ZZZZ

@Nahm It's definitely a frame of mind and labeling issue at its core, which I understand when I am calm and unattached. However, in the moment, I get overwhelmed and buried so deep in my own mind that I cannot help but repeat the same thoughts and worries, further attaching myself to them, and robbing myself of the present moment. But I will work on embracing uncertainty... Perhaps I just need to regularly remind myself of this until it becomes easier to maintain.

I actually can't hold that for long without some tightness/pain in the front ankle, which makes something as simple as childs pose kind of uncomfortable for me. Definitely something I need to work on. Definitely agree... The other day was my first lift with the shoes, but I'll be working on that mobility the next couple of months. Based on my research there could be some degree of bony impingement at play, which is kind of annoying in terms of correcting it with a resistance band etc. but I definitely don't want to stay dysfunctional long-term.

@Hugo Oliveira Thanks for the perspective, I agree. I am definitely lacking that sense of community ever since my work environment has become more volatile and toxic. I've considered starting brazillian jiu jitsu recently, but I've been worried about how the physical strain would further throw off my routine and stress my body.

I haven't been on the forum lately, but figured I would drop this quick suggestion to anyone that might benefit: I've been barbell squatting at least 2-3x/week for a while now, and have seen massive benefits in terms of strength and physique. I probably have ~2-3 years or so squatting consistently, but just recently realized a huge deficiency in my form that was causing me all sorts of issues like back pain, knee pain, etc. that was limiting the amount that I could safely lift. The issue was my ankle mobility. I recently bought some squatting shoes, which are basically just shoes with a hard bottom and a raised heel (0.5-1 inch of lift). These allow you to squat to depth without excessively widening your stance or increasing your toe angle (which I was doing to the extreme). I felt so much more stable today and could handle much more weight with ideal form. It was truly a gamechanger. Of course the long term solution is to work on my ankle mobility, which I've started to do, but in the meantime, these shoes have been working wonders. If you've been noticing similar issues when you attempt to squat, give some shoes with a raised heel a try. I bought the Adidas Powerlift 4's, which I would recommend. The lift on the heel is 0.6 inches I believe, which is on the lower side, but I can't imagine I would need much more.

So I've recently started a high-stress career that I've been training for years to begin. I generally handle high stress situations well, and I never would've considered myself an anxious person, but I'm now realizing the effect that anxiety is having on my overall wellbeing. It's not necessarily affecting my work performance, but I am taking work home with me (mentally) when I have any sort of uncertainty or negative outcomes on the job. Coworkers are also occasionally describing me as anxious (which is the first time in my life), and my interactions with others are also being negatively impacted by my demeanor when I start to get overwhelmed. That being said, I've had several significant people in my life who have changed their lives for the better by starting anti-anxiety medications, and they've recently suggested that I try the same. I would also consider their anxiety levels to be much higher than mine, with panic attacks being one of the major symptoms that I tend not to battle with. I personally do not take any medications right now, and I know the benefits that a good diet, meditation, exercise, etc. can have on mental health. If I'm being honest, my meditation practice has been the only area where I really feel like I've been lacking lately... I tried to start ashwaganda to see if I would get any benefits from that, but I would describe the effects as mild-placebo at best. I guess I'm just looking for a different perspective on the situation, and would like to hear what others in this community think about the situation. Something tells me doubling or tripling my meditation time (from a measly 10 minutes a day) with higher consistency would really help, but at the same time, the physical effects of my anxiety haven't been very fun to deal with either. I'm of the opinion that I just need to be a bit more disciplined with my mental health, but I've also been a bit in denial about the whole thing for a while too, so I'm not really sure what to think.

That makes sense, thank you. @Leo Gura interesting. And so the journey continues.

For me the state of non-symbolic consciousness is when all duality is removed, and the only proper descriptor for everything becomes nothing. Is a state of Being a prerequisite for experiencing nothingness? All of these different concepts I've learned have suddenly intertwined.

Leo's latest video has helped me connect some dots, and I'm finally understanding the nothing-infinity paradox a lot better. I've also been integrating concepts such as Ralston's "not-knowing," and it appears as though the act of not-knowing is what reveals the nothingness of everything. Is this off base, or am I onto something here? I have also struggled to experience the interconnectedness of all things in the past, and I am wondering if it is this nothingness that equates all "things." And where does "consciousness" tie into this? My concept of consciousness disappears when I am not-knowing.

you're right, that's what I was remembering (and have edited to reflect that), but 22 does address "love" directly. I think it was Ralston's worst explanation if I remember correctly (and he admits that himself).

They didn't seem to be on the same page on this subject as far back as 2016-2017. This was the most awkward part of the interview (see part 27* on youtube if it does not link properly): See part 22 for discussions about "love," which also seems to be a central difference between the two. In the newsletter it seems like he indirectly references taking LSD. Leo also refers to teachers who were "too scared" to take 5-MEO, and I'm assuming this is one of them based on his outward aversion to drugs.

Thanks for the advice guys. I guess these were things I had already explored to some degree in the past. I'll nudge her towards a meditation practice a bit more. I just loaned her the book and wasn't sure if it was worth the read... Now that I think about it, there are other books that I think she would like too.

Hi, I bought the Sedona Method by Hale Dwoskin and stopped 72 pages in. I can't remember exactly why I stopped, but the book just didn't seem beneficial/worthwhile for me at the time. My girlfriend has been struggling with anxiety and looking for ways to improve her emotional mastery. Has anyone gotten a little farther in the book and found it beneficial in their own life? If not, do you have any other affordable solutions until counseling etc. is more accessible again? She has been struggling with anxiety primarily, with some associated depression from what I can tell. She keeps citing the same self-imposed narrative that is quite negatively biased whenever she does open up about it.

I think 20 is perfectly fine. I may have actually been 19 or 20 during my first experience. Set and setting are most important. Make sure you have a safe and pleasant place to trip, and if you're tripping with someone else, make sure they have similar intentions as you. If you're tripping alone, it could be beneficial to have someone sober nearby, or at least aware of what you're doing for peace of mind. Contemplation about anxiety while tripping would be a good start, or later when you're more experienced with how psychedelics make you feel, you could use them in public or small social settings to help you work through the mental aspects. I wouldn't recommend that for your first time or two though, and probably at lower doses.

Humans have their biases and their capacity to love is finite. These limited "points" compose infinity. What's the harm in relishing in this finitude and living in the illusion, when infinity will prevail regardless? Que Sera Sera.

Funny, I felt the same urge to let him know that he is loved after getting through that one.