What if the thing you’re avoiding is the thing that frees you?

In this episode of The Spiritual Speakeasy, Brian sits down with Akshay Nanavati — Marine veteran, explorer, author, and seeker — for a raw conversation about solitude, suffering, and what it means to truly master yourself.

Akshay shares his journey from addiction and PTSD to extreme solitude — including darkness retreats, polar expeditions, and voluntary suffering — not as acts of punishment, but as a way to build an honest relationship with himself.

This episode isn’t about doing hard things for ego or validation. It’s about learning the right kind of hard — the kind that leads to integration, presence, and peace.

In this episode, we explore:

• Survivor’s guilt and life after war
• Addiction as an escape from the self
• Why solitude is one of the most powerful teachers
• Darkness retreats and sitting with discomfort
• Voluntary suffering vs. self-destruction
• The difference between force and alignment
• Why “the only way out is through” is a lived truth
  

This is a conversation for anyone who feels restless, numb, or disconnected — and is ready to stop running.

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Thank you to Desert Candle Works for providing candles for today's episode. Support their small business⁠ here⁠