>>4113
This is great, I'm in. I've been doing this off and on my whole life, but really the last maybe 5 years are when I've started to organize it.
>>5219
How do you differentiate between those three stages? Arbitrary? I personally believe that the body and the mind are completely connected and intertwined, so that anything I do to my body (ingest alcohol, drugs) affects my mind (drunk, high) and conversely, what I do with my mind affects my body (e.g. tell myself exercise doesn't matter, get fat). As such, I like to make that delineation in how I frame my practice. This is years of personal research, TED talks, books, etc but I'm looking for feedback from everyone here.
Stage one: corporeal
Walking for cardio health. Cardio health improves blood flow to the brain, increasing oxygen to the brain, increasing the amount of work the brain can handle. Jogging and running are too high impact for me. I would swim if I had regular, cheap access to a pool. Costs $0.
Yoga for stretching and relaxation. Very, very important. I watch videos on YouTube, I'll link them for anyone that is interested. Costs $0.
Weight lifting for general health, mental health. There are a number of scientific studies on the benefits of weight lifting (free weights are MUCH better than machines). I have the weights I need at home in the backyard, same ones I've been using for 15+ years. Costs $0 after initial investment.
Bodyweight exercise, like pushups. Costs $0.
Intermittent fasting. Watch embedded TED talk. Costs $0. I actually save money on food this way.
Low carb, high protein. Carbs make me sleepy, and pull blood flow away from the brain. I try to eat as few as needed but don't go crazy with it. Costs $0. I actually save money on food this way.
Good sleep. Naps when I can. Rest that brain! Costs $0.
I currently get my caffeine from drinking coffee. I balance it with L-Theanine from tea (green or Earl Grey). Does cost money, I spend roughly $1 a day on fresh brewed french press coffee and 1 quality tea bag.
Other supplements: Daily men's multivitamin, zinc, fish oil, pygeum, lectithin. Does cost money, but makes a noticeable difference. I'd estimate it at roughly $1 a day.
Stage two: mental
Meditation. There is no substitute and nothing that compares to directly training your brain. If you are here because you want to get the most out of your grey matter, meditate! Costs $0.
Language study. Costs $0.
TED talks. Costs $0.
Reading. Can cost, but there is so much good stuff to read that is free.
Stage three: immaterial
Art. Art fundamentally changes the way your brain operates. In order to make any real progress in art you have to learn to see things differently, which means you are training your brain to see things the way artists do. There is a reason so many people I respect in history were polymaths and artists.
Yoga. Like art, yoga fundamentally changes the neural pathways in the brain. "Self-control" is a practiced skill, ask any martial artist. Yoga trains your brain to overcome the complaints of the body, clears the mind, etc.
Meditation. Meditation cannot be stressed enough. It is the direct way to manage my own brain. Reduces stress, make all of the above manageable.
In the future I'd like to see how far I could get myself up the math branch of Khan academy. And I'd like to do more tutorials at codecademy.com. I'm also interested in things like the method of loci, using Anki for more than language memorization, etc.