Elora's Op: Amelioration Notebook

Syndicate Dawn's personal notebook kept for Shade Corp.'s Op: Amelioration. It seems to have a focus on martial arts, chirapsia, and skipping rope.

## Stretches

### Loosening Skills

#### Pre-Stretch Prep

1. Neck Rolls - Roll your neck fully in both directions, 8 times, four clockwise, four counter. Alternate the direction, example, counter, clockwise, counter, clockwise…
2. Hip Rolls - Same as the neck rolls, but instead, with your hips.
3. Knee Rolls - Start with legs together, knees straight and upper body flat. Put your hand on your knees, and rotate them, spending 180 going down (bending) and the next 180 coming up which results in your knees making a corkscrew like motion. Both knees should be moving together in union
4. Splitting Knee Rolls - Same as knee rolls, but now they diverge instead of going in the same direction.
5. Knee Bends - Start with legs together, knees straight and upper body flat. Put your hand on your knees. Bend your knees, and go into a squat like position, and rapidly pop back out into the starting position.

#### Upper Body

1. Chest Loosening Motion- fluid 4 part movement. Start with your hands at your chest. Move them to your waist, drawn back (punching stance). 1st, move them forward, extending fully in front of you. 2nd, open your arms outwards, so your body should form a “T”. 3rd,  pull arms slightly down and back (fluid motion), and now raise them as high as you can. 4th, release arms, and let it swing and stretch out behind you.
2. Front and Back Circles - Feet apart. Rotate your arms vertically, fully extended, alternating (while one hand pointing straight up, the other should be pointing straight down) start by spinning them both forwards, then both backwards.
3. Converging Arm Spin - Same as Front and Back Circles, but the now spin opposite directions simultaneously. Then switch
4. Side Arm Form Motion- Feet apart. One hand is extended upwards. Palm should be facing up, and wrist should be bent, fingers pointed inward towards the center axis of the body. If you were to bend the elbow, it would go directly out to the side. Other hand is crossed over abdomen, perpendicular to the other arm. Wrist bends similarly to the other. The point of the crossing arm’s hand should point directly up, leading to the extended arm. Spin the arms in a windmill like fashion, and go into the same stretch, but with now opposite hands.
5. Front Back Motion - Feet apart. Same concept as Side Arm Form Stretches, Instead of crossing over, the other arm is now pulled back behind you, and the hand is made into a fist. The upper arm does not change. Alternate arms by raising and lowering the low and high arms respectively, swapping their roles.
6. Shoulder Flip Motion - Feet apart. Start with both hands on your frontal upper thighs. Quickly throw them up and back, fully extended. Arch your back, and pull up your chest while doing so. Hands end up on your thighs posterior.
7. Spinning Motion - Feet apart. Start with your back rotated, so you are facing behind you. If you turned over your left shoulder, your left arm will be extended outwards, while your other arm will be crossed over your chest. Spin your upper body, and arms should switch positions.
8. Up and Down Arm Motion - Start in a wider stance, feet apart. Lean forward, and extend your left arm fully, and touch your fight foot with it. Right arm should be extended behind you (and up, because you're leaned forward). Do a spin/ windmill like motion, and your right arm should end at your left foot, and left hand in the air. Your chest and upper spine should be rotating the most, while your side muscles stretch. Faster the motion, the better.

### Endurance Skills

#### Comprehensive Quality

1. High Leg Raises - Alternate steps, raising the knee high, doing this in place. The arms move inversely (Left knee is up. Right arm is closer forward, just like in running)
2. Vertical Jumps/Calf Jumps - Jump. But putting your whole body into it. You should stay relatively straight, arms start wound behind you akimbo, so when you release them forward and up it generates vertical thrust in addition to the jump. As you reach the apex of your jump, your hands should come in contact with each other. Your legs should bend minimally
3. Coiled Leg Jumps - More or less the same as Vertical Jumps but now you are trying to bend your knees as much as possible, getting as much of your body in the smallest volume, as high as possible.

