Know Thyself

Wim Hof joins me to explore the deeper story behind his work, from profound personal loss to discovering a direct path back into the body through breath and cold exposure. We unpack how modern life pulls us out of feeling and into constant mental noise, and how reconnecting with the breath can bring us back into a state of presence, strength, and clarity. Wim shares how a single moment stepping into freezing water at 17 opened something fundamental within him, quieting the mind and reconnecting him to his heart.

In this conversation, we explore the science behind his methods and what it means to consciously influence the nervous system and immune response. Wim explains how breathwork can reduce inflammation, strengthen the body, and restore balance, and why this ability is not unique to him but available to anyone willing to practice. This episode is an invitation to reclaim autonomy over your body and mind, and to remember a deeper connection to nature that modern life often pulls us away from.

Try Function Health and get $25 off your membership at
https://www.functionhealth.com/knowthyself

Try LMNT & get a free sample pack
https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyself

Visit https://www.wimhofmethod.com to learn more about the Wim Hof Method and its benefits.
To start practicing the method, download the Wim Hof Method app (iOS or Android).
For a free introductory Wim Hof Method Mini Class, sign up at https://www.wimhofmethod.com/free-mini-class

André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list
___________
00:00 Intro
01:27 A Life Shaped by Purpose
04:00 The Science of Breath and Inflammation
09:20 Music, Cold, and the Opening of the Heart
12:31 Becoming a Missionary for Human Healing
22:10 Freedom, Autonomy, and the Power Within
25:15 Trust as the True Superpower
29:52 Ad: Function Health
31:04 The Years of Searching, Love, and Loss
37:16 Grief, Rage, and the Call to Change the World
47:14 It’s Time for the Soul
52:10 Returning to the Body Through Breath and Cold
53:31 Ad: LMNT
54:39 The Wim Hof Method in Practice
1:07:17 What the Cold Really Teaches
1:10:33 A Message for Humanity
1:12:45 Choosing Stress Before Stress Chooses You
1:19:11 The Forgotten Power of the Breath
1:24:08 Consciousness, Soul, and the Search for Meaning
1:33:18 Becoming an Agent of Change
___________

Episode Resources:
https://www.wimhofmethod.com
https://www.instagram.com/iceman_hof

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Emad Mostaque joins me to explore one of the most confronting questions of our time: what happens when human intelligence is no longer economically valuable? We unpack how rapidly advancing AI is moving toward a world where cognitive labor becomes obsolete, and why this shift may happen much sooner than most people expect. Emad shares how we’ve already built systems that can replicate human thinking, decision-making, and creativity, and how the next phase is not about new breakthroughs but simply scaling what already exists.

In this conversation, we explore what this means for identity, purpose, and the future of society. If so much of our sense of self is tied to what we do, what happens when that disappears? Emad lays out the possible paths forward, from centralized control of intelligence to more open and collaborative systems, and why the stories we choose to believe in now may determine whether we move toward collapse or abundance. This episode is an invitation to rethink work, meaning, and what it truly means to be human in a world where intelligence is no longer scarce.

BASED Body Works
Use code KNOWTHYSELF for a free toiletry bag when buying a set!
https://www.basedbodyworks.com

Try Boncharge & 15% off their red light devices
https://www.boncharge.com/knowthyself

André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
0:00 Intro
01:17 The Last Economy
02:03 The Race Toward AGI and Human Obsolescence
07:50 Why AI Will Reshape Work Within 800 Days
14:36 The Collapse of Work as Identity
18:22 How Far Ahead Private AI Really Is
21:24 The Three Futures of AI
32:52 When the Economic Loop Breaks
37:38 Ad: Based Body Works
38:07 What AI Changes About Intelligence
40:50 When AI Replaces Human Worth
48:44 Ad: BON CHARGE
48:46 Industrializing Self-Deception
55:55 When AI Knows You Better Than You Do
1:08:23 What Utopia Could Still Look Like
1:20:20 How to Use AI Without Losing Yourself
1:30:59 Can AI Become Conscious?
1:46:29 What Makes Us Human?
1:57:08 Longevity, Transhumanism, and the Future of the Body
2:03:51 The Practical AI Tools to Start Using Now
2:14:43 The End of Human-Only Discovery
2:17:22 What Parents Should Teach Their Kids Now
2:23:39 Happiness, Agency, and the Final Message
___________

Episode Resources:
https://x.com/EMostaque
https://x.com/ii_posts
https://ii.inc/web
Emad's Book: http://thelasteconomy.com

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Listen to the show:
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4bZMq9l
Apple: https://apple.co/4iATICX

Shi Heng Yi joins me to explore the path of self-mastery through the lens of the Shaolin tradition, and why, despite having more comfort and convenience than ever before, so many people still feel a deep sense of inner lack. We unpack the idea that external success, wealth, and achievement cannot replace a missing sense of inner stability, and how the constant search outside of ourselves often leads us further away from what we are truly looking for.

In this conversation, we explore the relationship between mind, body, and energy, and why true mastery begins with learning how to regulate and understand oneself rather than trying to control the external world. Shi Heng Yi shares how thoughts shape reality, why discipline and consistency are essential for growth, and what it means to become “transparent” by letting go of identity and the need to be someone. This episode is an invitation to shift from reacting to life toward consciously creating it from within.

