Shawn Flot – Feet on the Ground: Exploring the Mind, Body and Nature Connection

For more than a year now, many of us have been stuck at home. Well, not literally, but the home-grocery routine. Maybe a short occasional stroll outside. But many times we’ve said we’re missing out on a lot of other important things from the human-and-nature connection aspect because of this prolonged isolation.

We also know that we should be moving around more throughout the day to stay healthy. However, working in an office, working at home, or even staying at home can mean you don’t get the chance to get up and wander around at regular intervals throughout the day.

Physical activity doesn’t need to be complicated. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life. Turning your normal walk into a fitness stride requires good posture and purposeful movements.

All of us are born with a sense of movement, and our bodies have their unique language. Some of us lose touch with this sense of movement due to lack of use, illness, disabilities, or blocks from how we perceive ourselves. A movement therapist’s role is to help the person tap into this sense of movement and express themselves, particularly thoughts or issues that may have been repressed.

Shawn Flot, PT, and wellness coach of Moving Into Harmony and Well-Explored Life is back here with us. He studied Manual Therapy at Dynamic Manual Interface w/Frank Lowen. One of his passion projects is encouraging movement with nature by providing online guidance and conditioning to hikers, backpackers, and thru-hikers.

In this podcast, Shawn and Alex share knowledge about moving our feet and going outside with nature. Shawn talks about the coordination of our system and our body when moving. He also shares some experience about his profession and gives some tips on how we should move our body with the right timing of breathing.

This episode is sure to encourage and inspire you that moving outside with nature will help you not just physically but also mentally and spiritually.

Links mention in the podcast

Podcast Highlights

3:08-7:40 – Getting out of your comfort zones
8:08-11:40 – Connection between our Nervous System and our Feet
15:47-22:14 – People Shawn works with
25:42-28:36 – Walking in Nature
28:57-32:29 – The Trapezius muscle
35:42 39:01 – Felt sense

Pocket Quotes

“Walking in nature is freeing myself of things I get stuck at. It allows me to feel more inspired.”- Alexandra Kreis
“We’re so uniquely different and we come from such different realms of how we operate our lives.”- Shawn Flot
“Find yourself a little bit more. Don’t work so hard at it and that’s the key”- Shawn Flot
“Reconnect into the body and let the mind be just the feeler of what the body’s amazement can do.”- Shawn Flot
“The feet are one of those places where we regain our fluidity and our ability to move in the world”. – Shawn Flot

Guest Bio

Shawn Flot studied Manual Therapy at Dynamic Manual Interface w/Frank Lowen, Hatha yoga at School of Shadow Yoga, and Spec. Hon. Kinesiology and Health Science at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is a Physical Therapist and wellness coach of Moving Into Harmony. Also, Shawn Flot has Online Personal Fitness Training at A Well-Explored Life, LLC. Doing online guidance and conditioning hikers, backpackers and thru-hikers.

Alexandra Kreis

Since childhood, I have always felt happiest partaking and learning in communities while passing on my knowledge to help others. Having dealt with many health issues, I searched for healing beyond the obvious by connecting the dots between internal and external: ancient healing methods, food rhythms, body practices, and meditative reflections through music, art and nature. My primary tools to stay balanced have become self-expression and -application and Coming Home to the Here and Now