May 22, 2021

Michael Louis Diamond, better known as Mike D, is an American rapper and founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys.

The Beastie Boys have sold more than 20 million records in the United States, have had seven platinum-selling albums, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

As part of the Beastie Boys, Diamond rapped, sung, and played drums.

In 1979, Mike D co-founded the band The Young Aborigines. In 1981, Adam Yauch, aka MCA, a friend and follower of the band, became their bass player, and on the suggestion of their then-guitar player, John Berry, the band changed their name to the Beastie Boys. By 1983, Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) joined, and the Beastie Boys sound began to shift away from punk to hip hop.

A friend of theirs, and former podcast guest of mine, New York University student Rick Rubin (aka “DJ Double R”)—who first introduced me to Mike D—was an early turntablist for the Beastie Boys before becoming a world-renowned record producer and label mogul.

Mike D is a well-known contributor to the genre of rap music, but even the biggest Beastie Boys fans may not know that he has a strong spiritual practice, incorporating transcendental meditation, Tibetan Rites (a new addition we discuss!), yoga, and more into his daily routine.

During this discussion, you'll discover:

-Ben and Mike D talk about how music relates to health…06:30

• The Echo Chamber Podcast
• Rapé nasal spray (use code BEN for 5% off)
• Breathing in through left and out through the right nostril is more activating for the parasympathetic system
  • Supports the cooling functions of the body
• Breathing in through your right and out through your left is more activating for the sympathetic system
  • Supports the heating functions of the body
• It's best to use both nostrils when using the spray as well as breathing exercises
• Breathing through a particular nostril can alter metabolism and autonomic activities
• Tibetan Longevity exercises after breathwork heightens body temperature
• Sananga eye drops (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Kuripe pipe rapé applicators
• Powdered rapé using a Kuripe + Wim Hof breathing exercises = DMT affect
• Zen Nasal Spray with essential oils made by Dr. John Lieurance (use code BEN to save 5%)
  • The Shocking Truth About High-Dose Melatonin, Does Melatonin Supplementation Shut Down Your Own Production, How To Use Melatonin To Enhance Fasting & Much More With Dr. John Lieurance.
  • The Crazy Future Of Medical Biohacking: Skull Resets, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Nebulizers, Sound Therapy & More With Dr. John Lieurance.

-Mike's first experience with the 5 Tibetan Rites…14:20

• The Eye Of Revelation: Ancient Anti-Aging Secrets Of The Five Tibetan Rites by Peter Kelder
  • Ben's Morning Energy Flow
• Setting an intention with each movement
• 6th rite was designed for monks who are practicing celibacy
• 1st: Spinning counterclockwise
• 2nd: Raising and lowering the head and legs
• 3rd: From knees, leaning backwards and pulling forwards
• 4th: Tabletop
• 5th: Upward and downward dog

-How Mike dealt with the physically demanding nature of performance and touring…19:10

• Mike D grew up as an angry punk rock kid from New York City
• Running away from bullies in NYC made Mike a good runner
• How To Lose 131 Pounds By Eating Meat: The Rick Rubin Podcast
• Expending/receiving outstanding energy on stage every night = adrenaline dependency
• Lack of adrenaline when home from tour led to self-medication in an attempt to find chemical balance
• Balancing the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems
• Ra Optics blue light blocking glasses
• Melatonin (use code BEN to save 5%)
• Kion Creatine
• NAD supplement
• Epinephrine/adrenaline enhances the immune system

-How the discovery of yoga led Mike D to a new consciousness of health…33:00

• First wife Tamara Davis introduced him to yoga
• Jivamukti Yoga
• Yoga created balance in his chaotic life
• The Renegade Breathing Mastermind Behind The Crazy Holotropic Breathing Protocol I Do In My Sauna (& Biohacking Breathwork, Best Foods For Breathhold Time, Dangers Of Wim Hof & Much More!).
• Learning the yoga practice introduced him to breathwork, which has largely impacted Mike's life
• Breathwork gives us the ability to control our psychological state
• The link between attention span, patience, breathwork, and meditation

-Ben and Mike's discussion on healthy habits during family time …40:15

• Ben's breathwork and ice routine with his kids
• Mike D's kids' obsession with music and health

-How Mike's meditation practice has evolved and what it looks like now…42:35

• Bob Roth at the David Lynch Foundation
• Transcendental meditation practice
• Implementing meditation programs in schools
• Transcendental Meditation: Cult, Quackery, or Science? with Philip Land.
• Mike's TM routine = twice per day, 20 minutes each
• Mike's meditation practice helped him improve patience, people management, and ability to be more honest

-Mike D's morning routine…46:45

• Hot water + apple cider vinegar + lemon drink 1st thing
• Series of yoga postures and movement before meditation
• Meditation + journaling
• Kion Coffee
  • Ben's 3 signs of ‘good coffee'
  • Keywords: organic, nitrogen flush
• Four Sigmatic Chaga and Lions Mane
• Training and surfing

