Episode 28: Why Your Body Feels Stuck in Survival Mode

What if the stress you feel isn't just in your mind, but in your body?

In this episode of The Navigating Leaders Podcast, Gabriel Griess sits down with Rome Za, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and holistic health coach, to explore why so many people feel exhausted, anxious, reactive, and disconnected, even when they're doing everything they think they should.

From breathwork and movement to nervous system health and daily habits, this conversation challenges conventional thinking about what it really takes to heal, grow, and perform at your best.

If you've been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like your body is constantly fighting against you, this episode may help you see your health and your life from an entirely new perspective.

==================== 

RESOURCES

🌎 Website: navigatingleaders.com

👀 Vision Engine: navigatingleaders.com/vision-engine

📖 The Results Tree — A Proven Path to the Life You Really Want: TheResultsTree.com

Hard Roll Jiu Jitsu: hardrolljiujitsu.com

Hard Roll Jiu Jitsu YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@hardrolljiujitsu

Know What's in Your Water: ewg.org/tapwater

The OligoScan: theoligoscan.com

====================

ABOUT ROME ZA

Rome Za is a first-degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt with more than 20 years of experience helping athletes, executives, and high performers build resilient bodies that perform for life.

After being told he would never compete again because of severe neck injuries, Rome refused to accept the diagnosis. Through breathwork, holistic nutrition, fascia training, and nervous system optimization, he rebuilt his body and returned to doing what he loves.

Today, he teaches a holistic approach to health and performance that combines strength, recovery, and resilience, empowering people to move better, recover faster, perform at a higher level, and live with greater freedom.

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

🎥 YouTube: @navigatingleaders
📸 Instagram: @navigatingleaders

👍 Facebook: @navigatingleaders

🎵 TikTok: @navigatingleaders

🗣️ LinkedIn: @navigatingleaders

====================

ABOUT GABRIEL

Gabriel Griess is a retired US Air Force officer, the CEO of Excel Medical Staffing and MedForceX, and the founder of Navigating Leaders. A graduate of the elite Air Force Weapons School, he has spent decades leading teams in high-pressure environments and equipping others to reach their full potential. As a combat veteran and an entrepreneur, Gabriel helps individuals cultivate self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to create lasting impact.

An internationally sought-after keynote speaker, he addresses audiences on personal transformation, strategic leadership, and veteran empowerment. The Results Tree is the framework he lives by, and when applied, it will unearth your destiny.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Have you ever been envious of somebody who seems to really love the journey, the curiosity, the discovery of life? I know I have, and I'm thrilled to have the guest we have today because he is a master of the journey in life. And so my name is Gabriel Greet, the founder of FBA Leaders, and your host, where we awaken your vision with bold. Today I'd like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Rome Zaw, coming to who is from Idaho. Rome is a black belt in jiu-jitsu, a coach, a farmer, a builder, uh, absolutely really a modern Renaissance man and in the most authentic way to look at just what it takes to be a man. And so, Rome, thank you for coming to Navigating Leaders. Great to see you again, buddy.

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Thank you, brother. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

Oh, it's an honor. It's an honor. So uh let's just jump in on the journey of life, right? So you and I have known each other, gosh, 20, was it pre-2020?

SPEAKER_02 1:22

2019, 2019, probably.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Yeah, yeah. So now coming up on seven years, and uh neither of us are where we were when we met each other. And it's just been such a gift to witness you and to watch your journey. But I've only seen a little window of your life, uh, but your entire journey in life has been pretty, pretty interesting. So uh you grew up in Chechnya, then to New York, and and then through your through your adult life, but um you've struggled with your health, like at some level almost your entire life, although you couldn't tell it by looking at you today. So can you tell us a little bit about that early journey and and what that what that evoked in you for your adult self?

