Michael Ashcroft
It was a pleasant Saturday afternoon in Bali when I found myself doing standing hip thrusts while yelling "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" as angrily as I could at a man I had just met. He was doing the same to me. It's not as weird as it sounds—although it's still pretty damn weird. I was at a workshop on Hindu Tantra and another thirty or so men and women were doing the same all around us.
To truly understand an idea we have to let it sink into the core of our being, explore what it means to us and why it stood out to us. We have to allow it to transform us in some way.
You’re probably either considering purchasing, or are about to participate in, the online course Write Of Passage led by David Perell.If you’re about to take part, this article will tell you how to get the most from it. If you’re considering it, you’ll get a good understanding of what the course involves.
My life has been defined by chronic knee dislocations. But that might not have been such a bad thing, given how much it has shaped my identity.
This video of Christopher Reeve transforming from Clark Kent into Superman is the best illustration of Alexander Technique I've seen. You can see him playing with his own awareness.
An emotionally resonant, end-to-end process covering everything I've learned to date about how to prepare for and deliver a talk at a large event.
Timothy Leary exhorted us to “find the others”, the ones with whom deep connection is possible. I fully agree, but I want to make one small, yet important tactical change: let the others find you.
The conditions under which we experience awe contain valuable information. We can use awe to explore our inner worlds and understand who we are and what matters to us.
I have always done ‘all the things’', so I know what it feels like to want each moment to be productive. I might want to read a paragraph of an article on Instapaper while waiting in a queue, but by doing this, am I missing out on the upsides of mind-wandering?
I’m scared that I’m not good enough. I’m scared that you’ll judge me. But my biggest fear is feeling too comfortable, hiding from risks and missing out on growth. This is how I calibrate my fear to just the right level to grow.
Zen practice is like a loving, yet strict parent. This parent knows that while a child may hate broccoli, it’s good for them and they’ll probably grow to enjoy it. The parent encourages the child to eat it.
If you research keto online you’ll find mainly dramatic weight loss stories. That’s great for people who want it, but as a 186 cm, and 72 kg guy trying to gain weight, that's not what I want. I'm in it for the cognitive benefits.
I have been following carbon removal for the last ten years and believe it is an idea whose time has come. The prospect of removing carbon from the atmosphere is fascinating, because it places two perspectives on how to respond to global warming into stark contrast.
