Orthodox Health
Dr. Michael Kuhn
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Orthodox Health explores the timeless wisdom of the Orthodox Church in cultivating holistic well-being—spiritually, physically, and mentally. The podcast covers topics like fasting, nutrition, exercise, prayer, and overcoming modern health pitfalls through an Orthodox Christian lens. It features guest interviews, theological insights, and practical applications to help listeners break free from the consumer-driven health industry and reclaim a balanced, faith-centered life.
Επεισόδια
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Why Your Child Needs Movement to Learn | Angelique Chaverri 14.09.2026 1ώ 29λWhy does a reading teacher require a pull-up bar?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Angelique Chaverri, M.S.Ed. joins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explore a question modern education often misses: What is the rest of the child doing while we’re asking the brain to learn?Angelique works with students through Scholé Academy & the Center for Students for Learning Differences. Her approach brings together reading instruction, movement, posture, proprioception, vestibular function, primitive reflexes, cognitive timing, visual tracking, rhythm, & what she calls classical physical education.We get into why ordinary childhood movement may matter for learning; the relationship between crawling, walking, balance, posture, eye tracking, & reading; what primitive reflexes like ATNR have to do with development; why older models of physical education included hanging, stall bars, health wands, music, rhythm, & self-defense; what modern schooling may have lost by pushing formal academics earlier; & why Angelique believes physical literacy belongs alongside academic literacy.But underneath all of it is the question Orthodox Health keeps returning to:What is the body actually for?Orthodox Christianity never treats the human being as a brain carried around inside an inconvenient body. We pray, fast, stand, kneel, bow, prostrate, sing, work, play, suffer, & worship as embodied persons.So why would education be different?Chapters: 0:00 - Coming Up - When We Got Rid of the Horses00:56 Orthodox Health Intro2:25 - Why the Body Participates in Learning7:14 - Homeschooling Led Her to Orthodoxy10:32 - Body, Mind, Soul & Child Development17:15 - Why Does a Reading Teacher Require a Pull-Up Bar?19:33 - Classical Physical Education24:37 - Phonics, Sight Words & Modern Reading32:40 - Cognitive Timing, Rhythm & the “Brain Clock”40:16 - Primitive Reflexes & Neurological Development43:29 - ATNR & Learning Differences47:57 - Primitive Reflexes, Martial Arts & Movement53:43 - Eye Tracking, Reading & Dyslexia55:49 - Crawling, Walking & Processing Speed58:19 - Posture & Learning1:01:20 - Proprioception, Spatial Awareness & Math1:06:14 - Swedish Stall Bars & Classical PE1:11:12 - Did We Push Formal Academics Too Early?1:13:38 - Why Two-Year-Olds Should Move1:15:13 - Why Age Seven Keeps Showing Up1:17:03 - Jump Rope & the Scholar-Athlete1:19:58 - Physical Literacy & What Needs to Change1:20:52 - Where to Find Angelique1:21:40 - Orthodox Formation Is Embodied1:26:20 - Marina Becomes the Longitudinal Case StudyIf this conversation made you rethink what learning is supposed to look like, subscribe to the Orthodox Health Podcast, leave your biggest takeaway below, & share this episode with a parent, teacher, homeschool family, or educator who needs to hear it.Work with Angelique: Scholé Academy Website & their Learning Differences CenterThe Renaissance Video & The Motivation FactorThe Lean Berets - YoutubeWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram -
What Is Exercise Actually For? | Presbytera Marina Thornburg 07.09.2026 58λWhat is exercise actually for?In this episode, Presbytera Marina Thornburg returns to the Orthodox Health Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Michael Christian & John about what happens when something genuinely good (exercise, discipline, taking care of the body) begins demanding more than it should.Can physical discipline make us more virtuous? Is something ascetical simply because it's difficult? What happens when the “optimal” training plan conflicts with prayer, marriage, children, work, or the people who actually need us?We talk about health hyperfixation, vanity beyond appearance, the danger of making discipline part of our identity, learning to adapt when life interrupts the plan, & why sometimes the ability to cheerfully miss a workout may say more about our relationship with fitness than never missing one.Presbytera Marina also shares how motherhood changed her relationship with exercise, how her family incorporates movement into ordinary life, what she hopes her children learn from watching their parents, and why fitness ultimately needs to make us more capable of serving... not more consumed with ourselves.“Let exercise help you serve. It's not your master; you are its master. And to the glory of God.” - Pres. MarinaChapters:00:00 Coming Up00:45 Orthodox Health Intro02:14 What Is Exercise Actually For?05:33 Consistency Over Flash10:20 Health Culture Has a “Why” Problem12:10 Fitness, Marriage & Motherhood15:02 Exercise, Asceticism & Spiritual Discipline18:52 Self-Mastery Isn’t Holiness20:46 When Health Becomes Hyperfixation24:25 When Fitness Conflicts With Your Calling27:53 Fitness, Family & the Royal Path28:42 Habit Stacking31:23 Health Requires Adaptability36:31 Vanity Beyond Appearance38:48 Shortcuts, Suffering & Optimization44:35 What Should Fitness Prepare Us to Do?49:57 Let Exercise Help You Serve50:26 What Our Children Learn From Us52:44 What Is Your Fitness Actually For?53:06 Where to Find Pres. Marina55:24 Final ThoughtsWork with Presbytera Marina: Orthodox True Femininity - Website & InstagramThe True Femininity Hormone Foundations CourseWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Why The Athos Diet Changes How We Think About Food | Dr. Pete Patitsas 31.08.2026 1ώ 21λWhat can modern medicine learn from Orthodox fasting without reducing an ancient ascetical practice to another health intervention?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Pete Patitsas, emergency physician & author of The Athos Diet, joins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explore what the fasting traditions associated with Mt. Athos can teach us about food, health, discipline & the formation of the human person.They discuss intermittent fasting, metabolic health, protein during Great Lent, shellfish, pea protein, tofu, fasting-compliant junk food, food addiction & the relationship between fasting & feasting.But the conversation ultimately goes much deeper than nutrition:Why does Christianity use something as visceral as hunger to teach restraint?What happens when suffering is given a purpose?Can health optimization itself become disordered?And what does modern medicine miss when it isolates the physiological effects of fasting from the spiritual life in which those practices developed?Dr. Pete also shares why he believes fasting teaches delayed gratification, how purpose once helped him get a frightened patient out of an overwhelmed emergency department, & why Orthodox fasting may have