EP 7: Ryan Witherspoon | Medicine From The Mountain

Ryan is an Earth Traveler. 26 years young with a passion to understand the Earth by walking with his feet. Ryan is a Carpenter by trade and Mountaineer by passion. When not on the clock, Ryan can be found running and training in Northern Michigan for mountaineer objectives and endurance races. Ryan is a psychonaut and shares a deep connection and reverence for Earth medicines. Ryan believes his purpose here on Earth is to bridge the gap from modern society back to primal roots with Nature through spirit quests and Earth medicine journeys in the mountains.

EP 1 of Ryans Show for context: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3oONIbMNbDob0mcQiPtybm?si=4e8098483fac49a0

Connect with Ryan:

Instagram: http://Instagram.com/ryan.witherspoon12

Website:
http://summittosoulmountain.com

Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/summit-to-soul-mountain/id1584922641 

Transcript

Ryan.Witherspoon12 0:00

But. Like you're just ever evolving and changing. So. your, your truth is always going to change with you. And Some, some truths will always be your truth, but. they're, they're going to change. you and who you are, is going to change. So, and that's the honesty about it? Is. Is. I think Recognizing that.

Bill 0:23

That was Ryan Witherspoon. And this is episode seven of the William Arthur show. Welcome back old faces, new faces. I know I mentioned previously that I would no longer be recording intros separate from inside of the interviews themselves, just because of. How energy consuming it is, but. For this episode specifically, I wanted to, because I need to provide context for the first portion of the conversation that we get into. And basically I just opened up. The dialogue by, uh, expressing gratitude for. Ryan's first episode of his podcast, which. He had his previous romantic partner on. And the whole thing was about them transitioning from being in a romantic relationship to a platonic relationship and what that process looked like from both their perspectives. So. That's where I started things off and I gained a lot from the episode. So I'm going to link that in the show notes here. So if you're looking for a little more in depth context to that portion of the conversation, I would say it's definitely worth checking out and yeah, definitely. Obviously check out Ryan's podcast. He's an absolute unit. But, um, yeah, I just needed to make sure everyone understood where we were heading with that. Cause when we were talking, I didn't really preface it for you guys. So. That's that, uh, we get into all sorts of other things. We actually recorded this podcast in the Mount Bohemia area of the upper peninsula of Michigan. So we were on a snowboarding trip. It was my first time meeting Ryan and we had an absolute blast, you know, riding the mountain cruise in. Shredding the NAR and just connecting with each other. But yeah, we reflected on our experience. We talk about his endeavors into mountaineering, holistic wellness and journaling. So many different areas of conversation that I'm passionate about and, uh, love to discuss. So this was a juicy one. I felt so connected at the heart with Ryan and. Yeah. Y'all so. Wishing you all the best and enjoy the show piece Today I'm sitting down with a new brother, Ryan Weatherspoon, and he is into many things that are in alignment with many of my interests, and that are in alignment with the theme of this podcast, including mountaineering. He's a health enthusiast. He's a carpenter by trade endurance athlete, psycho not. He is also the host of his own podcast, summit to soul mountain, which I will link in the, in the show notes. Welcome to the show, my brother, how you feeling today?

Ryan 3:13

Thanks I'm feeling good.

Bill 3:14

Yeah. We've uh, right now we are actually, we're not at my home studio, which is where I usually record the podcast. The first time I've taken the podcast on the road and me and Ryan got to connect for the first time here. Uh, we met via another mutual friend, Rob Carney, and our other brother, Rob that's here with us via the whole health community. So shouts out to Rob and we've had an epic weekend, so far of shredding, uh, at Mount Bohemia. And we're here with some really great people. And I just want to say, you know, I've had a really great time connecting with you and conversing and definitely, uh, you know, right off the back of tell, there was a lot for us to, you know, connect over and, um, similarities and our journey and paths. And yeah, so it's just been a pleasure and honor to connect with you so far.

Ryan 4:08

I appreciate that brother.

Bill 4:09

And, um, there was, it was funny cause we were connecting and I was like, ah, like there's definitely some things I want to say for the podcast. I wasn't going in certain areas, but I did listen to your podcast. And one thing I wanted to reflect was like, yo respect on for the first episode episode, going in with, uh, I know your now friend and your ex romantic partner. I just thought it was really cool how you guys dove in, in that way. And um, I just, yeah, I feel like that's, that takes a lot of, courage to open up like that in a, in a public way and share that. And I feel like that's really important because relationships are super integral to our wellness and I feel like we're not putting sacred valley. On relationships these days. So I thought it was just incredibly beautiful. How you guys were just kind of, um, actively exploring the process of your transition and your relationship. And I'm curious, when you had the idea for the podcast, when did that idea arise to do that with your, with your previous partner? Like that? W was it, did you have an idea? Like, okay, I want to do this or was it like, okay, I want to dive in and do this for the first one.

Ryan 5:21

um, Yeah, Kind of just all the timing of it. It was right when I was launching my podcast. And That was just kind of what was present. for us. We were just going through our breakup and our separation. and. Um, it was kind of something that. We both just felt called. To to really dive in. and, and share our experience. For the world and cause. You know, I think there's just a lot of people out there that. like you said, the sacred relationships. You know, it doesn't. People don't put that much effort into it. And know how. Connected. everyone is when you share those experiences. And, uh, So, yeah, it was just a, a timing and it was, it. was definitely something powerful for both of us. To to dive in. and. And be vulnerable like that. And feel that that discomfort. and And then, yeah, there's a lot of good feedback on it, you know? and and the openness With something that was really resonant with a lot of people. And, uh, And so it was. Yeah, it was, it was kind of just. an alignment of where we were at, where, where I was. at with my podcast. And my project and. it was very interesting.

