Movers Mindset

What does it take to stop avoiding pain and instead use it as a guide for rebuilding the body?

The same movements that caused injury can heal it when performed slowly, partially, and with intention.

"What we try to do is get people to understand that if you have pain, if you have a limitation, you don't stop doing the thing that hurt it. You do the thing that hurt it, slow, partial, light, take it down to the baby amount, the tolerable amount, and then start pushing it back up the scale. And by the time you can do it fast and heavy again, you're healed. Congratulations." ~ Sean Hannah (9:19)

The conversation explores why most people avoid the slow, deliberate work required to truly rehabilitate injuries rather than just return to basic function. The distinction between physical therapy (designed for baseline recovery) and full joint remodeling (a months-to-years process typically reserved for elite athletes) forms the foundation of the discussion. The key insight is that healing requires doing the same movements that caused injury—but slower, lighter, and more partial—rather than avoiding them entirely.

Pain emerges as a multifaceted phenomenon with three distinct layers: actual tissue damage, neuropathic pain (trauma responses encoded in nerves and fascia), and centralized pain (psychological amplification based on beliefs and language). The conversation addresses how someone might present with a knee problem but actually need a full head-to-toe biomechanical remodel, with the knee simply being where the dysfunction surfaces most visibly. The discussion also touches on the origins of the nickname "Seanobi" (an Irish ninja wordplay), the value of intuitive three-dimensional movement versus linear athletic training, and the importance of having something worth playing for as the motivational spark that makes the difficult rehabilitation process possible.

Takeaways

Remodeling versus physical therapy — Physical therapy aims for basic function, but returning to athletic capability requires a separate, longer process called remodeling that most people don't know exists.

The spark — Without something you love doing that's disappearing or already gone, you won't sustain the slow, frustrating work of rehabilitation.

Same movements, different parameters — Healing doesn't require new exercises; it uses the same movements that caused injury, performed slower, lighter, and more partially.

Three layers of pain — Pain includes actual tissue damage, neuropathic responses stored in nerves and fascia, and psychological amplification based on perception and language.

Language affects pain signaling — The words used to describe pain directly influence how much pain is felt; changing the narrative can dampen signaling and allow greater loading.

The blowout point — A presenting injury like a knee problem is often just where a full-body biomechanical imbalance surfaces most visibly.

Tissue-specific protocols — Pace, load, and angle can be adjusted to target specific tissues: nerve and fascia respond to different parameters than muscle and bone.

Guarding responses — Much of chronic pain isn't damage but protective contractions and nerve issues that require precise loading to release.

Threading the needle — Effective rehabilitation requires enough stress to trigger healing responses without crossing the threshold into new damage.

Intuitive versus linear training — Three-dimensional, intuitive movement serves rehabilitation and durability, while linear athletic training like Olympic lifting builds speed and power for sport.

The dial metaphor — Training exists on a spectrum from slow, rehabilitative, three-dimensional work to fast, linear, athletic work, and the dial can be adjusted based on daily capacity.

Becoming your own maintenance mechanic — The goal of guided rehabilitation is independence—learning to address pain and maintain the body without ongoing professional help.

Resources

Monkey Do — "What Moves You?" Sean Hannah's guided mobility and joint remodeling programs.

Monkey Do on YouTube — video content related to the mobility and rehabilitation approach.

Designing curriculum, teaching seniors, and the mid-range — Sean's previous conversation on Movers Mindset covering related topics.

Katy Bowman — mentioned regarding how too much "vitamin flat and level" is a problem.

Iron Gump / MIST — a Movers Mindset conversation discussing meditative strength training.

Parkour Generations — the organization behind American Rendezvous where Craig and Sean last met in person.

(Written with help from Claude.ai)

--- Hello👋 I'm Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I'm interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.

I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.

--- Thank you!

Want more? Subscribe to the email list for weekly updates—new episodes and archive highlights delivered to your inbox.

I invite you to cultivate a meaningful life—through presence, not pursuit. You can learn more about me and all my projects at, https://craigconstantine.com.

If you'd like to support what I'm doing, here's what actually helps…

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What happens when you stop trying so hard and learn to find power through subtraction rather than addition?

Wing Chun training in a Hong Kong living room involves hours of standing still with no sparring, forcing practitioners to confront inner demons and abandon Western goal-seeking mentality.