something important to offer a culture increasingly unable to resist its appetites.Topics include: The Athos Diet • Mt. Athos • Orthodox fasting • intermittent fasting • Great Lent • fasting protein • metabolic health • delayed gratification • food addiction • asceticism • purpose • nocebo • fasting & feastingChapters:00:00 Coming Up01:00 Orthodox Health Intro02:29 The Athos Diet & Orthodox Health07:13 You Can't Fast From Something You Don't Desire12:59 What Is The Athos Diet?20:48 Health, Responsibility & Purpose27:39 What Can Mt. Athos Teach Modern Medicine?33:24 Protein During the Orthodox Fast39:33 Training, Duty & a Purpose-Driven Life42:53 Suffering, Purpose & the Nocebo Effect47:18 Fasting, Withdrawal & Food Addiction52:22 Tofu, Shellfish & Protein Optimization57:40 When Health Optimization Becomes an Obsession1:03:05 Why Resisting Good Things Changes Us1:08:38 Can Fasting Help Rebuild Culture?1:13:18 Fasting, Feasting & the Bigger PictureConnect with Dr. Pete & your copy of The Athos Diet: Before There Was Atkins, There Was Athos on TheAthosDiet.comThe Athos Diet YouTube ChannelWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Is Stress Always Bad? The Lost Case for Voluntary Hardship 24.08.2026 1ώ 32λWhat if the goal of health isn’t to eliminate stress... but to become capable of responding to the right kinds of stress well?Modern wellness culture is intensely focused on lowering cortisol, regulating the nervous system, maximizing recovery, & avoiding added strain. Sometimes that is exactly what health requires.But somewhere along the way, “chronic stress can make us sick” became “stress itself is bad.”Exercise is stress. Fasting is stress. Heat & cold are stress. Hunger is uncomfortable.In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John ask what separates adaptive stress from destructive stress.We explore cortisol, homeostasis, allostasis, inflammation, oxidative stress, hormesis, recovery, capacity, control, meaning, nervous-system regulation, fasting, voluntary hardship, & why Christian asceticism cannot be reduced to an ancient biohacking protocol.The deeper question is: What am I enslaved to?Because the point of asceticism is not becoming the person who can suffer the most. It is becoming free enough to love.What stress do I need to remove? What stress do I need to recover from? What stress do I need to stop avoiding?Next week: Dr. Pete Patitsas, author of The Athos Diet, on traditional Athonite eating & the limits of reducing asceticism to a health intervention.Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:59 Orthodox Health Intro02:29 Is Stress Always Bad?07:35 What Do We Actually Mean by “Stress”?09:31 Homeostasis, Allostasis & the Stress Response10:01 Cortisol Is Not Inherently the Enemy11:45 Inflammation, Oxidative Stress & Context14:18 Chronic Stress vs. Adaptive Stress15:10 Allostatic Load & Recovery17:50 Exercise: Voluntary Hardship We Already Accept20:49 Dose, Recovery, Capacity & Hormesis23:16 Fasting as a Physiological Stressor25:50 Recovery Is Part of Adaptation31:56 Control, Meaning & the Experience of Stress36:22 Jiu-Jitsu, Discomfort & Learning Not to Panic37:23 When Nervous System Regulation Becomes Fear of Activation38:14 Nocebo, Hunger & Hypervigilance39:43 When Bodily Desire Becomes a Command43:21 Why Hormesis Cannot Explain Asceticism47:22 Does Science Need to “Validate” Orthodox Practice?50:22 The Passions & Voluntary Deprivation52:28 Not All Voluntary Hardship Is Asceticism53:01 Toughness Culture, Masculinity & Pride55:37 Why Almsgiving Breaks the Biohacking Framework56:56 Christianity Is Not a Cult of Suffering59:17 Destructive Asceticism & the Need for Discernment01:01:38 Why Obedience Matters01:05:35 Faithfulness, Temperance & Freedom01:07:28 What Do We Lose When We Stop Practicing Being Denied?01:09:08 What Are We Actually Training When We Fast?01:13:01 Fasting, Obedience & the Tyranny of Self-Will01:15:09 Need vs. Preference vs. Habit01:17:14 Why Fasting Requires Prayer & Almsgiving01:18:45 Limits, Creaturehood & Modern Life01:21:25 Why the Feast Matters as Much as the Fast01:23:10 Stop Inventing New Hardships01:25:52 So, Is Stress Always Bad?01:26:35 Three Questions to Ask About Stress01:29:37 The Case for Voluntary HardshipWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Our Thoughts Determine Our Health? Nocebo, Fear & the Orthodox Mind 17.08.2026 1ώ 31λCan fear, expectation, & the stories we tell about our bodies actually change what we experience physically?Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica famously taught that “our thoughts determine our lives.” Modern research into the nocebo effect, pain, conditioning, stress, & health anxiety gives us a fascinating (though much narrower) window into the relationship between thought & bodily experience.In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Mike & John explore what our thoughts can and cannot do to the body; how diagnoses & prognoses can become identities; why constant health information can produce hypervigilance instead of wisdom; & why Orthodox Christianity refuses both New Age mind-over-matter & the materialist claim that thoughts are irrelevant to physical health.Dr. Mike also shares the personal story of being repeatedly diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a child & told he might not live past twenty, drawing a striking parallel with Elder Thaddeus being told at eighteen that he might have only five years left.Ultimately, the question is larger than whether thoughts affect symptoms:How do we care faithfully for the body without trying to control what only belongs to God?Topics include Elder Thaddeus, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives, nocebo & placebo, health anxiety, symptom scanning, diagnosis and identity, prayer, stress physiology, surrender, & Christian hope.Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:46 Orthodox Health Intro02:16 Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives?05:34 What Is the Nocebo Effect?08:51 Elder Thaddeus Was No Stranger to Illness11:21 Dr. Mike Was Told He Wouldn’t Live Past 2015:05 When a Diagnosis Becomes an Identity18:52 Health, Control & the Fear of Death22:36 Being Afraid vs. Nurturing Fear24:45 How the Nocebo Effect Actually Works28:44 Stress, Relationships & Physical Healing31:27 How Medical Language Shapes Expectations35:03 Attention, Hypervigilance & Symptom Loops37:28 Is Health Content Making You Sicker?44:04 Elder Thaddeus & the “Whirlpool of Thoughts”47:15 Information Cannot Give You Certainty49:16 What Inner Peace Actually Means50:29 When You Stop Inhabiting Your Body55:39 Elder Thaddeus on Stress, Illness & Surrender1:03:12 Serving Others Without Carrying the World1:06:35 Why We Keep Picking the Thought Back Up1:09:09 Health Anxiety, Checking & the Illusion of Control1:14:11 When Prudence Becomes Rumination1:18:17 Turning Surrender Into Another Biohack1:21:34 Why Prayer Is NOT a Placebo1:24:47 Science, Noetic Life & Elder Thaddeus1:26:45 Do Our Thoughts Determine Our Health?1:28:31 The Final TakeawayWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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The Dormition: What the Death of the Theotokos Reveals About Yours 10.08.2026 1ώ 48λYou will