SPEAKER_02 2:12

Yeah, when when I was born, uh, I had a a staph infection on day one. Me and my mom both had staph infections, and uh I also had like a nervous system dysfunction because they the country um they process a lot of oil where I'm from, and uh they were doing like illegal chemical dumping, and people died. Some people got sick. I was one of the people that got sick, and then when we came to the United States um as immigrants, um, you go to all the doctors that they send you to to get all the vaccines and to get all the health stuff and medicines. So um I used to get sick a lot, so in my life I've probably taken about a hundred plus cycles of oral antibiotics and a few dozen uh cycles of uh IV antibiotics. I used to get strep throat all the time. I had uh severe um like gut issues and anxiety and um sleep problems. I mean, as as I got older, they they developed more and more. And then when I was about 21, uh I had a really big breakdown and doctors told me I wouldn't be able to do jujitsu anymore, and that was the first thing that I really found that I loved, um, besides exercise and lifting weights, which my father introduced me to very early. And I started to, well, because I was also working in the medical field. Um, I I was doing nursing, and I just noticed how sick everybody was, and I was becoming like one of them, like the people in the hospital. And I started, I didn't know what I needed to do, but I do did know that whatever what was being done and whatever I was being exposed to was not the way. So I started to look for a different way, and I dropped out of the medical industry, and uh I started to study holistic nutrition and detox and nervous system dysfunction and breath work and meditation and um plant medicine and fascia and connective tissue work, and I traveled the world doing that mainly to heal myself. But as I started to progress in my healing and started to feel better, um people would ask me questions and I would give them answers, and that led to a different style of coaching outside of what I was doing with jujitsu. So I was helping people with their health and healing and healing their nervous systems and healing old traumas that were stuck inside their bodies and um getting rid of toxicity and healing old injuries. Uh so yeah, it's kind of kind of where we're at.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

So, how did you have the courage right to break free of the norm, to break free of this, you know, what was expected of you?

SPEAKER_02 5:40

Yeah. Um I really loved jujitsu. And when I went to the doctor's office, um I was in a lot of pain. I had a lot of neck pain. I had two herniated discs in my neck, and the doctors told me that I would never compete again, and I probably have to quit jujitsu and take on a different activity because eventually I'll need to get my neck fused. And uh that lit a fire inside of me that I knew I had before, because I was always very different than my peers because I always questioned the norm and I questioned the status quo, even in school. I mean, I dropped out of high school in ninth grade because uh I just didn't I didn't resonate with what was being taught. I thought I could figure out a better way, and uh yeah, it was just the fire inside of me. Like I just I don't like being told I can't do something and that somebody else knows what's better for me in my life than what I know because uh I feel I feel right, like I feel I am, um, and I know which direction I I need to go, and I don't think anybody else can tell me which direction I need to go. They can give me suggestions, and I'm open to those suggestions if I respect that person and their opinion, but um when people tell me I can't do something and there's it's an actual challenge, um, the fire burns bright.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Well, and you've had such an interesting journey, right? And for you to do it um really so individualistically, right? Of your own your own burning desire. Like I I like to talk about like there's a crown on my heart, right? There's a purpose for each of us that only only each of us has, right, to fulfill. And and I think life lots of times is just a discovery of how do I get to that? How do I uncover what that is, and then begin to walk that out, right? And and in witnessing you in your life, that's what I see and have seen for years now. How do you how do you keep going? Right? Like I and especially let's go back kind of to your earlier years, like that, those early 20s when you know, now you're a young man and you're out in the world, you're really on your own, but you're breaking from normative behavior status quo type stuff, right? And you're like, it's time to it's time to start this journey. How do you keep going in the face of what I I have to imagine wasn't a lot of support, at least early on?

SPEAKER_02 8:41

No, everybody thought I was crazy.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Um now you're the wise guy living in Idaho.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Yeah, sometimes. Sometimes I like to think of myself as wise, but mostly foolish. Um but it's a thin line, right? It's a very, very thin line. But yeah, I mean, when I was in my 20s, um I just felt like there was more, there was more to life. And when I started to question my health, it was the first break inside of the matrix, so to speak, the matrix of conditioning. And it started with health, and then it moved into money, and then it moved into relationships, and then it moved into location, and then it was just like one domino after another. So for me, my major domino was health and wellness. Um, that essentially shift my paradigm, shifted my paradigm uh of what's possible, which was very different than the limitations that I was exposed to, to what was possible um through cultural conditioning, through school, through whatever, um, family environment. And then as I started to question all of those things, um the the curiosity essentially took over. Like, for example, when I when I realized that I kept getting sick, the first thing that I changed was I quit drinking when I was 20 years old. And it was before I was allowed to drink, right? So um it it as soon as I quit drinking, I stopped getting sick, I stopped getting strep through, I stopped um getting the flu. Um, I started to recover faster. So, yeah, I mean, that was like one of the first steps, and then it was like organic food, and then it was understanding hydration, and then understanding toxicity. So for me, the thing that keeps me going is my curiosity and my passion for uh uh learning about something and implementing it and then seeing the changes. So, on one end, I consider myself a scientist because I come in with a hypothesis and then I test that hypothesis. But on the other end, I consider myself an artist because as much as I enjoy systems and processes, I also enjoy the ability to freestyle and to to figure it out in the moment. Um, because every moment requires a different way of being from me. And like you said, like we're we're constantly discovering, like I'm constantly discovering in those moments what's inside of me. And I can only discover that through uh unique moment, which is right now.