## Breathing Exercise

3 Basic steps:

1. Controlled Hyperventilation - 30 deep breathes inwards, then passively release (letting it release naturally). Leg tingling feeling, and possible lightheadedness.
2. Exhalation - After a final deep breath, slowly exhale, drawing it out for as long as possible, until the urge to breathe once more kicks in
3. Retention - Breathe in, and hold breath for about 15-20 seconds.

Now I feel calm. Cold showers should feel almost warm. Kinda notice an increase in strength, especially when doing the breath hold step. I also feel more awake and alert.

Explanation according to Andrea:

> *"It isn't necessarily be because of the importance of oxygen in the bloodstream, but rather the technique reduces your ability to utilize oxygen. Every time you breathe, you fill your lungs with oxygen and release carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide typically reacts with water to create carbonic acid, which makes our blood more acidic. So when you use the technique, you actually raise your blood pH, making it more alkaline/basic, leading to blood vessel constrictions and reduced calcium levels which contribute to the pins and needles feel (Intermittent Respiratory Alkalosis)*
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> *Lowering blood pH also prevents hemoglobin releasing oxygen. By getting rid of your CO2, you make it so it is harder to use oxygen. Your blood is saturated with oxygen, but you are in a state of hypoxia, unable to use it (aka, hyperventilation)*
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> *The breath hold is the key to it all, as it is the step that rebuilds the CO2 in your body, and now you are able to fully utilize the high oxygen blood, and the blood pH lowers to normal. It also kicks up adrenaline"*
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From my understanding of Andrea's explanation, it essentially temporarily makes blood more alkaline, while also triggering short term bursts of adrenaline and other excitatory neurotransmitters

## Chirapsia

Different forms of chirapsia

* Shiatsu - combines acupuncture with acupressure to allow energy flow
* Rolfing - Straightening of the body, resembling chiropractica
* Classic Massage - full body massage with reflection as it's goal
* Sports Massage
* Reflexology
* Myotherapy
* Myofascial Release

### Classic Massage Techniques

* She should be entirely comfortable and completely at ease, otherwise she won't be able to fully let go
* While she's lying down, have a small pillow for her head
* Always target large muscle groups and by not focusing on specific muscles, you avoid doing damage and relieve most of the stress overall.
	+ Neck
	+ Shoulders
	+ Back
	+ Legs

* Pressure should be firm and even, use the entire hand, fingers and palm, heel and fingertips
* Begin with the shoulders, work the way to her neck, down her arms, all the way to her hands. Then returns to her upper and lower back, thighs and calves.

#### Soft Movements

Effleurage - Soft and fluid strokes steadily applied with the palm that stretches the soft tissue and is very relaxing. Good way to get her used to your touch, always do this before and after more energetic techniques.

Fan Stroke - Hands will be at either side of the spine above her hips, with fingers facing her head. Slide your hands up to her shoulder blades with a bit of pressure, move up and out towards the shoulders in a curve, then move back to the initial point. Almost in like a coarse and rough heart shape.

Circling Hands - Right hand should be perpendicular to her spine, fingers pointing to the left. Make a counterclockwise semicircle motion with your fingers pointing in the same direction. Once you reach a few inches, let the other hand do the same and continue to repeat.

#### Hard Movements

Kneading - The standard attack, rhythmic squeezing the flesh and muscles for about half a minute. Go slow.

Milking - Kind of like kneading, but use both hands to grab onto a single muscle group and squeeze, alternating between your left and right hands. Imagine milking a cow, instead, rolling the flesh between the fingers

Fingertip Raking - Arch your hands, so only the fingertips come in contact, and just rake.

### Things to Avoid

* Never apply direct pressure to the spine, can cause neurological damage
* Massaging the belly can be uncomfortable
* Don't pinch, try to avoid it
* Once you start, never leave your partner without your touch. If you need to grab something, keep one hand on her, until the very end