"I'll tell you, Craig, this was the hardest thing at that time that I had to go through, both physically and mentally, because […] it's just so difficult, you know, standing still there, not moving. It's just so difficult! All these inner demons start to come up. You start thinking, and you know, there's nowhere to hide." ~ Nima King (5:17)

Nima King describes his journey from training as a teenaged bouncer in Sydney, to becoming a student of Grandmaster Chu in Hong Kong, where his expectations of intense sparring and rooftop battles were replaced by hours of standing practice in a small living room. The training focused on empty hand forms rather than fighting techniques, creating a physically and mentally challenging experience where inner demons surfaced and there was nowhere to hide. Grandmaster Chu provided hands-on guidance through tactile cues, manipulating posture and stance to help students release tension points gradually rather than through sudden breakthrough moments. The practice required abandoning the Western mindset of conceptualization and goal-seeking in favor of embodied experience, with Nima's teacher eventually banning him from asking questions to force this transition.

The conversation explores how martial arts principles apply to modern life, including parenting and professional goals. Nima discusses the challenge of not trying too hard despite his natural inclination toward the mentality of pushing through pain and injury. The practice teaches that letting go of control represents a powerful act rather than laziness or apathy, and that vulnerability challenges conventional masculine ideals of strength through aggression. Grandmaster Chu exemplified this power through humility, always bowing lower and greeting students with warmth rather than displays of dominance. The art becomes about subtraction rather than accumulation, finding ways to achieve goals with less effort by allowing things to happen rather than forcing them.

Takeaways

Art of subtraction — The practice centers on removing tension and thinking rather than accumulating more techniques and knowledge.

Embodied learning versus intellectual understanding — True martial arts mastery requires moving beyond conceptualization and goal-seeking to direct physical experience.

Standing practice — Hours of stationary training in Wing Chun forms create confrontation with inner demons and reveal hidden tension points.

Power through vulnerability — Real strength comes from humility and openness rather than aggression and displays of dominance.

Letting go of control — Releasing the illusion of control represents a powerful and necessary practice in both martial arts and daily life.

Western versus Eastern training approaches — The goal-oriented Western mindset conflicts with traditional Chinese martial arts teaching methods that resist curriculum and structure.

Tactile teaching methods — Hands-on guidance through physical manipulation of posture and stance provides direct transmission of knowledge beyond verbal instruction.

Marathon not sprint mentality — Sustainable practice requires wisdom about energy management and avoiding burnout despite natural inclinations to go all in.

Teacher-student dynamics — A master may ban questions entirely to force students beyond intellectual grasping toward direct experience.

Applying practice to parenting — Martial arts lessons about letting go transfer to raising children, finding balance between freedom and structure.

Humble mastery — Grandmaster Chu demonstrated true power through kindness, bowing lower than students, and warmth rather than displays of superiority.

Not trying too hard — Finding ways to achieve goals with less effort by allowing rather than forcing outcomes.

Resources

Mindful Wing Chun — Nima King's online training platform offering comprehensive instruction in the Wing Chun system as taught by Grandmaster Chu Shong Tin, featuring hundreds of hours of instructional videos focused on internal power development and mindful practice.

Grandmaster Chu Shong Tin — Nima's Wing Chun teacher in Hong Kong, trained in traditional methods and taught in his living room.

Grandmaster Jim Fung — Grandmaster Chu's student, who taught Wing Chun to thousands of students across Australia, under whom Nima began training at age 14.

(written with help from Claude.ai)

--- Hello👋 I'm Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I'm interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.

I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.

--- Thank you!

Want more? Subscribe to the email list for weekly updates—new episodes and archive highlights delivered to your inbox.

I invite you to cultivate a meaningful life—through presence, not pursuit. You can learn more about me and all my projects at, https://craigconstantine.com.

If you'd like to support what I'm doing, here's what actually helps…

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Hello, Craig here.

This isn't a regular Movers Mindset episode — it's just me for a quick check-in, and a few invitations you might find interesting.

First up, I'm introducing a way to support Movers Mindset through voluntary patronage. The podcast has always been freely available, and it always will be. But if you'd like to help sustain the work, I'd appreciate if you'd consider becoming a patron. Take a look at https://moversmindset.com/

I've recently started publishing field notes based on the podcast episodes. They continue beyond the podcast conversations into deeper explorations. They're not summaries or show notes. They're standalone pieces that pick up a thread from a conversation and follow it into new territory.

Every conversation leaves me with threads I want to explore — ideas that deserve more attention, questions that linger, insights worth developing. The field notes let me follow those threads.

