Richard Alpert

buy yogaia.com membership. It´s amazing. I pay 8 bucks / month and i can take any class anytime i want. You dont need to do the classes live.

i played poker for living 3-4 years. It has been 6 years, since i quit / went hobby mode, i dont play much at all anymore. I dont think it is unethical, everybody is there on their own agreement and they know the rules of the game. It is like sports, winners gets paid. For me, i loved the game for anout 2 years,after that i played only for the money and the results started to go down.

thanks for the info. Lately i have just been listening the podcasts, but i have to re-listen them and take notes just like you did. You probably recommend to take the part 2 on self mastery course also? I will try to remenber to write review on the course after i have completed it.

Im doing 2 courses of NLP. Just started the first one. I will be posting comments on the courses here. I am actually a little sceptical about the effectiveness of nlp, but i like to research and try different things. Basically in the first chapter there were a lot of techniques concerning human interaction which could be labeled as manipulation. i try to stick 3x 30-45min meditations a day now when im on holidays. 1 silent sitting, one metta and one guided that chances.

Thanks Nic. Im currently in chapter 11 in the course, but these are good reminders/highlights, because you tend to forget these at some point.

Just watching Leo´s video fake growth vs real growth. I have watched it before, but didnt remember a lot. It´s so powerfull. Most of the pd books people are reading are all about outer techniques, success and achievements. Then you start chasing things like a crack addict and somewhere along the line you realise this is not working. I dont think (anymore) there is something in us that needs to be fixed or developed. I mean there might be few viruses in the computer that we better get rid of, but you kind of have to move out of youre way more than develop in some way. Everything is fine beneath the surface. I actually wanted to say this to one ex drug addict i met. She was in such a hurry and impulsive to do shit and fix herself i just wanted to say to her that chill the fuck out, youre cool just the way you are.

I dont know much about the topic, just reaseraching it now. I talked to a person who was in jhana retreat. she had experienced intresting shit, i think it was 1-4 jhanas. Other dude i talked to said he tried 2 months and didnt experience anything.

