Close your eyes and imagine a world without convenience. No cars. No air conditioning. No social media. No ease whatsoever. Sure, life would be a million times harder and more dangerous without advanced medicine and technology. But we’d also avoid the maladies that plague developed societies today—diseases of immobility, processed foods, even loneliness. To be sure, if we lived just a little more like the ancients, there’s a good chance we’d be happier, less distracted, more balanced, and in tune with ourselves.

But what does that entail, exactly? How can we apply advice and techniques that have survived over centuries to rediscover what it means to be human? Can fasting, walking, and spending time with nature really make us feel better? What are flow states? How do relationships—or lack thereof—impact physical health? And what can the healthiest and happiest communities out there today reveal about the secret to good living?