What draws people away from conventional careers and into lives centered on movement, manual labor, and holistic living?

Chris Moran discusses his unique path from personal trainer to farmer, and the relationship between movement and farming. He shares his insights on chronic pain and pain theory, as well as how his training and coaching has become deeply rooted in permaculture. Chris ends by describing his continuing passion for film making and creative projects.

“Stay outside. It’s not, go outside, it’s stay outside. Should have never went in, in the first place.” ~ Chris Moran (37:40)

The conversation explores the journey of transitioning from urban life and personal training to farming and manual labor. It highlights how engaging with nature and physical tasks provides fulfillment beyond traditional fitness routines. The discussion touches on the serendipitous path that led to farming, the connections made along the way, and how these experiences reshaped views on movement and training.

Key topics include the relationship between manual labor and physical movement, the philosophy of holistic farming practices like permaculture, and how immersive experiences can alter perspectives on wellness and pain. The dialogue also reflects on the challenges of chronic pain, the psychological factors contributing to it, and how shifting to a lifestyle focused on play and practical tasks helped alleviate it. The conversation closes by touching on filmmaking and community building as extensions of this holistic approach.

Takeaways

The role of serendipity — Unplanned encounters and connections can lead to life-changing career shifts.

Movement in manual labor — Engaging in physical work offers a different but equally fulfilling form of movement compared to traditional training.

Parkour as a mindset — Movement practices like Parkour shape broader approaches to life, even when not practiced formally.

Pain science insights — Understanding pain through a biopsychosocial model can alter how chronic pain is managed and perceived.

Permaculture and sustainability — Farming practices rooted in sustainability and regeneration foster holistic wellness.

Community around food — Building community through shared labor and food ties people to place and each other.

Teaching through play — Guiding adults and children in play-based movement fosters deeper engagement with physical activity.

Filmmaking as storytelling — Documenting farm life through film creates a lasting record and strengthens community bonds.

Resources

Cherry Valley Cooperative — The farm where the guest lives and works, practicing permaculture and holistic wellness.

Cherry Valley Films on YouTube — Monthly videos documenting farm life and seasonal changes.

Princeton Waldorf School — The school where the guest teaches movement and play-based classes.

The Watershed Institute — An environmental advocacy and education organization the guest collaborates with through filmmaking.

The Movement Creative — A Parkour and movement-based community and teaching platform in New York City.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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— Hello👋 I’m Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I’m interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.

I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.

— Thank you!

My personal mission is creating better conversations to spread understanding and compassion. And Movers Mindset is one of the things I do in service of my mission. Drop by https://craigconstantine.com/ for my weekly email, my other podcasts, writing and more.

The Movers Mindset project grew from conversations I started having as part of my personal journey rediscovering movement. The project started late in 2015, and it was initially simply a web site that shared others’ writing. The project grew, and in 2017 I started the podcast. I’ve worked extremely hard, but none of this would have been possible without so much help from so many people.

Thanks for listening!

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