## Self Improvment

1. Workout is more than looks. It shows hours of fine discipline, not impulsive. Make a commitment and stay with it. Love the gym, love the workout. “Fix the problems of the mind, go to the body, to fix the problems of the body, go to the mind” Working out puts you under consistent mental stress, improving mental strength. Mental fortitude is always needed
2. Love yourself. It’s a choice to love yourself, it’s more useful than hating yourself
3. Lower cortisol. It affects thoughts and feelings. Cortisol is stress, less of it, less stress
4. Good self-talk. It attempts to bring us closer to pleasure and avoid pain. If you go to a high stress event and you put mental images of people judging and ridiculing you, I’ll be in for a tough time. High status people have incredible talk in between their ears that allows them to find pleasure in what low status people find painful.
5. Body language. In terms of principles there are two you must follow: Be open. It’s extremely simple. Just don’t be closed (arms, legs etc). Take up space. High status people are not afraid to take up space and don’t try to act invisible.
	1. Warmth in your eye contact. Your voice. Your body language. It disarms people immediately. Warmth creates connection and lowers the walls that are around people's ability to connect.
	2. High status eye contact. Eyes are filled with warmth and tinged with a sense of aliveness. When breaking eye contact, never look down. The key to high status eye contact is in the transition. Once you lock eyes with someone, never dart to the next target. Hold for three, two, one and very slowly look left or right. A high status person does not retreat, she is able to hold pressure. Next time you hold eye contact, notice what's happening in your body. That's tension. High status people hold a lot of responsibility in their life thus being able to keep tension no matter what the stakes are.
	3. Chest forward, shoulders back, chin up. Posture changes your thoughts which affect your feelings. It makes you feel immensely more confident. Posture is not something you turn on and off.
	4. Walk slowly. What's the rush? Slow the fuck down. When walking slowly you start noticing your surroundings. You become more mindful. The high status person is not in a rush to do anything. If you must walk faster, be quick but don’t hurry. Each step is mindful.
6. Be surrounded by high status people. If you are around a bunch of low-status people it’s easier to fall into their reality if you aren’t mindful. It's the same reason ambitious people hang out with ambitious people. They feed off each other. If you are stuck with a certain group, then make sure to watch or talk to a friend that's high status or someone you admire.
7. Be actually happy. A great friend of mine said that happiness is smiling to yourself when you are alone in the elevator. It’s a strong feeling of content. It’s not necessarily high energy. The relationship between happy and joyful is that: joy = happy + excitement. Happiness is a deep contentment. Be happy with life and take conscious steps every day to stay in this state.
8. Don’t be easily impressed. Stop responding to the mundane as if you just heard the news that Watcher Syndicate came back from the past again.
9. Demand attention when you talk. When conversing with another human, make sure your words are landing on engaged ears. There is a saying that translates to “do you hear me or are you just listening to me?”. Pause until you have their full attention. If they are distracted, don't continue the conversation.
10. Think big thoughts. Next time you are waiting, take this opportunity to think BIG THOUGHTS. The high status person is bigger than their problems. Think about billion dollar problems. Think about your mission in life. Big thoughts fill your head. Contemplate BIG ideas. There is no time to be grounded in reality.
11. Touch people. Touch a shoulder, an elbow, give a hug, shake a hand. There are no barriers to touching people. Make sure to use social awareness and absolutely no groping. It’s all in the flow of the conversation.
12. Do less, be more. Say sentences without speaking. Move without moving. Ask without asking. Follow the law of least effort. What can you communicate in a sentence that used to take a paragraph? Do less, be more.
13. Have a generous spirit, everyone gets love. Pick up the bill. Pour the drinks. Invite people into conversations. It’s a generous spirit that surrounds everything you do. Living like this is an expression of having abundance in your life.
14. Boundaries. While having this generous spirit and attitude you have clear boundaries. Say things like “don’t do that” or “don’t behave like that.” Have a generous spirit but do not allow people to go over your boundaries. Being high status is being not afraid to assert herself against challengers to the throne.
15. Laugh loudly. Never again hold back your laugh, your smile. Show up fully (that means all of you). If I feel sad, I say it. If I’m happy I’ll say. High status is genuine.
16. Shake hands correctly. This is part of making a great first impression. Don’t mess this up. It’s simple but not always easy.
