168: The Story of Jim's Death & Rebirth (Member Interview: Jim A.)

Today's guest, Jim (a Man Flow Yoga Member since 2018), had his life turned completely upside down shortly after he retired. He had a near-fatal heart crisis, technically died, and came back to life.

Here's how it happened:

Before retirement, he worked an ultra stressful job as a director of global health and safety and crisis management during both Covid and the Russia-Ukraine war. When he was offered early retirement, he took it without blinking.

A few months later, he pushed himself too hard doing yard work and ended up hurting his back. This forced him to be sedentary and to pop Ibuprofen like they were candy because they were the only thing that eliminated his pain.

Well, it turns out that Jim overdosed on the Ibuprofen he was taking. Something he almost completely ignored and chalked up to fatigue.

Fortunately, one day after exiting the shower, he noticed red spots all over his legs - a sign of overdosing on Ibuprofen. In an attempt to dilute the Ibuprofen, he combined water with a hydrator not realizing how much sodium content hydrators contain.

And so, his legs and hands started to swell to the size of balloons. Jim still wanted to tough it out and had no desire to go to the ER.

But his mother forced him to go. He looked sickly. And that trip saved his life.

In the hospital, they found water in his heart and lungs which prompted an immediate open heart surgery. During the surgery there were all sorts of complications and his family was left with a decision: Say their final goodbyes or put Jim on an ECMO machine.

They put him on an ECMO machine and saved his life. But his journey wasn't over yet. Part of his recovery was being in a drug-induced coma for 9 days. And then intensive physical therapy afterwards.

Anyway, this happened a little over a year ago. Jim still isn't quite 100%, but he also feels better, more fulfilled, and more alive now in his "second life" than he ever felt in his first.

Jim's story is an incredible and eye-opening one.

Listen now.

Here's what Jim and I discuss:

• Why all men need to know their numbers like the back of their hands. (It can save your life. Seriously.)

• How Jim went from being doctor-adverse to being one of the best spokesman for men's physical health

• Life lessons from coming back from death (and why you don't need to wait until a near-fatal experience to make changes that benefit your long-term health)

And more, including…

• How Man Flow Yoga helped save Jim's mental health after being in charge of crises (like covid and the Russia-Ukraine war) as director of global health and safety and crisis management for a global company (3:17)

• The blistering decline of health Jim experienced after retirement (first he hurt his back, then became sedentary for months and popped ibuprofen to the point he overdosed, and lastly he suffered a near-fatal heart crisis) (4:49)

• Here's what Jim remembers from his heart stopping in the middle of open heart surgery and from being on a 9-day, drug-induced coma (11:38)

• How Jim managed his emotions after going from being completely independent to utterly dependent during recovery of his near-fatal heart crisis (18:17)

• Why do so many men avoid the doctor? Jim was one of these men who thought he was invincible… here's his advice after almost dying (20:01)

• How being courageous and vulnerable with your body can literally save your life (30:05)

• How music therapy saved Jim's memory after losing so much oxygen in his brain that his doctors were worried he'd have severe memory deficiencies for the rest of his life (37:44)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

1. 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/

2. 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