EP 4: Alex Eggers | The Art of Living Well, Functional Movement & Bodyfulness

Welcome back to The Space for Being.

In this episode, Bill sits down with movement coach and founder of Prana Performance Training, Alex Eggers, for a wide-ranging conversation on what it truly means to live well through the body.

Together, they explore movement as more than exercise—it's a gateway to presence, healing, self-awareness, and deeper connection with life itself. From functional movement and fascia to breathwork, cold exposure, restorative practices, community, and the loneliness epidemic, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and rediscover the wisdom already living within you.

If you've been craving a healthier relationship with your body—or simply a more intentional way of moving through the world—this episode offers practical insights and timeless reminders for cultivating vitality from the inside out.

In this episode:

• Why movement is one of the most accessible paths to presence
• Functional movement, fascia, and understanding the body as an integrated system
• The balance between working out and working in
• Practical ways to build a sustainable movement practice
• The importance of slowing down in an overstimulated world
• Community, loneliness, and why authentic connection is foundational to health
• Daily rituals that cultivate resilience, vitality, and wellbeing
• How curiosity and play can transform the way we experience our bodies

The Space for Being is a podcast about being, becoming, and belonging—exploring the conversations, practices, and ideas that help us live more fully alive.

Connect with us:

Instagram: @hivemke @thespaceforbeeing

Learn more: hivemke.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Well, y'all, here we are again. Space for Being Podcast. I'm your host, Bill Robertson, and I have the pleasure of sitting down with one of my dear brothers, Mr. Alex Eggers. Welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_03 0:09

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Um, first and foremost, I would love for you to speak to what it is that our whole practice entailed leading up to this because you introduced me to some new things, and of course, we did we had to do some cold plunge, we had to do some sauna. You guys know me and my involvement with the hive and my love and passion for these modalities. We we got some red light in, we did some myofascial release. Now I'm speaking to it, but you're much more well-versed in the space of these different um ways of engaging the body. So I'd love for you to just like lay out for the people what you led me through and what we were doing before the show.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Hmm. Yeah, we flowed with some fun, didn't we? Uh we so approaching movement, approaching, okay, what do we want to get after here with some intentional practices? Uh I thought it was a good idea to start with some release work. And uh leading up to movement, it's important, I think, when um uh we consider how the body works, being one big system of systems and the fascial system. Uh, we can only move as well as our tissues are healthy, and if our tissues are compromised, that's gonna impede on our experience with moving. So, starting with that, and uh considering you're a runner, we we hit some areas, we uh concentrated on some areas that that uh were a little bit tender on your running body.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Oh, yeah. We're a little we're a little rigid from all the mileage and the myofascial release stuff really hit the spot for that, just helping me open up and um definitely need more like restorative input myself just to kind of counteract all that repetitive strain that I'm incurring.

SPEAKER_03 2:04

I feel that so yeah, starting off with that and then uh stimulating the system a little bit with some some 43 degree water.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

And uh very specific number. That's a little that was a little bit of a charge. It had a bite, really good, it had a little kick to her. You handled it fine. I mean, we did. We I did a little singing, a little humming.

SPEAKER_03 2:26

We're in a little bit of a heat wave, so I think it was impro appropriate. And then uh I agree. Then we're we're charged up, ready to go. You even did some red light.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

I did. I did. I have to take advantage of the huge red light panel when I'm here because I don't have one of those, and they are astronomically priced, at least the ones you get in North America. You go in Alibaba and get them.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Yeah, the real red light though is getting outside, and if you you've been getting some really uh consistent morning sunlight, from what I understand. I'm I'm I am the tannest I've ever been. That is that is the best red light there is morning sun. Agreed.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Who needs red light panels when you have the sun?

SPEAKER_03 3:04

Y'all it's a good supplementation when we can't achieve the sun. So uh we use it as that. Uh, but yeah, enjoying this season of sun and getting out in the morning uh when I can, which is most days, most mornings. That's a gift.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

We're going through a heat wave right now, but we like to sweat. So the the heat, extreme heat, extreme cold, none of it's gonna stop us from maintaining that connection to Mother Nature. I know that's something both you and I really value. But yeah, I'm just I'm just so grateful to be here. You're one of the first people that came to mind to have on the show as as I reinitiated my um curation of podcasting and just delving into the craft and wanting to really illuminate individuals that are doing really good work in the world. And so for the listeners, right now we are at Prana Performance Training uh in the third ward area, right next to the public market, a really amazing uh movement sanctuary and therapy space where you've hosted a variety of events. We met at one of the cacao ceremonies you hosted a handful of years ago, three years ago, we were just talking about this, and that was our first formal engagement. I was aware of your work through social media. Um, we may have exchanged some messages. I know I was just observing you from afar, and then I had the opportunity to show up here, and then I forget how the next sort of steps and evolution of our connection had come to fruition. I think you reached out on Instagram and then shared some appreciation. I had you over in you. We had some methylene blue, and of course we did some more coal plunging and sauna. Exactly. Got accidentally a little baked on uh one of the pegs we smoked.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Yeah, I was on a cannabis fast actually, and we're like, hey, let's smoke some tobacco. And apparently there was uh some THC residue lingering in the chamber, and all of a sudden I was like, something's happening, man.

