdosplits?Givemethesecretstoflexibility.

Mark: Ican'teither.

Dave: What?

Mark: Iknow,right?Thepointistobedoingit.Iwouldlookatflexibilityasasecondaryphysicalbenefit.Maybealmostatertiaryphysicalbenefittothemovementofyoga,themovementpracticeofyoga.TheprimaryphysicalbenefitDave,andIknowyou'regoingtoapproachthis,isspinalhealth.Wewanttoflexthespine,twistourspine.

We'reworkinginalmostlikeyouwouldworkapaperclip,exceptyourspineisn'tgoingtosnapeventually.Thepaperclipwill.It'sjustgoingtogethealthier.You'regoingtobekeepingthespacebetweenthevertebraesopenallowingthebloodandtheenergytoflowthroughyourvertebraes.Ifyourspineishealthy,thenyournervoussystemisgoingtohavegreaterhealthandthatwillradiateouttotherestofyourbody.

Spinalhealthneedstogreatstructuralphysicalhealth.That'stheprimarybenefitofyogamovementpractice.SecondarybenefitIwouldsayisdetoxification.You'rehelpingtodetoxify


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yourinternalorgansbytwistingorsqueezingthemandalsoyourmind.You'redetoxifyingyourmindandgettingmuchclearerfocusofyourmind.Themindbodysystemisstartingtoreallyfireatamuchmoreefficientmanner.Thethirdwouldbeflexibilitybothinjointarticulationandmuscularflexibility.

Here'sanotherplacewhereIdifferfromthetraditionalyogacommunity.Itdoesn'tmatterifyoucanputyourfeetbehindyourhead.Whatmattersisthatyouhaveabalancedstructureandthatyourmuscles...Afteryoutightenyourmuscles,youlengthenthemandthatyou'reworkingonyourflexibilityforyourentirelifebecauseaflexiblebodyisalimberbody,it'snimbleandit'snotgoingtobreakorgetsickaseasily.

There'salotofegointheyogacommunityaroundbeingabletodocertainposesandalwaysheavytodoharderandharderposes.Itisirrelevant.EvenKrishnamacharyawouldsaythoseare...They'restupidhumantricksandwhenyou're50,youdon'tneedtostandonyourhandfor20minutesaday.Youdon'tneedtodoposeswhereyoutwistyourselfintopretzelandputyourfootoveryourhead.

Thosearefuntodowhenyou'reyoungandathleticanditmakesusseemlikeyou'redoingsomeesotericmovement,buttheyreallyareirrelevant.Youcouldstickwith10ormaybeifyou'reaggressive,20basicposesandgetallthebenefits.

Dave: Ihavealwaysamusedbytheideaofayogacompetition.

Mark: Yeah,Iknow,[crosstalk00:28:12].

Dave: It'slike,"Whoareyoucompetingwith?"It'slikeyourself,right?

Mark: Right.That'sallego.Thatshouldn'texistintheworld.

Dave: Iamwithyouthere.Itisallego.Ialsoagreewithyouthereonputtingtheanklebehindmyhead.Sowhat?Itexactlyastupidhumantrick.

Mark: Unlessyou'reinthebedroom,there'snoutilityvalueforthat.

Dave: That'safairpoint.Ihavetoworkonthat.Right.There'ssomethingthoughaboutcontinuousimprovementandyougetthat.That'scoretowhatyoudo,coretoyourprogram.WhereI'mlike,"Allright,todayIcandothispose.Tomorrow,Iwanttodoonemillimetermore."Atthesametime,that'sayoungperson'sgameandwe'reallgettingolder.Nomatterhowoldyouare,yougetoldereveryday,24hoursatatime.

Mark: [Crosstalk00:29:04].

Dave: Youmightget36hoursatatime.Idon'tknow.WhatIfindisthat...I'minmyearly40s,butthere'sathingwhereIwanttocontinuouslymakemysplitsbetter.Ialsoknowthatmybodydoesn'treallywantmetodothat,sothere'sthatintentionwhichisalsoapartofyoga.I'minteresteddoingthesplitsnotasastupidhumantrick,butjustforthat,"Okay,I'vecontinued


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..."I'veshownmyselfthatI'mmakingprogressintherightdirectionwhichisjustaphysicalprogresseventhoughmostoftheprogressisactuallymoremeditative.Youwritealotaboutmeditationinthebookaswell.

Mark: Yes.

Dave: Talkwithourlistenersabouthowyoumeditate,whypartofthewarriorspiritismeditation.What'syourtakeonmeditation,becauseit'salittledifferentthanmostpeoplewouldexpect?

Mark: First,Iwanttoaddressyourlastpointrealquickly.It'sokaytohaveaphysicalgoalinyoga.Idon'twanttosayit'scompletelyrelevant.It'sokay,butjustrecognizeitthatit'sagoalthatsomeofyouareworkingtoward,butthattheprimarybenefitsreallyaretheinternalones.Theinternalbenefitsare...They'renotbenchmarkable.Theyareifyouhookuponeofyourfunkymachines.Theyare[crossttalk00:30:25].

