Begin Again with Davina McCall - Shaolin Master: The Hidden Mental Trap You Fall Into Daily! Why You’re Always in Fight or Flight

Episode Date: June 19, 2025

In this episode of Begin Again, Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi reveals the hidden mental trap that keeps millions of us stuck in fight-or-flight mode. He shares how modern life quietly poisons our peace of mind—and why stress, anxiety, and overwhelm have become our default state. Through the lens of ancient Shaolin wisdom, Shi Heng Yi offers a powerful alternative: mastering the breath, reconnecting with the body, and breaking free from inherited emotional patterns. The conversation explores how discipline, self-reflection, and stillness can transform even the most chaotic life. From his own journey growing up in a refugee household to becoming a Shaolin Master, he explains why inner mastery—not escape—is the path to true peace. You'll learn the real reason you're exhausted, the unconscious habits keeping you disconnected, and how to begin again with clarity, purpose, and calm. Whether you're navigating burnout, trauma, or simply feeling lost in a noisy world, this episode offers deep insight, grounded philosophy, and tools to reclaim your mind. 🧘‍♂️ Drop a comment: What mental habit are you ready to break? Follow me here: www.instagram.com/beginagain https://www.tiktok.com/@beginagainpod Shaolin Spirit: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/464095/shaolin-spirit-by-yi-shi-heng/9780241715192 (00:00:00:00) Intro (3:51) Shi Heng Yi: Becoming a Shaolin Master (6:50) Dangers of a Scattered Mind (10:34) Legacy, Self-Assessment & Growth (15:15) Building True Self-Perception (19:23) Unity Through Breath Awareness (24:22) How to Master Breathwork (29:50) Ancient & Brave (Ad) (31:18) How to Handle Stress Effectively (35:31) Taking Ownership for Self-Mastery (37:38) Letting in the Light: Breaking the Cycle (43:28) Two Common Mistakes on the Path to Truth (46:27) Burnout Recovery: From Robots to Nature (49:01) Clarify & Live Your Core Values (51:03) How to Build Discipline in 21 Days (55:11) Reviving Shaolin Temple Europe (56:01) Experiencing the Shaolin Lifestyle (1:00:37) Transforming Self-Perception (1:03:00) Learning to Truly Let Go (1:09:31) Gratitude & Discovering Your Unique Path Sponsored by: Ancient + Brave - https://ancientandbrave.earth/pages/planet with code BEGINAGAIN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's never too late to start. What is normal nowadays that the mind is scattered. In the moment you wake up in the morning, the machine starts. That is a not sustainable way of living. But with the proper methods, you can start to transcend. First of all, I really listen carefully to whatever your body is doing before a burn out happens. Your body told you way before that. Something is not okay.

What are the signs? In order for our body and our brain to function properly, we need energy. from the oxygen that we are inhaling. Could you talk me through the breathing techniques? We can just do together, palms facing upwards, then... I'm going to do that every day, because letting go for me has been the hardest journey of my life. You have to express the willingness to sacrifice something to get what you want. Because if there's any type of debris, any type of weight still lingering inside of our own life, you can't move on.

This is another one of those episodes where you might need a notebook and pen. Just to give you an idea, this is my book with just endless pages turned over. Shahangyi is a Shaolin monk who's kind of showing us the Shaolin spirit and it says the way to self-mastery. This is the book. This is brilliant. Get it. But this chat has blown my mind. and really opened me to potentially a completely different way of life.

Well, you know how much I love training and this idea of mindful training where you are breathing and thinking and a spiritual path and physicality is so appealing to me. And stick around. I mean, obviously, it's golden nugger after golden nugget of life. And I don't even want to say the word hack. That's not the right word, but how to live your life. But he also does some breathing techniques. And obviously it's a visual thing.

So if you're listening, go watch it because he shows us some breathing techniques. and they felt amazing. Also, watch his YouTube channel, also get the book, do everything. This is a game changer. And also, whilst you're doing everything, please could you also click like and subscribe? Because like means that you like us,

which I really hope you do. And then subscribing really makes a huge difference to us because it means that in the long run it enables us to get really good guests. So it would be mega helpful. Thanks. I think I was reading your book and what is amazing about it is this idea of, I love physical exercise. It helps me burn off a bit of the energy.

But this combination of physical and mental is something that I haven't really thought about. before and I've even looked up martial arts classes where I live in the country because I thought, oh, it's never too late to start. But how old were you when you started looking or doing martial arts? It was thanks to my father who decided when I was the age of four to put me in a martial art school. so I wouldn't say it was my decision but the initiation I would say was through my father. Did you like it?

I do think that ultimately at the end this is what kept me until today being somehow connected to the field of martial arts and of course starting in such a young age my intention was not to find something spiritual about it or know the theory behind it. In the very beginning, as a child, I do think, it's just one way, first of all,

to use the energy that we have and express it in terms of movement. Because this is what, like, when you grow up, it's interesting. Like, the younger you are, we have energy. This energy needs to find a way to express itself. And it is certainly not through thinking.

