Ep. 44 – Professional Wrestling and the Middle Way with Matt Sydal

Matt Sydal joins David to talk about wisdom gained through imperfection, and how professional wrestling connects to the Middle Way.

Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenow

In this episode, Matt joins David to discuss:

• The variations of professional wrestling in different cultures
• The “not too tight, not too loose” principle in wrestling
• Maintaining an equanimous state in discomfort 
• His story on experiencing vastness and spaciousness of the mind for the first time 
• Balancing daily life with the practice of cultivating the meditative mind 
• The wisdom he’s gained from cultivating an “imperfect” meditation practice

“Wrestling is like meditation, you can do it in any language.” – Matt Sydal

About Matt Sydal: 

Matthew Joseph “Matt” Korklan , also known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler. Between 2000 and 2007, Korklan wrestled on the independent circuit, for promotions including NWA Midwest, IWA-Mid South, and Ring of Honor, winning both singles and tag team championships. He also wrestled for the short-lived Wrestling Society X and was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling’s early pay-per-view events. In 2011, he formed an alliance with Kofi Kingston, known as Air Boom, and they won the WWE Tag Team Championship. He also made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where he was one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions, and former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. Matt is known for his high flying, lucha libre-inspired style of wrestling, and was named the Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Best Flying Wrestler in 2008.

Learn more about Matt’s wrestling courses at www.sydojo.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.