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Oh, that's beautiful. So um health is obviously a huge thing and in the industry, the health industry is massive, right? Which my country is part of that. Um what do you what do you say to folks who are who are looking to try and uh try something different or start something new? Where where would you encourage them to look into their own life, refrigerator, detergents, whatever it is? What would you encourage people to first take a look at?

SPEAKER_02 12:40

I think people like data and data can give you what you've been suspecting for a really long time. So I recommend people start with um getting their well, first of all, getting clear on what their symptoms are, like what's going on with you? Like, do you have anxiety? Do you have sleep problems? Do you have gut problems? Do you um have low testosterone? Do you have hormonal issues? Do you are you overweight? Are you feeling like you're underweight? Do you have low energy? So I would get clear on like what the symptoms are. Are you prone to depression? Are you prone to anxiety? So once you understand what the symptoms are, and then you can look at some data. So that would be more like subjective data of like what's going on internally. Then objective data, I would start very, very simply with looking at what are the mineral balances and imbalances inside of the body in terms of uh minerals and heavy metals. So, two tests that they can get is a hair tissue mineral analysis, which is pretty good. Um, I would avoid all blood tests and uh urine tests in terms of heavy metals and minerals because they're useless. It's just what's circulating inside of your body right now. Or what we do at my retreat, we do something called an oligoscan, O-L-I-G-O-S-C-A-N, which uses spectrometry, like light technology to see what heavy metals and minerals are inside of the tissue right now. Once you understand that, you can start pairing the symptoms to uh the heavy minerals and the minerals. So, for example, like magnesium, which mostly everybody's depleted in, uh, is responsible for 300 plus processes that we're available that we are aware of inside of the body right now. So that's one. That's one place where they can start. And then from there, uh they can start making the necessary changes in their house, um, in their nutrition, in their in their lifestyle. Essentially, it's just like all lifestyle changes. Um the other end of the spectrum of what is messed up in people. I've I've measured over 5,000 people in the last eight years um on the state of their nervous system. Um, and I and I mean like really broad spectrum of different types of humans from moms with four kids to single billionaire, like professional athlete entrepreneurs on the other end of the spectrum, and everybody in between, including special forces guys, and everybody's nervous system is functioning at way below what their potential capacity could be. So when you understand that, then you can start making the necessary um habit and lifestyle changes also to get the nervous system up to function, because, and I would say I would even start there because it's the easiest, it's the easiest place to start, and it's also the most productive place to start because the nervous system is broken up into to put it simply, uh, the parasympathetic, which is rest and digest, and the sympathetic, which is fight, flight, freeze. Most people, if we look at it as a spectrum, are here mostly in fight, flight, or freeze. That's why we're seeing a lot of the symptoms that I mentioned earlier, and neck pain, lower back pain, um, digestive issues, um, urinary issues, so on and so forth. So I would start with those two things because those are the two things that are most likely to kill you toxicity and nervous system dysfunction. Um, once you get those dialed in, it essentially changes, first of all, your perspective on life. Because if your nervous system is stuck in a state of fight or flight, then anything that happens in your life is a struggle because internally your body thinks that you're in danger. So when you think that you're in danger, it's very hard to maintain relationships, business, work, children, school, whatever it is that you do in your life. But when you are relaxed, when you are, you when your perspective is open, you're open to new ideas, you're open to making changes. Habits are easier to build. Like it's very hard if you're stressed out to build a new habit of not eating sugar or not drinking coffee or whatever or alcohol or whatever it is that uh people are tied to. But when you're not stressed out, it's very easy to make those changes or a lot easier to make those changes because your body doesn't crave the soothing effect of those substances, uh, those external substances.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

How would you uh recommend somebody to basically figure out where their where their nervous system is?

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Um, so there's specific measurements that you can do. Um when I see people, I I measure their vital uh life capacity, which is essentially a score of uh where they're breathing in their body, how they're breathing in their body, and what part of um their breathing apparatus they're using to breathe. So just to just to give it a like a thing, um when you breathe a certain way, when you breathe mostly with the chest and the neck and the shoulders, what happens is you're stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, which is the fight or flight nervous system. So basically you're signaling to your body um that you're in danger. Now, the body is made to be able to process um being in a sympathetic state. The problem is most people are in a sympathetic state the as the primary state, the majority of their lives. So the body's not made to process that much cortisol and adrenaline on a daily basis. Um it's just it's just unnatural for the body to be able to do that. Like our ancestors, um, they they led harder lives. And but but if there was a saber-toothed tiger and it came to attack you, it you would either fight it, run away from it, or freeze, and hopefully it would go away or it would eat you. But you wouldn't be thinking about the saber-toothed tiger all the time. So when you watch animals, they do something interesting, they shake whenever they feel stimulated in their sympathetic nervous system. So essentially the measurements are how you breathe. Um, there are specific uh measurements that I can take that can show you where your nervous system is based on where you're breathing in your body, like what parts of your body you're breathing into, how big your expansion is, and then how small your contraction is. And then I do a calculation and I give you your score. So that's essentially uh the easiest way to tap into the nervous system is through the breath. Um the breath and movement, but breath is movement. So that that's essentially how you would go about doing it. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 20:36