It comes through moving the body to get rid and use this energy. But at some point in our life, it's not physical activity anymore that we are using the energy. Then it starts. That is being used in a different way. And therefore, I do think the language of life is to find a way to really live in harmony with how our life is evolving. And in the beginning, when you are just about to grow, the body is about to grow, it is movement.

It is movement. And at some point, the physical aspect about us is not getting so important anymore than it is about the mental and emotional qualities, how we are able to regulate these areas in our life. I know I'd like to congratulate you as well because I know you've had a son. Yes.

How old is he now? He is now five and a half months. Yeah, that is pretty awesome. It is so awesome. My youngest has just turned 18. It's crazy. It goes like that. Like it's the greatest gift.

But now having read your book, I look back and it's just great to hear what you said about starting some kind of martial art when you're young. to any parents listening to this or watching this podcast, you know, it is a brilliant. I wish I could go back and get all of my children to take part in some kind of martial art again. First of all, I think it's quite interesting because if you do look on YouTube and you look up Shaolin, like we mentioned, sometimes what you see is so extraordinarily powerful and fast and strong and, I don't, it's aggressive isn't the right word, but powerful I think is probably a better, better word for it.

But actually when I just saw you sitting in the chair and what I've seen on your YouTube channel, which I just like to say I've subscribed to, thank you very much, is, is a kind of movement. It reminds me a little bit of Tai Chi, that kind of peace. calm, but there's a power in each movement that is so attractive to me as someone who's a bit hyper, like I want to find that place. What, so would you say that is more representational of the real Shaolin, that possibly all the fancy pants actions and the fast movement and the power and the anger and the chopping things in half?

that's kind of for show that's to attract you in. But mastery of it is a lot more. Exactly. So first part is that whatever you see, I would say on the one side, yes, maybe powerful, but ultimately it simply is skillful. It is an expression of skill. And this expression of skill for people who have never witnessed it,

first eye or really have seen it in person, sometimes it looks like superhuman. It looks like it's not normal, which in a way is true. It's not normal. It is possible in this lifetime to achieve things that are not common, to develop skills that are not common. And in the same area, like you can express this on a physical and visible level. There is also, and now it comes way more important, that with the proper training, with the proper methods,

you can also develop something that is beyond what you would regard as being normal nowadays. So what is normal nowadays, that the mind is scattered. Yes. That in the moment you wake up in the morning, then directly the machine starts. But if you at some point really observe yourself and what are the, the implications and the consequences that go together with this type of scattered mind. At some point you will realize that it is a not helpful and sustainable way of living long term, especially not when it is about maintaining your physical and mental health.

And therefore there are alternatives. Yes. You are not following the wind. But still you know that the wind is part of the life, but you have seen it, you know what the wind is doing. And just as it sometimes comes, you also know no wind and no storm stays. And then suddenly you start to transcend something about you where you just see life. Okay, welcome to life.

This is what life is. Okay. There is something about this type of life approach where you see the world is fluctuating. but there's something stable about you. I mean, it just, this is what I find so attractive about this way of life, because it's not as if you are escaping it or ignoring it or choosing not to be part of it. You are part of it, but with a different energy to the one that life seems to throw at us

I loved you talk about self-assessment as being something that is really important. Can you just expand on that a little bit? So self-assessment meaning self-reflection, the ability to observe yourself. Yes. So, for example, what I like so much about nowadays possibilities is on the one side, we can access partially knowledge, ancient knowledge, from up to 5,000 years of the past. Just the one side. On the other side, the technological development, all the research, all the scientific researchers have went.

So deep, meanwhile, you can access. modern knowledge. Both of disconnected, regardless of where I think I'm coming from, I'm of course starting to ask myself, how can I make this useful for me?

And there is one thing very, very interestingly, for example, it's not just that we are half of our father and half of our mother genetically. Now the question is, genetically we can

prove it because our physical features, there are resemblances to our ancestors. But is that the only type of information that is being passed on from our ancestors to us? Is it only about physical, visible, biological features or is there more? There were struggles our parents had to deal with. some struggles they started transcending and overcome them other struggles they kept and were not able to overcome them what our parents couldn't solve is your problem now what my parents couldn't solve

it's someone from our family who needs to solve it and when I now know my next generation is already walking on this earth. So that means the more I can solve when I know what are my problems in this world,

I don't do it for me. I do it for my next generation because I know what I will not solve in this lifetime, he will have to do it. What's life's purpose? Pass on your best version

to the next. And that means automatically two things. What means best version? No matter who, no matter how holy sometimes I look, I have my dark moments of the past and I made mistakes in the past. You need to clean that.

You need to clean your past. Because if there is any type of debris, any type of weight still lingering inside of our own life, you can't move on. You cannot move on in the clear and clean way. So ultimately, the way to self-mastery, the self-assessment, the self-observation, with what aim to clean yourself from the roles that you started creating in this lifetime?