Dave: Yeah,thatone.

Mark: Yeah,thatonebehindyou,thatbiohackmachine.Youcantracktheprogressandseewhat'shappeningtoyourbrainwavesandneuralpathwaysandallthat,butfromanexperiencedstandpoint,subjectiveexperience,allthatwecandoistalkaboutit.Inthemonasteries,theywouldtrackprogressbythequalityoftheconversation.Didtheaspiranthavetheinsightsandishepresentinhisconversation?Couldtheheadmonkorthegurudetectthatthemindiswanderingorhe'sinhisegostate?

Itwasveryhardwithoutamastersotospeaktodetermine,"Hey,amImakingprogress?"Werecommendjournalingandfeedbackfromothersasagreatwaytotrackyourprogress,howwouldpeoplerespondtoyou.WhatInoticedveryquickly,peoplewillstartrespondingtoyoudifferentlybecauseyou'reshowingupdifferent.You'reshowingupmorepositive,moreauthentic,moregrounded,morepeaceful.

You'resmiling,youreyesareclear,you'reabletohavedirecteyecontact,deepeyecontactwithpeoplebecauseyou'vegottenridofanyfearthatmayexistinpersonalrelationships.Allofasuddenpeoplearelike,"Whatareyoueating?AreyoudoingBulletproofCoffeeorsomethinglikethat?"YouknowwhatImean?Somethingisgoingon.

Dave: Yeah,somethingisdifferent.

Mark: Yeah,somethingisdifferent.It'shardtotrack.It'sreallysubjectiveandyoucanjustfeelyourprogressasyouprogress.Meditation,Ilovethissubject.IntheWest,you'rejustlikeeveryoneisconflatedyogatogroupphysicalfitness,groupexercise.Everyonehasalsoconflatedmeditationwithjustsittingwiththeeyesclosed.

"Fromsittingwithmyeyesclosedandwatchingmybreath,I'mmeditating."That'strue,butthewayweteachitismeditation,firstofall,authenticmeditation,hassomeprerequisites.That'swhytheyogistaughtmovementandthenbreathandthenconcentrationbeforemeditation,becauseit'sverydifficult.Ifnot,outrightimpossibleforabusyWesternerwhohastrainedtheir


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rationalemindtobelikea400pounddeadliftforus.

It'sverydifficultforustojustimmediatelyleapovertoameditativestatewhichisadeepstateoffocusedpresencewhereyou'refocusingthatawarenessuntoaparticularsubject.Itcouldbesomethingyou'retryingtolearnortheyogiswouldsayfirstprerequisitesonfocusonyourownpatterns.That'swhywewouldfocusonthechakraortheenergysystemsandrouteoutthisfunctionalityorwhattheycallknots.Knotsintheenergysystemwhichwereholdingyouback.

Itrequiredalmostacompletere-framingofyourlifelikeyourbirthexperience.Meditationinthewaythatistraditionallytaughtbytheancientyogiswasaneffectiveformtoovercomethoseearlychildhoodanxieties.That'smeditation.

Whatmostpeoplepracticeasmeditationiseitherconcentrationtraining,concentratingonthebreath.We'restillfocusingononethings.AboxbreathingthatIteachisaconcentrationpractice.Inhale,holdyourbreath,exhale,holdyourbreath.WhathappensisI'mteachingmybraintoconcertonthatonething.Thenwheneveritstartsrunningoffwithsomethingelsethatisnotthatonething,I'mteachingittonoticeandtobringitbackandtoletitgo.

WhathappensisI'mabletoconcentrateformuchlongerperiodsoftimeononethingorofnarrowrangeofthings.I'malsogettingvery,veryclearthatwhenmymindstartstowanderoff,Inoticeitmuchquickerthanusedto.Icanbringmyattentionback.It'sattentioncontroltraining.Infact,that'swhattheSEALscallthat,attentioncontroltraining.

Wefirststartwithconcentratingtogetourmindmoreprecise,enabletofocusononething.Thenthesecondformofmeditationthat'spopularhereintheWestismindfulness.ThatcamefromBuddhism.Mindfulnessissimilartoconcentration,exceptit'sreallytheopposite.It'sjusttobeawareofeverythingthatcomesup,butdon'tattempttocontrolit.

Mindfulnessisveryrelaxingandthat'swhystudiesonmindfulnesshavealotof,"Hey,ithasabigimpactonstress.Itdoestriggerthatparasympatheticnervoussystembecauseyou'recalmingyourbodydown.Ifyou'recalmingyourbodydown,you'recalmingyourbraindownbecausethat'sanorgan."Mindfulnesswilldropyoufromgamma,beta,intoanalphastate,butit'snotmeditation.It'sstillapre-cursor.It'spreparatorytraining.Doesthatmakesense?

Iwouldputthatinasensoryawarenesscategory.Thenbreath,forbreathtraining,breathtrainingcalmsournervoussystemdown.Concentrationtrainingallowsourmindtofocusononething.Mindfulnessorsensoryawarenesstrainingexpandsourawarenesstobeabletopayattentiontoallthelittlenuancethingsthatgoaround.Weactuallyexpandoursenseofourreachbothexternallyandinternally.