A little bit, yeah. Yeah. I was hoping we had something we could do here in Texas that I might be able to measure.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

We we can do it. I just need some tools to take the measurements. I can do it over Zoom with people. You would just need like a tape measure, and you would need to uh and I would need to see your body from your chin to your hips, and then I can see uh what's going on.

SPEAKER_00 21:03

All right. Sounds like uh another follow-up with uh Christy as a helper to run the tape measure.

SPEAKER_02 21:09

Yeah, let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So uh to the audience that's out there, when we get to the end, Rome will be able to share uh any of his socials and whatnot because he is worth seeing. Uh one of the things I love so much, Rome, is checking out your your socials, especially when you're doing jujitsu with the kids. Right, your movement and and I and I think if I recall this correctly, um with your boys, didn't you have um your living room set up initially? Like originally you you you started so much of this with just your own family. Um can you talk about movement as medicine and and how you're working with your kids and then and then and then others' children?

SPEAKER_02 21:59

Yeah, so. When I first started teaching uh martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and striking, and I had an MMA gym in New York. So I was teaching adults because I thought I wanted to teach professional fighters. Um and then over time I realized that I really enjoy working with children. So I launched the program. At that time, it wasn't available to teach Brazilian jiu-jitsu to anybody under seven. So I had a program for kids two and a half to five. And I started the program with my older son and my nephews, and then that program blew up and really, really expanded. We had people driving like two, three hours uh to our academy in New York to bring their children. And um, and I really enjoyed that. So I just see that each generation uh that's born is essentially weaker and less connected to their body than the generation prior, um, at least since I've been born. And a lot of that has to do with screens. So we used to be a play-based culture, now we are a screen-based culture, and we're seeing the effects of that. So every day that I'm with my children, every day that I'm not with my children, I'm constantly moving, I'm constantly practicing, I'm constantly developing my body, and I'm teaching them uh the same principles and the same practices as I'm still constantly developing them and um evolving those practices. But essentially, my goal isn't to be the best in the world at anything, it's just to be the best me in the world, and also to be able to stay independent um physically um until the day that I die. Because you're you're in the you're in the healthcare industry and and you see that even though people are living a significant, significantly long period of time, uh the quality of life is very low. And a lot of that has to do with um poor habits and poor lifestyle habits and poor movement patterns and connective tissue dysfunction. Did you know? I mean, I'm gonna ask you, did you know um that the United States, or at least I guess the social care programs, spend more money on ligament and tendon injuries than they do on heart disease and diabetes combined?

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Wow. No, I didn't know that. It makes sense, right? Because you can you can have those injuries for decades and decades. Wow. Well, I know I know I've had a cheles challenge ever since basic training, and uh we just went skiing and it it performed pretty well. Uh and then I felt pretty good, and then I think just Saturday? I think Saturday, yeah, we went to the went to the gym and played hoops and I started running the length of the court, and luckily I was only I was picked up to finish a game and it was only like three more points because I realized I wasn't either limber enough, warmed up enough, or really conditioned enough to be running full court basketball uh as of today. And uh, but then we played like five half court games, and it was awesome, right? And I was way slower than I recall ever having been. Uh, but the next day it was wild to feel like every joint, every ligament, every bit of connective tissue was was uh awake, right? We'll say, you know, I I wasn't I was still able to move and stuff, but I was like, wow, I I get to do more of that because it was so so good for my body to move like that.

unknown 26:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

It's movement is definitely medicine, and that's a medicine that is available to anybody, um, any place, any time. They don't need equipment, they just need the right information and the right knowledge to to move in a way that is natural to human beings. We've always moved, um, we will always move. Maybe not all of us, but the ones that stay natural human beings will always move, and it will always contribute to a better quality of life because when we move well, we can play well. When we play well, well, we connect better.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:56

Playfulness is the honey of life.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

I remember you teaching me that that teacup movement or whatever, where we brought the cup over our heads and then around and around behind the back or whatever. That was uh that was pretty cool. Um so what do you do um with with your kiddos, especially kiddos who maybe weren't exposed to movement a lot? Like how do you get how do you get kids to transition from screen to a mat or out out in the woods or what have you?