To clean yourself from the identity you started in the life. investing so much effort and energy in order to maintain it. And all of this taken together, meaning in a way also, in the moment you understand what is your source and what is your essence, the view on this world becomes different. The way of how you live your life, the way how you interact with people in this lifetime, starts to tremendously change in the moment

where you are starting to understand that we all play a role. Yes. And it's time for some people that they don't want to play the role anymore because the role is always limiting you to something that you in essence are not. That's why the role,

keeping up the identity, keeping up the personality, keeping up this persona at some point becomes unbearable because it is pressurizing you. And that is the sign for me, somebody's telling you this role that you're playing, it's becoming too small for what you really are. So how do you find out what you really are? First of all, you make the assessment of what as what do you see yourself right now.

And I could tell. So I'm Shaolin Master, She hung Yi from the Shaolin Temple Europe. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm this. This, what you see right now, is a part of what I can be. It is the part that publicly the world knows about me. But this is not my essence.

It is a role. It is an identity that in a way was created, is still being created because I feel like it's helpful. through this expression to share something. I make it really simple. If I would not come in the rope and I would just come in my sneakers, I can talk about the same things, I have the same tonal of voice,

everything is the same, but the people will perceive it differently. Yes. Because people need to be attracted first before something about them opens in order to receive. Yes. So does it play?

Does it mean it is a fake? No, it is not a fake. But sometimes we need to build bridges for the people in order for them to cross it. Because not everybody is strong enough, skillful enough to do that jump by themselves. So we slowly build bridges. And just like also, this martial art practice, the physical movement, it is a bridge. The idea is when right now the only thing you are doing the whole day long is sleeping, eating, sitting in the office, coming home.

Then I can tell already. Without knowing you, I can tell your body is unhappy. Your body is unhappy. And together with the fact of your body is not being used properly, you don't have a good connection to your body. You don't have a good connection to your body. You don't know what the signals of the body are. You can't communicate with the body.

You're missing out on very, very subtle, subtle science. What sort of signs? Science of does your body feel well? What does your body need? Are you over-stressing the body? Do you need more rest? Is it time to regenerate? Is your diet right?

Is your diet wrong? All of these things. Healthy body carries the possibility for healthy mind. Yes. This is why the emphasis of very basic breeding techniques, standing practice, mobility practice, just warming up joint exercises. That is just to get some awareness back into the body. One of my favorite things about this book is actually how you describe.

There's photographs of you performing movements, but then there are little diagrams of feet positions and stuff that, well, they're really how. helpful. You were talking about, I mean, there's so much I want to talk to you about, but the idea of movement. But I think I'm a, I'm a fitness fanatic. I love being fit. And I have a fitness platform. And it's all about all the different types of fitness you can do and how they, you know, if you want to do high impact, if you want to do strength training, if you want to do ballet bar, but this is so different. I mean, obviously I've seen so many different types of working

out. There's a piece and a process, but a power to the movement that is so unique. But you were talking about breathing. And I know from the book that breathing is like an essential part as well, which I don't think anybody does when they're working out in other ways. Could you just talk me through the breathing techniques or maybe even like show me a couple, I don't know, like anything? I'm very, very interested in breathing because that's something we all do all day, every day. Everybody can breathe. Just as a general observation, the idea of everything is separated

is a construct of the mind. It is thinking you are separate. Okay, so how do we make life or starting with the body sensing, feeling that it is connected? So that means I must understand, is the breath something that is separate from me or is the breath actually an integral part 24-7 actually, but I view it somehow as a separate entity?

So it is not. And therefore, when I do physical movement, moving the joints, tensioning, contracting the muscle, releasing the muscle, making use of the joints, let's say, how does the breath actually connect or interact at the same time with the kinetic movement of my body? And this is where we talk about sounding a little bit philosophical. but the connection between what you view as the outside world and what is inside of you, your thoughts, your emotions, all of this, the link in between there, it's the breath.

It's like the breath is that element that travels from the outside into the inside, exchanges, travels back to the outside. It is what links us to this world. then if you want something to function, it needs energy. You have a car or you have an engine and that engine is supposed to create some output. It needs something that can be burned, which can be gasoline, and you have oxygen, which then go into the combustion chamber. If you have an oven, you have something to burn, wood or coal,

and you have oxygen in order to start generating the heat. in order for our physical body and our organs, our brain, everything to function properly, we need energy. It is the food and the drinks on the one side that we take to us, and it is the oxygen and the air that we are inhaling. In the car, you can optimize the way of your air intake. So what about optimizing your own human being air intake? Because it's not just about inhale exhale. How long do you inhale? How long do you exhale?

How about the volume of your breath? What about the duration of between inhalation, exhalation? So there are many variables where you can actually start improving the way of how you breathe. And now one example, because people nowadays are overly tense because they don't know that they carry tension inside of their body, the breath oftentimes becomes very, very shallow. It's not a deep breath. So it's a shallow breath.

It is low volume of intake, which ultimately translates into your energy system inside of the body is not working at a level it could work, which is resulting in all different types of anomalies that you as a normal, healthy human being shouldn't have. And once you have become very, very subtle with the way of how you're able to regulate the breath, then comes the next step, which is you combine the breath with your movement. For example, right now, we can just do together.

