Posture Hack, Alcohol Peer Pressure, and Richard Rut

January 21, 2024

An easy way to get better posture.

Topic submitted by: Nathan G. from Las Vegas, NV

Imagine an inflatable tube man outside of car dealerships…

When it is perfectly upright it has a lot of air inside.

When it is bent at the waist, it does not have a lot of air inside.

Your body works the same way: when your lungs are completely filled, your spine will be perfectly erect. And when your lungs are partially filled, your spine will be slightly collapsed.

The trick to perfect posture, then, is getting used to holding more air in your lungs.

I say getting used to because holding the inhale feels uncomfortable at first.

Over time this will become easier, and you’ll have more energy and a straighter spine!

Practice

Here’s the quick posture hack:

As you inhale, tilt your pelvis so that your bum pokes out, almost as though you could stick a glass of water on it.

This is called “anteverting”, and is done by contracting your low back and relaxing your hip flexors.

From there, continue inhaling and extend your spine up towards the sky by pushing through your hips.

Do your best to hold this shape, continuing to breathe in and out as you normally would.

Over time, your nervous system will learn to effortlessly maintain this shape.

You can learn more ways to perfect your posture in my free Deeper. Slower. Easier. Level 1 training.

I don’t want to drink as much alcohol, but it’s hard to say no to peer pressure.

Topic submitted by: Anonymous

When I was in a fraternity, there was one phrase that could always convince me to drink:

“Don’t be a p*ssy.”

Even when we don’t use strong language, not wanting to disappoint people is a powerful motivator. We are mammals who want to feel belonging from their tribe, after all.

So here’s what I suggest:

First define what you mean by “as much alcohol.” Do you only ever want to have one glass of wine for the whole week? Is two your maximum on Fridays and four on Saturdays? Create specific standards for yourself; otherwise, your boundaries could bend to the expectations of others.

From there, find a willing friend group who is willing to be your accountability partner.

When I began my sobriety journey, I used peer pressure against myself. I told most of my friends that I was taking a month off. That way, I would be subconsciously held to my word.

This method can work for all kinds of bad habits you want to break.

“Awakening is a series of softenings.” — Richard Rut

Quote submitted by: Jonathan K. from Berlin, Germany

When you go to bed each night, the dream world becomes so convincing that you tend to forget that you’re dreaming.

In that sense, awakening in the mornings is simply the process of remembering what is real and what is unreal.

For instance, if you suddenly wake up while having a nightmare, it might take you a few moments before realizing that you’re actually safe in your bed, and that the monster was just in your head.

Spiritual awakening is the exact same thing:

You realize you’ve been dreaming and slowly come alive to an entirely new, vibrant reality.
Unsatisfactory circumstances are recognized as nightmares created by your own mind.

When you realize these two conditions as true, you will automatically feel safe to soften back into your real life again.

Try this out before beginning your day today:

Take a few deep breaths and melt back into your heart-space. When you are present and awake, you are free from fear.