What if intuition isn't something you think — but something you feel?

In this episode, Doug Bytes sits down with embodiment teacher and author Philip Shepherd, author of Radical Wholeness, Deep Witness, and co-author of Deep Fitness, to explore how modern culture disconnects men from their bodies — and how reclaiming embodied awareness restores intuition, clarity, and grounded strength.

Philip shares the story of his teenage bicycle journey across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Japan — a self-initiated rite of passage that shaped his understanding of culture, identity, and embodied intelligence.

We explore:

· Why intuition lives in the body, not the thinking mind

· The intelligence of the pelvic floor and "pelvic bowl"

· How cultural conditioning pulls us out of our center

· A simple pelvic floor breathing practice

· The concept of embodied presence

· Energy integration and healing "stuck" emotion

· The science of myokines and muscle as metabolic medicine

· Why strength training (not cardio) may be foundational for longevity

· Training to momentary muscular failure and deep fitness principles

· Breath, panic, and remaining calm under pressure

This conversation bridges somatics, men's personal development, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and strength science — offering practical tools for men who want to develop intuition, resilience, and grounded leadership.

If you're interested in embodiment, radical wholeness, conscious masculinity, breathwork, metabolic health, or strength training for longevity — this episode delivers both philosophy and practical insight.

📍 Podcast Host: Doug Beitz 📌 Subscribe for more conversations exploring intuition, consciousness, and the unseen science behind healing. 👍 Like & share if this episode resonated with you.

Check social links Philip Shepherds https://www.facebook.com/philip.shepherd.16/ https://www.instagram.com/philipshepherd

Doug Beitz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dougbeitz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougbeitz/ Website: https://buymeacoffee.com/dougbeitz Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6mQ258nugC3lyw3SpvYuoK?si=7cec409527d34438 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/intuitive-conversations-with-doug/id1593172364 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doug-beitz-472a4b338/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dougbeitz178

Philip Shepherd, Radical Wholeness, Deep Fitness, Deep Witness book, embodiment podcast, men's intuition podcast, pelvic floor breathing, embodied masculinity, intuition development for men, mind body connection, gut brain intelligence, pelvic bowl awareness, somatic awareness, masculine spirituality, grounded leadership, conscious masculinity, strength training science, myokines explained, sarcopenia muscle loss, metabolic health, mindful strength training, training to failure, alternative fitness philosophy, VO2 max study, deep presence meditation, snow globe meditation, embodied presence process, energy integration healing, tuning fork therapy, living from the body, intuitive decision making

TIMESTAMPS

00:00:00 – Introduction: The Pelvic Bowl vs. Head-Centric Culture

00:02:19 – Philip Shepherd's 2-Year Bicycle Rite of Passage

00:07:48 – Traveling the Silk Road: Europe to Tokyo on a Bicycle

00:12:07 – Escaping the System: Education vs. Real-World Experience

00:15:16 – Innovation Outside Academia: The Story of Albert Einstein

00:16:42 – "Feeling it in Your Water": Demystifying Intuition

00:18:37 – Evolutionary Wisdom: Why Embodied Intelligence Predates the Brain

00:19:52 – Indigenous Wisdom: Feeling Animals and Nature Attunement

00:21:47 – Calling the Dolphins: A Phenomenal Story of Connection

00:24:58 – How the Body Finds Medicine Without Trial and Error

00:27:39 – The Gut Brain and Sessilalame (Feeling Inside)

00:31:05 – Reclaiming the Pelvic Bowl as the "Ground of Being"

00:36:18 – Practical Exercise: The Snow Globe Meditation for Grounding

00:39:48 – Living in a World of Energy vs. A World of Ideas

00:43:08 – Wholeness Through Integrating "Orphaned" Energies

00:48:22 – Debunking 1960s Fitness Myths (Kenneth Cooper's Aerobics)

00:51:08 – Sarcopenia: Why Maintaining Muscle is Key to Longevity

00:53:27 – The Science of Strength Training to Momentary Failure

01:05:03 – Breathing Mechanics: Releasing the Pelvic Floor vs. Top-Down Effort

01:07:40 – Overcoming Fear and Developing Calm in Emergencies

01:18:10 – Future Workshops and Connecting with Philip Shepherd

01:20:33 – Final Wisdom: Tapping into Your Own Internal Truth