die. So what exactly are you preparing your body for?After exploring how Orthodox Christians should feed the body during fasting & how to train without making the gym an idol, in this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John confront the question that neither nutrition nor physical discipline can answer:What are health, strength, suffering, & ultimately the body itself actually for?The Dormition gives the Church’s answer.The Theotokos, the holiest human person who ever lived, still shared our mortality. She truly died. Yet the Feast does not present her death as defeat. Christ receives His Mother, the grave does not have the final word, & her glorification reveals the destiny of humanity united to Him.They explore the theology of the Dormition icon, why Orthodox Christians fast before the Feast, bodily resurrection, illness and human dignity, the limits of modern wellness culture, remembrance of death, the difference between physical toughness & Christian asceticism, & what it actually means for a Christian to “die well.”Along the way, they ask a harder Orthodox Health question:Is caring for your health making you more available for love, service, & surrender... or simply making you more afraid of losing control?Health is good. Strength is good. Medicine is good.But none of them can tell us what our life is ultimately for.☦️ Blessed Dormition Fast.Chapters:00:00 Coming Up0:41 Orthodox Health Intro02:10 What Is the Body For?09:04 What Is the Dormition?15:23 Why Fast Before Dormition?20:07 Why Celebrate a Death?31:24 Reading the Dormition Icon41:11 Scripture & the Feast49:06 Why Mary Still Needs Christ54:48 The Fantasy of Invulnerability1:03:24 The Destiny of the Church1:08:06 Dignity Beyond Productivity1:16:21 Physical Discipline vs. Asceticism1:24:02 Remembering Death Without Fear1:29:24 What This Means for Health1:32:08 Five Diagnostic Questions1:44:04 What Does It Mean to Die Well?1:45:05 Destined for ResurrectionWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Making the Gym an Idol? Training & Orthodox Fasting | Sdn Michael Cassell, CSCS 03.08.2026 1ώ 9λIs your training serving your vocation... or has your life quietly begun serving your training?Physical training can teach discipline, patience, consistency & the ability to endure discomfort. But difficulty alone does not make something Orthodox asceticism.In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John are joined by Subdeacon Michael Cassell: a certified strength & conditioning coach, an active-duty serviceman, Catechumen/New Member Coordinator at All Saints of North America, & lifelong Orthodox Christian... to discuss how training should change during the fasting seasons of the Church.They explore whether Orthodox Christians should expect personal records during fasting periods, why training volume and frequency may need to decrease, how to preserve strength and muscle, the role of sleep & recovery, & how to periodize physical training around the Orthodox Church year.The conversation moves beyond programming into a deeper question: can the gym become an idol?Subdeacon Michael explains how physical success can mask spiritual sickness, why discipline can become spiritually deceptive, & how nepsis, or watchfulness, helps reveal when the body has stopped serving our vocation & quietly become its master.They also discuss military service, suffering, fatherhood, Spartan racing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, prayer during training & why becoming more formidable does not necessarily make us more loving. Topics include:Fitness versus Orthodox asceticismTraining during Great Lent, the Nativity Fast & the Dormition FastStrength, volume, intensity & recoveryPreserving muscle & performance while fastingSleep &nervous-system overloadMilitary service, suffering & fatherhoodSpartan racing & Brazilian jiu-jitsuPrayer rules & divided attentionNepsis & spiritual watchfulnessWhen fitness becomes identity, control or idolatryChapters: 00:00 Coming up00:48 Orthodox Health Intro02:18 How Should Orthodox Christians Train During a Fast?08:53 Meet Subdeacon Michael Cassell15:37 Why are we attracted to difficult training?19:12 When fitness competes with prayer21:13 Can the gym become an idol?23:33 Chasing PRs during an Orthodox fast?26:39 Cardio loss, BJJ & getting humbled30:01 Military service, suffering & fatherhood35:11 Can chasing suffering become addictive?36:50 Lower-volume, higher-intensity training40:00 Sleep, recovery & nervous-system overload43:02 What fitness culture misunderstands about Orthodoxy45:41 Periodizing training around the Church year48:16 Spartan racing & becoming a complete athlete52:42 The biggest fasting-season training mistake53:59 Prayer ropes, workouts & divided attention56:10 When physical health masks spiritual sickness58:26 The one takeaway to remember59:31 Where to find Subdeacon Michael1:01:00 Is training still your servant?1:07:35 Closing thoughtsFind Subdeacon Michael on Instagram at @struggle_make_strongHis Other Resources: Jason Brown, Mountain Tactical Institute, SOFLETESbn Michael's 12-Month Training Plan (Spotify won't let us include the Google Drive File, so DM him or us if you want it)Work with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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The Ultimate Orthodox Fasting Protein Tier List 27.07.2026 1ώ 12λPeanut butter contains protein... but does that make it a protein source?In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John build the ultimate Orthodox fasting protein tier list for the Dormition Fast. They rank shellfish, lentils, split peas, lupini beans, bean pasta, pea & rice protein, black beans, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, peanut butter, quinoa, oats, tahini, sourdough, vegan burgers, protein bars, seitan, tofu, tempeh & soy-based imitation meats.This is not a ranking of the holiest, cheapest or tastiest fasting foods. The central question is much more practical: does this food merely contain protein, or can it genuinely function as the protein anchor of a fasting meal?Along the way, they explain why shrimp & shellfish earn S tier, why lentils remain excellent without quite reaching the top, why peanut butter & quinoa are commonly overrated as protein sources, why a pea & rice protein blend can outperform either protein alone & why highly processed “Pharisee meats” belong near the bottom.The episode also moves beyond the rankings to show how to build a realistic, protein-anchored fasting day. They cover breakfast, lunch & dinner ideas for people who use protein powder, prefer whole foods, cannot eat shellfish or struggle with low energy during longer fasts.The goal is not macro worship, dietary perfection or turning fasting into a nutrition contest. It is to practice obedience, simplicity & stewardship: choose real foods, plan ahead, identify the protein anchor, then stop obsessing & participate in the fast.Chapters:00:00 Coming Up02:20 The Fasting Protein Problem04:17 How the Rankings Work07:30 Shrimp & Shellfish11:31 Lentils17:26 Peanut Butter23:24 Quinoa27:10 Bean Pasta31:27 Protein Powders35:58 Restoring Your Energy36:49 Beans & Supporting Proteins40:48 Seeds, Tahini, Oats & Bread47:59 Processed Vegan Foods52:40 The Final Tier53:39 Seitan54:29 Tofu, Tempeh & Soy58:28 Pharisee Meats59:36 Fasting Without Burnout1:00:15 Building a Fasting Day1:04:30 Whole-Food Alternatives1:06:09 The Three-Meal Test1:07:09 Asceticism Is Not Neglect1:08:06 Stewardship Beyond Nutrition1:09:18 The True Purpose of Fasting1:10:11 The Key DistinctionWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Regenerating the Land, Forming the Man: Farming, BJJ & Orthodoxy | Nick Hillman 20.07.2026 1ώ 11λWhat connects regenerative agriculture, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Orthodox community, & the formation of the human person?