Pneuma with Daniel Finneran

In this episode on everyday food choices, we’ll discuss beef jerky.  What’s its origin?  What’s actually in it?  And how do you avoid buying the stuff that’s more sugar and sodium than meat? We’ll cover a quick history of jerky, explain how to shop smart for beef sticks at the store, and walk through the basics of making your own at home.  It’s practical, a little salty, and—hopefully—useful the n...

"Your intellect –which has come to you as an emanation from God– is the bond that exists between you and Him.  The choice is yours:  If you wish, you can strengthen and broaden this bond. Or, if you so desire, you can weaken it and make it gradually thinner until you cut it off altogether". This short meditation is inspired by the philosopher, Maimonides. Send your comments, critiques, and suggest...

“All things happen to oneself, and happen precisely, precisely now ”.  These words, written by the great Argentine author, Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), appear in his short story, The Garden of Forking Paths .  Labyrinthine, dense, esoteric, and yet, at all times, wonderfully eloquent and readable, Borges gives us a lot to think about.  This episode addresses two themes–both vital to our everyday...

Post cibum, ambulandum est “After eating, one must walk” Apply this ancient wisdom to your post-meal ritual, and your health will improve immensely.  What do you like to do after a meal?  Walk?  Dance?  Watch TV?  I’m curious to know!  Send me a message at pneuma.finneran@gmail.com . If you're Interested in bespoke 1:1 coaching, but prefer someone more approachable than your typical trainer, start...

Is it your duty to be happy?  Immanuel Kant, the great German philosopher of the late 18th century, argues that it is.   “To secure one’s own happiness is a duty … because discontent with one’s condition, under the pressure of many anxieties and amid unsatisfied wants, might easily become a great temptation to transgress one’s duties .” What do you think?  Is Kant’s argument convincing?  Are you a...

How seldom we look toward the horizon,  Toward the distance, Toward the heavens.  Instead, we’re focused unblinkingly on the luminous little boxes perched six inches away from our noses!  (Yes--the fancy phone on which you're reading these words. That box!) Unsurprisingly, this has caused our eyesight to suffer.  In this episode, we’ll work to undo this harm. We’ll work to strengthen our eyes (and...

The 30-30-30 Protocol—developed by Tim Ferriss and popularized by Gary Brecka—is an approach to nutrition that requires you to:  1. Consume 30 grams of protein 2. Within 30 minutes of waking 3. After which you perform 30 minutes of exercise This method is starkly different from intermittent fasting, in which you to abstain (typically during the morning hours) from eating anything at all.  Which me...

A sauna can be immensely beneficial to your overall wellbeing:  It boosts cardiovascular health, enhances recovery, deepens sleep, and supports detoxification.  But there’s a common misunderstanding about its power to help you lose WEIGHT, of which you should be disabused.  Does sweating in the sauna = weight loss?  Have you implemented regular sauna use into your regimen?  What impact has it had...

The nutrients with which you fuel up and recover are important, but so too is the time of day at which you consume them.  The term for this is, simply enough, “Nutrient Timing”.  In this episode, my pal James Flood explains the basics of “Nutrient Timing”, including:  The post-workout feeding window: what to eat, what to avoid, and when.  The difference between fast and slow digesting carbs, and w...

The unspoken remedy to restlessness… The quiet cure-all for sleepless nights… Sex! A sleep aid–provided to us by the beneficence of nature–than which there is none more effective, satisfying, nor potent.  Have you experienced the soporific impact of sex?  Send your (PG-rated) comments to Email: pneuma.finneran@gmail.com If you're Interested in bespoke 1:1 coaching, but prefer someone more approach...

Are protein powders detrimental to your health? 🤔 Recently published studies have revealed significant amounts of heavy metals (namely cadmium and lead) to be hiding in them.  The highest concentrations were found in:  1. Chocolate flavored powders 2. Plant-based powders My good pal James Flood offers his take on the issue.  X link:  https://x.com/DanielEFinneran/status/1885158418329075920 YouTub...

“The mill cannot grind with the water that has passed”.  In this episode, we’ll meditate on an old proverb that addresses the difficulty of:  1. Letting go of the past 2. And focusing, instead, on the present.  I wonder… Where is your energy directed?  Is it concentrated on the PAST–a deep pool of regret into which it impotently drains?  Or is it concentrated on the PRESENT?  If you're Interested...

