In this episode, Micah sits down with Massage Therapist and Personal Trainer, John Peralta. In the show they cover concepts of flow, biohacking, prehab, and using play as a form of fitness. 

Show Notes

About John

• John met Micah at The Space, a venue in Colorado where a person can come and receive different health services like movement, music and more.
• They talked a lot about ‘prehab’ a concept that combines the ideas of preventative medicine and rehabilitation
• “If you’re looking to get out of pain, the best things to do are mobilize and stabilize” – John
• John uses slacklining to build strength, stability and balance
  • Not everyone begins on the slackline, there is a progression that can lead up to being able to practice on and use a slackline
  • Standing on one leg, walking in a straight line, hop on a straight line, and lunging are all ways to build stability for slacklining without actually doing in
• “It should feel fun, if it doesn’t feel like fun, you probably aren’t going to stick with it” – John

Flow

• Prehab is the prevention of future injury
• This all started from a desire to play as hard as he could without dying
• He was learning to seek play in his workout, and stumbled upon flow states
• If you are so engaged in an activity that you lose sense of self, time, etc, then that is play, that is flow
• “There is no distinction between play and flow, they are the same” – John
• Flow is what he was experiencing in his ‘play’, so he wanted to find a way to bring that into his workout

Play

• Bringing in the experimental process has been huge to adding more flow into his workouts
  • He believes that doing it that way, provides the most range of movement to apply to his ‘play’
• John encourages listeners to get creative, you don’t need any expensive tools to get active
• “The key word that makes play, productive, is adaptability” – John
• Movement is such a key component
• Play allows you to not take it so seriously, it gives you that sense of childlike wonder
• If you’re struggling because your skill doesn’t meet the challenge, then begin with play
• The moment you get out of your head, is the moment you drop into flow state

Movement as Medicine

• “We create a level of unworthiness when we experience trauma” – John
  • Movement is finding the connection between healing trauma and hacking flow
• Medicine can be anything that you put in your mouth
• Medicine can look like sustenance, supplements or substances

Final Thoughts

• This crazy life that we are living right now, is supposed to be fun
• “If you can find a way t