We have done it! 204 hours of water fasting, 8.5 days! My mom and I just had our first meal. Well - not a real meal! It was one litre of water from boiled vegetables. Vegetables were not included, just the water! The next meal is tomorrow at lunchtime. But, I feel like it's done! My main learnings: First, I feel it's a bit early to put them into words. But I have a few points. More will come in some other newsletter or article. 1. I am shocked that I could do it. I had this belief that people...
over 1 year ago • 3 min read
This week's newsletter is arriving late. I am currently on a 7-day water fast retreat with my mom. Today is already DAY 3, and I am beginning to adapt. I wrote a newsletter on Day 1, and it was a mess, so I decided to wait. The first 2 days were mentally challenging. I didn't feel too hungry, but my mind was worried - preoccupied with surviving. Food is one of our basic needs to survive. And the first job of the mind is to take care of survival. Why am I doing this? For my gut health and...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Last week, three things triggered me really bad, so this newsletter will be about triggers. Why? Triggers affect our mood and it can take days to restore it. So, what’s a trigger? A trigger is a tiny device that activates the gun's firing mechanism, allowing the release of ammunition. For a trigger to work - there should be ammunition in the gun. Otherwise, nothing happens. It’s the same with emotional triggers Yes, we are emotionally triggered only if we hold some sort of ammunition. This...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
I failed at successfully adopting new habits for 10+ years. And all this time, deep inside I thought I was just lazy. But actually, I was just very stressed. How did I understand that? I left my parents' house when I was 17, and I was in a constant rush TO MAKE IT IN LIFE. So that I could feel at peace with myself. I did 2 bachelor's degrees, moved between 4 countries 10 times, tried to start my own business multiple times, published a book, blah blah blah = a lot of stress. Coming back to...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
To be more scientific: the gut produces 90% of the serotonin in the body. And serotonin is the “feel-good” or “happiness” hormone. Serotonin's role in mental health: We need abundant serotonin to forgive ourselves and others, meditate, or fall in love again. We need serotonin to stay in love, to wake up to the same person every morning and discover something new about them. So, it's crucial for healthy relationships. How come? The Gut-Brain Connection Serotonin has a crucial role in...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Last weekend, I went to a party and for fun, I tried standing on a Sadhu Board - a board full of pointy nails. I stood for 3 minutes. I know - a crazy party. All credit to my friend Dorin, who loves out-of-the-box experience. While staying on the nails, I got in contact with very intense pain from my last breakup. I was so surprised. And curious! Could this help with processing repressed emotions? I needed to test it again. So, this weekend, I did it again. I set the timer for 5...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hi from Elena! This week is about FEAR - my experience with FEAR. In this journey towards "the second mountain" or a truly fulfilling life – fear is very common. In my case: fear of failure, fear of wasting my time, fear of losing the trust of others, fear of being ugly, fear that someone will say no, and so on. A few days ago, after a team call, I felt how fear was taking over me. I was feeling it in my legs. They were getting weak, fragile. I found myself repeating in my mind: "It’s just...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hi from Elena! I'm happy to share that this newsletter has an impressive 58% average open rate, surpassing the 19% industry average in Wellness & Fitness. Kudos to Vio and all of you! This week, I want to talk to you about one fundamental concept of what makes us feel good, no matter the ups and downs of life. It’s the concept of the 2 mountains from the book "The Second Mountain" by David Brooks. Brooks writes how individuals often climb their "first mountain" by pursuing personal success in...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, This time, it’s Elena here! Why? We learned that Vio's cup of tea is video content, while mine is writing, so, I will take over this initiative! What’s my intention with it? I want us together to learn and share the language of emotions. Why? Because emotional language is the key to nurturing meaningful connections. Why do I care about meaningful connections? Not only because a Harvard Study on Adult Development says that the depth and breadth of our relationships are the most...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read