Expedition Delayed
Category: Lessons from the Wild
Preparation Day
Sacred Sites Intention
Dispatches from the boundary walk
Boyd decides to walk around the full boundary of Londolozi (no mean feet), and shares with us his adventure as he takes on this mission with Londolozi’s General Manager, Duncan MacLarty, Digital Storyteller and Ranger James Tyrrell and Head Ranger, James Souchon. The reason for walking, describes Boyd, was the classic intention of masculinity, and a desire to challenge yourself. Boyd who is used to walking 25km, was a bit anxious about doing double that on this particular boundary walk (equating to 31 miles).
This group of four men, were both good walkers and good talkers and so many stories were shared over this time period. It is said that talking while walking leads to much deeper conservations and this was true for these four. It was the groups job to lift the individuals no matter how sore you felt. There is something wild and both mentally restful about being on your feet, describes Boyd. Listen as Boyd walks through different sceneries and passes various wildlife, including the Nstevu Pride of lions… Their day had been about walking, but in truth their day had been about so much more, listen below for some classic African storytelling:
Aubrey Marcus Podcast – Lion Tracker’s Guide To Life with Boyd Varty – AMP #253
Boyd Varty is a lion tracker by trade, for a no-hunt safari operation in South Africa. Through his work out there in the bush, tracking the most dangerous animals, as well as his work as a shaman, he has an immense amount of wisdom to share to put you on the track of your life. He’s come face-to-face with lions, been partially eaten by a crocodile, and assisted in healing countless people in medicinal ceremony. Boyd is an undiscovered force for good in this world and he has some great stories and a beautiful message that can help people track their life path.
Original Episode HERE
Day 10 – Wayfinding
The Great Unlearn | Foster Presence and Find Your Authentic Track
It’s hard for me to contain my excitement for this week’s episode.
Having spent 5 days in July 2019 in the South African bush with Boyd Varty, our guest for this week, I knew the conversation would resonate with so many.
Boyd is literally a lion tracker. He also has the unique gift of translating the lessons learned on the Londolozi Game Reserve into deep wisdom that resonates with those of us that are thousands of miles away.
In this episode, we discuss the importance of decision-making through presence, how to foster “track awareness”, and discovering that all we need is already within us. Boyd’s gift of storytelling is on full display as he shares tales that made my heart race a little faster and stoked my excitement for my next trip to Londolozi.
One thing I’ve learned from the current COVID-19 situation is that with all the uncertainty and challenges, I truly believe that this is an opportunity to question the pace with which I’ve been approaching my daily life. With that in mind, there are few guides (if any) that I would rather have as a companion than my South African brother Boyd Varty.
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Show Notes:
8:28 – Tracking as a tool for development
16:00- The comparison concept
17:18 – The meaning of Ubuntu
20:07 – How to start REAL dinner party talk
22:21 – Separating what you want from the noise
30:05 – Byron Katie’s meditation technique
35:48 – Your wild side vs. social side
42:13 – How to handle the unknown
48:32 – Boyd and his family’s traumatic experiences
1:01:30 – The authentic track
1:09:14 – Embodying different roles
1:12:33 – My slow path to love completely
1:17:30 – Fully connecting with family
1:24:17 – Teasing the trauma out
1:31:14 – The path of the tracker
1:41:09 – Your track should scare you a bit
1:42:28 – Attuning to tracking through presence
1:46:48 – Redefining your relationship with time
1:48:56 – The paradox – is this your doing?
1:51:57 – Yoga is not about the positions
1:56:35 – Track Your Life Retreat
2:13:53 – More presence, less conditioned response
2:15:38 – 40 days, 40 nights in the wilderness
2:18:19 – How to disconnect with little time
Resources:
Byron Katie – TheWork.com
Boyd Varty’s Latest Book – The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life
Boyd Varty’s First Book – Cathedral of the Wild
40 Days and 40 Nights Podcast – 40 Days and 40 Nights Podcast
Boyd Varty’s Website – BoydVarty.com
Sit Spots – Disconnect in Nature
Adyashanti – Adyashanti.org
Connect with Boyd Varty:
Website | https://boydvarty.com/
Twitter | https://twitter.com/BoydVarty
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/Boyd_Varty
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/boydvartyinc/
Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKDnU7G1VLXpWmuSvM30Kwg
Connect with Cal:
Website | https://www.thegreatunlearn.com
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/bunkercal/
Twitter | https://twitter.com/BunkerCal
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/BunkerCal
YouTube | The Great Unlearn
Subscribe to the Great Unlearn Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | https://apple.co/3a4ATpc
Spotify | https://spoti.fi/2Rb7emv
Google Play | http://bit.ly/2sehHUE
Stitcher | http://bit.ly/2t8wHE6
Day 3 – Watch Out For the Small Things
Inspire Nation Podcast
SHOW INTRODUCTION:
Today I’ll be talking with Boyd Varty, master life coach author, and TED speaker, who runs retreats that merge tracking, coaching and storytelling at the Londolozi Gme Reserve in South Africa, and the author of my favorite book of 2019, The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life!
And that’s just what I want to talk with him about, about going deep inside, finding your wilder-self, and rediscovering your gift, your purpose, and your mission.
What does Lion Tracking have to do with your life? Apparently, a LOT!!! This is my favorite BOOK of the year, and perhaps my favorite INTERVIEW of the year as well!!! Boyd Varty on the Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life!!!
Matt Belair Podcast
Show Notes:
Boyd Varty is a lion tracker, wildlife and literary activist and the co-founder of the Good Work Foundation. He is the author of Cathedral of the Wild and The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life.
He has worked intensively over the past 7 years in ceremonial spaces as an apprentice to a Peruvian shaman while generating his own system of coaching called “track your life” which draws lessons from the ancient art form of tracking and his psychology degree from the University of South Africa to help people find more meaning, purpose and motivation.
As a speaker and trainer, he has taught his system all over the world and has been featured in the New York Times and CBC.
Boyd’s families land
Re-generating the land
The story of the mother leopard
Restoring their relationship with the natural world
Humanity needing to shift to support the natural world
The ancient art form of tracking
Why a high level of presence in one art form can transfer to all areas of life
Taking on the archetype of the tracker
The art of going without “knowing”
Knowing as the discipline of aliveness
Why knowing the next step with keep you in the same place
Tuning yourself into the information that is there
You start to generate your internal tracks of success – developing inner track awareness
Developing that feeling of aliveness or feeling of expansion
Discipline of attention
Distilling infinite possibility down to the next step
Why you need to be consistently willing to make small changes
The trackers version of “flow state” the “follow state”
Making micro adjustments that the moment is asking for
What you can be sure of is you will lose the ‘track” or the ‘path’
Losing the path is a part of returning to it
Never track alone
Why people will see you their fears
The story of the Bull Elephant
Opening yourself to encounters you couldn’t even imagine
The work of Joseph Campbell
The path is a the reward
Engaged by the process of living
Relating to others rather than comparing
Going back to a more natural way of being
Questioning your own thoughts and beliefs and limitations
Living this way requires a warriors heart
Stripping all the layers of what you were told to be or should be and simply be your self