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Yeah. I mean it's great, it's a great question. Um, I would set up a household that's built for movement. Um, if you want your kids to move, you have to move. So children have we all have a uh mimic um cells in our brain, essentially. Like we learn through our environment. So if our environment, the people in our environment are fit and healthy and they're constantly moving, like that's what we know. So the best thing that you can do is, you know, people used to ask me that my older son started reading really early, and both my kids read a lot. We don't have any TV at home, so that's all they do, um, besides movement. So people used to ask me, like, how do you get them to read? It's just like, I don't get them to read. I just I read, and that's all that's available for him to do. So, like, for example, we have um gymnastics rings hanging from basically the ceiling. We have a punching bag, and this is like in the middle of our living room. We have a coffee table instead of a dinner table. So we sit low on the floor. Um, we have a lot of movement tools, like different balls and different tools over here available and different resistance bands available inside of the house. Outside of the house is, I mean, outside is unless you live in an urban environment, outside is set up for movement. I mean, even if you live in an urban environment, but you can move here in a rural environment without shoes and barefoot. So um, we do a lot of uh barefoot trail running and barefoot hiking. Um, so we're just constantly moving, and walking is essentially the original um exercise, and you can still see the indigenous walking significant uh distances every single day. So, yeah, I would start there. Like set up your space, start moving yourself, try to do it without a gym. Gyms are super toxic. I mean, if you have to go to the gym, go to the gym. But it's best to just get some stuff that you can do at home because when it's in front of you and you're always looking at it, um, you're more likely to do it. If there's less uh friction to do the activity, you're more likely to do it. And it's the same thing with food. If you have food in your house that's not good for you, you're if you get stressed out, you're most likely to eat it. So the first thing that I do when clients fly me out is I just go through their pantry and their refrigerator and I throw out everything that they shouldn't be eating. And I replace it, obviously, with their consent, and then I replace it with whatever it is that is delicious and nutritious, and is the right fuel for a human being that treats their body like a race car versus a 1984 um Honda Civic from a junkyard?

SPEAKER_00 30:45

What are uh what are I so not to set a bar that's like destined for perfection, right? Or you know, where people start and quit. Like so walking, uh good nutrition, you know, what about water and quality water? You know, and and is there you got anything to say about plastics or microplastics?

SPEAKER_02 31:09

Yeah, I have a lot to say about microplastics and plastics, but I would start if we're looking at a hierarchy of the hierarchy of needs, I would start with optimizing the breathing first. Because when you breathe well, you can have more energy and more endurance, and your cardiovascular system works better. And then I would go into um small doses of movement, whether it's walking, whether it's um even doing calisthenics and push-ups and pull-ups. Um, and then I would look at um hydration, which is what you just mentioned. And yes, there are lots of issues with our water in the United States. I mean, all over the world, but I would say the United States. So if you want to improve your hydration, the easiest thing that you can do is to get a reverse osmosis filter. And and then the complaint for a lot of people is going to be, well, there's no minerals in the reverse osmosis water. Well, that's fine. You can just put in your own minerals and you know that they're clean and you know that they're high quality. And yeah, I've been doing, I've been drinking reverse osmosis water now for almost 20 years. Um I mean, obviously, there's other water that you can potentially drink, including spring water, but you would have to make sure that it's tested for heavy metals and um farm contaminants, depending on where you are. Uh and and most people, like if you live in a city, I mean, if you live anywhere, you can go on a website called EWG and uh type in EWG water in Google and then type in your zip code, and you can see what is in your county's water or your city's water because they do testing and they'll tell you how terrible it is. And reverse osmosis will get rid of 99.99999% of those toxins. Now, are there other things that you can do to your water? Yes, yes, there are. You can also put a little bit of salt in your water, make sure it's a really high quality salt and a little bit of potassium in your water, and um yeah, and then maybe even a little magnesium, and then you're you're good to go. You're good to go.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

That's amazing. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 33:38

Um, and don't drink water out of plastic bottles. And if you're at home, drink out of glass. Um if you're traveling, obviously glass isn't very sustainable, so drink it out of preferably something that's stainless steel. Um I mean, obviously, there probably could be better things to drink out of, but it's a lot better than plastic.

SPEAKER_00 34:07

That's awesome, brother. So EWG water, put in your zip code and take a look at it. Get your breathing in order, work on your movement water, your walking and hydration. Um something that's always inspired me about you, Rome, is that I I experience you as a very whole person, right? And you kind of said it earlier in wanting to be the best version of you, right? Not the best at something or somewhere, but just I want to be the best Rome. Right. Um, how did you come to that space? How did you settle into that space? And what were some of the tools you've used or uh some things that have been helpful, maybe books that folks might look at? Just how did how did you get to where you are today in your journey?