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Nick Hillman rejoins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explain what regenerative agriculture is actually trying to restore... from soil biology, nutrient density & plant health to the relationship between farmers, food & the people they nourish.Nick walks through regenerative viticulture, soil & plant testing, Korean Natural Farming, JADAM, compost extracts, cover crops, crop rotation, calcium amendments, earthworms, seed saving & the practical realities of restoring damaged land. He also audits John’s new backyard garden & explains how ordinary families can begin rebuilding the soil beneath their own feet.The conversation then expands into Nick’s other work: the Meeting of the Lord Ranch, a proposed Orthodox retreat center and agricultural community; St. Nestor’s Grappling Club; his journey to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt; & the announcement of our developing OrthrowBros podcast.Farming, BJJ, homesteading & Orthodox community may appear to be separate topics. But each asks the same question:What does it mean to faithfully tend something God has entrusted to you?Real strength preserves, cultivates, serves, & leaves something healthier than it found it.Featuring discussion of:Regenerative agriculturesoil healthnutrient densityregenerative viticulturebackyard gardeningKorean Natural FarmingJADAMhomemade amendmentsseed savingOrthodox homesteadingMeeting of the Lord RanchSt. NestorBrazilian Jiu-JitsuOrthodox masculinitystewardship & Christian formationChapters:00:00 Coming Up00:39 Orthodox Health Intro02:19 Tending Creation: Soil, Strength & Stewardship07:57 Regenerative Viticulture & the Future of Farming14:00 What Regenerative Agriculture Actually Regenerates17:38 Book Ad19:17 Transitioning Farms Without Destroying the Soil22:28 John’s Backyard Garden Audit25:32 Korean Natural Farming, JADAM & Garden Amendments31:13 Energy Ad32:05 Watermelons, Soil Testing, Earthworms & Saving Seeds48:04 Fasting Ad48:42 The Meeting of the Lord Ranch59:05 St. Nestor’s Grappling Club & Orthodox BJJ01:03:48 Announcing the OrthrowBros Podcast01:07:07 Tending What God Has Entrusted to YouMeeting of the Lord: Website, Orthodox Crowdfunding, Instagram, & YoutubeRegerative Ag Solutions - Website & InstagramSt. Nestor's Grappling Club - Instagram & YouTubeOther Resources: The Temple Steps "Salt of the Earth Conference" - Nigel Palmer - Regenerative Grower's GuideMaster Cho Work with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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You Don't Need Spiritual Techniques... You Need Repentance | St. Paisios 13.07.2026 1ώ 32λModern spirituality promises healing.St. Paisios points to something much deeper.In the conclusion of our trilogy on yoga, the New Age, & Orthodox Christianity, Dr. Michael Christian & John examine the teachings of St. Paisios the Athonite on repentance, discernment, the passions, logismoi, prayer, & communion with Christ.Rather than becoming fascinated by counterfeit spirituality, St. Paisios calls us to become transformed through humility, confession, repentance, & the healing of the whole person.Topics include:• Yoga & Orthodox Christianity• New Age spirituality• Logismoi (thoughts)• The passions• Philautia (self-love)• Spiritual deception (prelest)• Discernment• The Jesus Prayer• Prayer vs spiritual technique• Healing through repentanceDrawing from With Pain & Love for Contemporary Man, Passions & Virtues, Spiritual Awakening, Family Life, & The Gurus, the Young Man, & Elder Paisios, this episode offers the Orthodox answer to today's search for healing.Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:39 Orthodox Health Intro02:09 St. Paisios & the Orthodox Answer to False Spirituality08:49 Why Modern Man Is Vulnerable to Spiritual Deception12:20 Book Ad13:08 Orthodoxy Is Not a Christianized New Age18:42 Spiritual Causality Without Superstition23:18 St. Paisios on Curses, Repentance, & Confession25:11 The Spiritual Power of Words, Blessings, & Curses29:47 Logismoi: The War Within Our Thoughts33:33 Can You Trust Your Inner Voice?38:33 The Fly, the Bee, & Purifying the Heart40:48 Understanding the Passions & Pathology42:58 St. Paisios: The Passions as Powers of the Soul47:40 The Body Is Not Spiritually Neutral49:25 Energy Ad50:10 Gluttony, Trauma, & an Orthodox Vision of Healing53:35 How Counterfeit Spirituality Exploits the Passions56:29 Philautia: When the Self Becomes an Idol59:27 When Self-Love Becomes Self-Worship01:02:20 Real Stewardship vs. Self-Ownership01:03:47 Fasting Can Heal (or Feed) the Passions01:05:39 True Discernment Is More Than Spotting Error01:09:27 Testing Counterfeit Peace & Spiritual Experiences01:11:13 Obedience, Spiritual Fatherhood, & Healing01:13:22 Confession Brings Deception Into the Light01:14:48 Fasting Ad01:15:32 Prayer Is Communion, Not a Spiritual Technique01:16:29 St. Paisios the Radio Operator & Prayer01:19:01 The Jesus Prayer Is Not a Mantra01:21:11 Prayer, Repentance, & Real Transformation01:24:24 The Orthodox Answer to Yoga & the New Age01:27:43 Come Home: Christ's Mercy Is Greater01:29:34 OutroWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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False Healing Exposed: New Age, Trauma & Christ with Anastasia Gerali (The Reborn Anastasia) 06.07.2026 1ώ 18λNot everything called healing actually heals.In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John are joined by Christian trauma therapist, Anastasia Gerali, The Reborn Anastasia, to discuss her journey from cultural Orthodoxy into New Age spirituality... & back to Christ.Anastasia shares how trauma, divorce, manifestation, hypnotherapy, yoga, meditation, psychic practices, Buddhism, & ayahuasca all became part of her search for peace. What first felt empowering & inclusive eventually revealed itself as spiritually destructive.Her story culminates in the moment the Holy Spirit instructed her to pray to Jesus, & Christ restored the identity that trauma & false healing had distorted.They also discuss why the New Age attracts wounded people, how trauma can become an identity, why nervous system regulation is not salvation, what therapy can & cannot do, & why true healing means becoming whole in Christ… body, soul, mind, will, memory, wounds, & all.Takeaways:Counterfeit healing often starts by naming a real wound. The danger is not always that the pain is fake, but the false gospel built around the pain.The New Age attracts people because it often feels compassionate, inclusive, & empowering.Manifestation replaces prayer with control. Trauma is real, but trauma is not identity. It can shape survival patterns, but it must not become the organizing center of the person.Nervous system regulation matters, but it is not salvation. Therapy & confession are not interchangeable. Therapy expose patterns, but repentance/metanoia bring the person before Christ for transformation.Christ restores identity. The final word over the person is not trauma, diagnosis, survival pattern, or false identity… but Christ.Sound Bytes: “New Age felt like the complete opposite. It was very inclusive… it felt like coming home, if I’m honest.” “You’re a ritual away or a practice away from the thing that you’re looking for.”