Now,whenwepracticethosethreethings,nowwecangetintomeditationwherewecantakethatconcentrationandthenawarenessandstarttonarrowourfocusanddeeplyconcentrateonsomethingthatwewanttoknowmorethanbefore.Wewanttomasterasubjectoraskillorourselves.Ofcourse,theyogapathwastomastertheself,buttheydosaythatmeditationhasbothwhattheycallabhuktiandamuktiorientation.


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There'sinternalmasteryandthenthere'sexternalmastery.That'swhyKokorayoga,theymaximizeyourhumanpotential.That'syourinnerpotentialsothatyoucanperforminlife.Asthewarriorpathwasboth.Wewerenottryingtobackoutoftheworldandjustsitaroundtogetherinacirclemeditating.Warriorsneedtobeintheworldlikeyou.CEOswereintheworld.We'reconquering.We'redoinggoodworks.We'recreatingstuffthathelpspeople.

Thewarriorwentintobattletoservehisfamily,histribe,hispeople.Yet,youcouldn'tgointobattleifyouhadn'tmasteryourself.Thewarriorlearnstowinintheirmindthroughtheyogapracticesbeforetheystepfootinthebattlefield.Self-masterycomesbeforeservice.Internaldevelopmentcomesbeforeexternalperformance.

Dave: Whatdoyoudointhewayofvisualization?You'vetalkedalotaboutself-mastery,butalotoftimespeoplehaveahardtimevisualizingself-mastery,becauseyoudon'tknowwhatitlookslikeuntilyou'veachievedsomedegreeofit,right?What'syourvisualizationexercise?WhatdoyouteachinKokoroyoga?Kokoro,sorry.

Mark: That'sfine.Wehaveafew.VisualizationImightaddcanbeusedforconcentrationandmeditation.Itcanbeapracticeofself.Likeaguidedvisualizationis...It'skindoflikeaconcentrationpractice.Ofcourse,weknowthroughsportsperformancethatvisualizationcanbeusedtopracticeaskill.Iusethatinthatway.

I'mcurrentlyusingvisualizationforhealingbecauseIkeepinjuringabackmuscle.Again,backtocrossfitwhenItrytosnatchyourcleanandjerktooheavyandallthesudden,boom.I'vegotsomestructuralissuewithmylowerbackrelatedtoanearlychildhoodinjury,spinalinjurywhichnowkeepsflaringupbecauseI'veexposeditwiththelifting.

Youcanvisualizeenergyflowingtothatareainyourbodyandthere'sasayingthatwhereyourmindgoes,whereyourawarenessgoes,energyflows.Thenithelpsthehealingprocess,sothat'sanotherwayIusevisualization.Whenitcomestoperformance,it'ssomethingthat'snotaskill.It'slikevisualizingmyself,meetingmymissionwithSEALFITandUnbeatableMind.WhatIdoisusemyimaginationtocreateafutureimageorviewpointofwhatthatsuccesslookslike.

Itjusthelpstowriteitdown.Ithelpstoseewhatotherpeoplehavedonelikefindingmentorsandseeingwhattheirlifelookslike,what'sthepotential.Tothinkmuchbiggerthanyoubelieveevenatthetimeisimportant.Toputitout,farenoughthatyouhaveareasonablechanceofachievingit.Thenwhatyoudoisyoucomebackandyoure-engagethisvisioneverydayandyouplayitinternally.

Whathappensisthat...Thisvisiongetsstrongerandcleareranditfeelsmoresignificant.Itstartstofeelheavieralmost.Obviously,you'renotweightit,butyou'reeasiertolockontoit.You'reabletoholdyourattentionlonger,becausethere'smoreenergywrappedinthisvisioneverytimeyoubringitupinyourmindandyouaddemotion,thecolorandyoucanwatch...

Mostpeoplestartslikeastaticimageandthenslowlyitbecomeslikeamotionpicture.Alotofpeoplestartsfromathirdpersonperspectivewhereyou'rewatchingyourselftothenyoumergewithafirst-personperspective.Thoseareallsignsthatyou'regettingbetter.You'regetting


15

closetothemark.

Ibelievethatthisislikeamagneticforcethatjustinexorablydrawsyouclosertoit.Also,bypracticingthisfuturestatewhereyouseeyourselfasthepersonwho'sworthy,who'sgotthecharacterandtherelationshipsandtheskillsandtheknowledgeandthepersonalitytoaccomplishthisbeautifulvision.Youbegintodevelopaninternalconfidence.

Itworksonyournervoussystemandyoursubconscioustobegintohavethatvisionbecomemorebelievableandfeltinsideofyou.ThatwouldbelikealongtermvisualizationwhereIsay20yearsout,SEALFITandUnbeatableMind,mycompanieshaveimpacted100millionpeople.Whatdoesthatlooklike,feellike,Ivisualizeiteveryday.

