Energy Redux

In my Performance Enhancers post, I remarked about an energy formula called RedLine. My observation after using it for a few months is that the drink seems to be effective for weight loss in addition to building energy. RedLine was a bit hard on my heart, so I sipped about a fifth of a bottle a day rather than the recommended half of the bottle, and switched my primary drink backed to Rockstar.

A few weeks ago, I tried a new energy drink, FRS healthy energy. I was actually impressed by its effectiveness with few calories and no caffeine. Unlike the other two products, my energy feels eerily natural. I was actually skeptical after the first day of use, because I expected to feel some kind of artificial kick but instead experienced a sustained (possibly heightened) "normalcy" in my energy level, the kind of energy one feels early in the day. Only after several drinks in one sitting, after which I was unable to sleep for a whole night yet was energetic as ever, did I come to the conclusion that the product was real.

This may be something that I could use on regular basis without worrying about the future risk of heart disease.

Comments

[Ruslan]

Good day,

I remember reading this post when it first appeared in 2008. It stuck in my mind, maybe because I often want the same - having time and energy to work on many ideas that come to my head; sure, a situation familiar to many people, particularly in IT industry. I've been a silent follower of your blog for a long while, though not regular, but returning to it time after time.

Since 2008, I tried different things in search of energy. I started with weights lifting in the gym, then switched to endurance sports, both combined with diet experimentation. There's a lot of fascinating research in the area of sport medicine, related to accumulating energy in the body and cleaning it of products of exercise which result in fatigue. That's been a tremendous experience. But although sports advances me both physically and mentally, it does not resolve the original problem; on the contrary, it reveals more sharply the trade-off between time spent on work and on achieving good health.

Another great discovery was yoga classes in a fitness club. Yoga is easier on your body, and it directly addresses the state of mind, which is really an important variable in the energy equation. It is also a great relaxation complement to gym and endurance sports, which put a lot of stress on the body.

The link to mind is important here. That "lack of time" or lack of energy is essentially an imbalance between desires and actual opportunities. It is stressful, as you are not getting what you want, not realizing your potential. The stress takes your energy and enthusiasm. One reason why physical exercises work is that they just switch attention for a while. But they don't solve the root cause.

So, despite all the benefits, none of the above activities satisfied me completely. But I was lucky to come upon the right method to deal with these things. At my new work, there's a guy who is a meditation instructor. I've known about meditation for long, and was actually planning to go to a retreat for a course. There are many of such so called "retreats" in South Eastern Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, India - that's just what I know for sure). But finding time for a proper course in another country is rather difficult... So, fortunately, that colleague of mine started those classes in the office, just short 30-50 minutes exercises after work once a week. Everyone in those classes likes them, as the effect is felt immediately. After a short exercise, you feel rested and enthusiastic, and ready for joys of the whole evening still waiting for you.

After a couple of months, seeing my enthusiasm, the colleague advised me to take a more in-depth, 4-evenings course. A rather famous and experienced teacher from India was coming to our area and conducting the course, so I subscribed. It was my birthday that week, so I made myself a gift... That was probably the best spent money in my life.

The course taught me a technique and method to deal with many life situations beyond time management: work, family, you name it. That eventually helped to answer all my questions about psychological energy and feel content about finding what I was looking for. Their method is based on yoga; but not that commercialized kind often taught in fitness clubs (although even that is good). They in the first place focus on breath and meditation aspects of yoga, which have empowering effects on mind and emotions. Their exercises are easy and pleasant to do regardless of fitness level; eg there's a lot of relaxation and just sitting and observing own sensations. Once you learn them, you do them at home.

It turned out, there's a big global volunteer-based organization behind these courses. They are called Art of Living, and they are highly regarded around the world. For example, you can find a video of Joe Biden praising them at their anniversary. They have centers in many cities. If you are in Seattle, google "Art of Living Seattle" to find them. They do a lot to popularize this knowledge, which is an outstanding example of serving people.

I recommend to try them. It's much better than energy drinks. It is also a good way to meet good people. Get in touch with them, and they'll happily answer questions and give you all info you may want.

Hope you'll find this useful.