SPEAKER_03 5:03

Yeah, that volcano had a little resin in there from the previous usage.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

Right. I think I was like multiple months off cannabis at that point. So obviously, like the most minimal amount is gonna move the needle as far as you know, just the cannabis experience goes. And yeah, I just remember at a certain point, I'm like, whoa, like the lights are getting brighter and I feel different in my body. And then I lost my train of thought completely, and I was like, Alex, I think I'm high. Yeah, I recall that was funny.

SPEAKER_03 5:35

It was funny, but it was great to play around for the first time with some intentional movement and um just playing playing around with lengthening and and shortening phases of the entire body and getting you to integrate a little bit more of your your posture, and yeah, that was it was fun. I appreciate you being receptive and open to playing a little bit uh with some of the instruments and and toys and and movement and posture uh practices that I that I enjoy in this space.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Absolutely. Um, so yeah, again, thanks for being here. And then we finished it off with the 20-minute sweat. Yeah, so I was sweating balls. You weren't sweating so much though.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Oh but I feel I feel like it was uh it was not uh a totally challenging uh routine, it was more of a restorative session, all in all, and uh you'll be ready to to run another marathon, marathon maybe tomorrow.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

I am, I actually am. I could run a marathon tomorrow, I won't because that wouldn't be uh the wisest decision uh just based off where I'm at in my training protocol for the next event that I'm moving towards. But yeah, man, it's like no need to go down a rabbit hole about like where I'm at with my running, but and we won't. So I'm gonna shift gears. I want to keep the focus on you. Tell us about Prana Performance and training. When was this place established? Let's let's delve into the philosophy and what it is that you're offering to people and like what you're guiding people into because I think it's really special. Thank you. And it's very niche and but like also so totally human, where it's like these are all things we should be relating to and have somewhat of an understanding of as people who are in bodies, right? And are being and are working towards being healthy. Um, and that's a big aspect of this show. Uh, so like one of the main things with the high wellness of social is the space for being, becoming, and belonging, becoming, transformation. Part of becoming is understanding your body, your anatomy, your physicality. How much do I need to sleep? How much water do I need to drink? I should be breathing clean air. How am I thinking? Um, how am I moving? All these things. And we're both proponents of Paul Czech. For anyone listening, you know, I'm not gonna go deep into what he does, but he is referred to as the godfather of holistic wellness. Go check out his podcast, he's amazing. Another incredible bald strong man, such as Alex Eggers, right here, and both have a wealth of wisdom in holistic health. So we connected on that early on. But yeah, I would love to just pass the baton to you to delve into what it is that you're creating here at Prana Performance.

SPEAKER_03 8:24

I love all that you rapped about of uh connecting to that inner wizard and the art of living well. Uh it's an art. It is an art in today's world for sure. And um, how to take care of this vehicle, uh, this meat suit, as we like to call it. Uh I'm so I'm celebrating actually eight years of starting my LLC uh on the 4th of July.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Everybody just take a moment, stand up, standing ovation. I did it, I did this for our last guest who ran the Tahoe 200. Everybody just take a moment, celebrate this man for committing to sharing your gifts. You're very humble.