Yes. Just stay here with the body upright. Just palms facing upwards, inhale through the nose, turn the palms, relax the shoulders, relax the chest, exhale. Also through the nose, okay. In, out. In. Now I can do a same.

inhalation, but the movement becomes a bit bigger. I inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, still in, all in, all in, now out. Then first movement, just inhale back. This time when I exhale, I just exhale to the side. I inhale, bring it back to the center. Inhale, inhale, inhale, inhale, exhale. Exhale. So now you feel that slowly, the more you start to practice this, inhale, inhale, inhale, exhale. acceleration, exhalation. In, out. In, out. In, out. In out. So at some point, the breath and the body start to move in harmony. I could feel that. Yes. And this is where in the field of martial arts we talk about that now, that now, when this type of connection starts to happen, energy, breath and body start to work now together.

Whatever your body is doing, it's not doing it superficially. It's doing it also filled up with the proper energy. So now the helpful aspect about the breast is also that we are able to actually connect our mind to the breath. Yes. So which ultimately meaning where the mind is or where the breath is, there your mind is. Where you place the mind, where you place the attention, this is where the energy goes. I place my attention somewhere else, my energy goes somewhere else.

And this is the reason why when I sit here, when I'm physically here, my energy is also here. because if not, if you are physically sitting here but your attention is somewhere else, it's a hollow shell. And it feels differently. And if I walk through the city, I know when I walk. When I talk, I know I talk.

When I do a movement, I know I do the movement. When I work, I work. When I sleep, I sleep. When I eat, I eat. You do sing. in harmony. You do things as a one unit. You don't sit here and think about the holidays.

And then you travel to the holidays, but you are thinking about work. This is the type of, you see, it's conflicting because you have too many misaligned areas of your life. Yes. When you're talking about that, I feel like you're talking about everyone. I see that everywhere. I mean, you, you, I see, I think one of the reasons I find this

so attractive is that I see that in myself. I see that in people around me. I see that in my children. It's, um, it's an epidemic of confliction. And I suppose of stress, you know, I think the other thing about the the breathing that I found then is thinking about the movement at the same time as the breathing is the thing that stops you thinking about other things. Because breathing has comes as second nature, if you're moving, it helps switch off in a way. Can we talk about stress? You mentioned stress earlier and stress again, I think, is an epidemic and shallow breathing. And the world is shallow breathing constantly where everybody's kind of trying to get somewhere.

They're not here. They're conflicting. Everything is conflicting. I mean, I feel like I'm asking you for ridiculous solutions for problems that are so big. But have you got any advice maybe for people who are living a very deeply stressed life and what to do about that? What is that? Who are you? Davina, it's me.

Us, from 2045. Oh my God. We look fabulous. We're still going strong. We're still doing workouts. We're still glowing like a lava lamp at Glasto. Clearly. And I just really wanted to come back and say thank you.

Thank you. Oh! No, did we overcome Rogan and become number one podcast in the world? Yes, that did happen. But that's not why I'm here. I'm here to say thank you for taking ancient. and Braves true collagen every day for the last 20 years because... So that collagen scoop in my tea every day actually did work?

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That is ancient and brave. Dot earth slash planet. And because they're a B-Corp and a member of 1% for the planet, that means that 1% well, actually 2% of their sales, goes to protecting the planet. I hate to think how good we'll look in another 20 years. This episode is brought to you by FedEx. These days, the power move isn't having a big metallic credit card

to drop on the check at a corporate launch. The real power move is leveling up your business with FedEx intelligence and accessing one of the biggest data networks powered by one of the biggest delivery networks. Level up your business with FedEx, the new power move. So now previously I tried to explain a little bit this general idea of the approach. simplify your life. Yeah. So the more separated you see things in your life,

the more complicated it is to manage all of it. Yes. Okay. And it can be expressed and really trained and felt just by like this, inhale, exhale. At some point, it even becomes that you really feel that the mind also actually starts to arrive in the present moment.

meaning why is it so important? Because a lot of stress is also related to the fact of you're sitting here, but the mind is dwelling about something from the past. Or your body is here, but the mind is jumping into the worries of the future. So already a big part of de-stressing yourself is remain more in the present moment. This is already one way to integrate. Second thing is, let's assume you don't do these movements. Nevertheless, it is a practice to always observe yourself and catch yourself directly

when the mind is starting to create his next illusion in order to make you suffer. Whether you walk in London streets and then start to dwell about something, but ask you why. Why is it necessary And does it change anything for you To now dwell on something that already happened? Do you have an influence on that or not? So the regulation of sorts

Is a very important aspect along this line There are people who have a lot of impact Regardless of what type of source It really is a lot But they in a way still can maintain but it's the pressure. They're still maintaining and functioning with the pressure on them. This is one type of person.

