Episode 18: Sanjay Rawal—Multi-Day Running, Self-Transcendence & Finding Joy through Exertion

Sanjay Rawal is a runner, director and a disciple of Sri Chinmoy. His film 3100: Run and Become is one of the most impactful documentaries I’ve seen with regards to changing my perspective on exercise and the purpose of running. Through his own experiences and those of the people in his film, he uncovers the power of self-transcendence in multi-day running and how love and joy are the ultimate fuel for not just life itself but for performance as well. Sanjay shares about his recent marathon, finishing in 2:37, the lessons from 3100: Run and Become and a glimpse into his new film, Gather, which explores the origins of farming and foods and how we need to honor and learn from the Native-American traditions.

“We have the right to act, but not to the fruits thereof.”

SHOW NOTES

• 3:30 Finding Sanjay through Mind Pump & Paul Chek

• 4:45 Sanjay discovering the 3100 mile race

• 7:30 Moving to New York to learn from Sri Chinmoy from California

• 10:30 The concept of an ‘athlete-seeker’ and transcendence 

• 12:35 Running to become a better person

• 15:15 Finding joy is what makes it possible to accomplish 3100 miles

• 20:00 Using love and joy as a fuel rather than mind-over-matter approach 

• 25:00 Connecting to the earth and sky through running, inspired by Navajo runner Shaun Martin

• 29:25 ‘We have the right to act, but not to the fruits thereof’

• 37:00 Teaching others by learning each day from everyone else

• 38:00 Sanjay’s new film, Gather

• 43:20 Impact and abuse of native-farming traditions in North America

• 46:15 How COVID might shift capitalistic priorities moving forwards

• 51:25 What’s the running distance for personal transformation?

• 55:20 How a physical practice can contribute to your spiritual practice

• 65:00 Sri Chinmoy’s best books to read and learn, bridging the physical and spiritual

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