Bill 6:43

Yeah, that's, uh, that's super epic and I'm sure it helped you integrate, you know, that process of what you guys move through together. But I imagine also at the same time there was a mat. I, if, I mean, maybe I'm just from my perspective, I would imagine myself going through that and like having a ton of resistance and maybe getting in my, in my own way, as far as like truly authentically, openly expressing myself, um, honestly, about the whole situation. Did you find yourself having resistance to that episode? Like what were like, what was like the felt sense of going into that experience

Ryan 7:19

Going into it. it was definitely. very nerve wracking. You know, I was like, I knew I was going to get emotional. You know, which is something that was like, you know, I was like, damn, am I going to cry on here? You know, it was like, it was like, okay. And, um, Yeah. So there was a lot of resistance and, And fear of like, what's going to come up. What am I going to feel? And prior to the podcast. we kind of had talked about, it's like, You know, there might be some things that come up like this is going to be. Us. Exploring. and, and sharing our transition, but also like we have to be open to like these new perspectives changes that might come up for both of us. So. Um, But overall, it really felt good. And to, to really connect with. With Annie in that way. And. Um, And just. Be present and in our truth. And, Yeah, there's, a lot of emotions with it. That came up, but. It's powerful to move through that

Bill 8:25

Yeah. And I feel like it's really few and far between to, you know, go through a transition and decouple and then. I don't know, we have these amazing connections with people that are just so deep. And then, you know, for a lot of people, things go south and it's like, oh fuck my ex you know, like she's a bitch or, you know, all these different things, these stories we can create when there's so much positive, involved, even if it falls apart. And it doesn't work because of it's because it's out of alignment. I feel like there's so much value remaining in relationship just with a new dynamic. So like, that's what I thought was so cool about that because I have gone through a similar process with one of my previous partners and. Yeah, it's not easy because there's emotions and, you know, certain ties, you know, you're connecting sexually all these different things, but I love the paradigm shift of like normalizing that sort of transition and romantic partnerships. Cause I just feel like there's still so much growth there to be explored and so many amazing lessons that can be opened up to each individual through that. So that was one thing I found really cool because yeah, I feel like it's just, yeah, like I said, fairly few, few and far between that you cross people that are willing to do the work that it takes and like communicate and come together and work through that sort of process. And I listened to only about half of it. Yeah, I just, it was, it was very beautiful and it just helped me connect with your spirit and your heart. And yeah, I, I almost came to tears when, in the moment of when she was reading you the letter and she was really shook and now, cause she was worried about how you were going to, you know, potentially react to that. Uh, it was just, just a preface. It was some things and he was experiencing in the relationship and she wrote it down in a word document. Um, and she, you know, molded over for a couple of days or something along those lines. And then she brought it to you to, you know, so you guys can be present and share what was happening or what, what was happening within her. And, you know, she was like, she was mentioning, she was very emotional through reading it to you and kind of looking just directly at the paper, reading it and. Unsure of what was going through your mind, but as soon as she looked up, all you said was, I'm so proud of you. And like right there, I was like, oh, I just imagine my heart exploded. Yeah. It just really, uh, it was just really cool to like, kind of experience you second hand before even meeting you. Cause this is the first time we're meeting this weekend. So yeah, that was just, I really find that. Awesome. And that's yeah, that's, what's beautiful about podcasting and stuff like that is being able to share experiences like that and how that can affect other people in a positive way. And I feel like that's really like the overarching theme of my podcast is just getting curious, exploration together, learning and growing together, being as open and honest as possible, which has been an interesting process for me because just with how the ego works and how human psychology works, it can be easy to like unconscious manipulate yourself for how, like, how you want to be perceived, you know? So. That's really cool to like tap into that. heart space and be able to just like flow from like pure honesty as much as you can. And yeah, it's almost like an art form and yeah, it's definitely a practice that's for sure. And a process there's like so many layers you got to peel back, but yeah, we've had, we had amazing time snowboarding yesterday to shift gears. Uh, Mount Bohemia. Y'all, that's where we're at. We're actually staying in gay, Michigan, and we're having a Gale time. Um, but yeah, we're out here with some friends. We got some snowboarding in yesterday for the first time and I didn't really know what to expect coming out here, but I would love that. One thing I wanted to explore with you was some active reflection of the weekend so far. So I don't know what this is exactly called. I think it's just called Rosebud thorn, but essentially it's just an active reef. Have you heard? of rose bud thorn? Okay, perfect. Well, to explain for the audience. Rosebud, thorn is just a exercise of active reflection rose. Uh, so you have an experience and you know, you, you do rose bud thorn with a group of people, but Rosebud. Rose is your favorite part of the experience, bud is, um, what's, you're excited for moving forward and that's something that's kind of like blossom, blossoming, or potentially blossoming from the experience. And then thorn is, you know, something you face resistance with or something you had challenged with, or maybe just your least favorite part of the experience. So I'd love to hear your rose bud thorn of the experience thus far.

Ryan 13:17

Yeah. Um, first of all, um, Thanks for. listening to my podcast. And sharing that I'm happy that you know, that. That hit you where you were. it did.

Bill 13:27

It did. Yeah, it was beautiful.

Ryan 13:28

um, and, uh, yeah. Mount Bohemia was was gnarly yesterday. Um, so much fun. Uh, my. My rose. bud thorn. So my rose is definitely. It's kind of like. Has a lot to do with snowboarding. but it doesn't. Cause snowboarding is like what brought us together. My roses. Just connecting with you, connecting with With everyone here. And, uh, it's something that's. been really needed in my life right now. And it's, I'm Very grateful For this experience altogether. Um, And, uh, And With snowboarding. is It just brings you back to such a playful place for me. and for you, I can see it. and you know, in everyone, you just, you just run it you're just cruising and, uh, So it's nice to get in that, that child. Play. And, uh, My bud is. Inspiration of of, of being, being playful. Um, putting in a lot of work with. With training. and. Um, Working out. And Preparing for. For some events and stuff. And. And. I'm getting away from that. That playful mind. So this was a great break and. uh, uh, remembrance to. To come back to. Be playful. and. Have fun. And dance around and do whatever. And, uh, And my thorn. There's a. Probably again. Ties in with my rows of connection. I, I, I feel. This winter has been such a secluded winter for me. So I was kind of having. Anxiety. of coming. meeting new people. people. I've never met before. you know, the only, small conversations, through social media and stuff. And, uh, You know, Through our, our health community. And. And. uh, You know, so there's just some resistance. of. You know, again that ego coming in, are we gonna, You know, is everyone gonna really connect and stuff? And it's just been. Uh, it's been powerful to move through that. and, Um, Yeah, resistance at first. But. coming through.