Vipassana Meditation Retreat Day 1: Feeling little nervous going to the retreat, which was expected because this is my first time. I tried to be open minded going in and was aware that it´s highly likely there are hippiesh people, but after registering there I thought what kind of tree hugging festival this is going to be because men were hugging each other very softly, lol. We started with some introduction / group activity and I started to feel good after our teacher were introduced. You could sense they´re deep presence and both were very good at speaking. I guess we had 2 meditation sessions at the first night. They were about 45 min long. I have earlier only meditated by myself, either in silence or recorded guided meditations and very rarely go 45 min straight. I have a very shitty sitting posture, but I was able to go the first days meditations quite easily. Very hard time sleeping at the first night. Slept only probably 2 hours, but I wasn’t that exhausted or tired in day 2. Day 2: Now as I write this, I am not sure what happened and which day because you lose a sense of time and date there. The rules were not so strict in the retreat, we were suggested to keep the phones off and no other distraction, but there were quite a lot of free time and you basically could decide how much you participate in the meditation end exercises. The retreat was not completely spent in silence it was like a 50% / 50% deal with silence and social time. I really liked this, because you could get to know new people. I am more introverted and it usually takes a little bit time for me to open up, but people seemed very friendly and we were there to do the same thing so there was very good group energy going on basically from the start. We also had small working period during days, like cleaning etc. I think we had 6 meditation sessions in second day. Walking meditation was new to me, it felt pretty interesting. Some session was guided meditation by the teacher, always when the female teacher talked I went into like hypnosis. You could just feel how loving and compassionate person she is. Both of the teachers talk very calmly and slow. I think in the day 2. my ego kicked in at some point and started to think that I am not becoming hippie or else I can´t do my day to day job etc. I know realize how ego driven I have been on my job. Day 2. I started already to notice my mind already calming down compared to my regular day to day life. We did some exercise with pair were you speak how do you feel in you´re body at the moment, what changing at the moment etc. It felt really hard, I kind of didn’t know what to say because I haven’t ever done this kind of exercise before. I hanged out quite a lot the days after with the person I did this exercise. She was cool, althought she had some psychological issues which were exposed in the later days. But hey, were all humans and it´s very interesting how much compassion you can feel for people you have just met in this environment. I have some emotional issues myself and I am not the most emphatetic person in the world, but I feel like starting to connect with people in the day 2/3 Day 3. Same 6 meditations sessions as day 2. We did some guided metta exercise. This was also new to me. First we explored the other person´s body part and it was really cool, reminded me of how I feel like on mushrooms seeing some things like the first time as they really are. The loving kindness mediation was really cool too. You first show loving kindness toward yourself, then someone you know well, then maybe some neutral person and you expand from there to all beings. Good stuff. In day 3 I feel like my mind have slowed down a ton compared to my normal state. Also weird to see how much empathy and connection there is in the group. I think the teachers played a big part here, because they´re presence itself heals you. Day 4. Did some pair exercise with a 60 year old women and was surprised how much we connected. I don’t know was it day 4 or 5 when I had my first discussion with a women I thought was the most tree hugger. She turned out to be really nice person, so this is a good reminder again not to make expectations and judgements. At this point I have probably already shed tears few times when I am at my room by myself. Mostly feeling compassion and connection to the people I have met there. Hard to say how much the meditation is playing the role in the state I am in. teachers, participants, vegan diet and environment definitely play a role too. The other teacher is actually a living saint in my opinion. I mean both of them are at some level, but I have never met a person who is full of unconditional love. How can you not feel good around this person? Day 5. Thoughts have gone down a lot during the retreat and feelings gone up big time. It is actually a pretty big emotional rollercoaster now. I know the retreat is coming to an end and I start to think little about the day to day life. Meditation gets little harder, I lose my focus little easier, feel like my mind is running harder than previous days. At this point I am pretty convinced this is not going to be my last retreat. I have felt somewhat “high” the whole retreat, although there has come also some negative thoughts and my sleeping pattern has been shit the whole retreat, but somehow It doesn’t show up in the daytime. I never fell sleep on meditations, some people did J Day 6. Leaving. We had some nice last seremony. I definitely want to be in touch with the participants after the retreat. Thinking about booking a new retreat later this year to a different country. I am going to commit to meditation practice on daily basis, 2 x 30min is what I am thinking. Probably going to visit some meditation groups in my city also. After coming home, I go a walk into nature. I am not intentionally doing walking meditation, but I feel it´s going there. It probably took 2x time more than this walk takes at my normal state. My mind feel very calm. I notice people have hard time to take and maintain eye contact J I thought I have social anxiety, but I think it is really in almost all at on some level.. The more awareness you have the less you probably have.. Anybody considering taking a retreat, I highly recommend. I don’t think many have had negative experience it seems it´s almost always positive. Interesting to see will my meditations get better now and how long the effects of the retreat will last. In the nature walk today, i was thinking i dont want to read much books anymore. Probably wont either do the psychedelic trip i was planning. Interner / tv / radio seems also stupid now, silence seems much more interesting option.

I just came back from a meditation retreat and Wow. I can highly recommend it, i will make a story about it to my recently started blog on here. check it out.

That is normal. Most of what you have been taught is bullshit.

Scam, more scammy, Tai lopez those are my thoughts.

i think they use bullshit ingredients in those decaffeine coffees. Regular coffee is shit in itself and decaf is probably even worse

thanks for the review, im just finishing the book at the moment. I dont recommend too much books anymore, but definedly recommend this one.

