If you’re dedicated to your growth, value your health, enjoy your early-morning yoga practice, honour natural wisdom, and you’re open to change, read on.
If you’re the kind of person, like K.H., who wishes “to develop better routines and habits to feel better and be more productive,” keep going.
If you’re a yoga enthusiast (like C.W.) who’s curious to learn more about the yoga lifestyle off the mat and beyond the poses, then this letter is definitely for you.
In their own words:
If you see, or could see, yourself in the words of Benjamin Franklin: “early to bed, early to rise, makes one happy, healthy and wise”, then you may be an ideal candidate for Ignition.
If you’re up for taking on your health challenges once and for all… whether you’ve let your health slide for years (maybe even decades…) OR you’re looking to sharpen your edges … you may be in the right place.
If you’re tired of…
…from the latest glossy magazines, or airbrushed and filtered social media “influencers”, then Ignition may just be what you’re looking for.
Good health isn’t magic. It’s a habit.
You’re probably already aware of what’s in the way.
As one of my members, A.T., confesses:
While there are many factors outside of our control, three of the biggest levers are:
No mystery there, right?
There’s not much emphasis placed on when you should, or perhaps more importantly when NOT to eat, move and sleep.
Also, what works for your best friend, who’s been raving about keto, may not work for you..
This leads us to…
According to Ayurveda, the world’s oldest health system (and “sister science” to yoga,) there is an optimal time for each of these daily activities. While our approach varies slightly with each season and according to an individual’s body-mind type, how we work with the consistent cycle found in every day is the main key to aligned health.
Moreover, recent scientific discoveries in the field of chronobiology are validating these millenia-old traditions and practices, that arose when humans first began to live in urban environments and started to fall out of sync with natural rhythms.
While we’ve probably all heard of circadian rhythms—those biological processes associated with jet lag, or chronotypes like night owls or early birds, few of us know just how these affect our health and optimal functioning.
As Dr. Suhas Kshrisagar — a noted Ayurvedic physician and author — writes in his book, Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life, our “clock genes” powerfully influence our physiology.
Tiny changes can make the difference between living at odds with our bodies and effortlessly managing markers of health, like:
Another expert in health and wellness outside the Ayurvedic tradition, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, PhD, and cofounder of FoundMyFitness.com, shares this relevant scientific research finding:
According to Ayurveda, the world’s oldest health system (and “sister science” to yoga,) there is an optimal time for each of these daily activities. While our approach varies slightly with each session and according to an individual’s body-mind type, how we work with the consistent cycle found in every day is the main key to aligned health.
Moreover, recent scientific discoveries in the field of chronobiology are validating these millenia-old traditions and practices, that arose when humans first began to live in urban environments and started to fall out of sync with natural rhythms.
While we’ve probably all heard of circadian rhythms—those biological processes associated with jet lag, or chronotypes like night owls or early birds, few of us know just how these affect our health and optimal functioning.
As Dr. Suhas Kshrisagar — a noted Ayurvedic physician and author — writes in his book, Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life, our “clock genes” powerfully influence our physiology.
Tiny changes can make the difference between living at odds with our bodies and effortlessly managing markers of health, like:
Another expert in health and wellness outside the Ayurvedic tradition, Dr. Rhonda Patrick, PhD, and cofounder of FoundMyFitness.com, shares this relevant scientific research finding:
On one hand, this seems like common sense, yet how many of us make an effort to simply observe nature’s cues?
Modern living is at odds with these natural rhythms.
You may even already know this, yet still struggle implementing healthy habits, as everyone who’s broken a New Year’s resolution knows.
(Indeed, as a Forbes article reports, “virtually every study tells us that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions will get abandoned” only one month in.)
So… at this point maybe you’re wondering how to overcome the obstacles and demands of modern life that get in the way of adopting healthy habits.
Hold on for just a second…
Ah, you’re probably thinking:
Because this is usually the part where I (reluctantly) have to uncomfortably brag about myself and my accomplishments so you keep reading.
I’ll let others do it instead…
I’ve quietly dedicated 20+ years to learning and teaching yoga. I empower my students to take responsibility for their own daily practice.
I own and operate First Light Yoga, an early-morning assisted self-practice program I founded in 2015. It is modeled after the principles of the Ashtanga Vinyasa lineage taught by my mentors from Mysore, India.
The Core Daily Ayurveda Habits model has proven itself over and over in the past six years, generating positive change for hundreds of people.
Course originator, author and wellness expert – and my mentor – Cate Stillman, describes the year-long evolution as follows:
(Learn the habits and method)
(Lean in to make massive progress)
(Deepen your momentum)
(Awaken to flow)
(Support and be supported, in our dynamic mastermind group)
(Where’ you excelled, lead the rest of us)
Ignition Members invest ONE YEAR together learning, practicing and adapting the habits leading to profound health transformations.
Members go through the Core Daily Habits not once or twice, but SIX times — dividing the year into six eight-week sessions.
By marrying modern behavioural science with these ancient practices, using a step-by-step approach, they become an automatic feature of our daily lives.
Though we’ll talk more about the science later, automating these Core Daily Habits aligns us to optimal health.
As we already covered — circadian rhythms, the science of chronobiology and “clock genes” — timing is important.
An easy rule of thumb is to consume most of your calories while the sun is up and leave plenty of space between your meals.
