#238 How To Overcome Adversity with Tony Riddle

This episode is a LIVE recording of a conversation I had with Tony Riddle who was eight days into an epic journey. He was running the length of Great Britain, completely barefoot, covering 30 miles a day for 30 days. His aim? To show what human beings are biologically capable of, as well as to raise environmental awareness and funds. Even though the conversation was recorded back in 2019, it has as much relevance today as it did back then.   You might remember Tony from episode 71, What Makes Us Human. He’s also known as the natural lifestylist and one of his aims is to help people move back towards a more natural lifestyle by inspiring them to make small changes that can make a big difference.   Unfortunately, when we meet up to record this episode, in front of a small live audience at the Wild and Wild café in Congleton, acute injury meant that Tony was two days into an enforced break from his run. So, in this conversation, we talk about how he coped with that setback.   We also talk about the incredible power of being vulnerable, the idea of progress, not perfection, and Tony’s philosophy that everything in life is a process. He shares some simple – and free – tools that can help all of us cope with adversity: human contact (hugs from your loved ones), breathwork, meditation, mobility and cold-water therapy.   I ask Tony to take us through a simple breathing exercise, in real time (so you can join in, too). And we chat about the physiology of stress and how and when breathwork can help us.   In keeping with the theme of his run, we finish our chat on the topic of sustainability – the equal importance of individual and system change to protect our environment.   Tony is a really inspiring man who challenges the modern norms in society that are not in keeping with our evolution and biology. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Thanks to our sponsors: http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemore https://www.calm.com/livemore   Order Dr Chatterjee's new book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version and US & Canada version   Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/238   Support the podcast: Members get ad-free episodes and exclusive content including my take on the topics most requested by the FBLM community https://drchatterjee.com/membership DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.