Oneskin - Use code KNOW THYSELF for 15% off
http://oneskin.co/KNOWTHYSELF
Limited time only!

MUDWTR - Up to 43% off sitewide (and a free frother!)
https://www.mudwtr.com/knowthyself
[Code: KNOWTHYSELF]

André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
0:00 Intro
1:11 The Root of Suffering: Becoming Someone
1:50 Why Comfort Doesn’t Create Peace
4:56 The Inner Void Beneath External Success
9:16 The Path of Self-Mastery
16:04 Mastering the Mind, Not the World
21:07 Where Attention Goes, Energy Flows
27:21 Ad: OneSkin
28:43 The Essence of the Shaolin Spirit
36:29 Living with Intention and Integrity
44:14 Service Beyond the Self
46:34 The Freedom of Being No One
57:14 Ad: Mud/Wtr
58:56 Trust, Discipline, and the Inner Path
1:05:24 Strength Without Suppression
1:10:20 The Middle Way of Emotion
1:13:11 Structure as the Gateway to Freedom
1:19:00 Returning to the Body
1:35:36 The Body as a Tool for Awareness
1:42:32 Breath as the Bridge to Presence
1:46:38 Seeing Clearly: The End of Suffering
1:54:31 From Endless Seeking to Direct Experience
1:59:27 The Mind’s Five Obstacles
2:08:07 Turning Awareness Inward
2:11:20 Beyond the Illusion of Separation
2:14:25 Nothing to Gain, Nothing to Lose
2:15:30 Closing Thoughts
___________

Episode Resources:
https://www.shihengyi.online/
https://www.instagram.com/shihengyi.online

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Dr. Nicole LePera joins me to explore how our childhood experiences shape the nervous system, emotional patterns, and identities we carry into adulthood. We unpack how many of the reactions, habits, and relationship dynamics that feel automatic today were once adaptations we developed to maintain connection and safety early in life. Nicole explains how emotional attunement in childhood forms the internal “home base” we return to, often recreating familiar patterns even when they no longer serve us.

In this conversation, we explore attachment styles, people-pleasing, parentification, and the unconscious roles we adopt in order to belong. Nicole also introduces the practice of reparenting—learning how to meet our own emotional needs through awareness, nervous system regulation, and body-based practices. This episode offers a grounded path toward understanding where our patterns come from and how we can begin to create a deeper sense of safety and home within ourselves.

Try LMNT & get a free sample pack
https://drinkLMNT.com/KnowThyself

MUDWTR - Up to 43% off sitewide (and a free frother!)
https://www.mudwtr.com/knowthyself
[Code: KNOWTHYSELF]

André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
00:00 Intro
03:30 Unearthing What We Buried to Survive
09:12 The Childhood Roots of Our Coping Strategies
15:59 The Importance of Emotional Attunement
19:52 Understanding Attachment Styles
28:33 Ad: LMNT
30:35 From Seeking Love to Finding Home Within
34:54 Meeting Needs With Compassion
41:06 Ad: Mudwtr
42:29 The Impact of Status-Oriented Parenting
51:34 The Body as the Foundation of Healing
1:04:19 Simple Practices for Nervous System Regulation
1:12:07 Growing When Your Partner Isn't
1:26:07 Vulnerability as the Path to Connection
1:42:15 Healing the Need to Be Perfect
1:50:55 The Power of Inner Child Awareness
___________

Episode Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.psychologist
https://theholisticpsychologist.com/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com

Zen teacher and author Henry Shukman offers a clear and grounded introduction to the heart of Zen practice. We explore how awakening is not an escape from life, but a deeper participation in it — a realization that dissolves the illusion of separation and reveals a boundless field of awareness and love.

Henry shares his own spontaneous awakening experience at 19, the profound insight that life is not divided between self and world, and the difficult healing journey that followed. From mindfulness and meditation to flow states, jhanas, koans, and the role of trauma in spiritual growth, this conversation maps out a path that integrates awakening with emotional healing.

Download SAILY in your app store and use our code KNOWTHYSELF at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/knowthyself

Go to https://thewayapp.com/knowthyself to begin your journey with 30 free meditation sessions

André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list

___________
00:00 Intro
01:26 An Introduction to Zen
13:10 The Premise of Original Love
17:14 Training the Mind Like the Body
20:54 Freedom From Identification With Thought
27:50 What Are the Jhanas?
32:50 Ad: Saily
33:54 Tasting Awakening for Yourself
45:17 Awakening vs Psychological Healing
50:17 Awakening as an Ongoing Path
54:54 The Distinct Path of Zen
59:13 Koans as a Path to Insight
1:13:53 The Enlightenment of the Mundane
1:20:07 The Freedom of Emptiness
1:26:16 The Necessity of Meditation Practice
1:34:32 Sweeping the Yard (A Zen Poem)
1:43:33 Beauty, Ethics, and Interconnection
1:47:33 The Journey to a Whole Heart (A Poem on Heartbreak)
2:02:58 Original Love in a Fragmented World
___________

Episode Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/henryshukman/
https://www.instagram.com/theway_app/

https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com