Thenthere'stheshorterterm.ThisisreallythelastwaythatIuse.Thisismoreperformanceoriented.Let'ssayIwasgoingforthecrossfitgameswhichisnotgoingtohappenprobablyoveragaininmysituation.Forawhile,afewyearsago,Imisseditbyoneinthemasterdivisionbackin2012or'13andIthought,I'mgoingtogetthissomeday."

I'veremovedthatasagoalbecausemybackinjurykeepspreventingmefromdoingit.Let'ssaythatwasagoalanditwassixmonthsoutorninemonthsout.Now,wehaveaveryspecificgoal.Thisisclassicsportsperformancetoyou.Visualizeyourselfonthatday,accomplishingthegoal,kickingassandtakingnames.Thenyoupracticethateveryday.

WhenItalktosportsteams,theteamhaveacollectivevisionofwhatvictorylooksliketothem.Itcouldbeachampionshipandthentheteamvisualizesthatwhileeachindividualalsovisualizesthemintheirskills,improvingtheirskills,buttheteamvisualizesthewinandpracticeiswinningintheirmind.Thenasyougetcloserandclosertothatevent,yourconfidencestartstobuildbecauseeveryonehasgotaclearpicture.

NavySEALsdothiswhentheygooutinamissionliketheBinLadenraid,Ireferencethat.Iwasn'tonit,butIhadsomegoodfriendsontheraid.Theyrehearsedthereadinanactualbuildingthatwasamockup.Theywouldwalkthroughit.Theywouldgoamediumspeed,theygoafastspeed,theygoblanks,thenSimunitionandliverounds.Theywouldvisualizeitbeforewalkingthroughit.

Theyhaveavisualandthenawalkthroughandthentheydoadebriefwheretheygobackagainthroughwhattheydid.Hundredsoftimesofdoingthishavegotsuchasolidmentalrepresentationasateamofwhattheteamislookinglike.Whatareallthemovingpartslooklike.Wherearethecriticalnodesarethatcouldfailand,ofcourse,thosealwayshappen.

Whentheyhappen,youimmediatelyareabletoexecutetheplanBortheplanCbecauseyou'vepracticeitinyourmindasapre-rehearsalmanytimesover.VisualizationIthinkissuperpowerfulforbusinessexecutivestouseandI'mabigproponentof...IcallitthesefourskillswhicharemoneywhenitcomestotheperformancesideofKokoroyoga.Oneisbreathcontrol,that'swhyIteachtheboxbreathingpractice.We'vetalkedaboutthatbefore.

Thenthesecondisthisnotionofpositivity.It'smorethanjusthappytalk.Positivityisthisideaof


16

rewiringyourentiremind,bodysystemsothatanynegativethatcomesup,youcanreframeit.Thisisreallypartofthestressmanagementprocesswetalkedaboutearlier.Reframing,developingnon-attachmenttooutcomes.Developingthehabitofapositiveattitudeinrelationtootherhumanbeings.Positiveinternaldialogue.

Yourmindtalk,yourselftalkisalwaysperformanceandyoudon'tdefeatyourselfandthensupportingthatwithapositiveemotionalstateandbeingabletoveryquicklytransmuteemotionsthatarenegativeandmaybedebilitatinginthepastintosomethingmorepowerful,thesecondskill.

Thethirdisvisualization.Wejusttalkedthroughthat.Thenthefourthistaskorientation.Beingabletofocusintherighttaskattherighttimefortherightreasonandbeingabletolaserfocusonthattaskuntilyou'vereachedcompletionandthenyoumoveontothenexttask.It'ssomething,ofcourse,busypeoplewhoareoversaturatedwithtaskandcommitmentswouldbenefitfrompracticing.

Dave: YourtaskisbasicallySnaphcattingforeightsecondseverytwominutesandthenjust...

Mark: Yeah,justkeepdoingitalldaylong.

Dave: It'sinterestingtotalkaboutthatleveloffocusandexecution,butIfindalotoftheCEOsItalkwith,theydon'tnecessarilyprioritizetheirtaskverywell.Honestly,ifyou'reaCEOandyou'respendingallyourdayonFacebook,wecouldhavebiggerissues.

Mark: Nodoubt.

Dave: Thereisthisconstantthing.I'llaskanyoneofthecreativeentrepreneurtypesandthey'relike,"Ohyeah,IwanttodothatandIwanttodothat,andIwanttodothat,andIwanttodothat."Thatneverstop,becausethat's...

Mark: That'strue.

Dave: That'swhotheyare.I'mlikethat.There'sonly4000productsthatIwanttomakethatareBulletproofthatwilltotallywork.Iprioritize,I'mlike,"Justpickthetop2000andlaunchfortomorrowandwe'reallgood."Myteamislike,"Dave,you'reacrackhead."We'retalkingaboutstickingtoatasklikethat.Doyouhaveanyadvice?You'rerunningacompany.You'vebeenonverywellplannedandwellexecutedmission,howdoyoudealwiththat?Ihavealotofgoodideas,butIwanttosticktojustoneofthem.Howdoyoupickwhichonetostickwith?