SPEAKER_03 9:07

And uh I've been in this current space since the end of 2020, so it was a hell of a time to pour some love and creative juices into building out um a space uh to share with community. And yeah, I'm I'm really I feel really grateful that I get to. Uh but all in all, I'm going on about 15, oh maybe a little shy of 15 years of being in the the industry, and it's been uh an evolving, ever-evolving journey, starting with teaching you know TRX, kettlebell, you know, body weight, group fitness classes, and then becoming a little bit more curious of uh yoga. And uh I had a really beautiful opportunity in a teacher that um I actually did a work trade with where I would train, practice training her uh in more traditional strength and conditioning. Yeah. And she would teach me the basics of yoga, and that evolved, and uh she took me along for an immersive yoga teacher training back in 2014. So that was really transformational for me as far as uh tuning into uh yogic philosophies and and meditation and working inward, working in, baby, and really tuning into deeper levels of of our consciousness, of my consciousness. And so it really was a turning point for me in um creating more clarity and insight and um yeah, putting me on a path where uh I was able to really grow and um surround myself with people that I could learn from as far as the art of uh orthopic rehab, yeah, helping people with um different practices of uh corrective exercises, mild fast release, activation, learning, you know, different aspects of um improving performance. And I think early on it was it was more focused on what I refer to as traditional strength and conditioning, more of your um your big box gym training mentality of what what it can still be uh effective, not to poo-poo traditional you know, strength and conditioning methods that can be super helpful, but that evolved more into um okay, what is functional movement? And that's a broad topic. Uh you can relate it to a specific person or a goal, whether it's training uh you know for a specific sport or a specific movement for your for yourself, it's running, you know, for other people, you know, it may be uh combat sports or or martial arts. Uh or we more broadly, it could be pertaining to how to move as a human. Yeah, how to play with your kids. Well, or how to move as a human. And something we all have in common being bipedal creatures, um, standing on two feet, creating motion through two feet mostly. Uh, you know, driving, um, driving motion and a forward motion mostly, right? Gate, walking, running, and finding movement patterns and playing around with different energy systems with with gait. Uh, something we played around with a little bit with the kettlebell today, with those those unilateral step swings and uh understanding how to leverage using your hips and being able to uh use the entire body to drive motion. So moving more wholly, okay, integrating more of the body. And when I think about like if we're gonna spend time training intentionally, what are the best bang for buck exercises uh or movement patterns? Yeah, we should go into that energy energy systems. Like what you know, if you're gonna spend time, you know, in the gym or at home picking up weights or using resistant bands, whatever maybe, or even just playing with your own body weight, what are what are the best bang for your buck exercises? And I'll get into that maybe a little bit later. Uh but walking, running, uh posture, standing, right? Pushing, throwing, punching, that's all similar. But using those um those means of motion and creating force as maybe something that we all have, not maybe we that we all have in common. And so really recognizing the total body lengthening and shortening phases and all the different kinetic chains that are used to move as a human. And I mean jumping, crawling, climbing, lifting are you know, come maybe secondary to the first uh movement patterns I mentioned. So getting a better understanding and getting creative, I think there's it opens up more creativity when uh for me at least it did, coming from that more traditional strength and conditioning background to to more what I refer to as functional movement. Yeah, it opened up a lot of opportunity to be creative. And when you work in my personal experience, when you evolve more of the body, I I think it opens up more opportunity to be present in your body. Uh and as we referred to earlier, you know, taking inventory, assessing how am I feeling, what sensations are coming up, what areas need to be addressed, and given what I know, how can I address them? You know, whether it's a movement pattern or a subtle, you know, isometric, isolate isolated engagement, or whether it's a bat into a lengthening phase of a shortening phase of a tissue or muscle, uh, or is it compression? Like we we worked with you know, foam rolling and some release points. Uh and then you know, how what do I want to be, you know, as I approach movement, okay. My personal practice isn't too rigid. It's like, okay, what do I want to move today? You know, whether it's a body part, whether it's a movement pattern, whether it's the energy system. So, yeah, energy systems that we should all consider tapping into, or something that you do often is you know the endurance. You know, you're you're tapping into endurance energy systems pretty often with running, you know, zone two cardio. Mainly zone two. Right? And um also considering sprinting, that you know, working with power and that taps into the creatine phosphate system of short, you know, powerful bursts of energy, like a sprint. Uh a sprint that whether it's a running sprint or whether it's a swimming sprint or uh you know a total body motion where you're close to 100% of um effort. And uh and then there's um strength. Different than hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is associated with more like a bodybuilding of fatiguing uh fatiguing the tissues, the muscles to the point where they're almost at failure. And then strength is maybe heavier heavier loads, but you're you're lifting at a you know uh at a controlled shorter rep scheme. Um yeah. And as far as I think it's just yeah, what are sometimes you know, just dancing feels good. You could probably argue that maybe that is also um also a functional movement. We're designed to dance, we're designed to dance and sing and be in community and celebrate in all the ways. And I think uh I think and I also feel um that uh my philosophy when it comes to moving and and challenging the body in a variety of ways is is uh is a celebration. It's a celebration of movement, as it should be. I think that's something that people should consider um when they're looking to find maybe an outlet that makes them feel good about moving their bodies, is that okay, this this is a celebration. I get to I get to move, I get to play, uh, and exp uh you know experience novelty. And I think that's really important, especially the older I get, is is encouraging people, novelty. I mean there's a lot that we can achieve from from uh regimented um routines, you know, when it comes to training. But um I think I think if we can apply that novel those novel experiences with movement, I think there's a lot of beautiful things that happen in the body.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

I certainly got that today. That was refreshing to experience just a new way of engaging uh my body in its entirety, the functionality that you bring to the table and the different patterns that you presented.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Um, right, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Like listening to you as you're in real time, correcting me on how to do the movement properly. So engaging those mental faculties and then translating it to the physicality. Um, because at home it's just like me, myself, and I I'm quite rigid in my movement routine. So it is nice to step outside that comfort zone and introduce um, yeah, I guess new ways of just expressing myself in my body to explore my body, to introduce a new way of experiencing my body. And they all they all felt so good.

SPEAKER_03 19:26

Um, you have good awareness. You you know that you did really well. You're easy to coach. Thanks for being coachable.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

I'm coachable. I I value my humility and humbleness, especially um, you know, being in space with someone I know who has committed and dedicated a lot of their energy towards understanding these things. Thank you. It's funny because you you speak to some of this stuff. I'm just like, whoa. It can be overwhelming. Yeah, yeah, because you have such uh uh depth of knowledge around the anatomy and like what muscles you're hitting, and like, you know, I'm just kind of scratching the surface and keeping things basic because I'm a finite being, so I'm choosing to focus on the things that light me up and things I want to, you know, foster and then kind of turn around and share with others, and then you have your lane as well. So it's just it's wonderful and inspiring to yeah, receive that.

