Inspiring People and Rewilding: #3 Sergio Fernández and his 8 Wild Ways

We want to start 2016 with a special guest in this section, where we ask people whom we find inspirational to share with us their “rewilding” experiences and tell us how they put the eight rewilding steps in practice (or not) towards a healthier, wilder, and freer lifestyle. (If you haven’t downloaded the “Return to Your Natural State in Eight Rewilding Steps” free guide, do it now by clicking here. Your wild(er) self will be grateful.)

Our guest, Sergio Fernández, is a very creative and inspirational man who walks his talk – thinking, feeling and doing what he preaches. Listen carefully to what he has to say; we can assure you it’s valuable advice.

Let’s find out more about Sergio

Entrepreneur and lecturer, Sergio Fernández is the founder and director of the “Instituto Pensamiento Positivo” and the “Máster de Emprendedores” of the same institute.

His mission is to disseminate practical tools for personal and professional development to all those who want to transform their lives into something full and meaningful. Therefore, Sergio writes books, collaborates with the media, lectures, and conducts life-changing seminars (Seminario Vivir sin Jefe | Seminario Vivir con Abundancia).

Sergio Fernandez’ Wild Side and the Eight Steps to Rewilding

1. Eating as a hunter-gatherer: Look for food in its purest and most natural and unprocessed state. Forget about wrapped and labelled food, and go local and seasonal. Be reasonable when it comes to portions and cherish the food and the company. Don’t forget about the water look for a close by spring.

Sergio: In recent years, I have been choosing principles that help me stay energized and healthy, one of them is to basically eat only vegetables, as little as possible of processed food, and as fresh and using organic products as much as possible. I only eat when I am hungry, and a huge percentage of my food intake is liquid. My basic principle is that food must serve to have more energy, not less. It must serve to make us feel better, not worse. These are basically the rules by which I decide when, what, and how to eat.

2. Moving like a hunter-gatherer: Reintroduce those movements that are characteristic to the human body. Walk, run, and sprint (barefoot when you can), jump, balance, move on all fours, lift heavy weights, swim, or enjoy your own favorite movement. Try to sit as little as possible.

Sergio: For more than ten years now, when I’m in the city, I commute almost always by bike. Only if my destination is very close will I walk, and only if my destination is more than 10 kilometers away, will I use a car. This strategy makes me very happy because I don’t lose time in city’s traffic jams, and I arrive at my destination energized and inspired. Those who commute by bike certainly know what I am talking about.

3. Sleeping like a hunter-gatherer: Sleep at the beat of the circadian rhythm whenever possible. Wake up at dawn; slowdown in the evening. Put out the lights, start disconnecting all the electronic devices, and avoid sleeping surrounded by them. Your sleeping place should inspire you to relax and promote sleep.

Sergio: I want to live life at the fullest. Walking around like a zombie throughout the day because of lack of sleep does not fit in that philosophy. I sleep whenever I feel like I need it, and yes, it might be that I sleep a bit more than the average person. But at the same time I am also convinced that when I am awake, I am also more awake than that average person. Over the years, I developed the tendency to go to bed earlier and earlier, but also to wake up much earlier than before.

4. Relaxing and Playing like a hunter-gatherer: Leave stress behind and dedicate enough time to relax (this does not include watching TV or playing PlayStation). Spend time reading, do a light physical workout, meet up with friends, or enjoy nature instead. Don’t forget to play (with your kids when possible). And last but not least, humor is a great way of relaxing.

Sergio: For me, my job is all about play and fun. I dont’ even see it as work. The day I no longer see it as joyful and playful, I will immediately stop with it, and go looking for something else.

For me, it makes no sense go to work if it is not to learn, to contribute to others and to have a great time. I believe that every individual should have the freedom to work when and how he wants. I think working is a way to have fun while we contribute our bit to make this world a better place. To me, the opposite is slavery. Too many people believe that play and relax is something exclusively for before or after their workday.

5. Disconnecting and reconnecting: Refuse to be bombarded by all kinds of electronic devices surrounding you. Reduce your time watching TV, and take off your watch. Make time to disconnect, and don’t give in to the many possible excuses. Once disconnected, make time to reconnect with your (wilder) self and listen to your inner voice. Start to really know yourself. Discover what your real desires and goals in life are. Find out what your mission is on this planet.

Sergio: Sincerely, I do not need or want to disconnect from anything. I adore every single bit of my life. If you like your life, why would you want to disconnect? What interests me is just the opposite of disconnecting, it’s about connecting even more with myself and with the “now,” the “present” and with what I really want to be doing at this very moment. I think the idea of leisure time and ‘time off’ is basically keeping us away from really connecting with the present. I really want to be connected – connected with the present.

6. Going outdoors: Spend as much time as possible outdoors.

Sergio: I love being outdoors, sitting on the terrace, in a park, in nature … I think that one is a better person when in contact with nature and realizing that our life is only a small part of something much larger than just the life of each of us. A picnic or an afternoon of reading in a quiet park always sounds like a plan to me.

7. Observing: Stop thinking that all that surrounds you is evident and logical. Start listening again to the singing of the birds. Try to learn and recognize the different species. Learn about the plants and trees in your area. Observe animals and learn from them. Find out which is your totem animal, the animal which inspires you and gives you strength and teaches you things. Don’t forget to observe other people to better understand your own thoughts and feelings. What you see in them, you see in yourself.

Sergio: I think most of the problems that we as humans have are a result of refusing to learn, and that means denying observation and learning. I am convinced that If we were more willing to learn, to observe and to ask, to stop wanting to be right … to be more humble, ultimately, we would enjoy much more our lives. For me observing without judgment is an important part of my path.

8. Learning bushcraft and survival skills: Returning to our natural state requires relearning a minimum of technical bushcraft and survival skills in order to be able to spend and really enjoy more time in nature in the most comfortable way. The ancestral techniques of bushcraft and survival are meant to cover the basic needs such as food, water and shelter. Even more important, they teach you the difference between the essential and the superficial.

Sergio: learning bushcraft looks like an interesting proposal, but to be honest, I don’t have a clue about it.

Thank you a lot Sergio for your time and for sharing with the rewilding drum tribe your wild side.

And you? Do you want to share your rewilding ways? We are waiting for them in the comments.

A big hug!