Bill 15:53

I feel that, yeah. Yeah. It's interesting to pay attention to the resistance of different situations. And then. Man. It's so beautiful leaning into those things, having the courage to lean into those things, and then the expansion you feel afterwards and like the release of pressure and all these different things. You're like, oh, that's exactly what I needed. And all it took was a little. Leap of faith, um, yeah, leaning into the discomfort and that's, that's so huge. Like, I mean, it can be so easy to remain complacent and remain comfortable and you know, ultimately that leads to the most discomfort of all. So, you know, like if you would have just backed out because of anxiety that would have just led to, you know, a deeper spiral into, you know, the things you were experiencing that weren't serving you. So I totally feel that. And I, I experienced the exact same things with meeting others, connecting with others. You know, we were talking about how we both experience overthinking and over analyzing. So it's just funny where the mind can take you and try to protect you. I'm doing air quotes because it's not really protecting you from anything. It's kind of just holding you back from your growth. But, uh, I mean, those mechanisms are in place for certain reasons, but yeah, I loved everything you shared there and I'm going to do a little Rosebud during myself. Uh, Yeah, let's see, RO is favorite experience or favorite aspect of the experience so far definitely meeting you, man. I just love meeting people that are, uh, you know, interested in similar things as far as health and wellness and plant medicines and, um, you know, you have a deep connection to nature. So it's cool to have conversation around that and just talk about the journey and your experiences. And one thing I was reflecting on was like, like the momentum you find with, uh, connecting with someone and how that grows is just like. Kind of taking like little leaps of faith with each other. It's like a slow opening and you know, it takes effort. You have to, you have to take, you have to lean into that discomfort and like micro ways. And it's like a slow opening and each person gets slightly more comfortable and you go deeper and you go deeper and you go deeper. And it, uh, yeah, it requires energy and persistence to like, continue that on. And that's like the most rewarding thing of all when you, when you both are see it and you both continue forward and you both keep taking the little leaps of faith. And then yeah, man, I just feel like so alive when I'm connecting with others, especially new people, because I've always had these stories. You know, me not being good at connecting and expressing myself and all these different things. So that was definitely a big part of my role is just connecting with everyone, connecting with you and then, wow. Yeah. Showing up to Mount Bohemia yesterday and getting my lid blown off because. y'all, I didn't do any research on Mount Bohemia. I've been, you know, a ride in snowboard for over 14 years. You know, I thought it was going to be like just a level above a, you know, a small landfill hill or whatever, but there was some crazy triple black diamond tree runs out here and we've just been hauling ass. We've been bobbing and weaving through the trees, laughing our ass off, uh, taking a couple spills here and there. And man, yeah, it's a beautiful sport and creative endeavor and like the state of flow it induces. So yeah, just, there's a big element of play with that. And I love moving my body in different ways and engaging my mind in different ways and connecting with people through that sort of thing. So that's been very beautiful and just super enlivening, super fun. Uh, the bud. Yeah. I'm excited to stay connected with you and just like continue on with this momentum. Cause yeah, recently. Re dove into my journaling practice and gratitude practice, a little deeper. And, uh, basically, you know, as I was mentioning with you and Rob, I've got this new monk manual and just goes basic prompts. Like, what are you looking forward to today? Uh, three things you're grateful for. And then at the end of the day, there's a reflection section. So, you know, three highlights of the day, I was my best one and then three, you know, blanks to fill in. And then one way I can improve tomorrow. So it's like super simple and practical, but I've noticed, man, it just really helps with keeping the momentum and not allowing the monkey mind to take you. Yeah. I just feel like with my mind, I don't know, I'm sure it's with most people I can just get caught and like focusing on the negative and what's wrong. What's not working, blah, blah, blah. So yeah, just for my bud, excited to continue with the momentum and the connection and keeping it going and keeping it gone. Keep staying strong with all that. The thorn, you know, it's a funny one, but it's constipated the first day. So I was just dropping as sell a stinking up the house. People w apparently it wasn't too bad, but every time Suffolk to go with, they were telling me, am I smart? My farts smell sweets. Uh, you know, and They were trying to, you know, make me feel better about it. Um, but yeah, so that's my rose bud thorn. And you know, it's been a really great time so far. And I imagine I would love to dive into the whole mountaineering aspect of your interests and I'm, you know, being out here being on the mountain and I'm sure that's really cool and really taps into a special place for you. I would love for you for the listeners to, you know, explain what mountaineering is and how you got into that and why you're passionate about it.

Ryan 21:41

Absolutely man. Um, Mountaineering is. Essentially climbing. Climbing the mountains. Finding new new routes. and new ways up to. The highest peaks. And, uh, Whether it's. It typically involves multiple different techniques. and Technicalities to get to the top from starting at a hike. going to. Snow travel, maybe some rock climbing. Or depending on the season. You know, ice climbing or, or different. different routes require different techniques to get up. And, uh, for me, Mountaineering is. It's like, a. It's like I come to. It's like a spiritual experience for me. Um, I kind of got into it through. I guess accident, I guess. Um, I always loved nature and stuff, but it was. Uh, my first. Time going on a backpacking trip. I went out to the smoky mountains in Tennessee. And set a goal to hike 72 miles of the Appalachian trail. And it was going to take about six days. And. had no idea what I was getting into. And. over-packed my bag. Had like 50 pounds on my back and. I kind of just got into this mind state where I was like, I'm, I'm going to keep going. I'm going to get to the top, going to keep, keep going. And it kind of just turned into this. This practice of. Mental. Mental game too. And that's kind of what really pulls me in when I go out in the mountains and you try and climb. it, It really challenges you. And, uh, And it puts me in a place of. Spirituality. and that's where I can kind of break through that challenge. and, uh, learn a lot about myself. And with the people that you travel with. And, uh, yeah. it's just really powerful to, to connect with. The masses. of the earth and to be in a place that is. Untamed. you're in complete wilderness. And, a, Yeah. It's it's a powerful thing to to be in the mountains and share experiences with people. And I think that's what it's all about is finding that journey. You have your goals to get to a place, to get to the destination. You. want to get to the top. But It's it's the journey. that, that you take away from it. Did. you, You know, the challenges, the. The feats and. and. uh, And then translating that back. into daily life and back into relationships. and taking it into. work. and. And how. you know, Every day, you're going to climb a mountain, whether it's mentally or physically. And I think For me. Climbing mountains. Is the translation to. the mountains of my mind. and getting to where I want to go as a person. And, a, And so yeah, it's, it's, it's just like a, it's a passion. For me to. To get out there and explore.

