Savejohn.com

I haven't had this issue, but I can see that it could be bad for the neck after longer meditations. Depending on the school of thought, posture during meditation can be regarded as a huge deal from both a physical as well as mindfulness perspective. My only suggestion would be trying to do shorter meditation sessions while simultaneously focusing on both breathing *and* posture. I would regard it as merely a challenge, rather than a failing. Similarly, the mind wandering is not failure in meditation, it's part of the process. I would look at posture the same way. I rarely do guided meditation (I practice Soto Zen), but I often use them when my insomnia has become severe. I do this in a lying position in bed. I find that it's very effective at drawing out all the tension and anxiety from the day. I get my guided meditations here: http://www.audiodharma.org/ Cheers and good luck.

I really like the journal idea! I'll need to give that a try. I generally practice Soto Zen. I was taught by my cousin (Rich Christofferson) who is an actual Zen master: *** PODCASTS *** Dharma Talks by Tenshin Roshi (Soto Zen): http://zmc.org/podcast Audio Dharma: http://www.audiodharma.org/ A lot of folk like Tara Brach. I can see why, but she doesn't do anything for me. *** APPS *** I use Zazen Meditation Timer app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.gaffga.android.zazentimer I tried both Headspace and Calm. I'm one of the few who've had a 'meh' reaction to both. *** PHYSICAL RESOURCES *** On my cousin's recommendation, I got this Zafu/Zabuton meditation pad. If you're all legs (like me), then get the jumbo size. http://www.dharmacrafts.com/102xZZ/Zafu-Zabuton-Sets.html One of the things I like about Soto Zen is that it's sparse with paraphernalia. I don't own chimes, crystals, incense, and such. I find it to be clutter, which is (in my opinion) not very Zen. I hope this helps!

A WAG (wild-ass guess) on my part... the combination of adding exercise and cutting caloric drinks could affect things like hormone levels and other body chemistries. This, in turn, may throw off your normal sleep cycles temporarily (most likely). Also, if you're exercising closer to bedtime, that can rev up your metabolism, therefore making sleep harder to achieve even if you're tired. Some of these symptoms will likely go away once your body adjusts to the change. To help ease the transition, you can try supplements like melatonin, magnesium, and/or valerian root. If you can't put more real estate between exercise and pillow time, then take measures to bring your metabolism down to normal levels. A gentle yoga session or meditation may help with that. Cheers and good luck!

I'm not sure that even an exercise physiologist can accurately predict the end result of your cut. The good news is that if you start a cut and find that your not happy with the results, then you can go back to a bulking regimen. Experiment a little and see what happens! Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

Hah! Very interesting. Yeah, my weight has ballooned and deflated quite a bit. I'm sorta done with that. Though I'm not into astronomy, I do have tattoos. https://flic.kr/p/f5UoCe https://flic.kr/p/f5UoBk Great to meet you! Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

Thanks very much, Mind Link. Much appreciated!

Greetings from Rhode Island! These forum intros are always a bit awkward... My name is John and I'm a 47 year-old speculative fiction writer (with a day job) who has some relatively stong old-school nerd kung fu. I learned to write fiction from sci-fi novelist/screenwriter David Gerrold (he's known for writing the "Trouble with Tribbles" episode of classic Start Trek) and screenwriter DC Fontana (also Star Trek alumni). I had a novel released by Arkham House Publishing in 2002. In gaming, I got my start in pen-and-paper RPGs (Advanced D&D mostly) and was pretty fanatical about it from junior high through high school. I do some sporadic PC gaming now, and that's about it. Most of my nerdly pursuits are via the written word these days. I heard Steve Kamb on a couple of podcasts and his approach intrigued me. I have started reading "Level Up Your Life". I made my first attempt at gamified productivity via some basic, hight-level content in Chris Hardwick's "Nerdist Way" book, but it never took. I suspect that gaming on my own is not the right route for me; I may need a community. With regards to fitness, I'm a fat guy who has had a Gold's Gym membership for many years ... and remained a fat guy throughout. Again, I may not do so hot in self-guided "adventures". So, I'm transitioning over to a smaller kettlebells/ cross-training gym where the fees are higher but the classes are small and the expertise is great. I'm optimistic. Professionally, I'm also in lousy shape (in my own humble opinion...). My writing practice (fiction and non-fiction) is barely in existence and I'm not thrilled with my day gig. I'm not sure how much of that I'll tackle here. Baby steps... As a means of public accountability, I've set up a website to document my attempts to sort my ... stuff ... out. You can visit me at http://Savejohn.com. Though there's only one post online so far. I hope that it'll be worth visiting in the future, but it's not there yet. Oh ... I'm learning to be a blacksmith. So, there's that. Cheers, John Harvey