SPEAKER_02 35:00

I've had the unique opportunity to live many different types of lives. Um I've when I was young, I ran the streets and I hung out with a lot of drug dealers and criminals, and then um I went to university and I hung out with a lot of people that were trying to become scholars. And then from there I hung out with a lot of athletes and professional athletes throughout my jujitsu and martial arts career, and then I hung out with a lot of very high-level um entrepreneurs, anywhere from people that were making six figures to seven figures to um even guys that have IPO'd at $10 billion. And I've also hung out with like special forces guys and just all types of different people. Like I just love people and I love to learn about people. And for a long time, I was looking for models to build my life on. And and I read a lot of books, I've read thousands of books, as you can tell. There's just some books here, and I have a very extensive library, and it's very uh different. Like I read books from religion to spirituality to biology and anatomy and physiology to personal growth and survival books and farming and all types of stuff. So I'm I'm a very curious human being. So for a long time I was looking for models because I was young and I was looking for elders to learn from, so people that can potentially teach me things and lead me. And I traveled the world and I practiced with a lot of different gurus, and I lived in the Amazon rainforest for a while, and um I lived in Costa Rica and I traveled to the east. Um and what I found was that I only know how to optimize and make my life um really my own. So I can learn certain things and tools and uh skills and mindsets from certain people. Um, but it's my duty to integrate it into my life where it's harmonious, right? Because uh harmony is really important. Like if you have disharmony, you will eventually have this dis-ease. And I learned that throughout the years, um, through my own experiments and my own failures and my own um pain and suffering that I was unnecessarily putting on my own shoulders. So some of the tools that I've learned, like I said, breath work, movement, meditation, journaling, reading and solving problems holistically, because if you have a problem and you try a solution that's a conventional solution, that can like, for example, we'll use the the medical paradigm. If you have anxiety and you go and you take an anti-anxiety medication or an anti-depression med, you're going to potentially uh mollify your anxiety. Maybe, maybe your anxiety will go away, maybe it won't. Maybe your doctor will prescribe two more anxiety meds, and eventually you won't feel anxiety, but you also won't feel anything. You might also get erectile dysfunction, you might also um start developing suicidal tendencies, you might develop sleep problems. Now you go back to your psychiatrist, they give you three more medications. So that's that's how we got to where we are right now because most people in our culture, or all of us in our culture, have been trained to look for shortcuts, and those shortcuts um lead to longer problems. You know, one of my teachers always told me, Rome, uh, it's important to take the long way home. And yeah, like meditation is a lot slower. Breath work might be a little bit slower, maybe not, than the meds, because some of those meds have a loading phase. So it's understanding that like your body, your mind, it has everything that you need in order to thrive. It's it's you who is blocking that experience through essentially programming and conditioning, right? Or poor habits, which can fall into programming and conditioning as well. Um, so yeah, though those are essentially the tools. Community, community is a great tool, mentorship is a great tool. Um, coaching is a great tool. I've spent so much money, time, and energy on coaching and mentorship because I know there's people out there that have had the problems that I have or had, and they've solved them, and I pay them for their perspectives. Like those are shortcuts. Um it's not going to come in a pill for the most part. It's not going to come in an instant enlightenment experience. It's going to take work. Uh, it's it might not be easy at times, but it's going to be worthwhile because you will become a more self-sufficient slash community sufficient, um, an enjoyable human being to be around for yourself and others through that journey. Does that answer your question?

SPEAKER_00 41:17

Yeah, yeah, that's beautiful. That's beautiful. Where uh for somebody, you know, I guess who may not know, right? And you've you've said this a couple of times, talk about what breath work actually is and where might somebody go to dabble or get an exposure or get some decent, you know, starting breath work.

SPEAKER_02 41:45

They can go on my YouTube. Um, I have a lot of information on there. Um, we have a program that explains people how to breathe better.

SPEAKER_00 41:57

We've sold that that's probably our funny that we have to like teach people teach people how to breathe.