Bill 24:59

Yeah, it sounded like it sounds like it, you know, it's it's incredibly engaging and, uh, touches you and, and engages with you in all the ways you'd like to, you know, spiritually, mentally, physically. I really liked what you said about, you know, it's about the process and not, you know, I mean, getting to the top is dope. Like you're celebrating when you get to the top. Okay. But that's something I've realized has caused me a lot of pain in my life is purely focusing on the objective and not the process, which obviously we want to count the wins and the objective and the mission is important, but there's always going to be more objectives and missions and, you know, you know, unquote end points. So if you're not focusing on the process and learning how to enjoy the process and what's within the process and all the lessons that come with that, then, you know, that can definitely lead to just. A sense of emptiness. I would say that's what it's been for me. And a sense of frustration as well, because you're just moving, moving, moving, and then, okay. You reach somewhere. That's like one day, like, okay, I did this thing. And then again, you're in the same place. So if you're, if that's your like dominant thought process and pattern behind approaching life and objectives and relationships, then you're going to end up on your death bed and be like, damn, I just watched this shit fly by me. And I mean, no, that's like the, my worst nightmare of all just, uh, regret on the deathbed. I want to be on, you know, if I get to have that opportunity, I want to be there and just be like, rad. You know, I did it. I lived, I loved, I, you know, pushed my boundaries. I'd fallen. I played. And it's very interesting because we say that, but it can be so easy to kind of fall away from that. And like we were talking about before kind of goes back to, you know, the comfortability thing and leaning into discomfort, leaning into discomfort is so important for me as far as a way to Enlive in myself and, um, just kind of keep the magic going in life. That sense of magic and novelty. But yeah, we're both into, you know, to shift gears here. Once again, we're huge into, you, holistic wellness and you, how that plays into creating the lives we want and feeling the way we want. I would love to dive into some practices here because you know, that's definitely another major theme of things I want to share and discuss and subject matter on the podcast. So I'm curious, are there any particular practices that you have found. Um, especially illuminating lately within your life, any new ones or ones that have just kind of like, you've noticed like, oh, this is really working. This is really bringing a lot of value to my life. Like any ones that stick out to you like that?

Ryan 28:05

Absolutely. Yeah. Um, I think right now, journaling. Has been the most. Impactful practice. that I've Incorporated into my um, daily routine. because it. Allows me to. You know, you, you don't realize how many thoughts you have in a day. Thoughts are just coming through. And Some good thoughts. Go by some bad thoughts. Go by. But for me, Being able to. Write them down in the morning. And develop a practice of. Just basically analyzing my thoughts. Not. In the moment. Because I'm just putting them on paper. But over time. you can go back and look at them and see. You know, what was going through your mind or what's consistently coming up in your mind. Why is it coming up in your mind? And, uh, And just. It's a. Powerful way to get it out of your head. for me. And. And to see. To observe what's going on. And then also to, to express gratitude for. so many different things. I liked that that. monk Journal that you have, because that's kind of similar to what I do. I have. a section of journaling. that's just basically free write for 15 minutes. And, uh, and then I do three. Things that I'm grateful for. And then I do my to do list for today. And, uh, it keeps, keeps me aligned. It gives me accountability to look back throughout the day. Gives me a little dopamine. Click when I go to check off my to-do list. and, um, There's just. having, having a journal, I think is powerful, especially for. Like being a man. Like, it's kind of something that I was always resistant to because. You know, who, You know, you just think having a diary or something. as a, as a weird, like what. What kind of guy. has a diary? Um, and it's just, it's. It's definitely impactful to. To have it. And to know You're not your thoughts. and you can just put them out and then. Keep going.

Bill 30:19

Yeah, man, I love all that. There's so much there And.

Ryan 30:23

And just to see progress too. That's That's I think the biggest. one of the biggest things for me right now is tracking progress. Whether it's with. My running or my training. or my journaling. Or other creative projects. that I'm doing. writing them down. and and seeing the progress. Is, it's like a tangible thing. You can, you can see it. As an and then see your, your growth where you're at. And it's, uh,

Bill 30:53

Yeah. there's, there's, it's a panacea for like mental, emotional wellness and growth and keeping yourself on track. And like I said before, momentum momentum is so huge in one's life. And, you know, there's so many elements that play into that, you know, what are you doing to keep the momentum? What are you doing to build awareness around when you're not going in the direction you want. And It's on a decision decision basis. And I feel like journaling is a great way to keep yourself on track. and I, I really love the aspect of cognitive offload. You know, like You're saying just free ride, just let it flow. Don't even worry about what you're going to say. And then, uh, another really cool aspect of that, that, uh, Omri Marcus brought up on his community podcasts with it was with Kyle Kingsbury, Eric Godsey and Caitlin. How are, how he, I believe, and he was talking about. Being honest with yourself and how many of us are not honest with ourselves. And, and I feel like that's, that's really why a lot of us are in pain because we're not able to be honest with ourselves. And a journal is a great place to cultivate honesty with yourself. And if you're like, no, one's gonna read it. So if you're like avoiding being honest with yourself, why is that? Which is funny because it's just, you like, no, one's seeing it. Like, what are you scared of Like facing the truth. That's probably what it is just facing the truth of yourself and the work. that you need to do. Um, and the, the discomfort that comes with that. So I really love that aspect of journaling is a great place to cultivate honesty with yourself. Yeah, I find honesty, super integral for, I mean, obviously relationship with yourself, but every single relationship, especially the people you're closest with, if you're just doesn't feel good to put masks on that's for sure. It's not, that just doesn't feel natural. And, uh, it's an energy drain. It's an energy drain