For those looking for a good podcast for newbies and beginners to hiking and backpacking, I recommend "The First 40 Miles Hiking and Backpacking Podcast": http://www.thefirst40miles.com/ I've been listening to them since I heard them do a guest spot on the Homesteady Podcast. Good, solid advice. Cheers, John Harvey

For some people (and for the benefit of those around them...), it's better to wean off of sugar gradually rather than give it up all at once. If you think you can muscle through it without winding up the subject of live helicopter footage on CNN, then more power to you. That is obviously the shortest route. Rather than cheating with sugar bombs (like soda, cookies, chocolate, etc.) consider a small dose of lower-sugar fruits like avocado, cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries. I know that some people soften the detox by eating carbs in the form of white rice or sweet potato. You could also try some sweeter/starchier veggies like carrots or sugar snap peas. I hope this is helpful! Cheers, John

I'm a life-long insomniac who has struggled with sleep since childhood. Take it from someone who doesn't sleep easily, it's incredibly important. And based on all the research I've looked at, it's actually far more important to our overall and long-term health than a lot of folks ever thought. Though 8 hours is a target for most folks, that's an arbitrary value. Some people need more, and some need less. The only way you find out is by getting regular, consistent sleep and figuring it out on your own. I feel for folks like you (as well as shift workers like nurses, cops, and firefighters). Regardless, it sounds like you're gettng far less than you need. Always feeling tired should not be the "norm" for anyone. I loathe to give relationship advice to complete strangers. Via a forum, I don't see the full dynamics. But, based on your posts here, your girlfriend is being a bit inconsiderate (at best). It may be a necessity that you push back and explain to her that the status quo can't go on. I know ... easy for me to say from the safety of my keyboard. Setting all that aside, I would suggest the following: 1. Sleep in another room. You might need to create a nest for yourself in another area of the house where you can protect your sleep a bit better. I can see that sort of action potentially setting off a whole other discussion with your girlfriend, but that may not be a bad thing ultimately. 2. Find some comfortable ear plugs and a sleep mask (I use this one: http://amzn.to/1Nldr2s). 3. Consider 5 to 10mg of melatonin and/or some Valerian root to see if it helps you sleep through the environmental disturbances. I hesitate at going straight to sleep supplements. It is generally recommended that you address environmental disturbances *before* taking pills. I don't like prescription sleep aids. Ambien blacks me out sans the rejuvenating benefits of sleep (if I want that, I have bourbon). Good luck. John

Congratulations! At this point, you're 10 ahead of what I can do right now. Cheers!

Greetings from Rhode Island! These forum intros are always a bit awkward... My name is John and I'm a 47 year-old speculative fiction writer (with a day job) who has some relatively stong old-school nerd kung fu. I learned to write fiction from sci-fi novelist/screenwriter David Gerrold (he's known for writing the "Trouble with Tribbles" episode of classic Start Trek) and screenwriter DC Fontana (also Star Trek alumni). I had a novel released by Arkham House Publishing in 2002. In gaming, I got my start in pen-and-paper RPGs (Advanced D&D mostly) and was pretty fanatical about it from junior high through high school. I do some sporadic PC gaming now, and that's about it. Most of my nerdly pursuits are via the written word these days. I heard Steve Kamb on a couple of podcasts and his approach intrigued me. I have started reading "Level Up Your Life". I made my first attempt at gamified productivity via some basic, hight-level content in Chris Hardwick's "Nerdist Way" book, but it never took. I suspect that gaming on my own is not the right route for me; I may need a community. With regards to fitness, I'm a fat guy who has had a Gold's Gym membership for many years ... and remained a fat guy throughout. Again, I may not do so hot in self-guided "adventures". So, I'm transitioning over to a smaller kettlebells/ cross-training gym where the fees are higher but the classes are small and the expertise is great. I'm optimistic. Professionally, I'm also in lousy shape (in my own humble opinion...). My writing practice (fiction and non-fiction) is barely in existence and I'm not thrilled with my day gig. I'm not sure how much of that I'll tackle here. Baby steps... As a means of public accountability, I've set up a website to document my attempts to sort my ... stuff ... out. You can visit me at http://Savejohn.com. Though there's only one post online so far. I hope that it'll be worth visiting in the future, but it's not there yet. Oh ... I'm learning to be a blacksmith. So, there's that. Cheers, John Harvey NOTE TO ADMINS: Getting this intro posted to "Rebel Introductions" took many attempts with cookies and caches all cleared.