The Class founder starts the day on her yoga mat, always makes time for a sauna and switches off with some journalling.
I wake when the sun comes up — mostly because it shoots straight through the crack in my curtains. That said, I have always been an early riser, a morning person. I don’t wear wearables. I just don’t like to have anything unnecessary that has to be charged for sleep.
The very first thing I do is brush my teeth and scrape my tongue, to avoid that nasty morning breath. Then I drink warm water with lemon, take a probiotic and begin some light breathwork — a few rounds of uddiyana bandha.
I have to move first thing in the morning — know thyself. If I don’t, I feel a bit scrambled through the day and I am much less productive.
I like to leave my yoga mat out in the living room overnight — I usually get on it for a few minutes first thing. A long downward dog and a little bit of shaking to get the system turned on.
I usually do a fasting workout in the morning and then my first meal after that is protein-based. I love eggs and avocado, or I might make a smoothie. I carry protein bars with me all the time for a quick hit.
I’m pretty boring with the way I eat — but I do eat whatever I want at the weekend, when I go out to dinner. I’m not a big cook and I live above a Whole Foods, so I generally run downstairs for something. Soup, salad, I love anything with mayo — chicken salad, tuna salad (which I eat too much of!) and I’ll wrap seaweed round it.
I think eating what the earth is offering is wise. Dinner is usually fish, turkey meatballs, spaghetti squash or whatever vegetable the earth is offering at that time. In the autumn I lean into the root veggies to prepare for the cold.
I sauna all the time. We have a higher dose sauna in the office and I love it. I love the cold, too — I have been going to the local bath house for 25 years. That is where I go to cold plunge.
I’ll order four bags of ice from the local market if my body is really craving that freeze. I put it in my bathtub and do a few cycles of hot shower, cold tub. I also have compression boots I usually put on at the end of the day. I have a BioMat under my sheepskins in my living room, so I usually turn that thing on, pull some pillows out and do the compression boots at the same time.
If I’m stressed, I listen to my body, and utilise breath work. If I’m really exhausted, I’ll do a round of kapalabhati yogic breathing. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a walk.
Phones are the worst. When I’m with my friends at a table I leave my phone in my bag. I think it’s very straightforward to leave your phone off the dining room table — just out of basic respect for the people you’re with. Those things are so distracting and suck you right in.
Longevity podcasts can take a while to get in the right headspace for — but they’re always worthwhile. I also listen to Ram Dass podcasts for my spirit and Pulling the Thread with Elise Loehnen. Books that have inspired me have been Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr Brian Weiss, The Freedom Transmissions by Carissa Schumacher and A Path With Heart by Jack Kornfield.
Every night before bed, I take an Epsom salt bath. I’ll try to turn my phone off an hour before sleep, but that usually doesn’t happen. I’ll try journalling a bit as well. I’ve been keeping a journal since I was little and I always find it fascinating to write and then to look back a few years later. It helps to drain my brain. I also find taking magnesium helpful.
Breathe into who you are. Throughout the day, I always try to remember that.
Taryn Toomey, founder of The Class (www.theclass.com), partners with Viceroy Hotels and Resorts, offering guests access to The Class workouts and retreats