“Now I absolutely know without a doubt that that was a demon.” “I was using the word surrender, but I wasn’t surrendering myself to Him. I was trying to surrender to me.“Christ restored my identity… my identity in Christ, as chosen, cherished, loved, created.”00:00 Coming Up03:08 False Healing03:54 Meet Anastasia Gerali07:09 Cultural Orthodoxy09:48 Trauma & the Search for Healing12:23 Why New Age Felt Like Home13:29 What Christians Misunderstand About New Age16:43 Manifestation & “The Secret”18:40 Hypnotherapy & the Subconscious Mind21:58 Yoga, Meditation & Psychic Practices23:17 Subjective Truth, Dreams & Spiritual Deception25:38 Ayahuasca, Hidden Knowledge & the Veil Dropped33:59 Buddhism & Reincarnation36:26 Plant Medicine, DMT & Testing Every Spirit39:19 How Christ Pulled Anastasia Out44:46 Jesus Christ, Surrender & Deliverance50:07 When Trauma Becomes Identity 57:44 Trauma Neuroscience, Strongholds & Survival Patterns1:06:18 Therapy, Confession & Repeated Patterns1:08:38 Metanoia, Repentance & the Renewal of the Mind1:10:58 Christ Restored Her Identity1:17:18 Closing ThoughtsWhere to Find Anastasia: @the.reborn.anastasia - Instagram, YouTube, & TikTokWork with Dr. Mike :Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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False Peace: Yoga, the New Age, & the Gospel Without the Cross with Cantor & Seminarian Robert Sirico 29.06.2026 1ώ 26λWhat if the greatest spiritual deception doesn't look darkWhat if it looks peaceful?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John are rejoined by our good friend Robert Sirico, who is a cantor, choir director, & doctoral seminarian. In the conversation, we move beyond the question of whether yoga is religious & examine the larger worldview surrounding the New Age movement.Together we explore yoga, chakras, kundalini, mantras, breathwork, Reiki, energy healing, spiritual warfare, & the Orthodox understanding of true healing in Christ.Throughout the conversation we contrast the New Age's promises of peace, self-realization, & enlightenment with the Gospel's call to repentance, communion with Christ, & theosis.Whether you're trying to understand yoga, leaving the New Age yourself, or helping someone discern these practices, this episode offers both theological depth and pastoral compassion.Takeaways:Yoga is built upon a spiritual worldview... not merely a stretching routine.Relief, calm, & altered states are not necessarily signs of genuine healing.Orthodox Christianity offers communion with Christ rather than self-realization.Breathwork & meditation depend not only on technique but on their spiritual end.Spiritual deception often appears compassionate before it appears dangerous.Many people enter the New Age while sincerely searching for healing.Christ restores the human person rather than dissolving it.Sound Bytes:"Relief is not the same thing as healing.""Not every calm spirit is the Holy Spirit.""Yoga doesn't usually arrive saying, 'I'm another gospel.'""Peace without Christ is not the peace Christ promised.""The counterfeit succeeds because it resembles the genuine.""Most people weren't looking for heresy... they were looking for healing.""The Gospel doesn't erase the person; it transfigures the person."Chapters:00:00 Coming Up: Yoga, Demons & False Peace00:43 Orthodox Health Intro02:12 Yoga 2.0: Spiritual Warfare & the New Age Gospel07:18 Robert Sirico on Deconstruction, Calvinism & Spiritual Hunger10:30 Japanese Martial Arts, Tengu Demons & Hidden Rituals17:44 What Should Christians Say to Someone Practicing Yoga?27:49 Demons, Spiritual Pushback & Why Reality Is Not Dualist29:37 Mantras, Magia & Pharmakeia Explained36:04 Christianity, Exorcism & the Gospel’s Ripple Effect41:01 Pranayama, Qi, Kundalini & Eastern Energy Practices45:20 Eastern Mysticism vs Orthodox Christian Theology55:44 Icons vs Idols: What Christians Misunderstand56:50 The Third Eye vs the Light of Christ59:44 Prelest: Spiritual Delusion, False Power & Demonic Deception01:05:35 Skinwalkers, Shamans & Demonic Shape-Shifting01:09:31 Aliens, Bad Physics & the Religion of the Future01:11:39 St. Seraphim of Sarov, Motovilov & Spiritual Delusion01:14:34 The Jesus Prayer, Breath & True Christian StillnessWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Nourished Asceticism: Fasting Without Crashing | Dr. Michael Moeller 22.06.2026 1ώ 28λIs the Fast making you weak… or is it revealing what modern life already depleted?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John continue the Apostle’s Fast arc with Dr. Michael Moeller, NMD, for a conversation on nourished asceticism, testosterone, men’s health, blood sugar, digestion, protein, metabolic resilience, peptides, berberine, & how to fast seriously without wrecking the body.This is not an anti-fasting episode.It is also not a “ignore your body & call it obedience” episode.The fast is medicine. But the person receiving that medicine is a real embodied person with real sleep, real stress, real digestion, real nutrient status, real hormones, real labs, & real limits.Takeaways:Why Orthodox fasting can reveal depletionTestosterone, dopamine, fatigue, libido, & the modern manSugar, cortisol, sleep, & low testosteroneWhy fasting on processed carbs can backfireHow blood sugar crashes can masquerade as spiritual struggleProtein, muscle, and fasting capacityBerberine, peptides, GLP-1s, and advanced therapiesWhy regular bloodwork mattersThe problem with the modern medical modelHow to walk the royal path without legalism or despairSound Bytes:“The way I think about Orthodoxy, it is the naturopathic medicine.”“Health is a journey… & it’s the same thing with our salvation.”“Your body is actually diabetes-ing.”“We don’t want to view health as a false idol.”“What do I need to do to optimize my testosterone? Move to the country, throw out your TV, plant a garden, find Jesus.”“That’s why you’re not a number. That’s why you’re not your blood work.”