SPEAKER_02 42:03

Yeah. Well, it's funny, but like also like I've I've studied breath work from I can't, I'm a myriad of perspectives, um, from China to Russia to India to the scientists in the West. And there's a lot of different perspectives on breath work. Um, and I think I think they're all great perspectives, but what I've done in the last six or seven years is I've sequenced it where there is a first step. It's where you breathe inside of your body that's most important because that controls your nervous system. And your nervous system is basically um it's like a lens that you look at the world through. So if you are calm and relaxed, well, then the world becomes full of opportunities. If you are fearful and scared, the world is full of threats. So when you fix that, then you can go to the next layer, and that's how you breathe. When you breathe in different ways, you can trigger different chemical processes that trigger, I mean, chemical, whatever, emotional, psychological processes inside of your body. So there's breathing for sleep, there's breathing for focus, there's breathing for having a psychedelic experience, like a breakthrough transformational experience that releases DMT. Um, there's breath work for improving sex, there's breath work to improve digestion, there's there's different styles of breath work that, and that's essentially the how, how you breathe. And then there's also what you use to breathe, which is essentially your nose or your mouth. And there's myriads of research based on nose and mouth breathing coming out of Russia. Coming out of the United States. I've also had a unique perspective because I speak Russian. So I'm able to learn from doctors and scientists in Russia as well as other places, but the Russian stuff usually isn't translated into English.

SPEAKER_00 44:16

So you mentioned YouTube. And so where do people find you, Rome, if they want to dig into your breath work or any other stuff?

SPEAKER_02 44:28

We have a page called Hard Roll Jiu-Jitsu on YouTube. They can find me on Instagram and Facebook, and they can also send the message and I'll send them links to stuff. I just don't have everything super organized right now because we're kind of in a transitional phase in our business.

SPEAKER_00 44:48

Oh, that's awesome. Well, we'll get the links from you and put them in the show notes and make sure folks can find their way to you. But um, I want to say thank you to you personally. So I did an episode uh a while ago about triggers, and you may or may not remember this, but you gave me some counsel during COVID. So we had gotten on a call for maybe it was one of our coaching calls when we were coaching together or something, but um it was early in the COVID era, and I was working from home, and my kids kept busting in to my office, and it stressed me out. I was like, You can't be in here, act like I'm not here, right? And I was telling you about that, and you're like, Oh, what a gift. And I'm like, what do you mean? You're like, kids are your greatest therapists, and they're free. Like they're gonna trigger you all day long and show you what to work at. So uh I've never forgotten that. And and as my children trigger me, as they still do, I get to, you know, be non-reactive and and look at it and dig in with them.

SPEAKER_02 45:52

I think that's a that's a really that's a really beautiful way to uh raise children and also not destroy ourselves because we're basically building their nervous system with every uh response or reaction that we have. So they're they're basically learning how to be in this world based on how we respond to them. So yeah, I mean, since then I've definitely dialed in a lot of the ideas with the nervous system and how it relates to triggers. I think that's a big thing. That's like probably the biggest thing. It's like when your nervous system is dialed in, you stop reacting. And and people react in two different ways, essentially, on the spectrum. Some people overreact and some people underreact and shut down. So if you go to the center or a little bit above it, you can respond. And sometimes the response is the response that's required is for you to raise your voice, but most of the time it's not. So when your nervous system is dialed in and you're breathing, um, because you can you can basically negate the trigger response just with a couple of um high-quality breaths. You inhale through the nose, and then you slow down the exhale uh at least two or three times how long the inhale was. Well, let's let's do it basically.

SPEAKER_00 47:27

Can you do it with me?

SPEAKER_02 47:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:30

So anybody driving a car, is it okay? Is it safe, or should they wait until they park?

SPEAKER_02 47:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I do I do this all the time. Just if if if you don't breathe regularly, um, which is funny, right? If you don't breathe regularly, if you don't breathe consciously, you might get a little bit lightheaded. So just be mindful. Um, but basically it's very simple. Um, this is how humans were made to regulate themselves. So the first thing you can do is let's say you're really triggered. Let's say you're really, really triggered. And one thing that you can do will start, well, give you two different breaths. One thing is you're gonna inhale twice through the nose, you're gonna go, it's like sharp inhales, you're gonna go and then exhale through the mouth, like you're breathing out through a straw. Make sure the belly button is going to the spine. Now we're gonna do another one. And now we're gonna do something called a triangle breath. So you're gonna inhale into the nose anywhere from three to six seconds. So you're gonna inhale. You're gonna hold.

SPEAKER_01 49:31

And you're gonna exhale. Again, inhale.

SPEAKER_02 50:48

And then release and just come back to your regular breathing.

SPEAKER_00 50:53

That's awesome, man. I think what's amazing when we do that is uh how much time slows down. Like how present, like like seconds become like minutes. It's it's it's such a neat experience to get present like that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 51:12

Yeah. And you know, it's like as you get older, um, what does everybody say? Oh, time's just moving so fast. So every morning when I wake up, I go through my morning rituals and breath work and prayers and meditations combined for 30, 30 to 60 minutes, and it just sets the the frame for the rest of the day. So I become a lot more present, calm, and and loving and kind, right? Because when we start the day in an overreactive fashion, well, the first thing that goes away is our kindness uh to ourselves and others. So, and that leads to a lot of different side effects. So, one of the benefits of a breath work practice and a meditation practice, um, that's that's based on the breath is essentially it allows us to be more kind because we're present. We get to choose, we get to choose.

