Alas, Flesh: Mettle Maker #245
Warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes. Do 2-3 minutes each of (a) jumping rope (b) light calisthenics and (c) shadowboxing, forms, or light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.
Do some calisthenics. Calisthenics are still the biggest bang for your fitness buck in terms of equipment cost (zero), space (very little required), and functional strength. Do this month's constitutional. or dodge over to Mitch's General Store and use coupon code FLASH121 to get 50% off any fitness dice order (offer good until midnight 2/5/21).
Striking and self-defense movement drill. Set timer for 3 x 3:00/1:00 and get in front of your heavy bag. First round, strike with your focus on movement. Make sure that you are popping, weaving, dropping and twisting. For the break, practice your stalking steps. Walk the area like a crane stalking minnows. Second round, concentrate on striking with accuracy. For the break, practice your stalking low crawl around the training area. Move slowly and silently, keeping your navel within 2 inches of the floor at all times. Third round, strike with maximum power. For the break, practice your stalking high crawl on hands and knees. If you are stalking properly you should be exhausted. Not exhausted? Crawl slower and more quietly next time.
Go out your back door and see where your dinner is headed. Find some animal tracks near your home (trust me they're there!) and follow them as far as you can as if your life depended on it. In a survival situation there are no vegetarians because critters are more nutrient dense than weeds (not that weeds aren't yummy and great for fiber). Go get 'em, tiger. See video below.
Alas, you are only flesh. To quote theologian Paul Tillich, "Finitude in realization is anxiety." Sooner or later the realization of mortality will shatter your soul's pretentious façade and you will have to deal with the existential threat of death. Where is the solution to this ultimate reality? Our first clue can be found in the great Evelyn Underhill's definition of mysticism: “One of the most abused words in the English language, it has been used in different and often mutually exclusive senses by religion, poetry, and philosophy: has been claimed as an excuse for every kind of occultism, for dilute transcendentalism, vapid symbolism, religious or aesthetic sentimentality, and bad metaphysics…Mysticism is the art of union with Reality.” Write at least 50 words in your journal on this topic. If you aren't squared off and all set, schedule a meeting with me and let me help you get there.