“The fast may not be the thing that caused the crash. It may be the thing that revealed the crash was coming.”Chapters:00:00 Coming Up01:02 Orthodox Health Intro02:32 Introduction to Nourished Asceticism06:11 Introducing Dr. Michael Moeller, NMD11:26 Hormonal Health & Men’s Wellness16:17 Fatigue, Low Libido & “Not Feeling Like Myself”19:23 The Interconnectedness of Body Systems21:41 What’s Killing Modern Testosterone?27:19 You Are Not Your Bloodwork30:36 Should You Be Tracking Your Calories?32:18 Assessing Health During the Fast36:13 What to Check When You Feel Weak During the Fast39:44 Avoiding Pride in the Fast43:32 Addressing Underlying Health Issues During Fasting44:20 Avoiding the Pharisee Meats Trap47:37 Protein, Muscle & Fasting Without Crashing50:31 Preparing Metabolically for Fasting53:52 Berberine: Benefits & Considerations57:13 Hormones, Cycles & the Fast1:00:03 The Risks of Pushing Physical Limits1:04:05 Peptides & Their Role in Recovery1:08:18 Peptide Safety, Efficacy & Discernment1:11:15 Weight Loss, GLP-1s & Health Risks1:15:28 Why Regular Bloodwork Matters1:18:21 What the Modern Medical Model Misses1:21:02 The Royal Path: Discipline Without Destruction1:22:47 Connecting with Dr. Michael Moeller, NMDConnect with Dr. Moe: Website, Instagram, YouTubeWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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The Fast & the Gut: Asceticism Without Self-Destruction 15.06.2026 1ώ 2λOrthodox fasting is not self-destruction.In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John build on two previous Orthodox Health conversations: the recent episode on nutrient pairings, & Episode 12, The Microcosm Within: Orthodoxy & the Microbiome.The core idea is simple: intake is not the same thing as reception. You can eat fasting foods and still feel bloated, constipated, refluxy, anxious, or exhausted, not because the Fast is bad, but because the context is off.This episode explores how the Fast affects the inner ecology of the body, why the microbiome responds to changes in fiber, legumes, oil, salt, hydration, sleep, stress, & meal rhythm, and how Orthodox Christians can troubleshoot digestive issues without turning fasting into food obsession or self-optimization.Topics include prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, gut-brain connection, immune tolerance, bloating, constipation, reflux, diarrhea, urgency, fasting anxiety, & the difference between real ascetic struggle & avoidable digestive chaos.The goal is not to escape the Fast.The goal is to fast with discernment.Takeaways:The Fast does not just change the plate. It changes the inner ecology.Intake is not the same thing as reception.The Fast reveals the terrain.Fermentation is not failure.The body is not the enemy.Asceticism is not self-destruction.Practical adjustments are not loopholes.Sound Bytes:“The Fast doesn’t just change the terrain. It also reveals the current state of it.”“You don’t just eat lentils. You feed an ecology… & that ecology produces something.”“Fermentation is not failure.”“The Fast didn’t break you. You changed the ecosystem too fast.”“Your stomach is not the enemy. The passions are.”“The Fast is not supposed to make you neurotic. It’s supposed to make you repentant.”“Asceticism is not self-destruction.”Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:56 Orthodox Health Intro02:26 The Fast & the Gut: Why This Episode Matters11:42 The Microbiome as a Little Cosmos20:09 The Gut-Brain Connection: Why the Fast Can FeelEmotional22:53 Immune Tolerance, Inflammation, & the Gut24:29 How Fasting Reveals Your Inner Ecology25:50 Prebiotics, Probiotics, & Postbiotics Explained35:39 The Orthodox Fast Stack: What Actually Changes36:57 Bloating & Gas During the Fast39:37 Constipation During the Fast42:05 Acid Reflux, Heartburn, & GERD During the Fast43:26 Diarrhea & Urgency During the Fast44:56 Fasting Pairings: Practical Ways to Support Digestion51:50 Asceticism Without Self-Destruction56:10 Avoiding Anxiety, Scrupulosity, & Food Obsession58:26 Final Thoughts: The Fast Is Medicine01:01:15 OutroWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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You’re Not Absorbing It: Nutrient Pairings & Orthodox Fasting 08.06.2026 54λDuring the Apostles’ Fast, many Orthodox Christians focus almost entirely on what they are removing: meat, dairy, eggs, oil, wine.But what if the deeper question is not simply, “What am I avoiding?” but, “What am I actually receiving?”In this episode, Dr. Michael Christian & John use nutrient pairings as a practical case study in one of the deepest patterns woven into creation: things are received in relationship.We discuss why intake does not always equal utilization, how nutrient pairings like fat-soluble vitamins & fat, iron & vitamin C, broccoli & mustard powder, tomatoes & olive oil, shellfish & lemon, fermented foods, & turmeric & black pepper can support better nourishment during fasting seasons.But this is not merely a nutrition episode.From there, we move into the Orthodox theology of reception: fasting is never given by itself. The Church gives us fasting with prayer, almsgiving, forgiveness, silence, gratitude, worship, & ultimately communion.Because the goal of the Fast is not deprivation.The goal is to become more capable of receiving God.Takeaways:Intake is not the same thing as reception. You can eat nutrient-dense foods & still fail to absorb or utilize them well.Nutrient pairings matter because the body receives food in context: fat with fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin C with plant-based iron, mustard powder with cooked crucifers, lemon with shellfish & legumes, & black pepper with turmeric.Orthodox fasting is not merely removing meat, dairy, & eggs. The Fast is meant to form us through prayer, almsgiving, forgiveness, silence, gratitude, & communion.Many people crash during fasting seasons because they unintentionally replace nourishing meals with snacks, starches, processed fasting foods, low protein, poor mineral intake, & poor sleep.The goal of the Fast is not deprivation. The goal is to become more capable of receiving God.Sound Bytes:“We remove the meat, then spend six hours scrolling.”“It’s easier to skip a cheeseburger than forgive someone who wounded us.”“The Fast is not failing you. The Church is not failing you. God is not failing you.”“The bigger lesson isn’t mustard powder. It’s relationship.”“The goal of the Fast is not deprivation, but communion.”Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:24 Orthodox Health Podcast Intro01:54 Condiment Theology: Why Nutrient Pairings Matter06:11 Nutrient Absorption: Intake ≠ Reception09:37 Orthodox Fasting & Nutritional Misconceptions11:34 Why Orthodox Fasts Go Wrong13:46 Nutrient Pairings Explained19:04 Traditional Food Wisdom & Bioavailability23:06 Practical Nutrient Pairing Takeaways24:34 Spiritual Nutrient Pairings: Fasting Is Never Alone33:26 Why Some People Crash During the Fast35:56 Sleep, Stress & Fasting Fatigue38:42 Digestion, Absorption & Nutrient Utilization40:14 Metabolic Flexibility, Feasting & Fasting Rhythms43:17 Why Christianity Culminates at the Table45:52 Closing Thoughts: The Goal Is CommunionWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Sin Is Sickness: Trauma, Compulsion & Orthodox Healing with Fr. Hans Jacobse (St. Paisios Brotherhood) 01.06.2026 1ώ 22λWhat if sin is not merely a legal violation, or "rule-breaking," but a sickness of the whole person?