The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka - 175. Melissa Wood: The Meditation Practice & Daily Ritual That Saved Her Life

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

Why do the most successful people swear by meditation, and how can you start if your mind never stops racing? Melissa Wood-Tepperberg reveals how she went from taking Adderall and living in constant anxiety to becoming one of the most trusted voices in wellness. We explore the science behind meditation's transformative power while Melissa demonstrates her exact morning practice that grounds her daily. Learn why perfectionism is a trauma response, how to catch anxiety spirals before they consume you, and why five minutes of intentional breathing can change your entire day's trajectory. Ready to take back control of your cellular biology? Join my FREE 3-Day Ultimate Detox Challenge starting June 23rd. I’ve simplified the protocols I use with pro athletes and CEOs for everyday implementation. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/3ZgCW4u Join the Ultimate Human VIP community and gain exclusive access to Gary Brecka's proven wellness protocols today!: https://bit.ly/4ai0Xwg Listen to "Melissa Wood" on all your favorite platforms! YouTube: https://bit.ly/3TvgLEg  Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4n2h3A3  Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3TpYQ1T  Connect with Melissa Wood: Website: https://bit.ly/3Zysohq  YouTube: https://bit.ly/3TvgLEg  Instagram: https://bit.ly/3HI2otW  Facebook: https://bit.ly/4l7keov  TikTok: https://bit.ly/4l5pZD1  X.com: https://bit.ly/4jY778f  LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3Tq1yEB  Thank you to our partners: H2TABS - USE CODE “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4hMNdgg BODYHEALTH - USE CODE “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV BAJA GOLD - USE CODE "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa EIGHT SLEEP - SAVE $350 ON THE POD 4 ULTRA WITH CODE “GARY”: https://bit.ly/3WkLd6E COLD LIFE - THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: https://bit.ly/4eULUKp WHOOP - GET 1 FREE MONTH WHEN YOU JOIN!: https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW MASA CHIPS - GET 20% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER: https://bit.ly/40LVY4y VANDY - USE CODE “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: https://bit.ly/49Qr7WE AION - USE CODE “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4h6KHAD HAPBEE - FEEL BETTER & PERFORM AT YOUR BEST: https://bit.ly/4a6glfo CARAWAY - USE CODE “ULTIMATE” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3Q1VmkC HEALF - GET 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: https://bit.ly/41HJg6S BIOPTIMIZERS - USE CODE “ULTIMATE” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4inFfd7 RHO NUTRITION - USE CODE “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: https://bit.ly/44fFza0 GENETIC TEST: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Yg1Uk9 Watch  the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8 Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3RQftU0 Connect with Gary Brecka: Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs TikTok: https://bit.ly/4coJ8fo X.com: https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf Facebook: https://bit.ly/464VA1H LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2 Website: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU Merch: https://bit.ly/4aBpOM1 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/47ejrws Ask Gary: https://bit.ly/3PEAJuG Timestamps: 00:54 Melissa Wood’s Journey 12:33 Coping with Anxiety 15:51 Melissa’s Tipping Point and Overcoming It 26:06 Impact of Meditation 27:07 Melissa’s Journey in Meditation 32:50 How to Meditate 46:59 Meditation and Wellness Practices 52:41 Melissa’s Morning Routine 54:57 Meditative Exercise with Melissa 1:02:19 Going Back to the Basics 1:06:44 How and Where to Start 1:10:47 Connect with Melissa The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The Content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since I was really young, when things were fucked up, it didn't feel right. Something fell off. I now know it was anxiety. I have a lot of empathy for people that have truly suffered with anxiety. The majority of the way that people cope with it is they just keep themselves hyper busy.

Because being alone is the answer, but it's the most uncomfortable place. I am not anxiety. Anxiety is not me. These are feelings that I can feel. And now I have the self-awareness to understand that. The fact that you can face it and have tools to handle it, I think, is very empowering. Where would they start? I share walking meditations, combinations

of breath work with mantra and stillness. There is something really profound about sitting with yourself. Every person that I hold in high regard in my life that meditates has told me how dramatically transformative it is. Meditation doesn't turn anything off. It tunes you into yourself. I assume that you didn't have a lot of strong guides around you. So at some point you said this isn't working out. And you took some kind of step towards fixing it. What was that tipping point? When you say like people out here are listening and feel

that exact way. The number one thing that changes everything is Hey guys, welcome back to the Ultimate Human Podcast. I'm your host, human biologist, Gary Brekka, where we go down the road of everything, anti-aging, biohacking, longevity, and everything in between. And if I don't start this podcast out by giving my wife the credit for getting this guest on the podcast. She's gonna kill me. She's like, I needed to be known that I was responsible for getting Melissa Wood Tepperberg on your podcast.

So welcome to the podcast, Melissa. Thank you and thank you, Sage. Yeah, you're welcome. See, big shout out, babe. She follows through. I just have to really give it to her. From one woman to the next who like, if I say something, I'm going to do it.

And I love that, so. Oh, so she kept up with it, huh? She was so persistent in the coolest way of just like, you know, following through and just timing and scheduling. You have an answer, my text in three months, by the way, just wondering if you're alive. Like, oh.

