Our mission is to help people around the world adopt simple tools and techniques that build resilience in the body and resourcefulness in the mind, so that they in turn can go out and be a grounding force for their community, lifting up everyone in their path.
Today more than ever, we need fiercely strong leaders capable of supporting a nation that’s struggling in the face of global uncertainty. We like to think of it as a waterfall or domino effect. You can’t change everything all at once, it has to start with YOU. Once you are energized, inspired and centered, you’ll naturally begin to influence your home and family, then your community, your organization, and so on.
Building a resilient body and resourceful mindset is beyond health and fitness or meditation and yoga. If you look at the science of wellness and the proven equation that delivers more energy and better sleep, it boils down to mitochondrial health. The DNA within these cells gets passed down to us through generations, acting as the main driver or “engine room” giving us energy. Mitochondrial DNA is also responsible for healing and the regeneration of our cells.
Essentially, the mitochondria has two modes – energy production mode or cell defence mode. If they are in defense mode for too long, it leads to BURNOUT and FATIGUE! That’s where science comes in…
Sleep Formula for Regeneration
Amount of Sleep + The Quality = Effective Regeneration
But what does that look like and how do you achieve the perfect amount of quality sleep for YOU? Let’s dive into some tactical solutions.
4 PRACTICAL RITUALS FOR MORE ENERGY + BETTER SLEEP:
Take 5 minutes and try these four techniques first thing in the morning!
Step 1: Triangle Breath – Breathe around the shape of a Triangle: In – Out – Extended Pause
This has a two fold effect…
- One, it allows for Co2 Balancing so that oxygen can flow to the tissues.
- Two it encourages you to relax into perceived stress and discomfort.
Try it now.
Bring awareness to your breathing as it flows in and out. Picture a triangle in your mind’s eye. Take a normal inhale through your nose. Exhale with no force – let it naturally complete.
Now Pause, from the diaphragm (not the throat).
Relax and wait….
You may notice a fluttering in the diaphragm or the throat – this is normal.
Relax into that deep urge to take a breath… Imagine letting go of micro tension.
When you really need to inhale follow these steps:
- First exhale fully (this is probably not what you would intuitively do – just try it), it doesn’t matter if it is out through the mouth or nose.
- Then inhale gently through the nose.
- Let go of your next exhale like a sigh of relief
- Allow the body to balance out again and recover while breathing gently in and out through the nose if possible… it must be comfortable so if you feel more comfortable recovering breathing through the mouth start there and work up to breathing only through the nose.
Try to find some joy in this, because it’s a VERY powerful exercise! We had a client eradicate 30 years of chronic pain – and she firmly believes that it was solely this practice that made all the difference.
Why? Science. It helps relieve micro tension in the body affectionately called Ischemia. By balancing the co2 and o2 you are allowing a felt sense of oxygen to flow into the tissues.
Step 2: Brush Your Teeth (and your tongue)!
This is to clear the bacteria from the mouth… which also protects your gut health… an important ritual for health.
Step 3: Drink water – about 500 mls (16 oz or 2 cups)
When you drink water when you wake up, it has been known to help the heart and blood flow… hydration is super important, start off strong and hydrated!
Step 4: Get Moving – just do 10 squats (or more if you want) outside in the morning light to stimulate melatonin release if possible
Squatting is a compound movement, integrating more than 2 major joints in the body. It moves the digestive system, generates hormone release, and it is fundamentally related to longevity.
Think about it, what happens when we get older? We get weak in this area… this is why we hear about so many falls in this stage of life. Just this simple morning practice alone (tied with some deep frog squat holds for the hips) will help all of us age a bit more gracefully!
We only get one body, and one mind… let’s honor them!
These rituals connect us with self and with nature. Showing commitment to doing something consistently builds confidence and willpower!
Have you heard your mentors or coaches telling you that the first thing you do in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day? It’s so true! Morning rituals set you up first thing with a mindset of success. They support mental development, connect us to the people around us and the things that matter most, and help us embrace the things that make us feel good each day.
Check in with yourself…
Are your rituals giving you energy or taking energy away from you? Cycle in and out of your patterns and take notice of what is working and what is not working for you.
The key is to move from discipline to devotion and love the practice. Getting disciplined is actually about nourishing the body and mind… Disciplined Nourishment.
The key to a great morning ritual is an evening ritual…as a little bonus, here are 2 things we do each evening to bookend our days with a magical touch and help us get great, quality sleep.
Step 1: When the sun goes down the lights go down – we use red lights or candle lights.
Think of it like this, what happens when the sun comes up? We get more energy. What happens when the sun goes down? Our energy starts to drop. If we are creating false energy after the sun goes down, it tricks the brain into thinking that it is still midday… sending messages to turn the energy up. What happens when you have your energy up all the time? No room for regeneration and an almost certain future of burn out or fatigue. Lights after dark can unconsciously contribute to sleep anxiety.
Need a work around? Start with small adjustments like getting blue blocking glasses. We use SWANWICK (use the code: Breathe Me for a 10% discount). Start using red filters on your devices or turn them to night/dark mode in the evening. Have dinner early and the kitchen cleaned up by sundown… that way you can spend the rest of the evening with family or winding down. Over time this will affect your circadian rhythm and help you get back into natural sleep rhythms. It really just takes some intentional planning, commitment and consistency.
These rituals are asymmetrical investments… meaning has a huge upside and very little down side.
Step 2: Breathe to process stresses from the day
This can be as simple as taking three sighs and one yawn… we do this with our little ones and not only is it fun and feels good but it literally triggers the nervous system to let go. We have a whole library of guided meditations to try inside the Breathing Studio.