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John are joined by Fr. Hans Jacobse for a deeply pastoral conversation on trauma, compulsion, embodied memory, prayer, & Orthodox healing.Dropping the day after Pentecost, this conversation asks what true healing looks like when the Holy Spirit descends not simply to give spiritual experiences, but to restore the whole human person in Christ.Fr. Hans discusses the Orthodox understanding of sin as sickness, why compulsive behaviors often reveal deeper wounds, how the body can carry trauma, why prayer is not merely a calming technique, & how the Church heals through repentance, communion, fasting, confession, spiritual fatherhood, & life in Christ.This episode also explores the proper place of therapy, without allowing therapeutic language to become the master language for the human person.Key Takeaways:Sin as sickness & disorderThe body’s role in healingTrauma, memory, & compulsionWhy willpower alone often failsPrayer & the healing Word of GodPentecost & the restoration of manThe Eucharist as uncreated medicineTherapy in proper orderWhy no one desires your healing more than GodSound Bytes:“The memory of the brain recalls the narrative of the event. But the actual trauma, the experiences, the things felt, are held in the body.”“The past isn’t behind us. The past is in us.”“When the trauma is healed, that compulsive behavior moves up to volition.”“No one desires your healing more than God.”“The closer the person draws to Christ, the more troubled they become.”“The Eucharist is the uncreated medicine.”“Prayer is action.”Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:42 Orthodox Health Podcast Intro02:12 Pentecost & True Healing in Christ04:44 Meet Fr. Hans Jacobse09:51 Orthodoxy & the Healing of Sin12:29 Community, Brotherhood, & Healing18:18 The Human Heart as the Center of the Universe23:15 Jordan Peterson, Orthodoxy, & the Search for Christ25:37 God Is Bound by His Love26:15 The Healing Power of the Saints29:46 The Benevolence of Creation31:48 Miracles & the True Natural Order35:46 Trauma, Memory, & the Healing of the Body43:02 The Holy Spirit & Healing Prayer45:41 The Past Is Not Behind Us48:30 The Body Remembers Trauma50:05 Fascia, Trauma, & the Nervous System53:40 Recovering from Materialism54:16 Water, Memory, & Healing55:14 The Eucharist as Uncreated Medicine57:58 What Does Prayer Actually Do?01:00:35 Becoming Co-Creators with God01:02:30 Can Yoga Be Christianified?01:03:33 Spiritual Illness & Physical Symptoms01:06:15 Divine Liturgy, Prayer, & the Healing Process01:09:53 Affection, Trauma, & Pastoral Healing01:14:28 No One Desires Your Healing More Than God01:15:27 Fr. Hans Jacobse & the St. Paisios Brotherhood01:21:15 OutroWhere to find Fr. Hans Jacobse: St. Peter's Orthodox Church & the St. Paisios BrotherhoodWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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False Ascension: From Occult Power to Orthodox Healing with Erika of Shire Skincare 25.05.2026 1ώ 18λBefore Erika found Orthodoxy, she had spent years in theistic satanism, occult practice, ritual magic, & demonic spirituality... until the New Testament, the Jesus Prayer, & the life of the Church revealed that the “power” she had been promised was bondage.In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John speak with Erika of Shire Skincare about her journey from satanism & occult practice into Orthodox Christianity.Released between Ascension & Pentecost, this conversation explores true ascent in Christ versus false ascension, the Holy Spirit versus false spirits, & Orthodox healing versus the counterfeit healing offered by the occult & New Age spirituality.This is not merely a scary story. It is a testimony of repentance, discernment, spiritual warfare, embodied healing, motherhood, beauty, & coming home to the Church.Key Takeaways:The occult often does not present itself as darkness.False spiritual power is still bondage.New Age “healing” can become a gateway into false spirits.The occult inverts Orthodoxy.The New Testament provoked the turning point.Repentance is not self-torture.The body is not a prison.True healing is found in the Church.Sound Bytes:“No one’s doing well when they’re worshipping the devil. It doesn’t happen that way. Ever.”“I was painting things that are essentially the opposite of icons… I was painting gateways.”“That healing aspect is how the demons get you in. I don’t think it’s ever the end goal, & it’s really not what you get.”“These aren’t demons, they’re spirits, or they’re angels, or they’re your guides… even as someone who worked with demons, I was like, I know that entity. That’s not anything that wants to help you.”“Why would they want me to read every other religious book, but not the New Testament? And the only thing I could think of was that Christ maybe is God.”“Most of the occult is just an inversion of Orthodoxy… demons can’t make anything new. All they can do is take & invert it.”“There’s nothing that the demons want more than for you to believe that you can’t be forgiven for what you’ve done.”Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:27 Orthodox Health Intro01:56 Ascension, Pentecost & False Spirits04:58 From Satanism to Orthodoxy08:34 Occult Art & the Opposite of Icons12:42 Power, Control & the Occult Illusion18:56 Spiritual Experiences & Demonic Reality21:37 Black Magic, New Age & False Light26:07 The New Testament & Finding Christ30:16 Aliens, Demons & St. Seraphim Rose33:16 The Occult as Inverted Orthodoxy36:01 Repentance & the Jesus Prayer40:59 Prostrations & Embodied Healing43:26 Physical Symptoms & Spiritual Warfare49:41 The Body Is Not a Prison52:06 Feminism, Satanism & Children55:11 Beauty, Creation & God58:15 From Occult Art to Shire Skincare1:04:26 Why “Shire Skincare”?1:07:32 Protecting Children1:10:02 Subtle vs. Overt Evil1:11:04 Healing in the Church1:12:24 Find Erika & Shire Skincare1:13:42 Closing: From False Spirits to ChristWhere to find Erika: ShireSkincare.com & InstagramWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Your Body Is NOT a Machine: The Orthodox Answer to Biohacking & the New Age 18.05.2026 1ώ 14λModern medicine often treats the body like a machine. New Age wellness treats the body like energy. Orthodoxy gives us something deeper than both.In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John ask the question underneath the entire post-Pascha body arc: What is the body?They discuss the machine model of modern medicine, the New Age reaction to medical reductionism, biohacking, HRV trackers, chronic illness, Orthodox fasting, Father Stephen De Young’s body-soul anthropology, the Incarnation, Pascha, & why healing must be ordered toward communion with God.The body is not a machine to be hacked. It is not a god to be obeyed. It is not a prison to escape. It is the body of a person created by God, wounded by sin & death, & called to resurrection.Christ did not come to save a ghost trapped in biology. He came to heal the whole man.Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 2:33 Orthodox Health Intro02:33 What Is the Body? Orthodoxy Beyond Biohacking11:15 Why Anthropology Matters for Healing14:39 The Machine Model of Modern Medicine21:40 When Natural Health Still Treats the Body Like a Machine27:09 The Dignity of the Body in Orthodox Christianity29:21 Orthodox Healing vs. Medical Reductionism31:06 The New Age Wellness Reaction33:11 Why New Age Healing Feels So Appealing35:26 Compassion vs. Naivety in Alternative Healing39:31 The Danger of “Listen to Your Body”42:42 How to Evaluate Healing Practices as an Orthodox Christian46:44 Relief Is Not Salvation50:36 Creation, Matter & the Goodness of the Body55:04 Body, Soul & the Embodied Mysteries57:46 The Incarnation, Resurrection & the Human Body01:02:58 Orthodox Fasting Is Not a Biohack01:05:50 Practical Orthodox Health Applications01:08:33 The Orthodox Health Vision: Healing the Whole Person01:10:16 Final Takeaway: Christ Heals the Whole Man01:13:28 OutroWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Alignment & Asceticism: Healing the Body in Christ | Dr. Christian Nelson, DC 11.05.2026 1ώ 21λWhat does chiropractic have to do with Orthodoxy, the body, pain, stress, & healing?