No, she was clap-packed. Oh, that's awesome. I gotta tell you, my daughter, Madison, my daughter-in-law, Megan, and my wife are enormous fans of yours, and I think they really identify with your journey. And I find something really fascinating about my podcasts, like the more of these podcast interviews that I do,

and there's sort of this common theme, and I think you fit this theme very well, that runs through most of my podcast guests and they, they become passionate, influential, impactful people because they solve the problem. They solve the major problem in their life. And, and it wasn't just a problem that was unique to them. It was a problem that was germane to so many people, but they just hadn't found

the wherewithal to fix it. And maybe it was chronic Lyme disease or drug and alcohol addiction. And you know, in your case was eating disorder, body morphic issues. And even, you know, an addiction which you've been very open about. I'd love it for my audience that's not familiar with you. If you just kind of walk us through that, your early 20s when you started really realizing that, hey, there's something that I've got to face and something I need to take personal possession of and just walk us through that journey. Sure.

You know, I want to start by saying that, to this day with everything that I've built and who I've become, I wake up every day feeling this energy around, you know, I don't wanna say it's ever felt solved, but- Heard you say that. Yeah, like I know what I need to do to get into a place and an energy field

to move beyond these negative thought patterns and this low vibrational way of being. So I think it's just like, first and foremost, so important for me to say that because you can see a person and all this stuff and it's just like, well, they're healed and... I love that you, I've heard you say that you still wake up almost every day

with these intrusive thoughts. Every morning. Wow. It's an immediate darkness. But now you recognize it. Right. And you have tools to handle it. Exactly.

And you know, you might actually be the person that finally gets me to start meditating because, and I don't wanna lose your story, but every single person that I have talked to that has taken meditation serious, you know, Will from Whoop, you, I mean, just, I've had literally hundreds of guests, not a single one of them has said

that meditation is something that's marginal or has a marginal impact for me. They talk about the massive transformative impact that it has. So I definitely want to go down that road. But I think your story is so unique for my audience. This doesn't know you. I want them to get to know you because it's, you know, when my wife Sage spotted you, told me we've got to get her on the podcast. And then I found out how many circles we ran. We actually were at dinner for Dave Grutman's birthday

in Vegas, I think at Komodo. Yes. I'm back there, but there was a lot of sparklers and a lot of stuff going on. So I don't think we got a chance to really connect, but you connected with Sage and you brought her here. But as I went down the rabbit hole of your story, I was really just, it impacted me in a way

because I said, this is a solution that so many people need to hear, not just women, even though it's mainly germane to women, but so many people need to hear this radical acceptance of who you are and this radical acceptance of who you are, and this radical acceptance of taking responsibility for yourself. And then the ability to get comfortable with self-care. And I think so many women especially struggle with that.

You know, 82% of all autoimmune disease is in women. And I don't think that's by accident. I think it has a lot to do with not having to wear with all to go on the journey that you've gone on. It's been such a journey. I grew up in Syracuse, New York in a broken home and just a very dysfunctional upbringing and being around that environment.

Six siblings, right? Yes. Well, there's six of us total. Six total, yeah. I have four sisters and a brother. Okay. And just chaos. But chaos in a way, you know,

I think it was just normal to... If something needed to get across, there's screaming, there's yelling, there's not a lot of listening, there's a massive lack of communication. And since I was really young, I was very self-aware of these things and that it didn't feel right. Something fell off. So I really took on this responsibility, middle child through and through.

I was gonna ask you where you fell. Yeah, middle child of the girls. To do everything that I could to bring peace into my home, but also to make my mom feel less stressed out because I was so aware that it all felt too much for her to manage. And I was always cleaning, making sure, my younger siblings did their homework

and just really took on this task of being like a mini mom. Yeah, what's the spread in your siblings? Siblings were all like, the girls were all about two years apart. So like back to back to back. So that's what I mean. When you really think about it. Everybody was there at the same time.

Oh yeah. Yeah, okay. And then my youngest sibling, my brother Joe, was born when I was 15. So, and from my dad's second marriage. Okay. And, you know, it's just, when you grow up in that way, you are living in constant fight or flight

and running from the feelings and the stuff, especially when it's not being talked about. And when I moved to New York on a whim, I had, you know, I came to the city with a friend, really had never traveled much. We drove here, I'd never been to New York, early 20s. And I just remember this feeling of like stepping out on the streets of New York for the first time and being like, oh my God, this is living.

Yeah. Like this is like. It's worlds away from Syracuse. Oh yeah. If you know anything about people think of New York as all the city, but you get 15 miles north of the city and it's very rural, rolling hills, you know anything about, people think of New York as all the city, but you get 15 miles north of the city and it's very rural, rolling hills, houses are far apart. So you came into the city and you were like, I need this.

I was just like, this is, I feel alive. Like this is it. This is like, and I got a job. It was like the craziest thing. I was like walking around Bloomingdale's, met someone at a beauty counter. I was working in Syracuse at the Chanel counter. That was one of my three jobs.