Mark: It'snoteasy.WealwayswanttochasethenextshinythingandIcometothatsometimesaswell.Ithinkitbecomesapractice.Themoreyoudothepracticeswe'vebeentalkingabout,themorepatientyoubecome.Youcanpauseandreflectandsay,"IsthisyesoramIjustfeelingayesbecauseofmyoldpatterns?"

WhatIstartedtodoissaynoormaybeallthetimetogivemesomespacetoreflectuponit.IsthisareallynoordoIreallywanttodothis,butatleastIhaven'tcommittedtoityet.Thennine


17

timesoutoftime,ittendsofbeinganoandthatnoI'velearnedisinservicetoabiggeryesthatcomesalonglaterandI'mlike,"Oh,thankGodIdidn'tsayyestothatbecausethisiswhatmeanttohappen."

I'mwigglingoutofabookdealrightnowbecauseIsaidyeswhenitwasjustnotagoodideabutitwaskindofinmyegomind,thisisayearago.I'mworkingonthismantratosaynotothebiggeryes.Irecentlyreadabook.OneofmyprinciplesinUnbeatableMindtrainingisthekissprinciple,becauseNavySEALskeepitsimple.

NavySEALshavetobeverysimplewiththewayweliveourlives.It'sthewarriors’way.Wegottobeabletolivewithakitbagandbeabletograbyourbagandyourweaponandgoatamoment'snotice.Youmaycomebackandfindyourhouseclearedoutandyourcargone,yourbankaccountempty.I'veseenthathappentoalotofmyfriendsandyougottoshowupatworkthenextdayreadyforthemission.

Youjustbecomeveryunattachedtophysicalobjects,evenunattachedtoyourownbrillianceandyourownperformance,butyoujustshowupeveryday.Myfirstmartialartsmasterhadasaying,IloveitanditreallyrepresentswhatI'mtalkingabout.It'soneday,onelifetime.Oneday,onelifetime.Allthatwegotistoday.Whataregoingtodotodaytomovethedialtowardourmissionsuccess?Itcan'tbetheworkon2000products,itcanonlybetheworkononemajorinitiative.

Youmighthaveafewsubtaskthatyou'vedelegatedout.Yourteamcouldbeworkingon10things,hopefullynotthesameperson,butweallgottobeworkingononemainthingatatime.Partofthewarriorspracticeistodefinewhatthatonethingis.Othergreatthinkershavealwaysnailedthisandit'soneofthemostimportantconcepts.StephenCoveyusedtosaythatyourmainthingistokeepyourmainthingthemainthing.Ilovethat.Isn'tthatagreatquote?

Inmybook,theWayoftheSEAL,IcameupwithaprocessIcalledthetargetselectionprocessusingamodelthatIdevelopedthatwasbasedupontheNavySEALtargetselectionmodel.Yougoinamission,goingafterBinLaden.Theremightbeanumberoftargetsthathavetobeachievedalongtheway.Certainly,BinLadenwasatargetamongstothertargetstobeselectedfrom.

Thetargetselectionprocessinthemilitaryisreallyelaboratebutithelpsnarrowdownwhatthemosthighvaluedtargetsareandthenwejustfocusonthoseoneatatime.Boom,boom,boom,asaunitthatis.It'sthesameway.Wehaveatargetselectionprocessthatwillhelpyoutodeterminewhetherthetargetyou'relookingatfitsyourpersonalityskillsetsandyourcompanyrightnow,becausethat'salwaysevolving.

Thefitsisanacronym.Whetherit'simportant.Isitthemostimportanttargetthat'sgoingtoleadtothehighestreturnoninvestment.TheTis,isthetimingright?Asyouknow,especiallyasanentrepreneur,sometimesyoumighthavethebestidea,butyourtimingiswrongandthemarketisnotreadyforitoryou'renotreadyforit.I'veexperiencedthislikewhereI'mwayaheadofmyteam.


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EventhoughwhatIwanttodevelopisagreatideaanditfitsme,it'sreallyimportant...Theteamdoesn'thavetheskills.I'mmissingsomecriticaltalent,blah-blah-blahandI'mliterallyninemonthsawayfrombeingabletoexecuteonitbecauseIgottofillthosegaps,sotimingiscritical.

ThentheSis,isitsimpleenoughthatyoucancommunicateiteffectivelyandgeteveryonewrappedaroundthevision?Complexitykillsinbusinessandinlife,sowewanttokeepthingssimpleandreallybeabletoradicallyfocusontherighttargetsthataregoingtohavethehighestreturnoninvestment.

ThenthelastthingIwanttosayinthissubjectDaveisthisnotionofde-cluttering.Iamrelentlessaboutde-clutteringmylifeandit'sfreedmeuptobeabletotrainforthreehoursadayandtobeabletodopodcastandtobeabletowritebooksandstuff.It'saprocessthatyouhavetolookateveryday.

Dave: AreyoureadingthatMarieKondobook?Areyoufoldingyoursocksandunderwearinaspecialpatternandturningawayeverythingthatdoesn'tbringyoujoy?Pleasedon'ttellmethat.