17. Don’t go out of your way to befriend high status people. The high status person doesn’t randomly befriend other high status people. If he must, he will. Ask for introductions. Let it happen naturally and organically. You can have a target but you don’t go out of your way to make a connection. Find commonalities and understand that it won’t happen overnight.
18. Entitled Attitude. High status is entitled. There are of course healthy and unhealthy levels to this. Healthy entitlement is the sense that you have the right to want things, even if you might not get them.
19. Master how to have great first impressions. Master the craft of having great first impressions. The intention would be that within seconds of meeting you the other person would be in awe. Learning to shake someone's hand, warm eye contact, remembering their name and the energetic connection behind it are all crucial in mastering this.
20. Dress well, utilize the halo effect. Look good, you feel good. Get out of your comfort zone. Never wear cargo shorts again. Wear a dress blouse, skirt and ABSOLUTELY wear great shoes.
21. Placement. Where are you standing? If the opportunity presents itself, high status always chooses the most comfortable seat. Choose to have your back against a wall so no-one could be behind you.
22. Walk in and stop. Walk into the club, the meeting room, the coffee shop, and stop for three seconds. Look around, smell the air and then continue on your path.
23. It’s all good. Your mindset is completely content. It’s all good. That’s good. That’s good. Oh, that? That's also good. Unfailing coolness, it’s all good even if it's bad it’s good. “It’ll be alright” type of attitude. High status is bigger than their problems.
24. Have an impossible mission for yourself that you are creating. It takes a great character to decide to conquer the world. Choosing an impossible goal like stopping world strife. This elevates your inner world of status to an infinite degree.
25. Speak for the group and to the group. High status is a leader. Not a follower. As a leader, you take charge of the group, you speak to the group, and lead in the direction that’s best for everyone.
26. Have impeccable social skills. Have an incredible external awareness. Understand what’s happening underneath the surface. You understand group dynamics. You feel the mood of the group as a leader. You know when to be silent. You know when and how to connect deeply. Communication is your most valuable skill that CAN and MUST be developed.
27. Don’t talk with an upward pitch. You don’t finish your sentences with an upward intonation. This is an expression of people-pleasing behavior. You end your statements and questions the same way they were started. There is not an ounce of people pleasing or seeking for agreement when you communicate with high status.
28. Make statements rather than questions. How are you? vs. Tell me about your day. What made you do that? vs. I'm curious what drove you to do that. A simple switch that changes the whole dynamics of a conversation.
29. Don’t gossip. High status bans it from their entire life. It makes you look terrible. High status is gossiped about, not the gossiper. Plus, remember that you have more important things to talk about like that mission from #27.
30. Don’t complain. The high status man is a creator. He isn’t complaining about how the world is. There is absolutely no reason to complain. The high status man either accepts reality or works to change it. Stop talking about your emotional injuries.
31. Have an air of effortlessness. This can only TRULY be achieved if you have suffered, you have put in the fucking work in private to shine in public. You have spent hours perfecting your skills in life and the social world. Then you can truly be effortless and natural and spontaneous.
32. Directness. Yes. No. If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no for now. High status isn’t ‘floaty’ - she is direct and decisive. This is reflected in conversation, movement and presence.
33. Be a master seducer. The world is your playground. You walk into a room and understand that it’s all a game. This is your playful philosophy on life. You understand the fundamental aspect of humans. They are bored. People are bored. People are begging to be seduced, to be led astray and come alive. High status gives them this gift. The power from a master seducer comes from her ability to BE seduced. Seduced by great food, art, beauty and romance. Be sensitive to pleasure (this puts you in a positive mood no matter what is happening).
34. You don’t need anyone's approval. High status doesn't do anything for approval. She realizes it’s not her responsibility that people are comfortable in her presence. She doesn’t suppress her energy or spirit for anyone. The paradox of this, is that people actually like her because she is NOT a people pleaser.
35. Raise your status every day. You work on yourself every single day. Health, wealth, relationships, spirit and all the buckets that matter to you. Every day you work on your inner prestige so you truly are the highest status person in the universe for YOURSELF.

