5 Lessons I’ve Learned From the World’s Best Movement Teacher That You Can Apply to Life

So much more than just handstands.

Photo by Pedro Araujo on Unsplash

One thing I have in common with UFC superstar Conor McGregor is that I’ve had the fortune to train with Ido Portal.

Ido studies and teaches Movement Culture. Broadly speaking Movement Culture focuses on the exploration of the importance of movement for us as humans. At the surface level, this is mostly about our bodies and how we use them but has many layers beyond that, Ido also discusses it on a philosophical level.

Here are five big lessons I’ve learned from Ido that influence how I move through life:

1. Choose your teachers wisely: Ido believes teachers should pass three tests, a)they need to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, b)they need to show you their existing students, and c)they must be able to explain how and why their processes work.
2. Humans are generalists first, specialists second: Ido believes we are movers first and specialists second, regarding sports for example. If you specialize in one direction, you will pay the price in another. I’ve found this applies to everything in life.
3. Approach everything like a beginner: Ido follows Shoshin the Zen concept of the beginner’s mindset. Even if you’re an expert at something, approaching it like a beginner will help you see it more broadly and not become hyperfocused.
4. Expose your practice, don’t practice for exposure: Ido says this with regard to movement practice but this applies everywhere. Why are you building or practicing in public? If it’s to share your process and get feedback it’s valuable, if it’s just to get followers, it becomes self-defeating, and your process will suffer as a result.
5. Be the weirdo: Don’t be trapped by the prescribed way to do things. For example, don’t do your cardio on a treadmill if you can get the benefit from something more complex like climbing or martial arts. This applies to everything — if you feel like you’re on a metaphorical hamster wheel, you probably are, get off and try something more challenging.

This only scratches the surface of the work of Ido Portal, if any of this sounds interesting, I recommend that you research him further.