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John continue the post-Pascha Body Arc with Dr. Christian Nelson, DC, an Orthodox Christian chiropractor & founder of Advocate Wellness TX. Together they discuss pain, posture, nervous system patterns, stress, the esoteric roots of chiropractic, & why healing the body must be ordered toward communion with God, not merely comfort.This episode explores why the body is not a disposable shell, why pain is often protective rather than random, how modern life physically deforms us, & why Orthodox Christians must recover a deeply embodied vision of healing.Takeaways:Pain is not always the enemy. Sometimes the body is protecting you.Orthodoxy does not treat the body as disposable. The body participates in salvation.Modern stress has a physical shape: shallow breathing, guarding, tension, & postural collapse.Good care should restore your capacity to pray, serve, love, & bear burdens.Chiropractic is not a replacement for spiritual healing or medical care, but can be a tool for restoring function & connection.Confession matters for the whole person: soul, mind, & body.Sound Bytes:“The way I treat the body needs to be congruent with the way the Church treats the soul.”“Society will teach us to separate out the body from the spirit… soul good, body bad. No... No!”“Chiropractic does not treat the disease. It treats the disconnection.”“The body’s trying to protect itself. It’s not betraying you.”“If there’s one phrase I could eliminate from the English language, it might be: just push through.”“There is nothing that will wind up, wear down, contort, & gnarled up a body faster than guilt & shame.”Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:44 Orthodox Health Intro02:13 The Post-Pascha Body Arc05:15 Meet Dr. Christian Nelson, DC06:12 Orthodox Doctor First, Chiropractor Second08:45 Being Seen Beyond the Chart09:34 Esoteric Influences in Alternative Medicine11:34 What Christians Misunderstand About the Body13:54 The Body as a Temple17:21 Chiropractic Is More Than Cracking Backs19:37 Why the Body Locks Down22:10 Chiropractic Treats the Disconnection23:28 When Healing Restores Capacity25:30 Submission, Suffering & God’s Will28:14 Is an Adjustment Mechanical or Neurological?30:08 The Spine as the Body’s Breaker Box31:25 Fascia & Chiropractic33:07 Chiropractic’s Esoteric Origins37:25 Rockefeller Medicine & the Wild West of Healthcare40:13 Belief, Blood Sugar & the Image of Healing42:05 Why “Just Push Through” Is Bad Advice45:28 Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives46:23 How Stress Takes Shape in the Body50:30 Can Acute Injury Lead to Chronic Illness?52:15 Anything Can Cause Anything53:12 Mother Siluana & God, Where Is the Wound?55:51 Shallow Breathing, Guarding & Healing59:13 Can Chiropractors Adjust the Whole Body?01:01:39 The Resurrection & the Dignity of the Body01:03:33 Embodied Worship, Pain & Formation01:06:10 Healing To Serve Others01:10:31 Pain Relief vs. Restored Function01:12:06 Healing as a Little Resurrection01:15:24 Confession, Shame & the Body01:17:41 Find Dr. Christian Nelson01:18:32 Closing Thoughts01:20:26 OutroConnect with Dr. Nelson/AdvocateWellnessTX:Instagram & YouTubeWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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Your Body Is Not Broken: Pain, Rehab & the Resurrection | Dr. Edgar Urilov, DPT 04.05.2026 1ώ 9λWhat if your body isn’t broken, but protecting you?In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John continue the Post-Pascha Body Arc with Dr. Edgar Urilov, a physical therapist &Orthodox Christian, for a conversation on pain, fascia, rehab, stress, & the body that will be raised.After speaking with Buck Johnson about emergency care & Nicholas Cerean about strength & askesis, this episode asks the next necessary question: what happens when the body hurts?Dr. Edgar explains why pain is real, but not always a perfect measure of damage. The conversation moves through fascia as a sensory and stabilizing organ, chronic pain, nervous system sensitization, stress, myofascial release, rehab as askesis, & the deeper Orthodox question: Where is the wound?The episode also explores Mother Siluana Vlad’s God, Where Is the Wound?, the link between spiritual sickness & physical sickness, the danger of reducing grace to biology, &why Christian healing must involve the whole person: body, soul, mind, and spirit. In this episode:Why “your body is not broken” does not mean “your pain is fake”How chronic pain can lower the body’s threshold for threatWhy fascia is more than “saran wrap” around musclesHow stress can tighten the body & restrict movementWhy movement wins can calm the nervous systemHow spiritual sickness can affect the bodyWhy prayer, fasting, almsgiving, prayer are embodied practicesHow rehab can become a form of askesisWhy injury can become an invitation to humilityThe difference between body stewardship & body idolatrySound Bytes:“Pain is real, but pain is not always a perfect measure of damage.”“Your body is not broken. It may be trying to protect you.”“Fascia is more than just saran wrap.”“When we miss the mark, our body feels it too.”“Rehab is not like taking a pill. You have to work on it. You have to be diligent. You have to sacrifice.”“The body is not trash. But the body is also not God.”“Where is the wound?”Chapters:00:00 Coming Up00:39 Opener02:08 Pain, Rehab & the Body That Will Be Raised05:40 Meet Dr. Edgar Urilov, DPT08:25 Fascia, Pain & the Nervous System12:13 What to Tell Someone Who Feels Broken15:10 Is Chronic Pain Always Tissue Damage?19:03 Pain With a Normal MRI or X-Ray23:30 Rebuilding Trust After Injury24:20 Why Muscles Get Tight to Protect You26:36 Myofascial Release & Nervous System Regulation29:51 How Stress Shows Up in the Body33:10 Mother Siluana’s God, Where Is the Wound?34:46 Spiritual Sickness & Physical Health37:40 The Immune System, Sin & Stress41:31 Grace, Healing & the Nervous System46:02 Rehab as Askesis49:23 Trusting God During Injury Recovery51:13 When Christians Neglect the Body54:16 When Suffering Becomes Healing57:51 Red Flags You Should Not Ignore01:01:19 3 Simple Ways to Build a Resilient Body01:04:48 Overcoming Fear of Movement01:07:00 Hope for Chronic Pain01:08:51 OutroConnect with Dr. Edgar Urilov on Instagram: @panya.physioWork with Dr. Mike Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: OrthodoxHealth.com/bookOrder Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on AmazonDonate to St. John the Theologian hereSupport the Show with a One-Time or Recurring donationIntro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album hereOrthodox Health Instagram & Telegram
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