## Building Bulk Like a Lion

* Squats, Compounds lifts train multiple muscles at once, also releases small bursts of growth hormones and testosterone, while is short lived. (Building strength builds muscles, micro-tears and lactic acid) Don't rely on compound lifts
* High rep ranges
* Isolation movements
* HR ranges and Iso Movements build lot of metabolic stress in muscles, most optimum method to pack muscle and size
* Start with compound lifts, then move onto the Iso work, and focus on HR ranges (20s to 30s+) Basically Heavy Comp Lifts + HR Iso Movements, with some slow accentrics will maximize 3 main stimuli for hypertrophy
	+ Metabolic Stress
	+ Muscle Damage
	+ Mechanical tensions
* Don't forget work on the smaller in between muscles, such as shrugs or triceps work to counterbalance the biceps, looks much more massive

### Structure for a workout

1. Compound moves at beginning (requires a lot of strength, can't do them with fatigue, increased risk of injury, and the temporary boost of testosterone can assist for immediate use)
2. Iso movements at the end (the boost from compound moves give you added benefits from HR ranges)

* Training each body part for more than once a week

### Burning Out

* More time catabolism than anabolism. Anab is when you're burning fat for energy, Catab is when you're regenerating muscle, building it up more, healing wounds.
* Work hard, rest hard.
* Lots of food, like a lion. Spend most of their time lounging, growing muscle. All out, or not going at all.

## "Balancing Spinning Plates"

Basically, at the circus, when that one guy does the spinning plates, and balances on a stick or something. The hard part isn't quite balancing it, rather the hard part is getting it spinning fast enough in the first place.

This applies to life in general. Before I can balance social life, self love, and school and other stuff, I have the get them to “spin” fast enough, to where they can have the ability to be balanced. Ergo, balancing well-built skills is easier than balancing poor habits. “Once you have a cash flow business that more or less runs itself, it's easy to keep that going.”

So I pick ONE area of my life that needs the most improvement, and work on “spinning” that one plate until it's fast enough.

> *“For example, if you have a great relationship with your family but am struggling financially, then sit down with your family and explain that you're going to take the next 6 months to build a side hustle that will give you AND your family more freedom and options. Then spend those 6 months building a side hustle and let it run itself when you refocus on family”*
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Focus on the area that needs most work. Bring it up to speed, then refocus, and shift gears.

#### Big Rocks

Balancing a spinning plate is hard, and going with the analogy, if I put all your effort into spinning a single plate, the other plates will bound to slow and eventually fall. Not matter what plate I'm trying to spin, make sure you take care of the foundations, the cornerstones, and BIG ROCKS each week, to maintain and minimize the anemic decay.

No matter what one specific plate I'm trying to spin right now, I should:

* Commit one day each week to hanging out with a friend or SO
* Focus at least 1 hour every day focused on deep work
* Exercise for at least 3 hours each week

> *“By making sure each big rocks are taken care each week, you ensure no one area starts to regress while you attempt to make progress in another. Every area in your life should be moving forward at all times. Some areas will be moving faster than others, but they should all be moving nonetheless”*
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## Plus / Equal / Minus

To improve, I could do with one, or even none of the three, but having all three usually results in most improvement/quality

Plus - People who excel, master/ are very adept at the subject, and able to teach and therefore you could learn from them. Examples, Andrea in chess, Anira in skipping rope, Miji in art.

Equal - People who wish to get better, while still are in a relatively close skill set/range, so you can bounce ideas off, compare growth, and overall take the journey together.

Minus - People who wish to get better, or are significantly lower in skill. If you can teach another person how to do a skill, then it reinforces your own comprehension of the ability and how to execute it.

## Single Leg Strength

* Jumping is a measure of strength, but impractical. Most jumps that are naturally done, usually involve a single leg push, and even a running start
* Independent leg training has better benefits
* Bilateral deficit: the force produced by one leg should be greater than the force produced by both legs
* Creates the challenge for leg exercises