But there are also other people who break with the first challenge. So who don't have any type of resilience at all. So first of all, the question is, what type of being are you? When I think about myself, I have very stressful days. and based on my education and on my training, I'm simply able to endure for a long time and remaining inside being pressurized. My problem is that at some point, even me, I need a valve.

But I'm able to let things build up, build up, build up, build up. So it has some positive things. It also has negative things. But in general, this living this life is not easy. So it starts with that fact. It's not that you're getting born and now can expect that everything is going to bow to you and give you a beautiful life. No, in a way, at least this is my observation. At some point, sometimes you also have to in a way.

express the willingness that you are also willing to sacrifice something about you to get what you want. Yes. Now, everybody wants something. But the question is if you are actually also willing to sacrifice what is needed to get what you want. And in the same way, it goes now with the ability of taking the workload, taking the pressure, taking the critics, taking the conflicts. So somewhere along the line, the ability to regulate yourself in the world that tries to bend you. Yes.

This is what it is. It will never happen that you walk through this lifetime and everybody's going to bow to you. It's not going to happen. No matter how good you think. you live your life, what you have brought to the world, there will always be something or someone. There will be a natural force that is always testing you. If you are able to remain straight.

And this is what it is. To remain straight. To really practice even if you feel like, okay, this is now really, really unfair. Internally, you feel I actually don't deserve this conversation right now. Yeah. And you still receive all the, you still receive it all. But this is exactly it. What would the majority of the people nowadays do? It feels unfair.

Get angry. Get angry. And boom, express out the same way. Yeah, but you have seen it. Everybody has done it. It is never the solution. It never was. It never will be.

So what is the way? to practice something. I loved this. There was a story in the book, and you were talking about this kind of situation where it's like, and you were trying to explain to somebody one of your students something, and when you have to explain it a lot and you feel a flash of like, oh, why aren't they getting it? And then you think, no, that's on me.

Like, I need to think to myself, what is it about me that is making me feel like this? and I think it's good because I did know this already, but I just like the way you explain it, that the only thing you can do is change yourself. The power that you have is to change yourself. You can't change your student. And maybe it's something that like we're doing that's not explaining it well enough.

Like maybe I need to reword it. Maybe I haven't found the way to communicate to this person. And how instantly that relieves you of this kind of feeling of, I mean, this is also the reason why ever since the way to self-mastery. It is about right now finding ways and taking the responsibility back into your own hands. And this approach of everybody in this world is responsible for my misery is not working. No. It's not working.

And at some point, when you don't stop with this, I do say, you are on the wrong path. But in the moment where you really start reflecting, okay, I'm in this current situation right now, is there a possibility that maybe it's really my doing? It has been my decisions. It has been my behavior. It has been my way of how I lived the past that I'm here.

Of course, also including some circumstances, maybe. But still, there is your part also that led you to the situation. where you are right now. So if you don't see life as this, then the main question is, okay, so you ended up where you are unhappy right now, but you say you didn't do it. So who you want to blame right now?

And what does it ultimately mean? It means that the last 40 years, who was running your life then? And the point is, self-mastery means we are all students. Yes. But there is the hope, there is the faith, there is the possibility that there is something residing inside of you that you can bring out that master. And yeah, this is what I would like to encourage more and more people to understand that you don't need to travel the world and look for somebody above there and worship them.

you should in a way bring out your own best version or the master. I am just thinking about people who have struggled or had great traumas in their life. And, you know, trying to begin again after, I don't know, something awful they've seen, or they've been a victim of something and they're trying to find a way through and how can how can they master that? Because, you know, then at some point, some people would say, well, this thing happened to me.

How can I take responsibility for that? So I break it down a little bit. The only reason to change anything about our life actually would be if that change that we are looking for is ultimately resulting in the fact that we're going to feel better. We usually wouldn't go for any type of change knowing it's going to make us feel worse than where we are right now. So the whole idea is change,

for the better. So now the question, where you are finding yourself right now, you say you want to change to the better. It expresses to me as you need to become light, you need to become free, and you need to liberate from the things that are holding you down. So first question right now is, what is it that is weighing down on you?

And if it is what happened to you in the past, well, you need to solve it. whether you take responsibility for it or not. The fact is there is something, it's still weighing down on you, and it needs to be solved. And this is the way, why sometimes we say,

in order to become light, sometimes we need to look very, very deep, where it looks dark, where the light hasn't been placed upon yet inside of yourself. So meaning also all the areas that people, everybody does it, hides from the public. On the one side, you know exactly what you share with the public, but you know exactly what you don't want to share with the public.

And going even deeper, there is even something where you yourself maybe don't even want to go there anymore. Because you know it's going to... It's going to crash the own view that you have upon yourself until now. But this is the only way in order to make everything that is dark and heavy inside of you to start becoming light. You need to shine the light where it hasn't been before. So can you do this without staying humble? You can't. if you think you're the best already, you won't do this.