Imagine using a "sink snake", or a drain clog remover, to clean your mind of negative thoughts. With what kinds of thoughts and emotions is it currently filled? Were you easily able to dislodge and dispose of them? What thoughts and emotions remain stuck? If you're Interested in bespoke 1:1 coaching, but prefer someone more approachable than your typical trainer, start here ➡️ https://forms.gle/n1...

Skin, hair, and nails-- Collagen is the foundation of them all! And yet... It's severely de-emphasized in our diets. In this episode, we'll cover everything you need to know about this essential protein (including how to consume more of it). Reach out to me with comments and questions. If you're Interested in bespoke 1:1 coaching, but prefer someone more approachable than your typical trainer, sta...

They never TASTE, who always DRINK; They always TALK, who never THINK. -Matthew Prior What did you taste? Let me know! If you're Interested in bespoke 1:1 coaching, but prefer someone more approachable than your typical trainer, start here ➡️ https://forms.gle/n1q3rpMYi8YhqQ9y6 . I’m excited to embark on this journey together! Friendly Disclaimer:  I sincerely hope that you enjoy this show, but pl...

Have you ever had a “gut feeling” about something?  What about “butterflies in your stomach”? Have you ever had them?  It turns out, the GUT is much more than a grumbling, bottomless repository for food;    Inextricably linked to the BRAIN, the gut plays a vital role in the regulation of your emotions, moods, and stress.  In this episode, we’ll examine the mysterious “Gut-Brain Axis” and offer tip...

William Morris (1834-1896) was an English poet, designer, and political reformer. He developed a simple philosophy for “keeping house”:  Keep nothing in your house that you do not  Know to be USEFUL Believe to be BEAUTIFUL  If your possessions are neither useful nor beautiful, dispose of them.  Abide by this easy philosophy, and enjoy the bliss of an uncluttered, clean, and peaceful living space! ...

After an inexcusably long hiatus, Pneuma returns!  I'm so excited to relaunch this program and, with your help, develop healthy bodies and souls.  I sincerely hope that you enjoy the forthcoming content.  (If you don't, please--don't hesitate to advise me on ways to improve it!) Reach out to me on X @DanielEFinneran, IG @DanielEthanFinneran, or send your comments, questions, and criticisms to pneu...

“Distracted from distraction by distraction” Look around: we’re in an inescapable loop of distraction.   How do we liberate ourselves from this endless cycle?  Borrowing from the great poet TS Eliot, this episode offers some advice.  I hope that it’s helpful!  Check out my sister channel Finneran’s Wake for profound, long-form conversations.  Like, subscribe, and share with friends!

“As I in hoary winter night stood shivering in the snow,  Surprised was I with sudden heat which made my heart to glow; And lifting up a fearful eye to view what fire was near A Pretty Babe all burning bright did in the air appear.”  Robert Southwell I hope that you enjoy this bite-sized Pneuma Nugget!  Please consider sharing this episode with a friend and subscribing to this channel for more sle...

“A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it”.  - George Moore  I hope that you enjoy this bite-sized Pneuma Nugget!  Please consider sharing this episode with a friend and subscribing to the channel for more sleep stories, meditations, and soothing content!  Visit my YouTube page @pneumabydanielfinneran.  Email me at pneuma.finneran@gmail.com Instagram: @daniele...

“We do not content ourselves with the life we have in ourselves and in our own being; we desire to live an imaginary life in the mind of others…”  Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician, inventor, and philosopher, came to this realization about humankind in the 17th century.  It remains as true today as it was back then.  In this episode, we discuss living an “imaginary life” in the mind of others,...

Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) was a Polish-English novelist.  He was born in 1857 and died in 1924.  His twenty years spent as a sailor in the British merchant navy inspired many of his literary works, among which Heart of Darkness is most highly acclaimed.  In this episode of “Fall Asleep with Me”, I read this work’s opening scene. It takes place on the tranquil waters of...

The inspiration for this episode is a sonnet–a Shakespearean sonnet–with which you’re unlikely to be familiar;  Sonnet 30 , you see, isn’t commonly ranked among Shakespeare’s finest works. It’s neither read to romantic lovers, inscribed on elegant tombstones, nor quoted in popular films.  Indeed, you’ll very seldom hear a recitation of its fourteen forgotten lines.  And yet, to our purposes, my de...