Back in 2024 I needed to slow down for health reasons. Getting back to working on Movers Mindset has been energizing — it's a part of my life that brings me joy and connection, and I'm grateful to be able to keep at it.

If you're not sure where to start in the nearly 200 episodes, send me an email — [email protected].

Tell me an episode you loved, or a topic you'd like to hear about, and I'll point you to an episode or two you'll enjoy.

And if you'd like to stay connected, join our email list at https://moversmindset.com/ for weekly updates — new episodes and archive highlights delivered to your inbox.

Thank you for being a part of this community. Whether you've been here for years or you just found the show, I appreciate your time and attention — and I don't take it for granted.

Thanks for listening :)

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--- Hello👋 I'm Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I'm interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.

I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.

--- Thank you!

Want more? Subscribe to the email list for weekly updates—new episodes and archive highlights delivered to your inbox.

I invite you to cultivate a meaningful life—through presence, not pursuit. You can learn more about me and all my projects at, https://craigconstantine.com.

If you like what I'm doing through Movers Mindset, learn more about becoming a patron.

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What happens if I linger just one beat longer before moving on?

I get so focused on forward momentum, that I forget that the spaces in life are just as much a part of the rhythm. Even the smallest spaces between actions—even between thoughts—are not wasted. Clarity has a chance to appear in those spaces. In those spaces I can notice subtle shifts in my breath, the weight of fatigue, and the flicker of gratitude.

Those extra spaces require me to give myself permission: permission to acknowledge the moment as it is, rather than rushing to reshape it into something else. The pause itself doesn’t fix anything, it's a space where the urgency softens. Only in that space can I realize that what felt urgent isn’t. And in that space I can glimpse what really deserves my attention.

Just as I have my own role to play, so does time. And time does its job much more faithfully, much more accurately, than I ever do. Ever since time began (when was that, I wonder?), it’s been moving ever forward without a moment’s rest. And one of the privileges given to those who’ve avoided dying young is the blessed right to grow old. The honor of physical decline is waiting, and you have to get used to that reality. ~ Haruki Murakami

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There's also a short page to help you get the most from Pause— including how you can listen to each issue of Pause in your podcast player.

What story am I repeating today without realizing it?

The point, of course, is to listen for a story — the real problem isn’t that I’m telling one, it’s that I’m doing it without noticing. And when I do listen, it’s often the same story I’ve told before.

Usually it’s because I’m tired. Or restless. Or just a little off — too hot, too hungry. Those small frictions push me back into familiar scripts.

Beneath it all is the same thing: trying to control how things turn out. How others think. What they do. And that effort — my stories, my reasons for telling them, and the things I try to control — is all just the everyday, unremarkable stuff.

History as usually written is quite different from history as usually lived. The historian records the exceptional because it is interesting.

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There's also a short page to help you get the most from Pause— including how you can listen to each issue of Pause in your podcast player.

What new formats and practices best transmit Art du Déplacement’s culture—beyond technique—so practitioners can reflect, connect, and grow together?

Art du Déplacement’s culture is deepened through «partage», reflective practice formats, and distinctive training like vision work and night missions.

"Still, I had the fear, but I knew where I was, where I was going, [and] how— I knew myself better, basically. So this very strong experience with my friends, and this strong experience of failure— That was really an in between moment for me. […]There is before that training session at the «Dame du Lac» experiencing all this. And then there is me discovering more about my inner self and being very different in the way I approach fear." ~ Stany Foucher (1:33:00)

The discussion frames Art du Déplacement as a living culture rather than simply a set of techniques. Stany's recently published, French-language book is highlighted as a deliberate choice, made with the awareness that language shapes who can engage with the ideas. (Craig and Stany hope that an English translation can eventually be created which captures the subtlety and depth of the material.) The strengths of books—slower pacing and deeper digestion—are compared to the reach and immediacy of video. This leads to exploring audio as a practice medium, with the idea of podcast-led movement sessions modeled on audio yoga classes. The conversation also touches on the value of building shared reference points across the community, so practitioners in different places can connect through common experiences.

Practice design is a recurring theme. The Movers Mindset Pause project is discussed as a way to help practitioners form a cycle from discovery to reflection to change. Coaching is discussed as more than sets and repetitions, incorporating environment, questioning, and reframing experiences. Public-space QM is described as a way to normalize human movement in busy urban settings, reducing self-consciousness and building autonomy. The pair note the importance of training “vision” as a standalone capacity, distinct from fear management or technical skill.