SPEAKER_03 20:22

I appreciate you being comfortable in your vulnerability.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

Yeah. Hey, that's that I mean that's that's the basis of connection, right? It's like, you know, I went on this date today, and this was like a core focus of the conversation was there is no knowing one another without the revealing. Like, what is happening now for us in this moment? And are are we gonna have the courage to share that? She was sharing about um, yeah, just a variety of things within her life, her own psychology, what was occurring in the moment, relational dynamics, familial stuff. I was doing the same, and you know what came from that? A wonderful bond. Who would have thought? You know, and it's like, and and we just talked about the normalization of being a human, and all these things we're talking about completely normal to being a person. Yet here we are, many of us just harboring it all within ourselves. No wonder we feel so isolated. Um, and like just to keep riding the wave of movement and exercise and um the importance of it and how it translates to everything. Movement has been the doorway into all of this for me. This is where it all began, like my awakening journey, you could call it, you know, and becoming more aware. It started with feeling better in my body, and then the other um principles as well, with consuming healthy foods and sleeping enough and drinking water and being mindful. Of what thoughts I'm giving energy to, all these things. So bodyfulness. Bodyfulness. Bodyful.

SPEAKER_03 22:09

Yeah, bodyfulness. You're feeling into your body.

SPEAKER_01 22:12

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03 22:13

And yeah, I think that's it's it's a great outlet. Finding a movement practice that can um open the doorway for bodyfulness.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Yeah, I could use more uh yin, more slow, restorative, working in uh watery, sort of lighter stuff for sure.

SPEAKER_03 22:32

We've played with that before. I think during uh guy's circle here, we did some working inward. You know, when it comes to coordinating breath with some slow intentional movement, think Tai Chi, right? Where we're um uh repetition with with movement and breath. Like when we think about exhaling, what happens in the body in the diaphragm when we breathe out, everything kind of closes and collapses, and we come into we can come into flexion and then taking a big breath in as we expand, diaphragm, lungs, then we go into extension, breathing, breathing life and love and joy into the body, and then exhaling as we come back down into flexion. So whether it's the spine extending and flexing or working with rotating and these other expansive movements, we can coordinate, but I mean the essence of the philosophy of yoga of of connecting breath with movement, and and then comes spirit, when we can really connect those tools of breath and coordination with movement, we find these states of brainwave and body connectivity and coherence with with the brain and the heart, and some really beautiful healing responses occur. Moving meditation, and sometimes it's um moving meditation for somebody can be walking, walking out in nature. Yeah, moving meditation can look a little I mean sometimes it's dancing, right? Yeah, anytime where we can find presence, um it doesn't necessarily have to be yoga, but it can be super impactful and change on a on a grand level.

SPEAKER_01 24:24

Yeah, I feel like it's the low like movement is the low-hanging fruit to accessing the here and now, right? Like, I mean, if you want to fully activate and do something vigorous, it's like there's there's no choice. Or say you get in the cold plunge, it's like, yo, you're here. The sensations are so powerful, it's drawing you in. Um, and in a world where everyone is just so stuck in their heads, just so mental, right? And just ruminating and worrying and concerned about this thing and the next thing, thinking about the past, thinking about the future, thinking about the kids, right? There's just so many things to consider, so many things to hold. Movement is the medicine, right? Like, it's just like don't worry about it. Like, let it be the domain of the body to get you here in the moment, right? Whether it's breath work, whether it's dancing, like you're saying, whether it's walking. I love walking, being in nature, um, Tai Chi, um, yoga, like all the things, man. It's like, and I think we all know this. It's just like for us, it's it's different than maybe the standard American or individual, uh, considering where they're at in their habit energy. Like they're they're stagnant individuals, their their uh lifestyle reflects more more sedentariness and stillness and things like this. And for us, it's like moving our bodies on a daily basis. We don't even think about it. It's just who we are. We wake up, we're gonna lubricate the joints, whatever we do. You probably have a morning practice. I have a morning practice. Um, and then a variety of things that could follow that later in the day. But what would what would be uh some wisdom you would provide someone that's like, I really like I want to get into movement, but I'm I'm having a hard time like getting it to stick? Like, I I want to consistently move, I know it's good for me, right? Like we all know this. We need to move our bodies and exercise if we want to live long and feel well and just participate skillfully, be present. Um, what would you provide an individual as like initial steps forward? Just some practical advice in that regard.