You are still nourishing the illusion. And you are pretending and not wanting to actually look into what is it? You really went through this lifetime. Only when you start to see the whole complex and everything, the light and the dark, the heavy. when you see all, everything that brought you here. Now, with that roadmap, you see where you come from. You see what is it that has shaped you. You can see how did all of these circumstances,

what was the consequence you still carry until the way of how you take decisions nowadays. Why are there certain words? Why are there certain topics that when, somebody starts to even mention that word, something inside of you starts to pop up. All of this is there are processes which are still running our life, whether they are unconscious or somewhere happening in the subconscious. They are not conscious. But they are there.

There are patterns. There are cycles. There are repetitive things that keep popping up in your life. And it's the question, if you at some. some point, want to break out of the cycle. And this can only be done in the moment where you start to learn and understand what is it, to live a life more aware and more based on being conscious about what you do and removing everything from these unconscious layers. Yes, and it's a journey. certainly is

I'm also thinking a bit about the type of listeners that we have or viewers that we have to the podcast and there was something in your book that I loved. I often feel like people have several different lives in them, you know, several different turnings, sliding doors moment where they, choose a path and it's about listening you know like what what am I I know where I need to go I just got to hear it like and I loved what you said about there are two mistakes not starting and not finishing can you talk talk a bit through that because so many people are thinking maybe a different career maybe starting a business maybe you know maybe things maybe things maybe

should I have another baby? Like it's a life is a series of enormous decisions. That quote with the two mistakes along the way to truth. The understanding will change throughout your journey. Right. Really depending on how profound is your view upon your life and life around you. How profound are you living this type of life? And so it really means it changes from person to person.

I can't tell to somebody this is what it means for you. Right. Because the decision that you're thinking about is going to be different with everybody. Sometimes it'll be really deep. Exactly. That's why I do leave. That's why I like this quote so much. It's great, isn't it?

It's up to you to put in your thoughts. What does it mean to you? I think sometimes it's possible in life. I don't feel like this, but I think it's possible for people to feel like they've had such a mad life that there's no way back for them. But I don't think that's true of anyone, do you? Like everyone can change or everyone has it in them to find themselves. What is sure is that everybody has always been giving the possibilities to change something.

The other truth is at some point when you're oblivious about things and you just really don't want to see it, you can't see it, then the signs sometimes become bigger. Yes. Yeah? And then at some point it could even happen that something is going to occur which will make you change if you want or not. It is going to make you change.

You have no choice. You will have no choice anymore. You had the choices before, but you didn't use them. And this is why sometimes I talk about this ability to really listen a little bit carefully. Sometimes it is like this. We take the most recent example like before a burnout happens, your body told you way before that. Something is not okay. What are the signs do you think that people ignore before a burnout happens?

because there must be so many people living on the edge of a burnout. Well, you're doing similar things that at some point maybe a robot could do. The whole life, the whole daily structure, starts to follow patterns. There is no freedom anymore. It is a pattern. You are being driven. You are a part of a wheel, a part of a system, just a small one. But there's no chance for you to sometimes just get out and do something beyond that.

So the longer you feel trapped inside the system and just are functioning, you're just functioning, you're living a functional life. But when you're out there walking in the garden or walking in the forest, there is nothing that the forest and the nature needs from you. You don't need to function

when you walk through the forest. The only thing you need to do is realize this is that's what it is welcome to existence there is nothing to add to this there is nothing to change about this it is just about the realization that is it and the less of this type of moments you have in your life and the more you're like functioning i would say these are the indications you're being driven how important is nature. Well, without it, we for sure wouldn't be here. But like my definition or right now, the understanding of the nature was really on a vast scale. The nature of things is simply

everything in a way for me. But if you talk about the nature in terms of the earth, like the flora and fauna, this one also same. I always think if I'm ever feeling not good in any way. I just have to get outside. You know, I just have to go and feel the air on my face, do a little walk, separate myself from something, come back. I'm really interested because I hear a lot

in what you're saying and from reading about values and what are the important values in life. And I think one of the first ones that you learnt was consistency. But what, What would you say the other helpful values for us to hold on to? It's almost like a kind of commandments type thing. Sometimes in this book, for example, I mentioned like different 14 virtues. Try to just be a good human.

Be a good human. Or if you like to play this visual game, we look into the world and there's so many things to complain about. there's so much like to complain what goes wrong and how should somebody behave and how should humanity be what would be

your ideal representation on a human being on this earth if you had the chance to create that human how would that be and then slowly you really start to do your own research and start to understand

which is the most harmonious way to create what you feel like can be created. And if this is a type of foundation where you start to feel that in the way we are all connected, when you don't view yourself as an individual who is fighting against the rest of the 8 billion people, in the moment this happens when the connection is being established,

decisions will be different, the way of how you think will be different, and ultimately hopefully transatlantic, into some positive impact for the next generation, the next one. You talk in the book about, you know, that we can change how we think. We're not stuck somewhere. We have the power in ourselves to change thought patterns, thought processes, or an outlook on life or a view.

