165: Remembering Who You Are with Mark Divine (Retired Navy SEAL Commander)

Mar 13, 2026

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Everyone lives in a world of their own creation through their conditioning, their thought patterns, and their behaviors. The problem is, this route leads to pain because it severs the connection with your true identity.

When you're disconnected from your true identity, and you forget to remember who you are, you'll wake up one day and realize you're living a complete lie. Instead of creating a life that makes you happy and fulfilled, you trade your future for someone else's opinion of you.

Today's guest, retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine, was lucky enough to discover this early in his life thanks to his meditation practice.

His conditioning told him that he was going to business school to join the family business. But a few months after getting his MBA and CPA, Mark decided to give it all up to become a Navy SEAL because his meditation practice created enough stillness that he remembered he was a warrior.

Despite being a "civilian" (who have terribly low success rates of becoming a SEAL - only about 10 to 15% make it), Mark's meditation practice allowed him to reconstruct his identity and become the #1 student in SEAL training.

As Navy SEAL Commander, Mark introduced other SEALs to meditation, yoga, and fully integrating the body, mind, and spirit. Since he's retired, his Navy SEAL training program (called SEALFIT) has had incredible success.

Mark's students who went through his SEALFIT program had a 90% success rate of joining the SEALs (which is even more impressive when you realize the failure rate is between 85-90%).

He's also authored several best-selling books that are designed to help anyone rediscover their true identity.

This conversation won't just open your eyes, but it will be deeply inspiring too. Listen now.

Here's what Mark and I discuss:

How to start meditating and the reason why so many people fail at it
Why remembering who you truly are helps you stumble on your true identity
How integrating all your training can greatly accelerate your journey to self-awareness

And more, including…

How your mind gets conditioned (by your parents, society, schooling, and more) from the very second you open your eyes in this world (4:14)
This book can reframe spirituality for you (without any religious overtones) and make it easier for you to tap into "Zen" (8:28)
How to become still enough to hear your soul's whispers and discover your true calling (12:54)
The #1 source of angst among men in the world (and the trick Mark used to avoid living a life of quiet desperation) (14:00)
3 things you must do to break through separation and tune into "Unity Consciousness" that turns the universe into your silent partner (15:35)
Why the "descriptive-prescriptive fallacy" makes meditation impossible (and a simple mindset shift that makes mediating as simple as riding a bike) (20:27)
How to change the very nature of what you believe to be true about yourself (32:03)
The incredible story about how Mark used meditation to change his identity, join the Navy SEALs off the street, and become the #1 student in his SEAL training (37:42)
Why figuring out how to navigate "VUCA" is like becoming Neo in the Matrix (in fact, according to Mark, this is what SEAL training is all about) (40:19)
How training to be softer, more flexible, and more durable is the ultimate "strength training" for men (54:29)

Guest Bio:

Dr. Mark Divine|PHD is a retired Navy SEAL Commander, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Founder / CEO of SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind, founder of multiple million-dollar businesses, lifetime Martial Artist, Ashtanga Yoga teacher, and host of the Unbeatable Mind podcast (recently rated #1 health podcast and #30 overall on itunes).

The U.S. Navy selected him to create a nationwide leadership and mental-performance program for the SEALs, designed to help elite teams excel under extreme stress.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

1. Find Mark's programs, coaching, books, and podcast on his site here: https://markdivine.com/

2. Man Flow Yoga Events: We just announced new locations for 2026 in-person events. Find the full list of cities we're coming to here: https://manflowyoga.com/man-flow-yoga-events/

3. Man Flow Yoga: Haven't signed up yet? Start your 7-day free trial and see how yoga can eliminate aches and pains better than other types of exercise here: https://shrtlnk.co/kP8M7