SPEAKER_03 26:32

Hmm. Well, also the counter moving uh outward and um, you know, more of what we can also refer to as the the young or the yang energy. When we think about yin-yang working inward, yin, working outward, yang, and also part of yang is sitting and feeling the movement of what's going on inside of our bodies, noticing breath, noticing heart, noticing your biorhythm and finding stillness. And with that, we can maybe also distract the mind from you know thinking and just focus on breath and focus on lungs and focus on pulse and heart, and there's a lot of clarity that can come out of those moments of practicing peace and stillness. Um but I think it comes down to maybe slowing down for people and in this fast-paced world that we live in. How can people slow down and listen to that inner wizard? And that's challenging to do because there's a lot of distractions. And I think instead of adding, people need to think about how to hack away at the unessential. You know, it's not about addition by subtraction, you know, like simplifying more in all the ways. You know, it's not the daily increase, it's the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential. I think that's a Bruce Lee quote. That's a Bruce Lee. That's a Bruce Lee quote. So I think when it comes down to simplifying in all the different ways, um finding finding practices, you know, such as we talk about wake, we know the importance of waking up and getting some natural sunlight, getting outside. This is the season to do it. It brings so much life and vitality, that alone, you know, hydrating, mineralizing, uh, and then yeah, nourishing with with uh foods that don't have a bunch of uh a big book of ingredients, you know. I think starting there with um practices that are that are uh going to support our design by nature and connecting with nature, I think before even considering moving, starting with certain just lifestyle practices and then finding quiet time to listen and listen to what that inner wizard is trying to communicate. If I mean if you have a strong desire to move, okay, what does that look like? What does that feel like? What brings you joy when you reflect? When people take time to reflect on moments of moving, what felt really good in your body? Yeah, if there's too much resistance, I think that there comes a challenge with that. I think it takes being receptive and open to exploring all the different outlets of activity and and then finding something that speaks to you and starting there. What's that relationship with something that brings you joy and it brings you some brings life and vitality into your being, starting there, and then maybe that's a little thread to open up the possibilities of other outlets and other practices. Maybe you're more open to okay, okay. I'm getting really good at um I I just explored this outlet of running. Maybe I want to play around with how can I, you know, run maybe a little bit more, or how can I run faster, and how can I achieve that, you know, through different areas of exercise. Like, how can I improve that? How can I also recover faster? Maybe it's getting into mild fast release, maybe it's shifting a little bit of how I'm hydrating myself or how I'm nourishing myself with food, with fuel. Uh but that also takes some presence as well. So taking the time to pause, you know, between those moments of moving in all the different ways. Um so starting there, but being curious, being open, and I think we and I think finding social um community outlets is also important. I think there's an we're starting to come into at least I'm noticing a theme where there's more offerings uh in community settings with groups of people when it comes to movement outlets. And I think there's a lot of welcoming spaces and places and people, such as the hive and what you're doing, which I admire very much. Uh so I think that's that's that's a starting point. At least that's that's what I can think of. That's what comes to my mind when when asked that question.

SPEAKER_01 32:02

Um Yeah, I liked uh where you took it from the get-go. It's just like, let's pause here because the culture we live in is just like pedal to the metal, wake up, drink, drink the Celsius with 200 milligrams of caffeine, let's get to it, gotta get the kit right. We so many people have so many different things going on. They're never truly tuned into the subtle whispers of the inner wizard. Um, and really what the body's communicating, what their psychology is communicating. And instead of opting for stillness, they're opting for more stimulation, whether it's the phone or watching the TV with the news, or um I don't know, many of the levers that we can pull to like just continue to be beyond the hedonic treadmill, right? And like I fall into that groove as well. Like I I appreciate stimulation as much as the next, but like to truly be a steward of our own well-being, we must first take a pause, take a breath, right? Take a breath, just take a breath through the nose, right? Just like sit there or just stand there, whatever. Maybe you're walking, but like just allowing yourself a little bit of space and some sort of capacity in um juxtaposition to like what the typical ways of being are, which is like a lot of like moving and going and like tackling the to-do list, all the things. And I like to get shit done as well. I I like to sink my teeth into things and really commit and pour myself into it, but I've I've noticed the detriment that can take as far as the toll on the system of the body, and therefore like everything else within the entirety of my being, and then getting lost in that, and all of a sudden, oh, here we are. We're we're burnt out again, and we're hitting a wall. Um, and there's nowhere we can go besides like recovering now, and now I'm dealing with chronic fatigue or whatever the thing may be, or depression, or whatever signals your nervous system is signaling. So I I do really appreciate that invitation to slow down because it's something like all of us really need to continue to remind ourselves of because we don't live in prehistoric times anymore. We're not sleeping in nature, wait rising with the sun. I mean, we are some a lot of people are, right? Like I prefer to rise with the sun and take it slow, be with myself. You know, I'm not even looking at my phone for the first hour or two hours of the day. I'm just hydrating my body, giving myself what I need. Maybe I'm getting in the journal, but definitely spending some time outside, lots of running lately. It just depends on like you know, what season I'm in or what I'm eating. Sometimes a hot bath. I love a hot bath. Another great way I like to find connection in these ways. And I really enjoyed that piece on uh the people you're surrounding yourselves with, because it is absolutely true. Um, it as it pertains to behavior change, one of the most important things we can do is surround ourselves with people that we aspire to be like. That's been the single most thing that's moved the needle most for me as far as becoming a different person and moving away from heavy drug abuse and constant self-avoidance and you know, these just these mindless ways of being in my life. And I I continue to be an imperfect being evolving. I fall into old habits, it's just but there's been like an honest progression, and I have my friends and the community of people I've surrounded myself with largely to attribute that to, um, which has been amazing. People like yourself, people I've met through the hive, people that I've met through the Paul Check community. That was a major pivot for me, and what has largely put me on this path of working in the health space is the Paul Check community finally going to a space where I feel like I could authentically connect. And people were on the same page as me. Like there, there was nothing that was really off the table. I could talk about my jerking off habit to pour, and they're like, Yeah, bro, like me too. Like, I worked through that thing, or like this is my experience with it. There was no judgment, it was just like, hey, let's shed some light on it. Let's get curious about that. You know, we're all human here, no big deal. Let's gather around the fire and have a chat. Um, so yeah, really, really good stuff uh that you're speaking to there. And just wanted to noodle on it a little bit myself.