SPEAKER_00 52:17

Well, and we think about who we wake up around, right? Probably our spouse or significant other or kids or parents or grandparents, like people we really love, right? And uh, and also the people that have you know easiest access to all our triggers. Uh so all the more reason to to be present with them.

unknown 52:40

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_02 52:41

I mean, they deserve it. Yeah, they deserve it, they deserve the best you, and you deserve the best you, and that's the only thing that you you have control over. You don't have control over how they show up or what kind of mood they wake up in, but you do have complete authority over your own state, um, whether you realize it or not. So this gives you complete authority to become the author of your life and how you create it. Now, results may vary, right? Um the effort that you put in doesn't always uh have a direct effect on the result right away, but over time, the less life off like every everybody else authors your life. Well the more unique your book that you're writing in this plane of existence becomes because you're you become the author. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 54:02

It does. It does. It actually is a great tee up for uh for my book, The Results Tree, which was my journey. So uh it's recently been released. I've got a copy of it coming in the mail to you, and would love to see it on your bookshelf back there and hear what you think about it, and uh and uh it'll be be good because a lot of what's in there is is a path you and I have both both trod. So this was great. So I owe you a trip to Idaho. I gotta come see the farm and uh and and walk barefoot and uh and do some uh do some grappling. My my my son Preston is now taller than me. He's probably coming in at about 6'1 and about 175, and he's just dense. And uh, and and Harrison's chasing him down. And then Michaela's just as tough as it gets. So uh love the kiddos and want to get him out there and and get him to visit. So any any last things you'd like to share? Any other information folks should know?

SPEAKER_02 55:03

Yeah, I mean, transformation is inside of you at any given moment, at any time. You get to choose a different direction or a better direction for you. And um, you know, the world will adjust. The world will adjust, like your family will adjust, those that you love will adjust. Because if you're if you're not living your life with purpose, then you're not just hurting yourself, you're hurting all of those around you. Because whether they realize it or not, consciously or unconsciously, they don't like seeing you suffer, they don't like seeing you shaming yourself or feeling guilty for overreacting or underreacting somewhere. So, yeah, take care of yourself, like you deserve it, like you're a beautiful human being. I love you, you need to love you. Um, and then the world kind of opens itself up to you when you start to love yourself and you start to take care of yourself and take care of this vehicle and this temple that God has given us. And um this this life can be a blessing. Um, all you have to do is choose for it to be, regardless of what's going on in the world around us.

SPEAKER_00 56:38

I love it. I love it. Thank you, Rome. So to the audience, to everybody out there, uh Rome's awe, uh truly a Renaissance man, a journeyman, a student of life, but I love his use of curiosity, love, kindness, grace, uh, you know, just the digging into your own individual life and seeking to maximize it, right? In terms of how it feels, right? It feels in your body, it feels in your emotion. Uh, you know, you see it in the clarity of your eyes and the and how your skin is. Like, like it's this, it's this health and wellness takes over your body, it just becomes apparent. Becomes radiant, right? And I experience you that way, Rome. I experience you as radiant. So thank you for coming here. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. Uh, we'll do this again at some point because I know you're you're a student and you are continuing to learn more. And uh, we'd love to have you share with with our team here in our audience. So uh for those of you out there, uh, this absolutely spoke to you. I know it did. And so if there's something you get to do to apply, to shift, to change, uh, honor yourself, make those shifts, make those changes, make that commitment, make that investment of yourself. And for those of you that this this totally rang true, you're like, oh my God, so-and-so would love to hear this from Rome, or so-and-so is just talking about water, or so-and-so is just talking about uh whatever it was that came up here. Drop this in a text, send it over to them, and tell them you're thinking about them. Tell them you love them, tell them, hey, this this moved me today and it made me think of you. Uh, and that in itself can can light somebody up. So subscribe, like, share on all the channels on YouTube. We appreciate you, we honor you in your journey. You're exactly where you're supposed to be. You can't be anywhere else. So take a breath, right? We've got some good breath training here. You know, take a breath, get centered, make some decisions to support you and really align with who you be, and uh and then do it again tomorrow. Do it the next day, the next day. Who knows where you're gonna be in a few months or a few years? But my name's Gibrio Grease. I'm your host of Navigating Leaders Podcast, where you awaken your vision and live boldly. Thank you. And until next time, God bless.