"Maybe one thing that I’m trying to focus on sometimes is this vision element of the discipline. Vision is really a topic by itself. If you just try to be in an analyzing mode, you know, trying to analyze the environment and be— not measuring, but just feeling— not for the sake of techniques, but just vision for vision. Maybe new things can arise." ~ Stany Foucher (58:00)

They describe silent, “night missions” where participants select a distant, barely visible endpoint and navigate to it without touching the ground, focusing on presence, creative pathfinding, and trajectory rather than named techniques. Other modalities—lifting, carrying, climbing, and playing on varied terrain—are folded into practice to broaden capacity. Social aspects like shared meals, walks, and storytelling are recognized as essential for transmitting culture, complementing formal training.

"But something that I really get, also from those years of training, and maybe you don’t see it is, all the questioning behind it. I cannot think of a training that would not end with a question— [an] open question from—especially from Jann [Hnautra]—just reflecting on what you did. Why were you in that state of mind when we’re doing this movement? Why did you want to stop when you were doing the QM? Lots of questions and reflecting on what you did. I think this is an important piece of the training." ~ Stany Foucher (28:00)

Personal philosophy surfaces through parenting analogies—providing environments where children retain innate movement abilities—and a formative story of a major failure that marked a clear “before and after” in approaching fear. The conversation closes with reflections on building community connection despite geographic distance, testing new formats for sharing practice, and maintaining a loop where ideas, movement, and reflection continually reinforce each other.

Takeaways

Language shapes reach — Choosing French vs. English determines who can read, hear, and benefit.

Books slow the pace — A book supports digestion of concepts that video often rushes past.

Podcast as training — Audio sessions can guide live movement for listeners who learn by hearing.

Build a reflection loop — Journaling and the Pause practice embed discovery to reflection to efficacy.

Coaching beyond technique — The value includes questions, environment, and pointing in the right direction.

Normalize movement in public — Holding QM sessions in busy spaces reduces self-consciousness and increases autonomy.

Train vision explicitly — Treat “vision” as its own topic, not only fear or technique.

Use night missions — Silent, goal-directed traversals cultivate presence and creative pathfinding.

Mix natural modalities — Lifting, carrying, climbing, and terrain play (rocks, slopes) broaden practice.

«Partage» matters — Sharing stories, meals, and walks transmits culture that classes alone can’t.

Parenting reframes coaching — Provide safe environments so kids don’t lose what they already have.

Failure as inflection point — A hard setback created a clear “before/after” in approach to fear.

Resources

https://wiseflow.fr/ — Stany Foucher's website for his book, podcast, and more.

Art du Déplacement: Au delà de saut — French-language book discussed as framing the culture beyond movement; available as EPUB globally and in print within Europe.

Wise Flow — Stany's French-language podcast.

craigconstantine.com — Craig's personal web site with links to everything he does.

Movers Mindset's Pause — The new Pause publication is a weekly email publication designed for movement professionals—coaches, teachers, gym owners, and practitioners—who want to slow down and reconnect with their deeper why.

Stany Boulifard Mallet: Art du Déplacement, the Yamakasi, and motivation — Stany's first appearance, back in 2018, on the Movers Mindset podcast.

Art du Déplacement (ADD) — Information about Art du Déplacement in general.

Parkour & Art du déplacement: Lessons in practical wisdom – Leçons de sagesse pratique — Vincent Thibault’s 2015 book discussed in this podcast. The book contains both the French and English text. Don’t confuse it with the similarly named, but completely different book, “Parkour and the Art du déplacement: Strength, Dignity, Community”, published in 2014. There is also a second edition, which is French-language only.

Out on the Wire — Book by Jessica Abel recommended by Craig as a book about podcasting, presented as a graphic-novel-style work interviewing leading creators.

Meditations — Book by Marcus Aurelius (translated by Gregory Hayes) mentioned by Craig as his most-read book.

Quadrupedal Movement (QM) — A practice and movement pattern emphasized in this episode and in Art du Déplacement generally.

Communication with Vincent Thibault — Vincent Thibault's episode on Movers Mindset.

Move NYC — Public event in New York City mentioned by Craig in reference to normalizing human movement in busy spaces.

