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...but still with plenty of badassery to go with it. We'll call it brutal enlightenment. In past challenges, I have taken on rucking (metal!), skiing (metal!), sledgehammering (metal!), and most recently a little bit of slinging (metal!). All of it very metal. I've also taken on meditation. Yeah, not so metal, at least on the surface. But when one realizes the practice of mindfulness can instill razor sharp focus, or as I like to think of it, primal awareness, yes...it is very metal. In this challenge, I'm still doing all the metal stuff, but maybe with a little more focus on the softer side of badassery. How is this accomplished? By keeping the commitment to the meditation routine, and adding a little yoga to the mix. And then rucking and slinging like a mother-rucker. And slinger. Yeah. Goal 1 - Brutal Mobility: Rucking returns yet again, in its most extreme form. Monday through Friday, early morning rucking, as I did in the last challenge starting at week 2. That's rucking 5x per week. In the early AM. Before I go to work. In the cold and dark. Brutal. +5 to Sta Goal 2 - Primal Awareness: Daily meditation is back. I've now made this a morning routine. This is the first thing I do when I wake up, immediately after crawling out of bed and immediately before my morning ruck. Except on weekends (my only non-rucking days), where I am more lenient about when I do the meditation. Just so long as it gets done. 12 minutes of meditation, daily. +5 to Wis Goal 3 - Art of the Sling: My latest interest, that most ancient of projectile weapons, capable of felling giants and mad Roman statesmen. My goal is to practice slinging at least 3x per week (should be easy enough, considering that I often bring the sling along on rucks). Also, I intend to craft at least one new sling during the course of this challenge. Even if I don't need one, I intend to make a sling anyway, if for no other reason than to continue to develop my sling crafting skills. I am very much enjoying the acquisition of proficiency with a weapon I craft with my own hands. +3 to Dex Goal 4 - Predatory Suppleness: Taking a nod from some of nature's ultimate ambush predators, large cats, I aim to gain the flexibility and grace I once had when I was an avid practitioner of karate (without actually returning to karate). I will do this by completing a home yoga workout at least 2x per week. Quite simply, my body needs it. I ruck a lot, and I drive a desk for a day job (most of the time), and a need a little something to keep me limber. Yoga was something I once regularly did, but I have gotten out of the practice. Time to get back into it, one little bit at a time. My back will thank me for it. +2 to Dex And there we have it, brutality and enlightenment, in one efficient package!