But it doesn't just come. you have to put the work in and it's got to be consistent and that all sounds so lovely and achievable. Like it is something that we can all do. But how, I'm often hearing about like neural pathways and changing ideas, but how long do you think it takes to change? I mean, you've also said that nobody changes if they don't have to. Because change hurt. or it not hurts, it takes work. But how long before we can feel change? Feelable, visible change with the proper practices easily in 21 days.

Great. Yeah, very easy. I mean, that sounds perfect because I think that's a short enough time for people with very bad attention deficit that we all seem to have. But 21 days also meaning 21 days of no excuse, schedule something if you stick to. It doesn't mean 21 days and within 21 days like only on the weekend. Yeah. No?

I mean, this is a very simple thing. It can be 15 squats in the morning and 15 or 10 push-ups also. And then you start now every morning, 8 o'clock, until 8.15. This is what you do. It is a super easy task. No, it sounds like an easy task. But you will realize sometimes you wake up, even if you know it's doable, but still the mind like starts to drift away and finds excuses why it's better to not do it now at 8. You will do it later when you come home. No, you won't. The simple fact of really how disciplined can you be with such a simple thing.

15 squats and 15 push-ups for the next 21 days. At least prove this to yourself that you can do it. It's a very simple one. And then, now we talk about physicality, which is already a good part. And then another

21 day cycle of, 21 days of consciously spending 10 minutes only trying to improve your breath. 10 minutes. 21 days. And at some point, and this is what happens to many martial art practitioners or people who get along this way, they actually realize actually all of these things make me feel better. I slowly feel the improvement coming, but not just that the improvements in different areas start to come.

You also simply start to understand that it is consistency and that willingness. of what you want in your life, you need to maintain it. You can't let it slip and you can't like live an emotionally based life that even so you place a plan that you throw that plan away just because you don't feel like it today. So and so using the physical training in order to use it as a bridge for your. own individual and personal development of building yourself up again. This is what the power of all of this is. It builds self-esteem really, doesn't it?

Doing something and sticking to it, or saying you're going to do something and sticking to it has such power. And equally saying you're going to do something and not sticking to it has an equal negative effect really on us and how we're. we feel about ourselves. I read some testimonials in your book of people whose lives have been changed. What I really enjoyed actually was that there was a woman, I think. She was 57.

She was talking about what happened to her. And there were another couple of people in their 50s. And I thought, wow, this is amazing because that is like beginning again, getting the opportunity later in life. When you have experienced so much that I feel much more ready. to follow a spiritual path now than I ever have been in my life and I'm 57 like I'm ready

I'm open and is it possible to go to your temple in Europe and go and just go like what it how does it work how long can you go for or how long can you visit for can you just go for like two or three weeks and just yeah

the easiest and first step without getting too overwhelmed, let's say. It's like this. Every year, let's say, for example, in 2026. Around September, October, this year, we always prepare like a calendar, a schedule, where you actually see in which week or which weekend also in 2006 do we have any possibilities for guests to join. So you just look at the calendar, you choose, where you maybe have holiday or where you are free, it's either it's a Monday to Saturday, six day, or sometimes the weekend event. You just choose, you contact the monastery, the temple, and then you can see how it is to live three days or six days there. Yes. There are strict rules, of course.

What are those? I mean, rules like you try to keep your mobile phones and all electronic. off. Yeah. Yeah. We eat together. It is vegetarian food and like all the training times and everything that's offered. Actually in a way, I would say it's mandatory. What I, the thing I like the sound of that for, as somebody who is a bit overwhelmed sometimes by just life, is you won't have heard of this, but there was a series called Fleabag on television and it was about this.

this woman who was a bit kind of mad and she was a bit, she was kind of struggling with life, you know, daily life. It was a drama, so it wasn't real. But at one point she goes, just tell me what to do. And in a funny kind of way, this is the dream, isn't it? I'm trying to make all these decisions. Life is so complicated. Oh, God, somebody just tell me what to do. And there's a lovely kind of daily routine that feels like at the temple where you know what to do all day, which is quite a relief because in a way it's very relaxing, right? This is exactly that first realization that you are finding yourself this time at the, or in a community where you are contributing very clearly for a community.

So there is not in a way a way of self-expression there. self-expression is what we try most of the times our whole life but there is a different way of life there is a way of life where you finally also you do something you invest your lifetime but you are not necessarily the one who's going to benefit solely from the energy that you invested you are doing something for the greater good

and this is also in the traditional teachings and sharing it is one way of really, it's a practice from time to time. Practice, how is it to invest your lifetime and bring benefit to someone, something, some beings, some organization where it's not you? Yes. Just as a real balance of give something back to the world.

Yes. And similar, this whole idea, it's also rooted like in Buddhist traditions and this is the reason why you find elements of this. Also then when you go to the temple community in Germany. I mean, it sounds like, and especially from the people that have spoken about it, a life, it can be a life-changing experience, even though in a week. And I often hear people, you know, who get to the, you know, the dipping point in life

where you start thinking about the end of life and you're thinking purpose. You really, I mean, it's a joy, I think, if you can find purpose young. But for many people it comes after they've lived and had some life experience and then they think, what is my purpose? Lots of people find it organically.

