After my ACL tear, I was at a low point in life. Post-surgery was probably the most pain I’ve been in. I remember lying on the couch, my knee throbbing, just praying things would get better. That one day, I’d be able to walk again.

When I finally could, I began searching online for answers. While I had a decent physical background up to this point with sports, yoga and fitness, none of these perspectives gave me the tools I needed to understand my body. The fitness world seemed to offer solutions, but I felt confused trying to navigate the infinite amount of information and a maze of potential workouts.

Finally, a few voices began to stand out. I found Knees Over Toes Guy, whose ideas helped me rebuild my knee. But deep down, I knew this wasn’t just about my knee. It was about something deeper.

The Search

Injury sparked new curiosity, but I’d always wanted to better understand my body. As a short, skinny kid who loved sports growing up, competitiveness drove me toward self-development. In recent years, that desire evolved. I became interested in the connection between body and mind. After walking across the country and attending meditation retreats, it was clear how the shared consciousness between the two influences every moment of experience.

Whether it was my injury recovery or a growing interest in the body-mind connection, the stage was set.

I was primed for one YouTube video to change everything.

Ido Portal

In 2018, my friend showed me a documentary about a man named Ido Portal. The way Ido spoke about modern culture and how we had so many things backward had me staring at the screen. And the way he moved. His body seemed so fluid, controlled, and effortless.

After watching it, we spent the rest of the day trying to imitate his every move. Crawling, duck-walking, and slithering on the ground like lizards… these patterns left me sweating and feeling like a fool.

I wanted more, but Ido had just coached MMA fighter Conor McGregor. Access would cost me far more than I could afford and my priorities were tied up in launching my first book, keeping a podcast, and preparing for a trip to Nepal. So I shelved the movement path. Or rather, the idea slipped deep inside my subconscious mind like ancient ruins buried beneath the sand waiting to be uncovered.

The Studio

In 2019, I returned home after living abroad and moved back into my parents’ house in Dallas. I stood before another crossroads. Which direction do I go next? I’d attended meditation retreats but didn’t want to live at a center. I’d traveled the globe but no longer wanted to run. I didn’t want to work a 9-to-5 job, but wanted to participate in society. All I knew was that I felt called to keep learning about the body and mind.

One day on Instagram, I stumbled across Brian Johnson (no, not the roid-raged Liver King or the vampiristic Don’t Die guy). A different Brian Johnson. The owner of a local movement studio called The Movement Standard. I read just about every one of his posts, reflections on movement which seemed holistic, meaningful, and philosophical. In fact, he reminded me of someone…

It was then I found out Brian was a student of Ido Portal. And his studio was only a five minute drive from my childhood home!

It felt beyond coincidence or explanation.

Even with that epiphany, I was nervous to show up. Everyone on social media looked so fit and skilled. I hesitated for weeks before I finally mustered up the courage to step my chicken legs through the door.

Five years later, I’ve been there ever since. Still learning. Still moving.

What Movement Taught Me

Over the years, I’ve studied a wide range of movement modalities. Handstands, acrobatics, dance, environmental work, martial arts, somatic work… the list goes on. My body feels stronger than ever but the real gift is something greater.

I feel like I better understand my body. How to work with and heal from injury. How to develop a resilient and adaptive body. One that responds to the demands of the moment and can become conditioned to any direction of my choosing.

I can also see the broader landscape more clearly. I no longer find myself lost in clickbait tutorials and quick fixes (“get your splits in one week!”), a skill that allows me to discern useful from non-useful content. The mystery of the body and mind remains. But learning various models, frameworks, and principles finally helped me find some clarity around the physical landscape and its possibilities.

Most importantly, movement gave me a process, a teacher, and a community. I train with the most amazing people. We are all different, walking separate paths and carrying different responsibilities, but the practice connects us all.

This practice has become a meaningful, joyful, and rewarding lifestyle. It’s one of my favorite and most powerful tools for self-observation, self-understanding, and self-knowledge. Most of all, it’s something I look forward to practicing each day.

Getting Started

There’s no right way to move, but we have to start somewhere. What better place than here? What better time than now?

If you want to get started with movement, be it healing yourself, knowing yourself more deeply, or simply growing more flexible and strong, you can reach out to me via email (smartdavid@mac.com). I’m now working with individuals 1:1 both online and in-person. Spaces limited.

Much Love,
David