Do you want to escape your high latitude and low light environment next February? Join us at the 13° N latitude, in beautiful El Salvador, for 7 days of wellness in nature. You will learn about circadian health, light, grounding, yoga, and more!
Andrew and Allison have loved spending time in this breathtaking Central American country. They are ecstatic to host their second international retreat immersed in the Salvadorian culture.
Click here to see the schedule, review the FAQ’s, find the application, and see photos of our lodging at the Nakamoto Surf House!
We will be offering TWO discounts
- 5% off if you sign-up on or before August 19
- 5% off if you pay in Bitcoin
- Yes, you can apply both discounts!
This Month’s Resources
Why El Salvador?
Over the last year and a half we have had the opportunity to spend about 6 weeks in El Salvador and have completely fallen in love with the nature, beauty, culture, people, food, and opportunities we have had to give back. But what brought us there? Well, we love the sun and the volcanic black sand beaches, but Bitcoin is originally what brought us to El Salvador, as they adopted it as legal tender in 2021.
What is Bitcoin? According to Fidelity Investments, “Bitcoin, also known as BTC, is the world’s first and largest decentralized digital money. Decentralized means it’s not backed, controlled, or owned by any government, central bank, corporation, or other institution. Instead, Bitcoin is managed by computer software that anyone with access to the internet can download and use to monitor and verify transactions. Compare that with a dollar, for example, which is backed by the US government and regulated by the US Federal Reserve.” It is the first currency ever to exist that has a finite amount. Parker Lewis states: “There will only ever be 21 million bitcoin, and each bitcoin is divisible to eight decimal points (1 one-hundred millionth). Value can be transferred to anyone and to anywhere in the world on a permissionless basis without reliance on any third-party for final settlement.”
August 30, 2019, the dollars in circulation were $3.81 trillion (Bitcoin price $9,498). May 3, 2023, the dollars in circulation were $8.61 trillion (Bitcoin price $28,954). As of April 22, 2024, Bitcoin was priced at about $66,000.
“If you don’t hold Bitcoin your prices are going up. If you denominate in Bitcoin all prices are coming down, and they will forever.” -Jeff Booth
This podcast with neurosurgeon, Dr. Jack Kruse does an excellent job showcasing decentralization, the fiat system, El Salvador, nature, health, and Bitcoin. River is our favorite place to buy Bitcoin. They are based in Columbus, Ohio.
The Unmistakable Parallels between Bitcoin & Yoga
Have you ever considered the remarkable similarities between Bitcoin and Yoga? At first glance, these two concepts may seem unrelated, but they share some striking commonalities. Bitcoin, in its essence, represents a digital revolution that brings people together. The word “Yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit word “yuj,” which means to unite. Both Bitcoin and Yoga have the power to unite people and provide hope for the future.
Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network of nodes, without any central authority. It promotes financial freedom, independence, and low time preference behavior. This decentralized nature and transparency align with the core principles of yogic philosophy, which promote unity, trust, and selfless service. Yoga can be seen as a decentralized approach to health and wellness, focusing on self-awareness and individual practice.
In the Yoga Sutras, an ancient yogic text, there is a sutra that states: “Perfection in practice comes when one continues to practice with sincerity and respect for a long period of time without any interruption.” In the context of Bitcoin technology, the principle of continuous practice and sincerity can be related to the continuous chain of blocks that are mined every ten minutes. The Bitcoin blockchain is operated continuously and its reliability is derived from the consistent and unbroken chain of blocks. The principle of continuous practice in Yoga is very comparable to the uninterrupted functioning of the Bitcoin blockchain, which contributes to its security and trustworthiness. The idea of having an authentic and sincere practice over an extended period of time in this sutra aligns with the long-term commitment required for the development of technologies like Bitcoin.
In Yoga, we also have some ethical guidelines called the Yamas and Niyamas. The Yamas are known as the restraints and the Niyamas are known as the observances. One of the Yamas is Asteya, which means non-stealing. That might mean not stealing from your neighbor, not stealing people’s time and energy, or not stealing from nature, which brings me to the un-confiscatable nature of Bitcoin. No one can actually steal your Bitcoin because Bitcoin operates on a principle of ownership, meaning individuals have control over their own private keys and seed phrases.
Another one of the Yamas is Aparigraha, which means non-attachment. Bitcoin motivates us to save, practice low time preference behavior, and encourages the idea that wealth is not necessarily tied to physical or material possessions. This is a form of non-attachment or non-hoarding. One of the Niyamas is Santosha, which means contentment. Bitcoiners talk about “HODLing,” a meme derived from a typo of the word “holding” or “hold.” It very much suggests a long-term, contented approach to holding onto Bitcoin and planning for your future. Contentment with what is, contentment with what you have, and contentment with what is to come. This brings us to a final Yoga Sutra which states: “By contentment, supreme joy is gained.”
Both Bitcoin and Yoga contribute to aspects of personal empowerment and awareness. Overall, health, wealth, and Yoga are fundamentally linked and provide the tools to a fulfilling and prosperous life.