Mark: I'veneverheardofthat.No.

Dave: ThankGod.

Mark: Iknowthere's[crosstalk00:51:27].

Dave: We'lltalkaboutthat[crosstalk00:51:28].

Mark: I'mmostlytalkingaboutde-clutteringcommitmentsandpeople.Idon'tsellanyboardsordirectors.Idon'tgoouttodinnersociallyveryrarely.Maybeonceamonth.

Dave: Youdoitwhenyouwantto,notbecauseyou[crosstalk00:51:48].

Mark: Right.Idon'twatchTV.Itrytospendeverywakingmomentreallyfocusedonsomethingthat'sgoingtoevenimproveme,improvemyteam,improvemybusinessorimprovetheworld.Inordertodothat,Ihadtoreallyde-clutterfrom...Idon'thaveanytoyslikeboatsormotorcycles.Idon'tgooutintothedesertintheweekendtodoATV-ing.Itrytospendtimewithmyson.Ifhesays,"Let'sgoforabikeride,"that'swhatwedo,becausethat'squalitytime.

YouknowwhatI'msaying?I'mnotputtingmyselfoutthroughthemodel,Ifalldowninthisareaquiteabit.I'vejustnoticedthatit'sreallyimportanttoconstantlysaynoandtoletgoandridofcommitments,becausewejusttaketoomuchoninourworldandwegetthesensethattheworldismovingtoofast.That'swhyyouaskmeifareyougoingtotakeupSnapchat.There'snoway.Noway.Idon'twanttoaddonemorething.I'msureit'sbrilliant,but...

Dave: It'sfunny.IholdthingsuptoalenslikethatandI'llactuallydoSnapchatonlyifit'sgoingtoaddvalueandifit'sgoingtoaddmorevaluethanitcostme.IfI'mgoingtobeabletoreachouttoawholebunchofpeople...IfSnapchatisthewaytotalktomewhenIwas19,ifIcouldgoback


19

20somethingyears,24or25years.IfthatwasthewayIcouldhavereachedmeandmademego,"OhmyGod,ifIjustdothesethreethings,I'mgoingtoavoidallthispain,"thenI'lldoSnapchatalldaylong.That'spartofmymission.

Infact,IjusthadameetingwithfivepeopleonmyteamandreachedouttotwobigSnapchatexperts.ItalkedwithGaryVandItalkedwithBennyLuowhorunsNextShark.ThesearefriendsorpeopleI'vemetandI'mlike,"Isitworthit?"Thatwasmyonequestionformyteam.AllthepeoplefromdifferentageswhouseSnapchatjusttodeterminewhetherIwasreallygoingtoturnonmyaccountbecause,"Yeah,I'mgoingtotryitandseeifit'saddingvalue."

Verysimilarthinkingwithyouthere,becauseforme,that'sthemosttoxicthing.IfIreallyhadtodoaneightsecondvideoeveryfiveminutesofuseful,I'mnevergoingtodothat,butIdoacoupleadaymaybeandit'sanexperiment.

Mark: Yeah,letmeknowhowthatgoes.

Dave: Iwill,butthebookIwastalkingaboutwithtidyinguporde-cluttering,MarieKondo,hasbeenontheNewYorkTimesbest-selling,wasfor80weeksstraightandjustwroteabookcalledTheSecretJapaneseArtsofTidyingUp.

Mark: Mywifedoeshavethat.Yeah.

Dave: MywifehasittooandIloveditbutshetookallofmyblender,coffeemaker,grindersandputthemunderthecounter.Asafunctionalhumanbeing,Ididn'tcarehowmagicallytidymykitchencounterlooksifIcan'tmakemygoddamnBulletproofCoffeeinthemorninglike,"Therearelimits,okay?"

Mark: I'mwithyou.Yeah.

Dave: There'slikeatensionbetweenfunctionalandbeautifulandcalm.There'sgottobeatensionthereandsoforotherthings,youhaveto...

Mark: MostpeopleoreitherskewedtowardOCDorADD,theywanttofindthecenterpointsowecanbalanceandnottapethesethingstooseriously.We'vetalkedaboutthisbefore,butwhenitcomestonutrition,peoplesay,"Hey,whichformofanutrition?"IthinkofsomeelaborateformulathatIhaveandIsaid,"Igenerallytrytoeatwholefoodsintherightproportionthatmybodydesires80%ofthetime.Then20%ofthetime,Idon'tgiveacrap.I'lleatwhateverbecauseit'simpossibletobeperfectandittakesallthefunoutofit."That'smycourseofnutritionrightthere.Itellyouwhat,it'sworkedforme.YouknowwhatImean?

Dave: It'sdefinitelyworking,you'relookingprettygood.

Mark: Thanks.

Dave: Thenagain,thisissomethingIdidn'taskedyouonthelastinterview.Wegetachancetochatsociallyoccasionallywhichisfuntoowithoutcamerasandrecordersandallthat.You'repretty


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muchlikeareallifeSuperman.Alotofpeoplethinkthat.You'reawarriorliterally.YoulookkindoflikeSuperman.You'vegotthatVshapeandyou'rejustasuccessfulguyinmultiplefrontsinyourlife.IfeverythingisaSuperman,what'syourbiggestweakness?What'syourKryptonite?

