I always leave the curtain open a little and wake up to the natural light, so between six and seven at this time of year. I go with natural cycles of sleep, as that’s what our bodies want to do.
If everything’s going well, I drink a pint of warm water with a little bit of lemon and some electrolytes. That brings the nervous system online, thanks to the minerals that help blood pressure regulate very quickly.
Then I do my morning practice: breath work. I practise pranayama, which brings the nervous system into a natural balance and you naturally drop into a very still place. I’ve been doing half an hour of that every morning for about 15 years. Then I might meditate afterwards, or practise some gratitude, even for things as simple as the water I get to drink.
After that, it’s a shower. I cleanse my face with my own blend of high-quality essential oils and waxes. I slather that on to my face and neck then do some facial cupping. I use a hot flannel to take it off, put my clothes on, then I’m ready for food.
Everyone’s wired differently, but I like to have a combination of protein and whole grains in the morning. I also follow the seasons, so at this time of year I’ll do juicing — I love celery and will also do a bit of foraging and add a small amount of cleavers (a sticky weed), which is incredibly good for the lymphatic system. It’s also magnolia season, so I’m drinking a lot of magnolia tea — you can add the whole head of the flower or the petals to hot water. Then I might have black beans and eggs on rye bread.
I try not to get pedantic about lunch and dinner. It’s really just all to do with the quality of the ingredients. Organic is a non-negotiable and I’m really into wild meat — anything that hasn’t been heavily farmed — organic vegetables and whole grains.
I put buckthorn, primrose and hemp oil all over my food and find that ghee is a really good alternative to butter. It’s very good for your gut. I also take magnesium after every meal and swear by a mushroom blend created by a mycologist called Martin Powell.
I drink a minimum of two litres of water a day. The quality of the water you drink is also so important. In London, the water has been through seven people by the time you drink it and is full of hormones, chlorine and traces of drugs. When I lived in the city I ordered spring water from Pear Tree Well, which tastes like drinking from a crystal waterfall. You can also try a reverse osmosis filtration system.
With exercise, it’s just got to be fun. It might be going for really long walks, cycling or just dancing wherever I am.
I am definitely a low-tech person. It creates constant adrenaline and I want to be getting away from that. The best technology we have, really, is inside our bodies. It’s ancient. Our five senses are so intelligent, but our culture doesn’t teach us how to switch them on.
I’m in bed by 9pm, after an Epsom salt bath. I’ll do a bit of stretching, pop some magnesium cream on my feet, take some magnolia capsules and that’s that.
People talk about “hacks” for winding down, but I like to go back to a few basic, ancient things. If you’re in bed before 10 and get to sleep, it allows your body to detoxify itself and you’ll get the best sleep.
The number one medicine is good food. It’s where all health comes from.
So make sure you’re feeding yourself with good-quality food. Go for good water, organic food if you can, and no dairy or gluten if possible (they’re natural inflammatories).
If you’re having a tough time, go on a pilgrimage. Just create a route for yourself and walk from A to B, wherever you are. Try to get into nature, even if it’s your local park. Open up your senses.
As told to Jessica Burrell
