#787: How to Be in The Present Moment — Guided Meditation with Zen Master Henry Shukman

This episode is the second half of my recent live Q&A. I cover what I’m doing to try to prevent Alzheimer’s, how to change when you can see exactly what’s keeping you stuck, staying hopeful as current events turn darker, what Quantified Self 2.0 would need to deliver, where psychedelics fit in my life now, how I think about “all-natural” vs. synthetic options, and much more. Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by:Helix Sleep premium mattresses: HelixSleep.com/Tim (20% off any purchase)Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/TimFin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/TimEight Sleep Pod 6 which cools or heats each side of the bed, with custom elevation and snoring reduction, and wearable-free sleep tracking: EightSleep.com/timTimestamps[00:00:00] Start.[00:01:59] What I’m doing to help prevent Alzheimer’s: sauna, Norwegian 4×4 intervals, Zone 2, urolithin A, lithium orotate, and dental health.[00:06:46] Knowing what keeps you stuck and still not changing: IFS, CBT, DBT, and the cost of inaction.[00:11:26] Will I move to a looser, more extemporaneous format? (Send me your ideas.)[00:17:51] From intellectual collector to builder.[00:18:38] What we’ll wish we’d been doing with AI 12 months from now.[00:19:05] Staying hopeful as the news gets darker: social media fasts, upside time vs. downside time, and Hard Times.[00:27:19] Will handmade work and human imperfection become more valuable?[00:27:37] Fix your state: exercise.[00:27:58] The best way to spend 5K–10K to get current on AI (you don’t need to).[00:29:59] Where psychedelics fit for me now, shorter-acting compounds, and anti-inflammatory effects at tiny doses.[00:33:49] Hugh Jackman’s 2,000-meter row.[00:37:17] What Quantified Self 2.0 would need to show me, and the missing piece of behavior change.[00:43:26] Life before and after psychedelics, and losing the fear of death.[00:49:59] “All-natural” vs. synthetic: supplements, cholesterol, and being your own advocate.[00:58:02] Xylitol and white teeth.[01:00:22] What I still love doing inefficiently.[01:00:59] Preventing tech neck.[01:03:05] Minimum effective dose for flexibility.[01:04:39] The $20 tip from Billy Joel.[01:06:09] My favorite birds.[01:07:12] When to keep investing in a friendship.[01:08:09] Am I at peace?[01:09:20] Parting thoughts.For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For episode #888, I couldn’t resist going down a rabbit hole about the number eight and what it can tell us about luck, language, money, and fate. Join me for a nerdy tour of China, Japan, and Korea, including a million-dollar license plate, disappearing hotel floors, a casino room designed around one gambler’s birthday, and the lucky number hiding in Toyota’s name. This is my excuse to dust off some of my East Asian Studies background and indulge a few wonderfully weird interests. Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by:AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim*Timestamps:00:00 Episode 888: How do you design luck?01:44 Why eight is lucky in Chinese culture.04:48 Expensive phone numbers, license plates, and Olympic dates.07:04 Lucky skyscrapers and apartment prices.08:00 Four, death, and disappearing hotel floors.09:31 Casinos, feng shui, and designing for good fortune.12:12 A gaming room designed around one gambler’s birthday.13:47 Uncle Sam’s lucky-money products.14:20 Japan: Tim’s exchange-student experience.14:36 How Japanese writing works: kanji, hiragana, and katakana.16:53 Hachi, suehirogari, and the shape of growing prosperity.18:33 From Toyoda to Toyota: eight lucky strokes.19:25 The Shikoku pilgrimage, 88 temples, and Craig Mod.21:32 Korea: saju palja, eight characters, and the language of fate.23:43 666 and the number of the beast.24:20 Heavy metal, the evil eye, and Ronnie James Dio’s grandmother.26:21 Why six and 666 can mean good fortune in China.27:24 88, 886, and a numerological goodbye.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode explores what The 4-Hour Workweek looks like in the age of AI, rebuilding momentum when you’re stuck, navigating friendships, making room for serendipity, and much, much more.This episode is brought to you by:Incogni, which removes your personal data from the web, helping shield you from fraud, scams, and identity theft: Incogni.com/Tim (use code TIM at checkout and get 60% off an annual plan)Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan® Pro using nonstick technology that’s coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”: FromOurPlace.com/TimMomentous high-quality creatine for cognitive and muscular support: https://LiveMomentous.com/TimAG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/TimTimestamps[00:00:00] Introduction.[00:01:23] The 4-Hour Workweek in the age of AI.[00:06:29] Revisiting old advice as your life changes.[00:09:10] Rebuilding momentum with small daily actions.[00:12:58] The one question Tim would ask every guest.