Today at a Glance
Imagine a world where you drift off to sleep effortlessly every night and wake up feeling refreshed and energized. A world where your posture not only supports your physical well-being but also plays a crucial role in the quality of your sleep.
In today’s issue, we explore the fascinating connection between posture and sleep and share practical tips on improving both.
Discover how poor posture may be silently sabotaging your sleep, and uncover the secrets to unlocking a better night’s rest.
Let’s dive in and explore how you can transform your sleep and enhance your optimal performance and well-being.
How Poor Posture destroys Sleep
My sleep was miserable for years.
Even to a point when I burnt out.
Sure burnout is multi-layered and multi-faceted. It affects all levels—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. But sleep plays a significant role.
Because if you don’t recover and rejuvenate at night and work a high-demanding job during the day you burn the candle on both ends.
But when my posture improved my sleep improved.
That was me 6 years ago with “bad posture”:
- felt muscle tension and discomfort every day
- couldn’t relax and fall asleep comfortably
- didn’t feel rested in the morning
- rarely experienced deep sleep
- had developed a hunch back
- breathing was often shallow
Sleep is the most essential foundation for any kind of high performance and a productive day ahead. So I obsessed over it for years. I found that consistently poor posture can disrupt the standard sleep architecture.
I started stretching, working on strength and mobility, getting my body mechanics right, and realigning my body. That had an incredible effect, I never would have imagined before:
- body & mind undergo essential restorative processes
- don’t wake up frequently during the night (anymore)
- developed a relaxed deep breathing pattern
- reach deeper stages of sleep
- overall improved sleep quality
The outcome:
Better energy. Better decision-making. Better productivity.
And a better life.
"Sleep is the best way to get through anything. Nothing good happens in the world without sleep."
Monthly Mastery—Holistic Fitness
Holistic Fitness is not a fad or a new trend. It’s been around for millennia. Yoga for instance is one of the most well-documented holistic fitness systems in history. The Chinese, the old Greeks, and the Romans had theirs too. And so had the Native Americans.
They all knew for optimal performance & well-being we need physical fitness, mental clarity, emotional balance, and spiritual connection to achieve sustainable success.
Fix your Posture for Better Sleep
It took 5+ years to get a solid grip on my posture and body mechanics. That’s probably why I’m so obsessed about it. But I have to admit that I had various injuries: from sprained ankles (multiple times), hyperextended lower back, to a 2x broken collar bone (right), jerked hip flexors (left) from accidentally doing a middle split on a surfboard, and some more.
But improving your posture in 30 days is achievable with consistent effort.
Here are some exercises to get you started:
1. Chin Tucks
- Mental Image: Imagine you have a string pulling your head upward like a puppet.
- How to perform: Sit or stand up straight. Gently tuck your chin towards your chest, as if making a double chin. Hold for 5 seconds, then release. Repeat 10-15 times daily.
This relaxes your neck and upper back muscles. Use your breath to expand your chest and create an additional relaxation response.
2. Elbow Table Pushes
- Mental Image: Think of pushing the table into the ground.
- How to perform: Sit on your desk or table, elbows down, palms up towards your face. Slowly push your elbows onto the table. Feel your spine lengthening. Hold for 10 seconds, then release. Do 10-15 repetitions daily.
3. Wall Angels
- Mental Image: Visualize your back against a wall, like you’re making snow angels.
- How to perform: Stand with your back against a wall, feet hip-width apart. Palms facing forward, raise your arms to shoulder height, then slowly slide them up the wall, keeping contact with the wall. Lower your arms back to the starting position. Repeat 10-15 times daily.
4. Cat-Cow Stretch:
Mental Image: Picture your spine arching and rounding like a cat and cow.
How to perform: Get on your hands and knees, hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Inhale, arch your back (cow pose) while lifting your head and tailbone—lengthening your spine (Don’t overstretch your neck).
Exhale, round your back (cat pose) and tuck your chin. Repeat 10-15 times daily, moving with your breath.
5. Child’s Pose:
- Mental Image: Imagine curling up like a baby in a comfortable, relaxed position.
- How to perform: Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and knees apart. Sit back on your heels and stretch your arms forward on the floor. Rest your forehead on the ground. To release the lower back “pull” your thighs to your chest. Hold for 20-30 seconds, breathing deeply into the belly. Repeat 2-3 times daily.
This is a short sequence to get you started. I hope it helps.
Doing it only once wouldn’t improve much.
So remember, consistency is key. Perform these exercises daily for 30 days, and you’ll notice the difference.
These simple exercises help strengthen and stretch the muscles that contribute to good posture, making you stand taller and feel more confident. And also lets you sleep better.
How to Sleep Better — Real Talk about Sleep with Dr. Neil Stanley
If you are asking yourself “How To Sleep Better” you’ve come to the right place.
In this exciting episode, join Dr. Neil Stanley, a renowned sleep expert, and author of the book “How to Sleep Well”. The Science of Sleeping Smarter, Living Better and Being Productive.
Dr. Stanley unravels the mysteries of a good night’s sleep.
He debunks common myths and delves into the secrets of optimizing performance through quality sleep.
Ketty discusses with him the desires and concerns of individuals who want to enhance their overall health and well-being, as sleep forms the foundation for these goals.
He offers practical insights and empowering advice on how to sleep better.
Discover the key to unlocking your potential and achieving holistic wellness through the power of sleep. Tune in now and embark on a journey towards a better night’s sleep!
That’s it for today.
Hope you enjoyed it (and learned something new).
What’s going on in our world
This week we have been working on a booklet for those who want to reduce sugar intake.
Unfortunately, consuming excessive amounts of sugar has a negative impact on our health and overall well-being. Many people struggle to reduce their sugar intake because sugar is highly addictive.
If you know anyone struggling with this challenge, be a lifesaver and share our booklet “10 Killer Tips for a Sugar Free Life” (at zero cost) with them. It’s packed with advice to conquer sugar cravings and reclaim your health. Get it here and let’s kick sugar to the curb together!
Another highlight of our week has been our interview with Dr. Neil Stanley, which we hope you enjoy.
We are currently working on several parallel projects, keeping our days filled with exciting tasks.
Beautiful sunrises and sunsets help us connect with ourselves, and our energy, and be in our best shape to work towards our purpose.
My dad and his girlfriend were visiting. He captured us here on a day trip to stunning Ragusa Ibla.
As always, stay fit, stay active, and enjoy your life.
Ketty & Markus
