#832: The Return of The Lion Tracker — Boyd Varty on The Wild Man Within, Nature’s Hidden Wisdom, and How to Feel Fully Alive
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this rich return episode, Boyd Varty—fourth-generation custodian of Londolozi Game Reserve and author of "The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life"—shares captivating stories from his life in South Africa's bushveld. From leading an elite firefighting unit to tracking with Bushmen hunters in the Kalahari Desert, Boyd weaves together tales of wilderness encounters, personal transformation, and the profound wisdom found in nature. (03:00)
- Main themes include wilderness storytelling, accessing natural states through nature immersion, and the intersection of ancient tracking wisdom with modern personal development
Speakers
Boyd Varty
Boyd Varty is the founder of Track Your Life, which offers premium wilderness retreats in South Africa's bushveld, and author of "The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life." As a fourth-generation custodian of Londolozi Game Reserve, he grew up immersed in the natural world with lions, leopards, and elephants, spending his life in apprenticeship to ancient wisdom traditions. He is also the host of the Track Your Life podcast and works at the intersection of tracking and personal transformation.
Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is the host of The Tim Ferriss Show and author of multiple bestselling books including "The 4-Hour Workweek." Known for deconstructing the habits and routines of world-class performers, he brings curiosity and systems-thinking to conversations about optimization, learning, and human potential.
Key Takeaways
Master the Art of Bringing Energy Downward During Crisis
During his firefighting days, Boyd learned a crucial leadership lesson when everything went wrong during a drill. (10:22) When a hose got kinked and pressure built up, causing chaos and injury, he realized that most people escalate energy during crisis. The key insight: "it's very few people who know how to bring the energy downwards when the energy is moving upwards." This energetic jujitsu—creating slowness and steadiness when everything is spiraling—became his approach to all crisis situations. When others are panicking and ramping up, the most powerful response is deliberate calm and measured action.
Follow Your Non-Rational Body Energy for Life Direction
Boyd discovered his calling as a writer through an unexpected moment at a London party. (47:46) While suffering from severe depression and telling fake stories about being a writer, he noticed "a little uptick of energy" in his body each time he said it. This wasn't rational or mental—it was purely energetic. Following that bodily sensation led him to start writing, which lifted his depression and ultimately shaped his entire career path. The lesson: pay attention to what makes you feel "a little more energized, a little more expansive" and learn to move toward that non-rational guidance system.
Access Natural States by Removing Modern Obstacles
Boyd has discovered that transformation happens fastest when people enter what he calls "the natural state." (30:57) This isn't achieved through adding techniques but by subtracting modern interferences—technology, verbal thinking, and the constant need to know. On his retreats, participants go into silence and wordlessness, aligning with natural circadian rhythms by waking with sunrise and winding down with sunset. This removal of obstacles allows dormant faculties to come back online, creating profound shifts in awareness and neurochemistry within 24 hours.
Practice Intensity and Rest Cycles Instead of Constant Level 10
Western culture operates at "level 10 energy all the time," but everything in nature moves through intensity-rest cycles. (39:34) Boyd structures his retreats and life around this natural rhythm: high-intensity tracking requiring full attention and presence, followed by complete rest and integration. This mirrors what elite performers like Marcelo Garcia practice—going from zero (sleeping under bleachers) to ten (world championship competition) rather than maintaining a chronic "simmering six" of constant stress. Learning to oscillate between full engagement and complete rest optimizes both performance and wellbeing.
Develop Community-Based Blind Spot Revelation
Personal development work becomes "self-indulgent" unless it includes relationships that can reveal blind spots. (104:08) Boyd emphasizes that "you need your blind spots revealed and you need people who have more access to help guide you into new choices." The most powerful feedback comes from community members who care about you and have earned the right to speak truth. This works best after shared experiences that build trust—like rafting a river together—where someone can say "there's a way in which you show up that makes me not feel like I can trust you" and have it be received rather than rejected.
Statistics & Facts
- During persistence hunting in the Kalahari Desert, temperatures reached 47 degrees Celsius (116.6°F), with hunts covering approximately 30 kilometers over 5-6 hours. (73:00) These extreme conditions demonstrate the incredible fitness and heat adaptation required for this ancient hunting practice.
- Approximately 70% of food consumed by Bushmen communities is still gathered from the desert, despite many living in towns and receiving government stipends. (69:14) This statistic reveals how indigenous skills remain alive beneath the surface of apparent modernization.
- Boyd's uncle JV grew up during the lion hunting era, where "there's really only two outcomes: a lion dies or a human dies." (18:12) This background dramatically reset his danger perception and influenced his fearless approach to wildlife filming.