SPEAKER_03 36:40

I appreciate and thank you for sharing all that you did. Um, bubblegum for your brain moments when it comes to boom scrolling or watching television. I mean, those moments can they can be necessary, right? Like what is reality television? You know, you're not watching anything that is too intellectual, and sometimes that can offer uh uh it can be an outlet to turn the brain off in some ways. And I get that there's a time and place for that for sure. I'm not poo-pooing that all the way. Uh but uh yeah, man, how can we uh spend more time in being present like when it comes to eating a meal? And and like that's in my mind, that's meant to be a sacred experience and sitting with food, being present with food, understanding and feeling into what it feels like to be hungry. Am I really hungry? What am I hungry for? And like blessing up a meal and breathing and noticing what your breath is doing and getting the salivatory uh uh glands going and like bringing on this nourishment, receiving this nourishment, and what is the bite taste like? You know, what you know, can you chew chew it thoroughly? Can you take your time? Or are you rushed? Are you drinking a protein shake or a smoothie on the go? And again, sometimes that serves a purpose, but like, how can even if we're on the go and we're enjoying sipping on something, like how can we enjoy each sip and savor, savor the slow? How can we savor the slow in all the ways? Because we know we're finite.

SPEAKER_01 38:25

And one day if you're if you're lucky enough, you won't be able to swallow. Like your body will literally atrophy to the point on your deathbed where you'll be shitting yourself and you won't be able to swallow your own saliva, not to mention food.

SPEAKER_03 38:41

Man, wow, if we're lucky enough to live to that.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

If we're lucky enough, or maybe not so lucky, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

I don't I don't mind being a little bit morbid, I get that.

SPEAKER_01 38:52

Uh wow, well, yeah, those are so such such such beautiful reminders that you like bring to the table like just the fine details of like living life, like the most boring, minute details, which can be so enriching with the right mindset and the right perspective. But like man, we're just we're in we're in a we're we're we're we're in a tough spot as a culture.

SPEAKER_03 39:25

I think there's a lot uh there's a lot of distractions that people surround themselves with. Um we know technology is a big proponent of that. Um yeah, maybe what it comes down to is a lot a lot of people are um are lonely and they maybe are challenged with um developing a relationship with themselves. And I I'm a big believer that if we can um learn to become our own best friend, learn uh unconditional self-low it will never feel the sense of loneliness. You know, when we can be with ourselves and love up on ourselves in all the ways. Um whether it is a nourishing movement outlet with you know, with everything that we mentioned prior, or whether it is a nourishing meal um or a book, or you know, like again, there's there's there's things out there if you just take the time. And and practicing uh practicing taking breaks from from external stimuli can actually there's some beautiful moments that can happen with that. I mean Yeah, turn the TV off, put the phone away, be with yourself. There's some beautiful things that can happen with that. You know, I think a lot about living um living according to certain wellness and health and um health and being guidelines, it can and and connecting to more you know spiritual elements of living. It can be lonely, it can be a lonely path. Yeah. Um but uh yeah, I think I'm really impressed and and really uh glad to see that there's more and more people in creating conscious community. And it's yeah, I'm um delighted to be partake when I have, you know, space too. And um yeah, again, you know, I'm a big fan of what the hive has become and is continuing to develop, and it's been really great to see your evolution even in the three years that I've I've known you. And you know, uh I really look forward to can continuing to connect with my brother.