Mark: PeoplethinkI'matotalpurist.Thiskindofgoes...I'matotalpuristandI'mnot.Iloveredwineandoccasionallywe'lloverdoit.That'sKryptoniteforme.That'spartoftheSEALculturethoughthatI'mjustkepton.Itwaskindoffun.Myselfassessmentisoffrightnow.I'mSuperman,Idon'thaveanyotherweaknesses.

Dave: "ShutupDave,I'musingmylaservisiononyourightnow."

Mark: I'mgoingtostareyoudown.Iwillcomebackatyou.Idon'tknow.Maybeit'stakenmeawhiletobelievethatIhavethecapacitytodowhatIdescribedtoyoualittlewhileagowithmyvision.That'sbeenagrowingthinginme.Ididn'tleavetheSEALsin2012...Oractuallyactivedutywasmuchearlierthanthat,butmyfirstbusinesswasthebrewingcompany,[growingout00:57:13]onabrewingcompany.

That'saboutasfarfromwhatI'mdoingtodayasyoucanimagine.Iwouldsaymyownvisionhasneededtoclarifyformyownpurposetounfoldinthisworld.ThatIwouldthinkwasaweaknessforaverylongtimeandit'sonethatI'mverycognizantofthatrequiresdailypractice.Idon'tletdownonthat,that'swhyI'msosuchanadvocateforthingslikeKokoroyogawhereyouturnitintoadailypractice.Youhabituateworkingtheinnerdemand,becauseifyoudon't,itatrophiesjustlikeyourbody.

Ifyoudon'tgettothegymfour,fivetimesaweekanddothework,thenyou'remarkingtimeandaswegetolder,we'resliderbackwardsandthenacceleratingbackwards.Idobelievethatwecanreallystemthetideandreallyenhancethequalityofourlifeandmostlikelyourlongevitybydailyfocusonphysical,mentalemotion,intuitional,spiritualtrainingandthat'swhatI'mallaboutinmyownlife,butalsoteachingthat.I'mstilltryingtowrapmyheadaroundmyKryptonite,butIguessmyKryptoniteisIwishIhadknownthiswhenIwas18or19andalotmore,butthat'swishfulthinking.

Dave: Itiswishfulthinking,butalotofwhatmotivatesmeislikeifsomeonewhojusttoldmeallthiscrap,inaway,IcouldhavehearditwhenIwasyounger.MycapacitytodowhatIdowouldhavebeen10timeswhatitistoday.It'salreadyprettygood.I'mdoingallright.I'mhelpingotherpeople,butIsufferedsomuchandIdidsomanystupidthings.Frankly,Iheardsomanypeople,becauseIjustdidn'tknowanybetter.Ihearyouthere.

Mark: IthinkaboutthisabitDave.Likemysonis16,hegrewupwiththeinternetandiPhones.Hegrewupconsumingcontentlikethis...IgrewupwiththreechannelsontheTVandacassettedeckandan8-tracklaterinmycar.Ihavealotofhope.WhenwemetatAbundance,IlovePeterDiamandis'message.Ihaveaveryabundantviewofthefuture.Eventhoughweareinthemostnegativeseemslikeanyways.

Frommyexperience,mostnegativeperiodinAmericanhistoryfromthemediaandpoliticsandthelargeconsumeristicbattlebeingplayedoutbetweenbigpharmaandmedicineand


21

governmentandbureaucrats.It'sjustreallynegativeandthenwhat'sgoingontheworld,butI'mveryoptimisticaboutthefuture,becauseIseethenextgenerationcomingupandtheirbrainsarenotlikeours.They'vebeenstimulatedinsomanydifferentways.They'reconsumingcontentlikefreakingcarnivores.

It'scontentthatwe'vespentourentirelivestolearnthroughexperience.They'resoakingitupandalotofitishittinghomeandthey'regoingtobeableto...Ithinkthey'regoingtochangetheworldalotfasterthanyouandIeverwill.That'spartofmymissionalsoistoreallyaffecttheyoungersetsotheycan[crosstalk01:00:29].

Dave: Gottomakesurethecontentisworthwhile.Ididsomemath.BulletproofRadioandIthinksomeoftheothercontent,Ijustlookedatthenumberofdownloadswhereit'slike32millionnow.It'ssomewherearound165entirehumanlifetimesspentlisteningtoBulletproofRadio.I'mkindofamassmurdererifI'mmakingcontentthat'snotworthtime.That'sactuallyaweightandisoneI'mhappytocarry,butitonlygetsbigger.

Mark: Congratulations.

Dave: Igetit,butthenI'mlike,"DidIdosomethingworthwhiletoday?"Like,"DidIcreatecontentthatdidsomething?"Withthosenumbers,Idon'twanttoplayaround.Idon'twanttodoitwrong,right?

