The Primal Connection: Follow Your Genetic Blueprint to Health and Happiness

255 Pages·2013·4.82 MB·English

by  Mark Sisson

2 THE PRIMAL CONNECTION
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THIS IS THE CHAPTER 3
The Primal Connection
© 2013, Mark Sisson. All rights reserved
Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976,
reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and
retrieval system, is forbidden without written permission of Mark Sisson.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920049
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher
Sisson, Mark, 1953–
The Primal Connection: Follow Your Genetic Blueprint to Health and Happiness /
Mark Sisson
ISBN: 9780984755103
1. Self-help 2. Health&Fitness 3. Body, Mind & Spirit
Editor/Project Manager: Jessica Taylor Tudzin
Design/Layout and Illustrations: Caroline De Vita
Writing/Research: Jennifer Zotalis, Brad Kearns
Copy Editor: Nancy Wong Bryan
Editorial Assistant: Nancy Lehigh, Elizabeth Kane
Back Cover Photo: Tahia Hocking
Indexing: Leoni McVey
Content and images on the Gokhale Method was sourced from 8 Steps to
a Healthy Back with permission from the author, Esther Gokhale.
For more information about the Primal Blueprint,
please visit primalblueprint.com.
For information on quantity discounts, please call 888-774-6259
Publisher: Primal Blueprint Publishing.
23805 Stuart Ranch Rd. Suite 145 Malibu, CA 90265
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Contents

Introduction 9
A Recipe For Success 21
I The Inner Dialogue Connection 39
The Ten Habits of
Highly Successful Hunter-Gatherers 41
II The Body Connection 73
Stay in Touch 74
Go Barefoot 79
The Power of Posture 90
Made to Move 98
Section Summary 105
III The Nature Connection 107
The Wild Within 108
Reclaiming the Outdoors 117
Play Dirty 125
Section Summary 135
TABLE OF CONTENTS 5
IV The Daily Rhythm Connection 137
Honoring the Sun 138
Finding Focus 158
Slowing Down 175
Section Summary 187
V The Social Connection 189
The Inner Circle 190
Filling the Social Wellbeing 203
Section Summary 209
VI The Play Connection 211
Primal Play 212
The Play of Art 218
Primal Thrills 224
Section Summary 235
Author’s Note 237
Endnotes 238
Index 244
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DISCLAIMER
The ideas, concepts and opinions expressed in this book are intended to
be used for educational purposes only. This book is sold with the understanding
that author and publisher are not rendering medical advice of any kind, nor is
this book intended to replace medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe or treat
any disease, condition, illness or injury. It is imperative that before beginning
any diet or exercise program, including any aspect of the Primal Blueprint
program, you receive full medical clearance from a licensed physician. Author
and publisher claim no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability,
loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of
the use, application or interpretation of the material in this book. If you object
to this disclaimer, you may return the book to the publisher for a full refund.
DISCLAIMER 7
8 THE PRIMAL CONNECTION
Introduction

INTRODUCTION 9
There is more wisdom in your body than
in your deepest philosophies.
Friedrich Nietzsche
WELCOME TO
THE PRIMAL CONNECTION
An advance notice: this is not a book about living a more gracious life. Nor
is it written to stir sentimentality or foster sophistication. On the contrary, it’s
an endeavor best undertaken with sleeves rolled up. Prepare to get your hands
dirty. We’ll be digging down to the rudiments. It’s about unearthing something
in ourselves that has been lost, buried, or obscured. It’s about reconnecting with
the less acknowledged, let alone less appreciated, layers of ourselves. It’s about
getting to the very essence of what makes us human and tapping into our genetic
recipe for health, happiness, and fulfillment.
You see, I know many people who are by all normal measures of society
considered “successful.” In some cases, they have accomplished a great deal
professionally. Many have families. All have a significant circle of close friends.
Still, they often speak of a nebulous, hollow feeling. It’s as if something is missing,
as if they have forgotten some important aspect of life somewhere along the
way. They often describe a sense of emptiness, of not feeling truly connected—at
least not in the way that has them jumping out of bed to greet every day with
enthusiasm. In many cases this void is nothing more than a minor distraction, a
simple intuitive sense that maybe there’s something more to life, or maybe there’s
something they’re not doing right.
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