SPEAKER_01 42:01

Let's do it, we're doing it. Yeah, man. Uh the whole loneliness piece, something I've been delving pretty deep into reading this book, The Law of Connection by David Robson. Absolutely incredible, just compiling all this data on the impact on the human as it pertains to loneliness. And there it's so multidimensional, but just like, and there's so many evolutionary causes behind like why loneliness influences us to such a heavy to degree, to the degree of how negative smoking is for a human being. Like, I thought this was a a bullshit declaration that people made just to like be hyperbolic and paint the picture that loneliness is really bad for you, but there's legitimate, there's wide or there's large bodies of scientific evidence supporting the notion that loneliness is just as unhealthy as smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day. And I was I was just reading through this today over the past few days. And um, so when we we have loneliness neurons in our brain and they act similar to the regions of the brain that are responsible for hunger, and they kind of track where we're at, like as far as our barometer for perception of loneliness and kind of inch us towards getting the connection we need so that we're healthy beings, right? In prehistoric times, if we were alone, we were way more susceptible to predators and you know the various dangers at hand that came with not living in proper shelters as we are now and modernity as a whole. So when these loneliness neurons are activating and you're not getting your connection needs met, inflammation is going up. Your blood is thickening in the in some of the worst cases of people um compounding loneliness, they're 30%. More susceptible to heart attack. Like, bro, what? Um and the list goes on. And people in America are 50 to 60 percent of people in America are reporting that they're experiencing loneliness in regular intervals as it pertains to feeling excluded, feeling like they don't have companionship, feeling like they have no one to turn to, not a single person to turn to with their stuff. And we all can relate to that, right? We've all been in that position where it's like, I'm going through it, and I have no, and for me, it's like that's just a limiting belief because there's people all around. There has to be someone out there that'd be willing to hear you out, and there's many dimensions to this, but a lot of us get in our own way because we're scared. We're scared to let people know what we're doing, because to really reveal your cards, be comfortable in your vulnerability, show your underbelly, it's challenging. Like, why have we demonized that? Why is that a threat to the nervous system now? That's it, it's insanity. So, really, my point being is you know, one of the things we're doing with the hive wellness in social is like helping people remember that this is what it's about. This is high status, like being integrated in community, having strong social bonds. And and one of the more interesting aspects of this, this like social media has a piece in the loneliness epidemic, but this has been happening far before social media was on the scene. To feel connected to someone, it's it's about emotional depth. So like you can be surrounded by people, people you love, your family, but if you don't have the wherewithal, the understanding of how to create an emotional bond, you're not gonna feel connected to them. You're gonna feel isolated in your own experience because you're again, if you're not really sharing what's going on for you and like having these genuine conversations where it's like, hey, this is where I'm at, this is who I am, this is what matters to me. Um, you're not gonna feel connected to that person. So there's just there's a lot of variables at play, but these these are some of the things I've been looking at, and some of the things I really just want to illuminate as it pertains to all this, because there's a path through, and and there's there's simple strategies and tactics, practical strategies and tactics we can apply to our own lives to get those needs met. And again, it matters just as much as eating the right foods, it matters just as much as getting enough sleep, it matters just as much as drinking the right water. Like, of course, if you don't drink water for four days, you're fucked. But like, nonetheless, the the loneliness, sense of loneliness, the impact on the physiological system, it compounds over time and it it becomes a really bad picture. As we all know, just from like a felt sense, direct experience, we we all have some level of um encounter with that.

SPEAKER_03 47:13

What comes to my mind is a double-edged sword when it comes to finding the right doses of things. Uh all things, like I think there's um maybe some people um do well with enjoying tobacco, but too much tobacco could create some issues, uh, as you just alluded to, like, you know, people that die of lung cancer and whatnot.

SPEAKER_01 47:42

Get a volcano is the moral of the story.

SPEAKER_03 47:44

Vaporize, vaporize, vaporize the tobacco, and and don't smoke too much. Um, you know, um we're addictive creatures by habit. Uh so it's easy to kind of uh latch on to things that are uh what we maybe refer to as like the dopamine dumps, right? Cheap dopamine screen time, um you know, sex, sex can be really healing, but it also can be very detrimental, right? If there's too much or the wrong kind or porn. Um, you know, it's like understanding the doses, doses. You could run too much and injure yourself, you can overwork yourself, you can exercise too much too hard, and you could injure yourself. But so, what is the right dosage of amount? Same thing with food. So there's so many different examples of like finding that right dose. And when I think about community, it depends on the community for the person, right? I mean, you can be around, as you mentioned, a lot of people, uh, and you could have a sense of social connection. Maybe it's not too in-depth. Um, maybe even the moments of in-depth, you know, social connection. Um, there could be too much of that. I think we for everybody it's a little different. Understanding your personality type and your emotional needs is real quick, real quick on that, if I could say something.

SPEAKER_01 49:07

Um, I know I spoke to like emotional depth being key, and and it absolutely is, it's foundational, and just making sure like our cup is full on on the social integration aspect, but loose association as well. Saying asking how are you to the cashier, you know, basic interactions, saying hi to the neighbor. Like the all of this matters as it pertains to the whole picture of health and wellness, obviously, but that social cup being you know, overflowing.

SPEAKER_03 49:36

Isn't it do you ever get triggered when somebody you greet somebody and they say, How you doing? Oh fuck, man. Why do you gotta say it like that? Like, what do you mean? How you would you want to spend some time? How am I doing? They don't go. You can just say hi. You can just say hi, but it's like saying hi, but it comes out in the form of how you doing.

SPEAKER_01 49:52

Yeah, yeah. I don't answer it. I just keep walking because I know what they mean. Wait a minute.

SPEAKER_03 49:56

You you want to know how I'm doing? No, you don't. It's like a superficial hello, but it's like, how you doing? It triggers me sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 50:02

Because when I ask it, I mean it.

SPEAKER_03 50:03

Yeah, how are you? I don't yet. How'd you been? What have you been up to? The quick, hey, how you doing? Wait, what? Wait, do you really mean that? Yeah, no, they don't. Hello. You meant to say hi. Like, I see you. Okay, thank you. Bye.