The inspiration behind the name Ignition: those sweet daybreak hours of the day come around only once; and they hold infinite potential for shaping our lives for the better: body, mind and soul.
Just like the body and digestion needs rest, so too do the senses. Light is a powerful signal for the circadian rhythms, but so is darkness. Taking the time to put mentally stimulating electronics away to wind down the mind is vital. Matching the environment for the time of day or night is essential for optimal health.
Surprisingly, this is NOT about becoming vegetarian or observing any particular diet.
It’s about being in relationship to our locale and the seasons via our relationship with plants.
Also, you’ll learn about the healing and harmonizing properties of the different plant parts we eat: root, stem, leaf, flower, seed, etc.
Soothing touch helps many important body functions including:
It can also help promote sleep and relaxation through increased parasympathetic tone — the “rest and digest” part of the nervous system we want to be in most of the time.
As the Buddha once said,
“Mind precedes all mental states. Mind is their chief; they are all mind-wrought.”
Calm mind, calm life.
Calm breath, calm mind.
We’re in the middle of a mindfulness revolution. You know it’s good for you, but maybe you’ve yet to get it to stick.
With Ignition, you’ll learn how with cutting-edge habit science. More on that later.
In the world of survival training, there’s a simple Rule of Threes. Humans can typically go:
So, how important IS breathing?
If you’re at all familiar with yoga, then you’ve probably heard of Pranayama, or yogic breathwork — a whole component of yoga is dedicated to it.
We nail down the how, when and how much, of breathing and movement practices.
The importance of sleep cannot be overstated. We spend one third of our life asleep. As Shakespeare waxed poetic, sleep is “chief nourisher in life’s feast.” He wasn’t wrong, even if science was in its infancy back then. Here are some sleep stats:
This is the culmination of all the other habits.
How much disease is chronic stress related?
According to one source, The American Institute of Stress:
Stress is part of life. Having a creative, generative relationship with stress is everything.
Being grounded in healthy, habitual routines is essential for dealing with stress positively.
You’ll also learn the habits in a sequence that makes complete sense; and the importance of “Keystone” Habits — a concept borrowed from The Power Of Habit, written by Pulitzer-prize winner and New York Times bestselling author, Charles Duhigg.
I’ll share even more on the science of habit formation that went into Ignition in just a moment.
And while each of these habits alone could change your life and be their own course…
Mark Hyman, MD — medical director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine — has this to say about the Core Daily Habits model that’s at the heart of Ignition:
Now, while information is great and I hope you’ve learned something new, it’s virtually useless unless applied and integrated into your lifestyle.
Real, lasting change takes time and is not to be rushed. Easy come, easy go.
We all know how the race between the Tortoise and the Hare went.
Simplicity and consistency are the keys that, over time, unlock massive progress.
While we’ve talked about the WHAT, it’s the HOW that sets Ignition apart from other books or courses on Ayurveda.
You’ll learn about — and apply — the work of researcher and habit expert BJ Fogg, PhD — founder of Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab and bestselling author of Tiny Habits — that features prominently in the core design of Ignition.
You’ll learn the three things and their relationship that determine whether or not you’ll follow through on any habit. (HINT: If you think discipline has anything to do with it, you may be surprised to find out the answer.)
It is a 12-month journey — we repeat the Core Daily Habits six times — once per session.
After all, in the words of personal growth legend Tony Robbins: “repetition is the mother of skill.”
We take the journey together, in a peer group.
Why a peer group?
As the African saying goes:
Benefits of Ignition dynamic group coaching include:
The process stays fresh as new members join each session and become more dynamic as we progress through the year.
we support one another through the challenges and changes we experience while evolving our daily lives, and we connect more clearly to our authentic selves and to the world we live in.
we use the kaizen approach, or “change for the better”: small steps in the right direction over time.
Monthly 1-1 Coaching:
Time for personalized attention, guidance, and troubleshooting on your unique, individual challenges.
“Office Hours” Calls:
Group Coaching on any of each session’s Workshops
Private Member Forum:
Accessible online to stay connected and be supported with community
Not everyone is ready to change.
I also physically can’t help everyone, or even just anyone.
There are only 24 hours in the day. Time is limited.
Book a call with me below to talk about your health goals, challenges and Ignition.
Remember, Ignition only accepts a limited number of new members each season to preserve the integrity of the community, so book your call now to avoid missing the enrolment window.
No one should care more about your health than you.
Given your current lifestyle habits, where will your health be in a year? In five? In a decade?
If you don’t like the answer to that question, this is your opportunity for change.
Will you just be one year older, or will you dedicate this one year to heading towards a healthier direction?
And while nothing is guaranteed and we’re all mortal, how do you wish to spend your remaining and very finite time in your one and only body?
Book a call with me below to talk about your health goals, challenges and Ignition.
Remember, Ignition only accepts a limited number of new members each session to preserve the integrity of the community, so book your call now to avoid missing the enrolment window.
No one should care more about your health than you.
Given your current lifestyle habits, where will your health be in a year? In five? In a decade?
If you don’t like the answer to that question, this is your opportunity for change.
Will you just be one year older, or will you dedicate this one year to heading towards a healthier direction?
And while nothing is guaranteed and we’re all mortal, how do you wish to spend your remaining and very finite time in your one and only body?