Today at a Glance
- Eight years ago, I landed in Ubud after a surf accident — now I’m back
- You’re not lazy. Your nervous system is just dysregulated.
- Recovery starts with your breath
- A Stoic tool for modern mental health
- A 2-Minute practice to come back to yourself
- The EmBodIQ Reset Ritual
Four months ago, Ketty and I left Sicily.
January 8th. A reset. A relocation. A leap.
Since then, we’ve been living and working in Southeast Asia. First Chiang Mai. Then Hoi An. And now — Bali.
This week, we arrived in Ubud.
It’s hard to describe this place without sounding cliché.
It’s more than yoga and turmeric lattes.
It’s where people come to feel. To heal. To remember what their body is actually capable of.
And for me, this place is personal.
Eight years ago, I landed in Ubud after a surf accident in the Philippines. Physically broken. Disconnected. Emotionally flatlined.
This is where my body-first journey began.
Yoga wasn’t just movement. It was medicine.
Breathwork wasn’t spiritual. It was survival.
Back then, I was scratching the surface of something I couldn’t name.
Now I can.
The body-mind connection isn’t an idea. It’s a skill. A process. A rhythm you build over time.
And that’s what I want to explore with you this week:
How understanding your nervous system changes everything — your health, your energy, your experience of life.
"What you resist persists. What you feel, you can heal."
You’re Not Lazy. Your Nervous System Is Just Dysregulated.
Let’s reframe a common lie.
You’re not lazy.
You’re likely just fried.
Overstimulated. Under-recovered. Chronically in fight or flight without realizing it.
That foggy-headed feeling? That procrastination spiral?
It’s not about productivity. It’s about protection.
Your nervous system is just trying to keep you safe.
In this week’s article, I break down:
- How dysregulation kills motivation
- What’s actually happening when you “zone out” or “shut down”
- How to reset from the inside out
If you’ve been blaming your willpower, stop.
Start with your biology.
The Physical Edge
Recovery Starts With Your Breath
Everyone talks about training.
Few talk about recovery.
That’s where your edge lives.
And it starts—not with supplements—but with nervous system regulation.
Try this 5-minute Breath Ladder protocol.
It works. Fast.
Step 1: Box Breathing (4-4-4-4) → 3 rounds
Inhale. Hold. Exhale. Hold.
All for 4 seconds each.
Balance your system. Even out your response.
Step 2: 4-2-8 Breathing → 2–3 minutes
Inhale 4. Hold 2. Exhale 8.
Longer exhales cue the body to drop into recovery.
Step 3: One Silent Minute
No structure. Just listen.
What shifted? What softened?
Where do you feel more free?
This protocol not only calms the nervous system. It also speeds recovery and clears mental fog.
Your body already knows how to reset.
You just need to give it the signal.
A Stoic Tool for Modern Mental Health
The Stoics understood pressure.
And how to meet it without panic.
Their most powerful practice?
The Dichotomy of Control.
Split your reality in two.
What can I control?
What can’t I?
That’s the move.
Stress wants to make everything feel urgent and personal.
This tool cuts through the noise.
Try this:
🖊 Draw two columns.
In one: “In my control.”
In the other: “Out of my control.”
Then breathe. Act only from the left column.
What you’ll feel?
Relief. Clarity. Movement.
Because energy flows best where there’s no resistance.
A 2-Minute Practice to Come Back to Yourself
When the world gets loud, we tend to check out.
Scroll. Snack. Overthink. Numb.
But your body knows the way back.
Here’s how to listen.
Try this:
→ Inhale 4
→ Exhale 8
Repeat for 2 minutes.
Then pause.
Ask yourself:
→ What changed?
→ Where do I feel more open?
Now finish with this reflection:
“When I return to my breath, I realize…”
“Right now, I feel ___ in my body — and that’s okay.”
This is nervous system mastery in its simplest form.
Not about control. About connection.
The EmBodIQ Reset Ritual
We’re launching something new.
It’s not another productivity tool. It’s not a routine or a checklist. It’s not another fitness routine.
It’s a ritual.
A guided reset for people who live in their heads but want to come back to their bodies.
Introducing the EmBodIQ Reset Ritual → Explore it here
We’ll meet Mon, Wed, Fri online. 20 min. LIVE:
✔️ Micro breathwork
✔️ Somatic movement
✔️ Simple reflection prompts
✔️ Built-in nervous system education (in small doses)
Use it to recover. Regulate. Reboot.
Anytime the system feels “off.”
No apps. No tech. Just your body and your breath.
First session is June 2nd → Join here
This Week’s Tiny Tests
Change doesn’t come from intensity.
It comes from experimentation.
Small shifts. Real feedback. Inner recalibration.
Try one of these this week:
Recovery – Try the Breath Ladder
Use it post-workout. After a work sprint. Before bed.
Track how you feel before and after.
Notice the shift.
Resilience – Dichotomy of Control
Next time you’re overwhelmed, make your two columns.
Let go of what isn’t yours.
Act boldly on what is.
Reconnection – Slow Breathing + Reflection
Inhale 4. Exhale 8.
Then write:
→ “When I return to my breath, I realize…”
Do this for 3 days.
Watch how much changes from the inside out.
You don’t need a total reset.
You just need to listen better.
To your body. To your breath. To yourself.
Let me know what you try.
That’s it for today.
Hope you enjoyed it (and learned something new).
As always, stay fit, stay active, and enjoy your life.
Ketty & Markus
