The Maniac Wearing
Shorts and Sandals on Kilimanjaro
Last December, I went back
to Africa to revisit the school in Uganda that I had bonded
with in 2017. While I was out there, I also pursued climbing
Africa’s highest peak in Tanzania, Mt. Kilimanjaro, due to my love
for the serene feeling above the clouds. I’m a firm
believer that through exploring and experience in
places unknown to you, you will connect with the magic in life
that you’ve been missing. Oftentimes, this type of
magic comes in the form of human connection, just as it did
when I met Ravi Rothenberg a few a days before the trek
started.
Just a few sunrises into the
climb, my perception of Ravi started shifting drastically. When you
see a man wearing shorts and sandals in a rainstorm on the side of
a freezing mountain, while everyone else is in full rain gear and
base layers, you know you’ve got a true warrior on your hands.
Although I’m a huge advocate of cold water therapy, breathwork, and
other biohacking practices to help boost the mitochondria and
immunity in the body, even I was a little concerned due to
conditions and altitude. While most of us were trying to change
into dry clothes and bundle up at camp, Ravi was out doing pushups
and yoga in his undies, overlooking the edges of cliffs like a
Greek God. And, who’s to say he’s not? After all, he was the only
one who summited the climb without using altitude sickness
medicine.
Getting to know Ravi was truly
one of the highlights of my trip. Our conversations had no limit
in-depth, and I sensed the wisdom of a character of who was truly
dialed into something greater than the individual self. When
talking to Ravi, I often feel a bit sedated and much more eager to
listen and learn than normal, which is why I am truly excited to
share this podcast episode with you.
In this episode, Baba Ravi
and I catch up for the first time in a while, bouncing in and out
of topics such Ravi’s journey, listening to your calling,
identifying universal signs of flow, tapping into flow, levels of
attachment in relationships, contemplating death,
the “first-labeling” thought, and the importance of faith.
Ravi also runs yoga, breathwork, and mind/body connection retreats,
so hit him up if you are interested in getting in touch with your
deeper purpose in life.