You have completely wrong motivation if you try drugs because youre friends do them. Dont do drugs, because people think youre boring etc. If you feel the urge to do some psychedelic, then go for it. Stay away from all the other drugs, they have never done anything good. You need to reaserch and educate yourself about the drug youre doing if youre going to do it. If youre going to do it, i would recommend smoke little weed or do small dose of msuhrooms. Psychedelics can offer some beutifull experience but they are not on the must to do list. You dont have to do them.

its is easier said than done but: - do something you fear everyday. it doesnt have to be anything too crazy, but something that gets you out of youre comfort zone. - if the unnecessary feelings come, let them come but dont get too involved with them. Dont fight them, that creates anxiety. You are probably familiar with the witness or spectator meditation term. Feelings come and go if you just BE and let the feelings come and go. Im introverted and very rational person and my internal dialogue is pretty hard, but i learned to deal with it and face the emotions. - focus less on yourself. You probably take things very seriously and think yourself as the most important thing in the world. I mean you are but you are not too. Try to find something bigger than yourself, like serving other people or something that takes the focus out of youself - meditate, but dont do it as escapism. i would actually recommend on weekends that meditate for example four hours a day and cut all external stimule. I recently did this and felt really good. -realise that youre problem is internal and you can fix it. It´s not external. -honesty. thruth will set you free. read radical honesty by brad blanton (not sure of his last name)

I could add up one thing, since i am very very familiar/experienced in this subject. I think we are most of the time more afraid of the emotions and feelings than the fear itself. I still struggle with anxiety, negative thought patterns etc., fear. The fear itself has always basically been proven to be illusion in my life, although i still feel fear quite often. Basically every time i have faced some big fear, i have thought afterwards, why the fuck i was afraid of this.

I didnt read the other comments. I dont know exatcly what is the difference between panic attack and anxiety attack, but i label the attacks i have had as anxiety attack. Cognitive behavior therapy is designed for this stuff, i think the main teaching there is putting yourself in those situation constantly where you are uncomfortable and might experience the attacks. it´s very simple, practice makes you better as they say. what you resist, persist. My mom have experienced panic attacks and she avoids certain situations till the end (arenas where a lot of people). She has no idea what is the psychology behind the attacks and how to work with this. I could do the same, but instead i put myself in those situations on daily basis where i could possible have an attack. I was shy as fuck before i started my current job (6 years ago) and after about 1200 client meetings i still get a little nervous before meeting a customer. the words and lines people are telling here wont help you because it isnt anyway similar as talking to people face to face. You dont learn soccer by playing ice-hockey. If you use any stimulants like coffee or nicotine, try to cut them. at least for me, they tricker anxiety. But all the best to you, there is nothing you need to worry or fear. It´s the thoughts that trigger certain emotions / body reactions, but can thoughts really hurt you? And you can get through university without being super social, it is not a quality that is needed.

well, i dont even smoke, lol

Is it ok to smoke weed everyday?

Youre belief system is fucking you up. there is no 1-10, there is no value. You have followed too much rsd, that fucked you.

OP, you have a pretty good situation when you clearly know what youre interested at. Definetly keep going with arts and coding. And i would take a job as a coder, if im not sure how to make business out of it. You can be there for example 1-3 years and build youre skills, probably you can turn the coding into a business at some point if youre good / passionate. Making money in arts is little risky business, keep going with it but i would put all my eggs in that basket. Im 29, ex poker pro also (quit about 5 years ago, had a good run for couple of years) and also never been interested working for somebody else. I had no idea what i would start to do when i quit poker, eventually got into sales. Im now in the same spot again, thinking about switching careers and what to do and i honestly have no idea where to head. My interests/hobbies are sports, reading (lot of psychology, "spiritual" books, science / personal development).Sports have been a hobby for 20+ years. Im not interested in being personal trainer or something like that, because its mostly gym based and thats not my expertise and there so much bullshit in the industry in my opinion. I also thought about becoming a psychologist, but realised that fuck no.

transcental meditation = expensive meditation technique

turning 30 this year. The 30 crisis aint just an urban legend, let me tell you

I recently got ill and had to spent 2 weeks on my bed/couch. I was able to view my life from 3rd person perspective and fuuuck there is a lot of dark shit. A lot of addictions and dark shit that i wasnt aware, there is the inner emptiness that im trying to fill. We have to be very carefull what kind of influences we put in our minds.