SPEAKER_01 50:21

Exactly. You can uh you know interpret the truth there.

SPEAKER_03 50:26

Yeah, yeah. Alright on, brother. Um what else do you want to talk about?

SPEAKER_01 50:31

Yeah, what else? So let's let's get into Prana a little bit. Um I like let's just speak to what you provide, what services you offer brass tacks, because it will bring to the we'll bring the show to a close here pretty shortly. I just want you to, you know, broad strokes paint the picture of like how people can work with you and you know, like what the invitation is into the space for healing and you know, physicality, functional movement, all the things.

SPEAKER_03 50:57

Thank you. I um mostly work with people privately one-on-one. I have some groups, uh, small groups, couples. Um the space can accommodate groups of three or four. And I'm open to doing doing groups of folks. Um I'm not doing any public classes, uh no offerings like that yet. One day I'm open to that. You know, maybe the next iteration of the space um could accommodate you know more community and larger groups, but mainly one-on-one training and um being really intentional with meeting the needs of uh of a client when it comes to okay, what what do you want to what's your intention behind this? What do you want to gain from this experience? Is it a movement outlet? Um you know, are you looking to exercise different energy systems and patterns and and do it without being in pain? Awesome. We can do that, we can figure that out. You know, let's first let's you know take a look under the hood and get to know your health history, get to know uh what your weekly behaviors are relating to exercise outlets and lifestyle, and and with that I can do uh an assessment, evaluation, get a good understanding of certain people's needs and postures and awarenesses that we can form a a customized movement plan or customized uh you know working inward plan of of creating space and using different tools and practices for somebody to really down regulate or you know challenge themselves in different ways, right? How do all different ways of practicing and celebrating life and vitality?

SPEAKER_01 52:59

Amazing, yeah, amazing.

SPEAKER_03 53:01

So that and then I got the therapy room in which people like to take advantage of if they want to do a post-workout sweat and plunge or pre-workout plunge or some red light, especially when it's um you know, the darker seasons. Uh so yeah, in a nutshell, that's that's that. But uh definitely have some dreams and aspirations that I've been noodling on of how can I create maybe a little bit more intentional community and then start to collaborate with with other people that are in alignment with similar movement philosophies and training philosophies. Um create a little bit more of a community. I think it's yeah, we gotta work together. Yeah, there you go. If you if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Agreed. And I've yeah, I I enjoy being a one-man band. I do collaborate with other practitioners in the city. I uh I really um appreciative of an of a network of healers and therapists and other trainers um that I work with I refer out to. But yeah, what is what is the next uh iteration and involvement of uh prana performance training?

SPEAKER_01 54:21

Awesome, man. Yeah, cool. And uh where can the people find you? How can they get in touch?

SPEAKER_03 54:27

Visit the website prana perform.com. Prana Performance Training on Instagram. I'm not too active at the moment, um but I'm still on there. Uh yeah, I'm in the third ward, Merchant Mills building, 225 East St. Paul, right across from the Milwaukee Public Market.

SPEAKER_01 54:47

She's right, right in the cut. Right in the midst of the madness.

SPEAKER_03 54:51

Yeah, it's a fun name. Summerfest is happening right now.

SPEAKER_01 54:54

We got people bouncing around and enjoying the festival.

SPEAKER_03 54:57

Yeah, it's the buzz outside, and parking sometimes can be challenging, but we you know, we got the parking lot uh the parking lot promo. Yep. Um, to make it more useful for people. I think just getting, you know, getting over paying for parking, especially in more dense areas. People just have to get used to it. But you know, maybe one day the the there's uh that future prana lab, prana training space that has outdoor access and more space and more accessibility. But right now, yeah, we're this is an an urban, urban uh oasis.

SPEAKER_01 55:37

It's an urban oasis, 100%. Like being in the therapy room before, after the myofascial release, and um, you know, just yeah, digging into the tissues, really opening things up, doing the coal plunge, and then hitting the red light, and then there's these beautiful binaural beats filling my earlobes. It was just it was serene. I was in a serene state. Yeah. So I I just wanted to little little uh in real time testimony of of my experience. And I've had experiences like that here before a handful of times. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 56:13

That was just a that was a drive-by today. That was like an express experience.

SPEAKER_01 56:18

It was you just took me, you get all the bells and whistles, all the gizmos and gadgets, and we did everything.

SPEAKER_03 56:23

We scratched the surface with some toys. We smoked a bag too.

SPEAKER_01 56:26

We smoked a bag. We had a celebratory tobacco bag, which was nice. Awesome. This this was a this a really great show. It's one of my favorite shows I've ever done, dude. Thanks for thanks for being a part of it. Thanks for contributing. What you have to the hive, what you do to the community, all the things. This is the Space for Being podcast. Uh, you know who I am, Bill Robertson. You can find us at uh at hive MKE on Instagram for Hive Wellness and Social Shenanigans at the Space for Being for all things podcast related. That's on all streaming platforms YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Instagram, all the things. Big things coming, more shows on the way, audios, smooches. We love you all, and to all a good night. Peace. Oh, right on the