logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
1h 4m

Ep. 44 – Professional Wrestling and the ...

BE HERE NOW NETWORK
About this episode

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.

Up next
Jul 3
Ep. 57 – Bhakti & Buddhism: The Heart and Mind of Practice with Krishna Das
Blending together Bhakti and Buddhism, best of friends Krishna Das and David Nichtern discuss the gradual cultivation of practice and finding your ‘niche’ within the dharma.Join the Wisdom & Wellbeing Week 1 Intensive with Krishna Das & Nina Rao | January 3 - 10, 2026 | Click to ... Show More
53m 2s
Jun 12
Ep. 56 – Social Action & Misplaced Faith with Sharon Salzberg
Old friends Sharon Salzberg and David Nichtern meet to discuss the calamity of misplaced faith and the expansion that can come from individualized social action.Join Sharon's Upcoming Course with Tricycle to uncover your Buddhist Personality TypeThis episode is brought to you by ... Show More
1h 5m
May 22
Ep. 55 – An Intimate Look at the Heart Sutra with Susan Piver
Meditation teacher, Susan Piver, joins David Nichtern to share her profound and ever-evolving connection to The Heart Sutra.Learn about the heart and mind of practice with David Nichtern and Krishna Das in an upcoming free online talk! Register HERE.In this episode, David Nichter ... Show More
1h 9m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is one of the most influential people in professional wrestling. He started as a ringside photographer and later became a manager for some of the biggest names in the industry. Heyman also worked with WWE as a commentator and producer, and founded and led promotion fo ... Show More
3h 21m
Jun 2021
Encore: WWF vs WCW | How AEW Dynamite Reignited the Wrestling War | 7
WWE might have thwarted WCW’s effort to claim the pro wrestling crown, but after 20 years of unchallenged supremacy, a new competitor has entered the ring. Bankrolled by a billionaire sports owner and airing weekly on TNT, All Elite Wrestling is, in many ways, the second coming o ... Show More
23m 19s
May 2020
Curt Hawkins compares WWE releases in 2014 & 2020, losing streak, Edge Heads, Zack Ryder
Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers) chats with Chris Van Vliet from his home in Queens, New York. He compares his recent release from WWE to the first time he was released in 2014, talks about what his plans are now, how he met and became friends with Zack Ryder, his infamous 269 match lo ... Show More
1h 8m
Jan 2024
Nic Nemeth Zig Zags From WWE Into New Japan
Nic Nemeth shares the story behind his New Japan Pro Wrestling debut, and how he managed to keep it a secret! He talks about his WWE release after nearly 20 years, and what Vince McMahon had to say about it. He remembers training at OVW, learning from Lance Storm and Chavo Guerre ... Show More
1h 13m
Jan 2021
Justin Roberts - AEW’s Ring Announcer talks to us about his life long wrestling career, touring with Tool and more! #027
On this episode we are joined by Justin Roberts who is currently the AEW (All Elite Wrestling) ring announcer. His lifelong love of wrestling has brought him on such an incredible journey from starting at WWE right out of college, leaving wrestling entirely, writing a best sellin ... Show More
1h 17m
May 2021
Encore: WWF vs WCW | Titan Rising | 1
It’s the early 1980s and there’s peace in the wrestling business. For years regional wrestling companies have maintained order by sticking to their own slices of US and Canadian territory.But that’s all about to change. Vince McMahon has just taken over the World Wrestling Federa ... Show More
30m 3s
Dec 2023
The WWE Superstar Braun Strowman Spilling Beans - Wealth | Reality of Wrestling World | TRS 366
Check out my Mind Performance app: Level SuperMind Android - https://lvl.fit/androiddownload iOS - https://lvl.fit/iosdownload Join the Level Community Here: https://linktr.ee/levelsupermindcommunity Follow Braun Strowman's Social Media Handles:- Instagram: https://www.instagram. ... Show More
1h 5m
May 2020
The Undertaker on the Montreal Screwjob, Vince McMahon’s Genius, the Attitude Era, Vegas, Concussions, and 30 Years at WWE
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by the Deadman himself, the Undertaker (a.k.a. Mark Calaway), to discuss the WWE’s documentary series ‘Undertaker: The Last Ride,’ as well as stories from more than 30 years of professional wrestling, his favorite 'WrestleMania,' his relationsh ... Show More
1h 56m