Ryan 32:52

of work. You gotta keep it up. You know,

Bill 32:55

to maintain like a persona that isn't really you, which we're all working on becoming ourselves. I feel like that's just the journey of life. We're just reconfiguring, um, you know, reprogramming, you know, breaking ourselves down from all the societal programming programming from our peers, the schools, the media, our parents, all these things, but yeah, journaling's yeah, really great for that reason. And yeah, just the, the aspects of. Ah, gratitude And mindfulness and, uh, really looking at the inner workings of your mind and having it down on, on paper, like actualizing and not just letting it, you know, continuing to run. And then yeah, you can see what programs are running and what's serving you and what isn't. So just reflecting in that way. I really love that. And it's so simple. You just need a little little book and it it's. Yeah, I found it the same here, man. Like, that's definitely been illuminating for me to explore that as a practice and it doesn't need to be so regimented and rigid. Um, you know, it could just be like, you don't need to do 15 minutes a day and like have these like little checklists gotta be five minutes, few minutes, 30 seconds a paragraph, anything like that.

Ryan 34:15

Yeah. And sometimes it's. Yeah, you don't need that. Like Sometimes I'll I literally just. I'll write down in my journal. I love you. And it's like, even You know, building the habit. A lot of it is just for the habit building. of doing it. And then it comes easier. But. but Yeah. Journaling and. that, I liked that, that honesty, nobody else is going to read it. Half the time. I don't Even go back and read. all my journal entries, you know? but Yeah. Being honest. With yourself. is,

Bill 34:46

Yeah. It's huge. It's huge. And I'm working on that. I know that for sure.

Ryan.Witherspoon12 34:51

We all are. And it's It's hard because you compare yourself to who you, you were before. and and you're not that person anymore. You don't have those thoughts and stuff. You know who you want to be. But. Like you're just ever evolving and changing. So. your, your truth is always going to change with you. And Some, some truths will always be your truth, but. they're, they're going to change. you and who you are, is going to change. So, and that's the honesty about it? Is. Is. I think Recognizing that. and it's that's. It's okay. To. To allow those truths to change. and not holding on to. to. Who you are or who you were just to stick to it.

Bill 35:37

yeah. Letting go of those old paradigms and yeah, I mean, human nature, we're not, we're constantly evolving and shape-shifting, there is no sort of, we're not static that's for sure. We're fluid or fluid creatures. So it's great to honor that and realize that. And yeah, we don't need to cling on to certain things and it's beautiful to change. That's that's, that's the lovely thing about being alive and engaging with life and just being open to all the possibilities and exploring them. That's so fun. I love to like look back at myself a year ago and it's, it can be so easy for me to be like, Just constantly like looking at the next level of evolution instead of just appreciating how far I've come and all it takes for me to think about. a year ago. I, holy shit. Yeah. I've definitely taken a lot of steps forward. So yeah, it's like finding this balance between, um, like obviously we want to like, you know, be self-critical, but not to the point of where we're breaking ourselves down and being too hard on ourselves. And I found myself falling into that pattern, the journaling and self-reflection has helped a lot with that. And just basically paying attention to how I feel with the two different mindsets of, or like finding the balance between, um, you know, being serious about my evolution and my growth and my development, but also being easy on myself and just appreciating, um, Yeah, all the winds, all the, all the small wins and all the steps forward I've taken. and uh, like we were talking about before, there's no end of the journey, you know, we're, we're always going to be moving forward and in the process of growing and there's going to be many peaks we reach. And so, yeah, appreciating the journey is super important. And I love one more thing about journaling. I really love is writing down affirmations and the power of affirmations. And that's something I've kind of been on and off. with for a while. But, um, you know, we're always in a process of rewiring. I feel in that momentum aspect or rewiring plays directly into the momentum aspect and. Man, one of my favorites, just like, it just keeps getting better. Like I wake up and I try to feel into that, like the emotional sense, like, oh man, like this day is amazing and it just is going to keep getting better because for so long, I, yeah, man, I was just felt so stuck and just felt the complete opposite of that. It's like, oh, another day. Like, and I just feel like, cause I was just so regimented and my way of living and, um, it was so many other things because feeling well and feeling good about life, like, you know, w as, like we said before, we're into holistic wellness. So we're dynamic and integrated individuals and being so there's so many things that play into feeling well and having a solid, positive perspective about life. But I found the affirmations super helpful. And another one is I'm sexy as fuck. You know? So it's. Yeah, we have all these stories that kind of like break us down and keep us where, where we are at. And, um, just, you know, reaffirming on a daily basis, certain things that maybe our minds are telling us, we're not, is super important to be persistent at that. And I finally added just a lot of value in persistence with things like that and anything I practice whatsoever. Cause a lot of times you're not going to see results right away, and everybody wants results right away. And what's some things you will see, you know, big results right away. But yeah. Patience is huge when it comes to that. Did you have any other thoughts on journaling or anything that comes to mind in regards to just like self reflection, anything like that?

Ryan 39:22

Not really. I think that you were. You nailed it with the persistence. That's that's the biggest thing. For me with journaling is sticking to it. And because. That practice is. It's just going to keep getting better and you're going to keep, keep seeing yourself. and yeah. Persistence with, with any practice.

Bill 39:39

Yeah. And you get that momentum and oh, one more thing about journaling. I really loved another thing from the podcast you did with Annie, the journal, you guys pass back and forth. So I would love to hear, you know, what that opened up for you as an individual and maybe in the relationship and also what, what gave you that idea? Was it your idea or was it Annie's idea? I just find that like super beautiful, you know, it's, it's very primal, you know, we're, we're still connected through technology these days, but like pen and paper, and it's just such a different way to express yourself versus even talking on the phone. So just with that dynamic shift, I imagine there's like so many interesting insights and, and evolutions involved in that process.