#### Exercise Routine

* Pre-Stretch
* Pistol squat - As many as i can until failure 2x, on each leg - One foot on the ground, heel too. Trains mobility, flexibility, and balance. Can add weight to make it more difficult. Basically an air squat, but on one foot. The challenge at first isn't fatigue, but rather lack of balance. Keep heel flat, can use assistance via wall.
* Jumping squats to squat walk - 3 reps, 1 min rest between - Squat down, and then jump up at high as i can. Walk, but make sure my butt doesn't raise more than a few inches above ground. No time to rest in between. 10 Jumps, then walk for 100m or burn limit
* Lunge/Lunge Walks - Until burn limit for a max of 1.5 minutes. 1 min rest, 2 more reps - Any single leg weighted walk/loaded carries help.
* Side Squats - 3 reps - basically a lunge sideways, step out to the side, and drop down. 20 on either side.
* Single Leg Calf Raises - 3 sets of either side, 30 sec rest between - Drop heel as low as possible, ball of foot on a step or raised platform, then raise irself up with the foot, pointed. 20 per rep
* Single Leg Calf Jumps - 40 jumps per leg - Launch irself from the ground, knees straight, so it is only calf muscle force. Great for improving jump height, isolating one part of the jump process

## Skipping Rope

### General Notes

* Work on 3 min speed, train using ladders. (15 sec, 30 sec, 45, 1 min, with 15 sec break between each)
* Feet Techniques
	+ Single Jump - duh.
	+ Jog Step (know as boxer skipping) - when rope goes under alternating steps
	+ Double Under - 1 jump, two rope rotations
	+ Jump Rope High Knees - alternating steps, but bring your knees higher
	+ Side Swings - swing off to the side of the body, alternate. Active rest, but still works out arms
	+ Single Foot Jumps - self explanatory
	+ Heel Toe Step - Basically a normal jump, but each contact with the ground, one foot’s ball is in contact, and the other foot's heel, and alternate.

### Skicom Notes

* Anira K doesn’t want me to talk with the coaches, very against it. Her reasons are *“You’re not part of the training team”* and *“They have jobs and kids to deal with, working with over 80 people”*. So I should make myself worth their time. If Anira doesn’t want to help me reach the goals, so be it.
* Meets 3 times a week (two jump practices, one tumbling), 2 hour practices each. Winter is routine development and speed improvement
* Coaches
	+ Vonn Hille – Head Coach - lots of bs that i probably should avoid. Her son Dama Hille knows me. He talks with his mom, and Anira is afraid he will talk to her about Anira and I.
	+ Schoe Jodre – Assistant Coach
	+ Rejand Selikacy – Assistant Coach
	+ Lak Letap – Assistant Coach
	+ Riol Sobron – Assistant Coach

### Stretch Goals

30 seconds on 1 foot. The total jumps per minute would be gotten by multiplying it by four, as there is 2 legs that alternate, and 1 entire minute as opposed to 30 seconds.

* Reach 53 102118 (212 total jumps per minute)
* Reach 65
* Reach 70
* Reach 75
* Reach 80
* Reach 85
* Reached 90 today!

## Martial Arts

### Basic 18 Methods

There are 2 big categories and 4 small. 4 parts: Stances, footwork, hand techniques and hand forms.

#### Bow Stance

Bow the right leg while keeping the left leg straight. The tips of the toes should be pointed inwards slightly. Body facers towards the front, look towards the front. Arms akimbo. Back keeps straight.

Movements: Push Palm - Start in bow stance on the right, push palm in right bow into push palm in left bow. If you want to push the right, start by pushing first with the left. After you push the left palm out, the right palm pierces outward from the inner side of the left arm. Roll the right arm outwards and pull the left inwards (basic boxing like Xi) The base of the right palm should be extended to the upper front of the right leg. Left arm forms a fist at the hip, or an open palm facing upwards. Turn it into a push palm in the left bow stance, by moving the right hand first. Push and extend the left hand outwards from the inner side of the right arm. Roll outwards and inwards. Base of the left palm should line with the knee.

## Reading Speed Increase

* Reading is perceived to be a straight line movement, but it isn't.
	+ Close an eye, and put my finger on my eyelid. Now read any line. I feel my eyelid twitch in small jump movements.
* Peripheral vision. Most of my peripheral vision is wasted on margin space. Start 2 - words in each edge of the page and end 2 - 3 words before the right edge.
* Practice reading incomprehensibly fast for a few minutes, as a quick “warm up”. Eyes are muscles too