How can modern individuals reconnect with their environment and integrate practices like farming, movement, and philosophy into their lives for personal and societal benefit?

Farming is André Miller’s way of life, a way that connects him physically to the land that feeds him. He discusses his relationship with athletics and his introduction to Systema. André unpacks how he came to his personal philosophy, and how it led him on the path to farming. He shares his thoughts on modern farming, and recreating connection with the environment.

“If you really want good produce, you got to get it direct. And after harping on people with that for a couple of years, I started realizing, I can’t just tell people to go to the farmers market, I have to be the farmers market. When I say you should be eating these greens, I have to be able to put those greens in that person’s hand right then and there, if I’m going to help the person.” ~ André Miller (18:44)

Andre Miller is a movement based farmer, personal trainer, and the owner of Roots Movement Farm in Oregon. He has his Masters degree in Physiology, and Bachelors degrees in both Kinesiology and Philosophy. At Roots Movement Farm, Andre combines his knowledge of movement and philosophy to create a farm where movement and nutritional medicine work together.

The conversation explores the intersections between movement, farming, philosophy, and martial arts. Farming is framed as an essential act for environmental and personal health, blending practical and spiritual growth. It is presented as a pathway to reconnect with nature and reimagine sustainable practices.

Systema, a holistic martial art, is highlighted for its focus on relaxation, breath work, and peace, contrasting with competitive martial arts. Philosophy is woven into these discussions, illustrating its influence on the integration of farming and movement practices as a unified approach to life.

Takeaways

Farming as a solution — Farming provides answers to environmental, health, and social challenges.

Systema’s holistic nature — Systema integrates survival with peace and breath work.

Integration of movement and nutrition — Movement and nutritional practices should be interconnected.

Reconnecting with nature — Activities like foraging and running can deepen awareness of the environment.

Philosophy in action — A philosophical foundation enhances understanding and practice in any discipline.

Farming inspired by forests — Adopting agroforestry principles can improve agricultural systems.

Resources

André Miller @rootsfitness_portland

Roots Movement Farm

Agroforestry — A sustainable approach to farming inspired by forests.

(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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