Joan of Arc Garden, in Quebec City — Location and statue mentioned by Craig as a setting for personal reflection.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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--- Hello👋 I'm Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I'm interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

The purpose of Movers Mindset is to create and share great conversations with movement enthusiasts. Each conversation feeds my insatiable curiosity, but I share them to turn on a light for someone else, to inspire them, or to give them their next question.

I appreciate your time and attention, and I don’t take it for granted.

--- Thank you!

Want more? Subscribe to the email list for weekly updates—new episodes and archive highlights delivered to your inbox.

I invite you to cultivate a meaningful life—through presence, not pursuit. You can learn more about me and all my projects at, https://craigconstantine.com.

If you'd like to support what I'm doing, here's what actually helps…

ɕ

Do I know what 'enough' feels like in my body?

Enough feels like there's room to breathe.

Enough feels like there's room for the current thought.

Enough feels like the sun on my face after a long winter.

We are rarely very clear on what we want. What if we became crystal clear on what we wanted in life? If we knew what we wanted to create, how we wanted to live … we could say yes to these things, and no to everything else. Saying no to more things would simplify our lives.

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There's also a short page to help you get the most from Pause— including how you can listen to each issue of Pause in your podcast player.

Am I actually feeling each breath, or just taking them?

Any sensitivity I have to breath didn’t just show up one day. I built it, slowly, through intentional breathing practice. Over time I started to feel the difference between breath as background noise and breath as a tool—an anchor, a mirror, a warning light.

It’s easy to go days without noticing a single breath. The body keeps going whether or not we’re paying attention. Breathing is both the most basic function and the most direct way back to presence. When I can bring awareness to a breath, I rediscover my body.

Sometimes that awareness brings growing calm. Sometimes it just reveals the storm I’ve been ignoring. But either way, it’s information. It’s mine. And it only comes when I actually feel each breath.

Not just that every day more of our life is used up and less and less of it is left, but this too: If we live longer, can we be sure our mind will still be up to understanding the world—to the contemplation that aims at divine and human knowledge? If our mind starts to wander, we’ll still go on breathing, go on eating, imagining things, feeling urges and so on. But getting the most out of ourselves, calculating where our duty lies, analyzing what we hear and see, deciding whether it’s time to call it quits—all the things you need a healthy mind for… all those are gone.

So we need to hurry.

Not just because we move daily closer to death but also because our understanding—our grasp of the world—may be gone before we get there.

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There's also a short page to help you get the most from Pause— including how you can listen to each issue of Pause in your podcast player.

What do I return to when things start to speed up?

There are so many time-scales where my life can speed up. It can happen in a few hours, or more slowly over days, weeks or even months. But the fixes are always the same for me.

I tap the brakes and check in on a few things…

Am I tired? A nap could be just the thing. Perhaps I need an entire, good night's sleep.

When have a I last moved? Try standing up! Try going for a walk. Raise my heart rate and make the big muscles do something. Life isn't just all in my own head.

When did I last meditate? Find a spot and sit down for some basic breathing.

When did I last journal? Dump the jumbled thoughts out of my head, take stock of what's going on in my life, ask some good questions of myself, and gain some perspective.

When evening has come, I return to my house and go into my study. At the door I take off my clothes of the day, covered with mud and mire, and I put on my regal and courtly garments; and decently reclothed, I enter the ancient courts of ancient men, where, received by them lovingly, I feed on the food that alone is mine and that I was born for. There I am not ashamed to speak with them and to ask them the reasons for their actions; and they in their humanity reply to me. And for the space of four hours I feel no boredom, I forget every pain, I do not fear poverty, death does not frighten me. I deliver myself entirely to them.

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There's also a short page to help you get the most from Pause— including how you can listen to each issue of Pause in your podcast player.

Where do I notice the edge between comfort and challenge?

Once again, I've left an entire week pass. There has certainly been enough time to write an issue of Pause. So here I am, choosing finally to lean into the stress of needing to write this thing. The edge is really clear—has been clear at the countless moments when I've thought, "I should write."

I'm certain that forcing myself like this—right now in this moment—is not the right thing to do. And yet, every week, everything goes right down to the wire. Every day I do all that I can. And over time the amount I can do before I'm exhausted and burnt is less and less.

There is a place, right on the edge of your ability, where you learn best and fastest. It’s called the sweet spot.…The underlying pattern is the same: Seek out ways to stretch yourself. Play on the edges of your competence. As Albert Einstein said, “One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.”

The key word is ‘barely.’

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There's also a short page to help you get the most from Pause— including how you can listen to each issue of Pause in your podcast player.