Mark: No,itbecomesaresponsibility.Yeah,wejusthitamillion,soIgotlittlewaystogotocatchuptoyouand[crosstalk01:01:11].

Dave: Amillionhoursisamillionhours.Thatissomethingthatmostmediacompanies10yearsagoor20yearsago,they'redreamingaboutthatkindofradio.Itwasbigresponsibilitybutyou'rewellcutoutforthat.Absolutely.

Mark: Thanks.

Dave: Allright.Well,I'vealreadyaskedyouortalkedthroughrecommendationsforbeingBulletproof.IaskedyouwhatIthinkisgoingtobecomemynewquestionforasecondtimeguestwhichis,"What'syourbiggestweakness?"

Mark: That'sagoodone.Yeah.

Dave: I'llanswerthattoobecauseIwasgoingtoaskmethatnow,soI'mjustgoingtoanswerit.Whenpeopledojobinterviews,it'slikethedumbestquestionyoucouldeveraskacandidate."Sowhat'syourbiggestweakness?"I'vebeenaskedthatatleast10timesinjobinterviewsinmylifeandmyanswerhasalwaysbeenthesame."SometimesIworktoohard."Thebossislike,"Yes,Iwanttohirethisguy."It'sadumbinterviewquestion.

Actually,thathasbeenoneofourbiggestweaknesseshistorically.Iputtoomuchintomycareerandnowthatitchangedmycareerfocusinputtingfoodonthetabletohavingmoreofamissionandtoachievinggoodwithoutthe,"Ineedtohaveajob,"kindofperspectiveandjust


22

movingfromasurvivaltoathrivingperspective.IthinkI'vemostresolvedthatproblem,butthatcertainlyhasbeenaweaknessformehistorically.Mark,wherecanpeoplefindoutmoreaboutKokoroyoga?Kokoro,goddamnit.Kokoro,okay.

Mark: That'saheavypenaltyDave.Thebookwebsitewhereyoucanlearnaboutthebookandalsogetafreechapterifyoujustwanttotakealookatthefirstchapter,it'scalledwarrioryoga.com.Thefunnystorythere,Itoldyou,IwascallingitWarriorYogaforyears,andsoIcontractedtowriteabookasWarriorYoga.WearegoingtolaunchtheprogramasWarriorYoga.

Rightonthecuspof...Bookisentirelywritten,we'reabouttolaunchit,butamonthbefore,Ifindout...Iwastoodumbtodomyresearchthatthere'satrademarkforWarriorYoga.SomeguyatSantaMonicahasatrademarkforitandhegotitin2000soit'snotanewthing.It'snotlikehewastryingtogetthejumponme.Hedidgetthejumponmebyabout16years.

Anyways,Icontactedhimtoseeiftherewasawaytobuyitorlicenseit.Hedidn'thaveanythingtodowiththat,soIhadtochangeit,sowechoseKokorobecauseit'sgotdeepmeaning,butI'llhavetobrandthetermbecauseit'sobviouslyhardtosay.Itdoesn'tmeananythingtopeopleuntiltheygetconnectedwithit.Itwillbealongerbattletobrandit.

Anyways,backtoyourquestion,Ikeptthedomain,sowarrioryoga.comwhichwouldbegreatforSEOandstuffiswhereyoucanlearnaboutthebook.Unbeatablemind.comiswherealltheonlinetrainingforKokoroyogawillbehousedorhosted.YoucanlearnaboutmyUnbeatableMindAcademytherewhichisalsoareallycoolonlineprogram.TheKokoroyogachallengesendingonthe24thofthismonthandwe'llberollingoutanonlinepracticecommunityforKokoro.It'sgoingtobereally,reallyamazing.

Thenforfolkswhoarealittlebitmoreruggedandlookingforaseriesofchallenge,thensealfit.comiswhereyoucanlearnaboutSEALFITtraining,aKokoroCampwhichisour50hourcrucible,the20xteamandsport.WejustdidaneventwithFresnoStatewhichisaDivision1footballteamandwe'regoingtodoAlabamaprettysoon.We'restartingtoworkwithD1andD2collegefootballteamsandothersportsinhighschoolsandcorporateteams.Really,reallypowerfultrainingthatwedothroughSEALFIT.

Dave: Beautiful.Mark,thanksforbeingontheshow.It'salwaysapleasuretogettohangoutwhetherwe'rerecordingashoworjusthangingoutandI'lllookforwardtothenexttimewe'llgettoseeeachother.

Mark: LikewiseDave.Thankyouverymuch.

Dave: Ifyouliketoday'sshow,youknowwhattodo.PickupacopyofMarkDivine'slatestbook.You'llfindthatthere'sneatstuffintherethat'sdifferentthanwhatyou'dfindinanormalbookaboutyoga,becauselet'sfaceit,mostyoga,youshouldactuallydoyogainsteadofreadaboutit.There'senoughinherethat'sworthyourenergytoread.HaveanawesomedayandleaveussomegoodreviewsoniTunes.Yeah,youcanfollowmeonSnapchatatdaveasprey,allruntogether.Haveanawesomeday.


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