[00:18:06] Staying close when friends drift apart.[00:22:19] Knowing when to persist and when to quit.[00:27:15] Oryx and age-related vision changes.[00:31:51] Investing 10 times more in health and relationships.[00:37:35] Making room for serendipity.[00:42:37] What Tim gets from live Q&As.[00:43:54] Climbing and building finger strength.[00:44:49] Tim's experience with accelerated TMS.[00:48:01] Bioelectric medicine and vagus nerve research.[00:49:22] State, story, strategy: answering questions well.[00:53:39] The movies and music behind Tim's writing routine.[00:55:09] Ten-minute meditation sessions, twice a day.[00:57:45] John Sarno, back pain, and the limits of one explanation.[01:04:26] Back Mechanic and the Egoscue exercises Tim still uses.[01:05:03] The 4-Hour Body after 40: Slow-Carb, fasting, and supplements.[01:09:01] A book recommendation for grieving.[01:09:55] What Tim would prioritize as a new parent.[01:12:20] The Happy Body and gymnastic strength training.For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this edition of The Random Show, Tim and Kevin reunite in L.A. to talk AI super assistants that run your life over text message, agentic shopping, beta-alanine for climbing endurance, walnuts and sperm quality, dream engineering and anesthesia dreams, boner pills, man makeup, The Dark Wizard, Tim's upcoming book, a Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet, and much more. Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by:Timeline Mitopure, a highly pure form of Urolithin A that supports mitochondrial health and cellular renewal: Timeline.com/Tim (30% off for a limited time)Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: Shopify.com/TimFin powerful AI Agent for all your customer service: Fin.Ai/TimGusto simple and easy payroll, HR, and benefits platform used by 400,000+ businesses: Gusto.com/TimTimestamps:00:00:00 Start00:00:52 AI super assistants: Instinct, Muse, Grok Bot, and ChatGPT dots00:09:04 How AI agents could reshape shopping and video editing00:19:43 Beta-alanine for climbing endurance00:26:23 Psyllium, contaminants, and creatine without stomach trouble00:30:34 Walnuts, sperm quality, and micronutrients00:40:15 A2 protein shakes and practical training nutrition00:46:20 Dream engineering, lucid dreaming, and brain stimulation00:53:06 Anesthesia dreams and trauma recovery00:59:19 DORA sleep medications and Alzheimer’s research01:01:25 Plum Flower Curing Pills and Airofit breathing training01:05:36 Brain-stimulating contact lenses and the mysteries of anesthesia01:10:06 Boner pills, back pain, and the lure of enhancement01:12:55 AI writing tools and the value of lived experience01:16:51 “Personal Renewal”: John Gardner and the story of Cervantes01:18:44 Man makeup, rosacea, and Kevin’s skincare routine01:22:17 The Dark Wizard and the extraordinary life of Dean Potter01:24:48 Studs Terkel’s Hard Times, Working, and the art of oral history01:27:34 Exploring romantasy: Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses01:30:40 What Fifty Shades of Grey teaches about clear positioning01:34:43 Tim’s next book: saying no in a world of noise01:37:23 Authors Equity, publishing timelines, and the case for print01:43:10 “Please Use AI,” Kurt Vonnegut, and preserving human connection01:44:53 Will AI create more leisure—or just more work?01:47:34 The $500 Jean-Claude Van Damme splits bet*DISCLAIMER FROM TIM FERRISS: I am not an investment adviser or a medical professional. Nor is Kevin Rose. All opinions are mine alone. Or his. Nothing here is investment or medical advice; it is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Please talk to your doctor before trying any drug, supplement, or protocol we mention.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferrissInstagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferrissLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many of us feel like we’re drowning in invisible complexity. So I wanted to hit pause and ask a simple question: What are 1–3 decisions that could dramatically simplify my life?In this episode:Chip Conley shares how a near-death experience on stage changed his life.Greg McKeown reveals what a stormtrooper costume has to do with all the goddamn clutter in our lives.David Allen explains why the to-do list living in your head costs you more than you think.Elizabeth Gilbert explains why she treats her inbox like her home and what she does when uninvited guests show up.And Oliver Burkeman explains why so much simplicity advice backfires and what has actually worked for him.This episode is brought to you by:Eight Sleep Pod 6 which cools or heats each side of the bed, with custom elevation and snoring reduction, and wearable-free sleep tracking: EightSleep.com/timAG1 Pro all-in-one nutritional supplement: DrinkAG1.com/TimTimestamps:Chip Conley: 00:01:36Greg McKeown: 00:13:00:22David Allen: 00:20:18:27Elizabeth Gilbert: 00:28:35:17Oliver Burkeman: 00:36:37:01*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferriss See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.