Key Points: 1. We tend to use the consumption of sweet treats as a reward for everything, starting at a young age. 2. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, if we’re intentional about it. 3. But, most of us aren’t, and so we relinquish control of our choices and actions to food. Luckily, there are … Read more
Key Points: 1. The archetypes of the “Renunciate” and the “Householder” have their roots in Eastern philosophy, but apply quite nicely to Western nutritional struggles. 2. Which of these sounds harder…making progress by entirely giving up foods you enjoy, or making progress despite NOT doing so? 3. Each path has positives and negatives, but the … Read more
Key Points: 1. We often subconsciously treat putting up with intensely difficult situations as a badge of honor. 2. But, despite our ability to handle hugely stressful, painful, or challenging situations, we often show a surprising lack of tolerance for mild discomfort. 3. Reversing this dynamic can be a huge key to increased health and … Read more
Key Points: 1. The point of an argument is NOT to win. It’s to find common ground and understand where and why you disagree. 2. When we forget this, we dehumanize those with whom we disagree and lose any chance of finding actual solutions. 3. Just like we are not our thoughts, we are also … Read more
Key Points: 1. Meditative practices provide one of the best strategies for handling discomfort. 2. However, there are a ton of misconceptions about what meditation is. 3. Put simply, meditation is a focus on “being” rather than “doing.” It’s definitely not about trying to stop thinking! Estimated Reading Time: 4-8 Minutes Last week, we briefly … Read more
Key Points: 1. When it comes to being vs. doing, we’re obsessed with being the “doer.” 2. This can actually make it harder to learn new skills, and more painful when we fail at things we enjoy. 3. The book, The Inner Game of Tennis, offers an incredibly intriguing model for learning and competing without … Read more
Key Points: 1. We tend to think of the mind and body as two different “things.” 2. But, separating mind and body requires drawing arbitrary lines that don’t actually exist. 3. Doing so has negative consequences on our physical and mental health, which aren’t actually different things! Estimated Reading Time: 4-8 Minutes I wanted to … Read more
Key Points: 1. If you have an injury, don’t use ice! This will actually slow the healing process. 2. Our main job is not to interfere with the body’s natural healing process. 3. We can do this by getting as much pain-free movement as possible. Estimated Reading Time: 4-8 minutes In last week’s piece, I … Read more
Key Points: 1. Homeostasis is the tendency of living organisms to maintain equilibrium. 2. Emotions are associated with the presence of various hormones and neurotransmitters in the body. 3. Our bodies actively try to keep us in the same general emotional state, positive or negative. We can use this knowledge to make change easier! Estimated … Read more
Well, I’m out of the darkness and back into the world of the light. The experience was varyingly intense, peaceful, joyful, challenging, boring, exciting, scary, and highly insightful. I plan to write a much more detailed piece about the experience in due time, once I’ve finished transcribing my darkness journals and utilizing the benefit of … Read more