Ryan 40:23

Yeah, it was, it was cool doing that. Um, I can't remember. Whose whose idea it was to do that? But, uh, But yeah, we were we were doing a long distance relationship. I was in Seattle, Washington. and she was in, uh, Tempe, Arizona. And. We were kind of in different time zones, we were working different hours. It was just. the long distance thing It was just a real, you know, there was a lot of challenge with. it. And, uh, and so we, you know, It was. something We wanted to try out to. Give it a few days in between sending You could get you know, all your experiences. You could write down once a day. And, um, it was really cool to. to. kind of go back in time. and like, You know, uh, like. my lover was sending me. You know, something that I was awaiting for in the mail. and to, to wait and be able to receive something. And. And it was, it was cool to. To go that route. And it allowed us to really. Get our thoughts out. and dive in And just share and not be so. um, you know, Tripped. up on your tongue sometimes when you're, when you're trying to talk. And you want to get your point out. and it's like, you try and get your point out. And especially if there's, you know, Some emotions or something with it and you try and get your point across it's. It comes out differently and. So having the time to to write it down. and share your experience and what you're feeling, and then ask questions about it. And. It was, it was a really powerful way to. to dive deep. and to go into each other's minds and hearts and. Um, Yeah, I encourage it even for. for. not long distance. you know, just cause it's, you know,

Bill 42:15

it's just such a different way of communicating. You know, kind of expressing in real time with your voice, that can cause some issues. And when you have that buffer of being able to like, sit with your thoughts and really dive deeper, instead of in real time, communicating with a person which also has incredible value, like obviously communication, vocal communication is everything between you and any person you're in a relationship with. But yeah, it's really cool. I didn't even really think about that aspect of it is you're really able to dive deeper into the process of your thinking and anything you're going through and take your time with communicating it onto paper. So it may take longer to do it. And it's kind of like, you know, snail mail or whatever, but I can just see so much value coming from communicating in that way. And obviously on top of you're going to be talking on the phone and stuff. Um, that is really cool. I definitely want to explore that more and relationship and, you know, see what that brings up and how things kind of shift with that sort of practice. I feel like, yeah, that's, that seems. super beneficial and just a,

Ryan 43:29

uh, it was powerful too. It was a way for us to. To kind of avoid. That feeling of vulnerability. When you're, you know, when, when you're having a conflicting conversation or, you know, you're, you want to, you want to be vulnerable, you need to share something, especially in an intimate. You know, partnership. You know, you, you. gotta do this work and you gotta, you gotta, commit to it. And. You gotta go through it. And and those conversations are really tough. sometimes. And, uh, having that. Being able to write it down and. and. have that honesty Go through still, but not being in like a face-to-face confrontation. was, or, and for our situation. Being over the phone. You know, we're trying to talk on FaceTime. and, And phones, and it was just really difficult to have those, tough conversations. And, and so it was, a really great way to. Make it a little easier. you know? um, to to have those tough conversations. and to to hear each other.

Bill 44:40

Yeah. Right. Yeah. Did you find yourself, even with the communication through the journal, was there, I mean, obviously you probably get emotionally triggered, you still experienced the emotions, but instead of, you know, being in real time having the conversation or trying to do it over FaceTime where it just makes it a little stickier to move through. I feel like it can, like, it definitely has its pros and cons, but I feel like it could definitely be easier to move through. Um, more elaborate, tougher stickier situations and conversations and things like that.

Ryan 45:16

Yeah. For me, it was. that, That was a big takeaway. because, I would react a lot. And get emotional and then. And then kind of react. And I would, It was uh, a lesson. to in space to step back. And I could. You know, a lot of it was. I felt this. You know, at this time, and this is what I was feeling and experiencing. And then. the next day I go back to the journal and I can. You know, reprocess it. what I was feeling. I was feeling this joy for this because of this. And then Now that I've thought about it and I've sat with it, we were able to. To connect on those. those levels. of. Yeah. not It's that real time. is can. When when realtime any emotion comes in. it's like, It's

Bill 46:05

to move through. And just with like how we're designed as beings that, you know, sometimes you're not in control, there it's a reaction, you know, that's what a reaction is. It happens and you're not catching yourself there. And I imagine there was a big element of patients involved too, you know, you're sending something out or you're reading something and then, you know, you reply and then you have to wait, you know, I dunno probably a week, at least, because you got few days ship in there a few days shipping back who knows how much time they need to write out what you needed to write out in that, um, sort of dynamic. But yeah, that's, uh, that's really cool. I really like where the conversation has gone with the journaling and reflection and relationship and, um, the practices and all these different things. Um, I would love for. You to talk a little bit about your recent dive into endurance training. Cause I find it super fascinating how, you know, you got and do it. You tell me your process a little bit and I checked out your Instagram, still field research. I need to see what we could chat about before we got out here. But you know, you ran a marathon on your 26th birthday. Was it snowing that day?

Ryan 47:17

There is a little flurries. Yeah.

Bill 47:19

So this man ran a marathon, but he didn't even really train up to that. You just, and I was, I was so curious and intrigued by that because you know, so many regimens and recommendations as far as training for distance running like that. But I would love for you to talk about your relationship and process and what you've learned from endurance training thus far.

Ryan 47:42

Yeah. Um, it's like the mountaineering. It's just a, a challenge for me to, to keep going. And I like running. It's a good way for me to get in flow state. and to, To kind of meditate. and. train my body. And it started out with just. You know, kind of gained in miles. and. It was about a week before my birthday. I ran 10 miles and I was like, shit. That was a lot. never done that before. And, uh, and then I just kind of had a thought of. Being 26, 26 times around this. Marathon is 26 miles. I was starting to get this itch to. really push myself and running and see how far I could run. And at the time I was listening to David Goggins, can't hurt me. this, This mother fucker just fucking rattled, Z rattles you up, you know? And I was like, oh, this man. Ran a hundred. Miles. Like three three days. Like he found out he was going to run away. Run a race. And like three days prior. and then. Push through, into this a hundred miles. I was like, I was just moved by that. and, uh,

Bill 48:49

remember hearing that serif didn't he like obliterate his feet or something like that.

Ryan 48:55

Oh, yeah, the man almost died. He was, he was like pissing blood as he was going through like kidney failure. And he was just like. man, that guy's he's next level.

Bill 49:06

is, he is.