-What Ben said when Mike quizzed him on the best adaptogenic mushrooms…52:20

• Four Sigmatic Mushrooms
  • Turkeytail and Chaga for the immune system
  • Melanin in Chaga acts similar to Methylene Blue
  • Reishi for relaxation
  • Lion's Mane is for mental energy and Cordyceps for physical energy
• Homegrown mushroom growing kits

-Mike's pet peeve about anti-aging…53:30

• We're all going to age and the negative connotation of the word “anti”
• The trans-humanistic, let's live forever idea is unhealthy and unrealistic
• Responsibly implementing a well-balanced anti-aging routine allows us to ‘do more and do better'

-Why having children may result in less of an “anti-aging obsession”…58:20

• The desire to maintain mobility and health increases when we have kids
• Watching his kids surf helps Mike stay in the present moment
• Some of Mike's favorite anti-aging techniques
  • BFR training
  • PRP shots
  • 30-15-5-5-5 Pistol squats with BFR bands (use code BEN10 to save 10%)

-The “non-negotiables” for Mike's spiritual and physical health…1:03:55

• #1 non-negotiable = meditation practice
• Daily gratitude
• Spiritual Disciplines Journal
• Blessing over each meal
• Being partnered with someone willing to do the relationship work
• Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
• Giving and receiving love and appreciation from partner
• Connection with the outdoors

-And much more…

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Mike D.:

• The Echo Chamber Podcast
• Beastie Boys
• The Beastie Boys Book

– Podcasts And Articles:

• The Shocking Truth About High-Dose Melatonin, Does Melatonin Supplementation Shut Down Your Own Production, How To Use Melatonin To Enhance Fasting & Much More With Dr. John Lieurance.
• The Crazy Future Of Medical Biohacking: Skull Resets, Suppositories, Nasal Sprays, Nebulizers, Sound Therapy & More With Dr. John Lieurance.
• How To Lose 131 Pounds By Eating Meat: The Rick Rubin Podcast
• The Renegade Breathing Mastermind Behind The Crazy Holotropic Breathing Protocol I Do In My Sauna (& Biohacking Breathwork, Best Foods For Breathhold Time, Dangers Of Wim Hof & Much More!).
• Transcendental Meditation: Cult, Quackery, or Science? with Philip Land.
• Breathwork vs. Psychedelics, Tantric Sex, Relational Alchemy, Questions That Lead To Love & Much More With Stefanos Sifandos & Christine Hassler.
• 1 Cheap & Easy Underground Training Method For Growth Hormone Release, 5 Biohacks to Increase Strength in 60 Seconds, 7 Exercises for the Eyes to Radically Enhance Stamina & Speed
• The Single, Most Comprehensive Stem Cell Procedure Known To Humankind: How A “Full Body Stem Cell & Exosome Makeover” Works, With Dr. Harry Adelson And Dr. Amy Killen.
• Sabbath Ramblings: The 4 Spiritual Disciplines I Practice Every Day (& Why).
• How To Blast You (And Your Child’s!) Physical, Mental, & Spiritual Resilience Through The Roof With Breathwork.

– Books:

• The Eye Of Revelation: Ancient Anti-Aging Secrets Of The Five Tibetan Rites by Peter Kelder
• Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs
• Spiritual Disciplines Journal

– Food And Supplements:

• Rapé
• Sananga Eye Drops (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Zen Nasal Spray (use code BEN to save 5%)
• Melatonin (use code BEN to save 5%)
• Kion Creatine
• NAD Supplement
• Aplle Cider Vinegar
• Kion Coffee
• Four Sigmatic
• Methylene Blue

– Other Resources:

• Kuripe Pipe
• Ra Optics Blue Light Blocking Glasses
• BFR Bands (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
• Tibetan Longevity Exercises
• The 5 Tibetan Rites
• Wim Hof Breathing Exercises
• Jivamukti Yoga
• Bob Roth At The David Lynch Foundation
• Transcendental Meditation
• How Stress Can Boost Immune System

Episode sponsors:

–The Boundless Cookbook: Coming soon! Optimize your physical and mental performance with nutritious and delicious Greenfield family recipes. This is your roadmap to a culinary journey that includes ancient food and wild game preparation tactics, biohacked smoothies, meat rubs, cocktails, desserts, and beyond—without any restrictive diet, limited ingredients, or tasteless “health foods!”

–Kion Flex: The ultimate recovery formula, Kion Flex is a bioavailable blend to support joint comfort, mobility and flexibility, and bone health. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code BEN10.

–Chilisleep: Chilisleep makes both the chiliPAD and OOLER, innovative options that fit over the top of your mattress and use water to control the temperature of your bed and help lower your core body temperature to trigger deep, relaxing sleep.

–Powerdot: Relieve your pain, recover faster from workouts, build muscle and endurance to help you accelerate past those training plateaus, and feel great doing it.

–Ra Optics: Purchase a pair of Ra Optics Day and Night Lenses to optimize sleep quality, energy, levels, and health in the modern, electrically-lit world. Receive 10% off your order when you order through my link.

Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Mike D or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!