But it sounds like quite a good place to really change the way you perceive the world and yourself in it. Do people come back? Do people go and then come back every year? Is that something they do? Or does some people just come once? No. We do have, let's say, guests or visitors that meanwhile have become really friends with the whole idea. Yes. But at the end, it's really just about, it's just opening, first of all, a perspective. There is an alternative to look upon this world. There are just different ways to look upon this world. You don't have to view it ultimately also like this,

but for three days, six days, try. Yes. Just try. If you don't like it afterwards and you return back home, you keep the way of how you lived before. The only thing I'm telling you is there are other perspectives to look at exactly the same thing. And once this possibility starts to open to you

and you return back home, it can happen that something about the perspective you understood there you suddenly take it home to wherever you found yourself you live exactly the same life you do exactly the same things but something is still different because you suddenly start to see different elements different layers of where you have been there all the time and this is exactly like What all of this is about, sometimes in this world is driven so much in terms of there's always something to attain.

You need to travel somewhere to get something. Yes. You need to do something to get something. But a nice and very, very comfortable, for me at least, this tradition has never been about getting something or achieving something. It's about learning. what is it that since we entered this world started trapping and covering us up so that we don't see what we have been there all the time? So it is not about you come to me and I give you something. I don't give you anything.

It is about I try to give you in perspective for you to let go of something where I might think this is. what you don't see, but it's here. I mean, letting go for me has been the hardest journey of my life. I think I attribute holding on when I was younger to feeling safe. It made me feel safe. I just held on to everything. It's like that. And learning to peel each finger off somewhere and just go,

I don't know what's going to happen, but I welcome whatever outcome comes my way. I think for so many people is terrifying. Is that something that you work on? Well, I do think that letting go is not just the most difficult challenge, like for you, this is the challenge. Yes. this is literally the challenge because you can right now already start living a way of life

where in a way if something comes you appreciate it you make use of it you enjoy it but once it leaves you try not to get attached to it you don't get attached to it anymore at the same time it means you can live a life and start collecting

you're collecting something in the wish that in the wish of what the fact is mention it also we come with nothing we go with nothing yes

yes and then at the same time that also means the more you are living your life right now in the mindset of getting getting getting building up

attaining attaining collecting there will come the time like I said before you had the chance already to re-correct the way of your lifestyle. But ultimately, it will come that this universe is going to re-correct your mind. Yes.

And this, you know, saying it like precisely it is, when the day comes and the body falls away, and you're passing away together with everything you thought you could keep. Yes. It's also going to go away. And now the, let's say, I would call it a fact, but it's. might be also just an idea. Just as we don't only transmit biological or physical information, we also transmit information, mental, emotional transformation. When your body passes away and you still had the mindset of collecting, collecting, collecting, you will still be faced right

now in that moment, it just is gone. I have just lost everything. Yeah. So, and I could imagine that this is a quite terrifying and very unpleasant state of mind, state of spirit that you would find yourself in, a confused spirit. Lost. Lost. Because why?

Because you just lost everything. Everything, yeah. So this is why along the lifetime now already. If you work on your spirit, if you work on your way of life, knowing, okay, at the moment, I do have the possibility to afford something that for many years I actually like to do. Okay. I will do it. But at the same time, I also know I won't take it with me. Yes.

I enjoy it right now, but I know already I won't take it with me. So the relationship, the foundation of why did you chose this, became a way more conscious decision than just like running after something and the foundation of why you did it is just something not aligned. And this is the whole thing where people also sometimes misunderstand thinking that I live in the forest

and possess in a way nothing and am very simple. My life is very simple because every decision that I take is a conscious one. Yes. I don't want to have like confusion in my life. Yes. But it doesn't mean that you cannot make use of the beauties

and the possibilities of everything this life offers you. And I think another like huge area of control for so many, people is trying to control people and outcomes and manipulating and all of those kind of behaviours and that's also exhausting. Well to make it short, I agree with you that it's really exhausting, but this universe has waste and this type of behaviour is not sustainable. No. The main part is for the ones that feel like being made.

manipulated that feel like being, that your life is being run by somebody else, something else. But this is exactly the reason why that whole thing, again, you need to, no, you don't need to, but I would suggest you invest some time in starting to really discover what do these ancient traditions, what does partially modern science. what do they say is the essence of what you're supposed to do in this lifetime. Find out who or what you are. This is number one. Because if this is already the wrong perception,

you are simply going to identify yourself with something that in essence you are not. Trapped in an illusion and trapped in the cycle of suffering. This is what it's called. this is how it is expressed. Thank you. I just want to, I'm going to end it there and just say I'm coming. I'm booking in.

Thank you for everything. Thank you for bringing the message. Thank you very much for this invitation. And yes. It was an honour. Thank you. Thank you. At this point I would normally hug the person sitting opposite me,

but I won't make you endure that. It's too long. it lasts, it's embarrassing, it's, you know, but out of respect, I just wanted to say, thank you so much.