Ryan 49:08

And yeah, it was like, that's, that's pretty inspiring. So I was like, I can run a mayor. I can run a marathon Higgins lake Michigan, which I was doing the math and going around Higgins, lake. If you run around. it, It's it's like 23 and a half miles. from to, to run around the lake. I was. It kind of just felt aligned. I was like, you know, a couple of trails up to the lake. I'll I'll hit 26. and, and, uh, And it was a goal. And I knew as soon as I started running, there was no turning back. Cause I had to go around the lake. It was either. You know, Keep going or. You know, there's, there's no stopping. And, uh, And so that's kind of pushed me into. More endurance training. and creating my own. Regimen. to practice. and train have Goals. And. It's really mental. Really physical. And, uh, it's something. for me to, to focus on. For. other external goals. You know, if I can, if I can put myself in these situations. And sometimes I love running. Sometimes I hate it. But if I can do these things and I know. That it's training me for something that I want to accomplish. Um, Then it's creating grit in my mind. and I can I can persevere and push through. other things that I don't want to do. but needed to be done. to, get to where I want to be. And, uh, Yeah, so I run. About three days a week and try and push 25 miles a week. Right now. And, uh, And then yeah, I'll be training for my first a hundred mile race in the middle of summer.

Bill 50:51

my dude out that's that was one of the questions I was going to ask. Like, are you training for some sort of ultra merit as man ain't even doing a normal marathon race for it jumping into the hundred miler right away. That is so fucking cool, dude. Wow.

Ryan 51:05

Going for it.

Bill 51:06

So, do you ha do you have a specific regimen of working up your mileage for that sort of thing? Or are you, have you probably been doing some research. into different marathon runners And what their approaches are and, yeah, it's very fascinating. Um, have you noticed yourself getting sore when you are like, okay, So first you've run it's about 28 miles, right? Okay. Do you have a plan for the next furthest run or anything like that? Or

Ryan 51:30

so my, my plan is. Right now, like a hundred miles a month. is my minimum. My minimum goal for how many miles. divided up four weeks. So. 25 miles a week. And then also with one. Like longer run. per Per month. Which will probably be around a marathon. each time. And then I'll progressively. extend those. um, And, Uh, really training. Heart rate monitoring. And those levels I think is. Um, a lot of the endurance racers Really. point to and. and, Um, yeah. And yeah, it's.

Bill 52:11

Yeah. The consistency seems to be like the underlying factor with it all and continually expanding on the practice. Um, you know, like progressive overload for strength training. If you want to keep getting stronger, you're gonna have to keep raising the weight. Same with endurance training. You're going to have to keep extending the distance in which you run. So, yeah, I like that approach. It seems like a healthy, um, And you got David Goggins in your mind. is like, I could push a little harder, but there is a point at which you want to honor your body. like yeah. David Goggins ran of her mouth and he was pissing blood. So like, you don't want to reach that point, but I love yeah. His sentiment because that can be utilized in a positive way. There's some approaches to like his philosophy on training around. I'm like, That's too far, but like, that's what, that's, that's his message though. It's like, you can push way, way farther than you think your body can go and in anything you choose. to pursue. So that's what I love about him. And, and he's just, he's just funny. Like he's, his character is just so fascinating, but, um, yeah, dude, I really, I really find that beautiful. You're exploring that and that's going to be such a cool feat crossing that a hundred mile finish line, man. And I imagine also the types of people you'll meet while you're there and yeah, just the transformation process overall, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and yeah, dude, we can do whatever we want. So like, I, you know, thanks for the inspiration. As far As you know, you pushing yourself. I love seeing people just dive in and, you know, um, co accomplishing the objectives they set out for and doing the work to do it because. Yeah, it's, it's all a process and it's all an energy investment and it requires so many aspects of who we are to make that happen. Um, yeah, it's really cool stuff. Do you wish you lived somewhere warmer for the runs

Ryan 54:15

As I this winter. Um, I've befriended the cold.

Bill 54:20

Hell yeah. Yeah.

Ryan 54:21

We're we're tight. we're tight friends. Yeah. Uh,

Bill 54:25

both big into that.

Ryan 54:26

It's Yeah, where, where I'm at It gets it's been cold this winter. it'll get down to. In the mornings, it'll be like negative 18. negative 17. And then. when I'm usually on my runs it'll, there'll be around. Anywhere from 11 degrees. It was 11 degrees out. When I ran that marathon. And it's, it'll be. You know, Colder than that. and, and snowing and. And it's, it's a mental thing, but it also pushes pushes you. And, uh, and I, I think that. the cold air. is really good for the body. and, you know, for, for breathing. And, uh, And Yeah. Doing, do an ice bath. You'd Kind of mentioned. Like if I'm, if I get sore, and That's like one thing that. like I, I prioritize with is.

Bill 55:13

I just

Ryan 55:13

is ice baths and active recovery. Whether it's deep stretching and. and. Meditations and allowing the body to recuperate and, and I think that's,

Bill 55:24

Yeah. It's the balance, the yin and the yang of the movement. And That's so great because you find people with exercise and, you know, strength training, where it's just push, push, push, push, push, push. And they just, they just dry themselves out because they're, we need a. Uh, routine, that's going to create homeostasis and allow us to continue forward. And, you know, there's a whole conversation that would be fun to get into, but we're getting close, like, you know, training intentionally versus habitually. It's like, what does your body need? Does it really need to be doing max deadlifts right now? Or something along those lines? Yeah. Some days for sure. But, you know, that's why I love the yoga and having such a dynamic movement practice, you know, the endurance training, the mobility work, um, you know, lifting heavy weights, doing a hit workout, uh, all these different things, skiing, snowboarding, just walking, walking has been really great. I, you know, I enjoy walking outside and getting that connection to nature and all that stuff. Um, yeah, but particularly I, man, I I've just loved the, the, the cold therapy, the cold showers. I that's one thing I really enjoy about being in Wisconsin in the winter. The water stays really damn cold in the showers and then even a decent amount into the summer. And it's funny. I can like totally notice when it finally gets too warm or it's like, oh, I'm not getting the stimulus I want anymore. So I'm curious, when did you start, Um, incorporating the cold therapy into your practice? Because I don't know. We all come across different people are like, oh, that's fascinating. And it sounds like a crazy thing to try and it kind of is at first it's just like, whoa, you know, you are electrified when you get into cold enough water near nervous systems. Like, what the fuck are you doing? Get out right now. But I'm curious. Yeah. When you got into utilizing the cold in that way.

Ryan 57:23

um, I've been doing, I started out with the cold showers. Uh, I think it was. maybe three years ago. And. yeah, the feeling. Like. You just feel alive. when you get, when you do, it, You know, and. And that was really interesting to me. it's something that you don't want to do, but when you get out. You you just feel electrified. You're just like, you're just fully awake. And, uh, And then learn and through Wim Hoff and. and. seeing what he was doing. and. all the studies that he did. and. And that was, you know, it's like, how can you. Something, so simple is something that's. So beneficial on so many levels. It's like, how can you turn this thing away after learning? learning? What, what just, just going in the cold shower. You don't need to have an ice bath. or, you know, to get these things. Just turning the shower cold for 30 seconds. is enough to, bring you all these benefits. And, uh, And So it's just, it's just too easy not to do it. And, uh, And then. and I love mountaineering And so there's Alpine lakes. That got really cold. It's fun. You know, you can't, you can't be in these beautiful basins with these mountains around and have this beautiful blue water and not go in. And even though it's cold it's, even though, you know, It's cold, but, but that was another thing it's like, oh, you can take this to the next level. And, uh, and then it wasn't until. This year, really? That. I started doing. ice baths and stuff. Um, Fill up a garbage can with water. and leave it out in my garage. And. some ice it's yeah, sometimes it's like six inches thick and. You gotta like take the ice out to get in there And And I I use my mace. That's the only thing strong enough to. To just slam it down and, uh, Yeah. And that's. That stuff is. I used ice baths. a lot for, for active recovery. for my muscles and joints. And and

Bill 59:34

Yeah. That's like a perfect thing to pair with the endurance training. Cause how it kind of works on your joints that repetitive, uh, stress that happens. That was one thing I found an issue with when I was doing more endurance training. Like I was saying, I, one day I decided I was just going to run as far as I could and I wanted to do 10 miles, but I made it like eight or nine. And by then I just like, felt like I was like hallucinating in a way, like my like vision was weird and I was like, just my whole body felt where I was like, I think I'm just going to stop. And I felt fine after, but like an hour later I could just barely walk at that point. I was not doing, uh, I w wasn't utilizing cold therapy. So I didn't, you know, I don't think I really knew. I maybe I had heard about it through Wim Hoff, and that's what introduced me to it. But, um, yeah, the, the cold therapy has been really great for myself as well. I just, I find new ways to appreciate every, every day and I find less resistance to it and yeah, I haven't really. Unless I like can't shower or anything like that, or I'm somewhere where it's warm and the showers aren't as cold. I just, I just don't miss it. It's not, it's not worth it the way it makes me feel mentally and emotionally and kind of anchors me and my body. Um, I just, Yeah. I just feel so good afterwards is it's like a complete shift. And if I'm like feeling a little groggy, that's a complete way, like a, just a great way to eradicate that. And it's, you know, it's definitely not easy at first, once you find a groove with It and momentum with it, it's, it's, it's not that bad. Maybe like the first there's still, it's still uncomfortable. That's for sure.

Ryan 1:01:07

Yeah. It never gets easier.

Bill 1:01:09

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It gets, it gets a

Ryan 1:01:11

It just gets like, you're just more. It's like a, tolerance. I

Bill 1:01:16

yeah. Yeah. There is a

Ryan 1:01:17

you don't the cold. It's never not cold. You just have a, a higher tolerance

Bill 1:01:23

Yeah. Yeah. It's yeah. So if anyone's listening, yeah. The first one is terrible. Um, probably the cycle one is going to be absolutely terrible as well. I think after like five days of doing it consistently and continually, um, expanding on the time, it just, yeah, it just, there's a certain point at which you reach where you don't lose your breath, you know, where you start breathing fast, your nervous systems, trying to like, um, basically regulate itself via the breath and then all the blood shunting, but a. Yeah. If once you find momentum with it, it's not that bad. It's just the initial, introductory cold showers that are like horrible and so hard to stay in. Like your mind just screams. I remember that feeling and now it's, it's so much easier to do. And yeah, if you're, if you live somewhere where it's, where it snows and gets cold and you have the winter months, then the showers get more than cold enough to, um, you know, for anyone to get into it and get really great benefits from it. But. We are officially at the end of the show. This has been a blast, man. Thank you for sharing everything. I really loved, you know, all the different aspects of conversation we've covered and just overall, this whole experience has been beautiful and today we're shredding again. So I'm very excited for that. But with that being said, I'd love for you to share your social media handle anything you're working on. You'd like to share and yeah, any projects that come to mind or just anything you'd like to plug for your own, your own stuff.

Ryan 1:02:55

Absolutely man. Well, I appreciate you for, for having me on here. It's been Great. connecting with you. And, uh, My social media. Just on Instagram. Uh, My personal is Ryan Witherspoon Ryan dot Weatherspoon 12. Um, and my podcast is summit. to soul mountain. a website summit to soul mountain.com. And, Uh, you can find my episodes on Spotify and iTunes. I'm Super grateful for anyone to give it a listen. And I'd love to hear for you. from you. If you, do what you think. Any thoughts? Um, And, uh, yeah, super, super stoked to, to shred. Today. And, uh, Yeah, man. Happy. to, Happy to connect. with you.

Bill 1:03:45

Yes, sir. All right. Anyone that, listen, thank you so much. I love you. We love you. Let's keep it going. Um, Phil, listen on Spotify, apple podcasts. I'd appreciate you hitting that. Download button, uh, leaving a review rating, you know, anything like that, that, that really, um, helps get the podcast, uh, out and also share it with someone. That's the number one thing we'd love for y'all. If you found value in this podcast, share it with someone you love. And, uh, with that being said until next time, smooches y'all peace.

Ryan 1:04:20

please,