I was bartending on the weekends. I was working at an auto supply company. During the day, I've always been this natural born hustler because I had to, you know? Like, my parents were doing everything and anything that they could to make ends meet, but I realized very young, well, let me pull the weight. Let me get a job when I'm 12, babysitting

and working on a farm, picking weeds and strawberries and, you know, getting free lunch and getting a little bit of money and then working at a pizza shop. Like I was always this kind of just, I had this like multi-layered way of being like, well, I can do this and this and this and this. And I could take on a lot.

Right. So I thought- That's middle child syndrome. That's classic middle child. Yes. Yeah, my middle child. It's the same way. And then just like moving to New York, like, you know, as I think back now, I'm like, what the hell was I thinking? I had a boyfriend that I lived with back home

and there was a lot of dysfunction there, you know, toxic habits, but like that all felt so normal and familiar. Like that was the path if I stayed in Syracuse. How do you say familiar too? It was so familiar, it was comfortable. Yeah. You know, when things were fucked up, it felt right. Comfortably uncomfortable, yeah.

And I interviewed at the Chanel counter and the manager was like, great, why don't you move in here? Went home, told my boyfriend I'm moving. I drove a U-Haul to New York and you know, like now that I'm in my 40s, I'm like, this fire inside of me has always been there. I just, it's like I didn't know what to do with it, but I knew to kind of run with it, right?

And then getting to New York and being with myself truly. If you know me, you know I'm a huge believer in the benefits of hydrogen water. H2 Tab delivers cost-effective portable tablets that generate ultra clean molecular hydrogen at 12 parts per million. One of the highest concentrations on the market. With over 1,300 published studies showing benefits of oxidative stress, energy, recovery, brain function, and so much more, taking charge of your health has never been easier or more cost effective. Just drop a tablet in water, let it dissolve,

and drink it back. It's less than a dollar a day, science-backed and part of my daily routine. I never travel without this, and it is my favorite bio hack. Visit drink h2 tab.com. That's drink h2 tab.com and upgrade your hydration today. Now let's get back to the ultimate human podcast.

Did you move in by yourself? I had a roommate but she her boyfriend lived with like moved in with us and I felt very alone in this teeny tiny little closet. It was definitely not a bedroom. And I remember like shutting that door the first time when it was like the first night of staying there. And I just took this gasp of air of, oh my God, it was like this feeling.

I had no idea what it was, but I now know it was anxiety. And I was like on the cusp of really like hitting a spiral. And I just remember like, nope, I don't know. I'm not going to let that disrupt. And I just hit the ground running. I worked every day. I started, you know, drinking, going out late, wanted to model, but was just kind of chasing after this feeling.

Yeah. Of being in the scene of, yeah. Of being enough to, you know, when you... When you come from a small town and you think, you know, you're known in your small town as like, oh, you should model, and then you move to New York and you go to these castings and there's every supermodel. Yeah, you're like, oh, there's levels to this game. Yeah, and you're like,

well, I don't know if I should be here. And that was just my mindset. And also not getting signed by agencies, told that I needed to lose weight. And I had already not really in my core felt enough. So that just brought it all to the surface. And then, you know, hitting just my lowest of lows after... And what was the lowest of lows?

Was it because you were partying, you weren't sleeping? I mean, in retrospect, your cortisol's probably through the roof. You probably did have anxiety and you were just like forcing it, you know, and not facing it. I think a lot of people that have anxiety don't fake anxiety. They fake being okay. Oh, that's it. And so there's a sort of a facade for the outside world, but a massive storm on the inside. And then whenever you blow your cork,

people are like, wow, she's a psycho. Yeah, literally, you just nailed me. You're like, no, you didn't, you don't realize how many times the cork almost blew before you saw it. You saw one of a hundred times that I almost lost it. And I have a lot of empathy for people that have truly suffered with anxiety,

because it is the massive sensation of the presence of a fear. It can accelerate your heart rate. It can dilate your pupils. It can, I mean, it can give you a full blown panic attack. And some people walk around at a six. I mean, on a one to 10 scale, they're sort of always walking around at a six

and they float between a six and an eight. And I think the majority of the way that people cope with it is they just keep themselves hyper busy. Yeah. Because being alone, which I think you've perfected, and being silent, which I also think you've perfected, is the answer, but it's the most uncomfortable place. It's wildly uncomfortable.

And I mean, you just nailed it perfectly. It was just a constant... I might be married to somebody like that. Just saying. I mean, yeah, it's just this constant cycle of having all of the things come up, right? And you start to feel it and it starts to literally, like, feel like it's going to explode out of you. So what did I do? I became a master at pushing that shit down.

When I felt it, I hit it. I ran from it. You know, I was running, like, I would take Adderall to get through, like, a cocktail waitressing shift and drink and then wake up the next morning. You know, with sleeping four hours, and I would run for, like, seven miles. I was, like, running away from myself. Because you needed the perfection in your body, and you wanted to model,

but you also wanted to fit into the scene and you're like, you wanted to be in top position in all of these different things, right? I mean, for yourself. Yeah. Such a perfectionist. You thought that was a number. Yeah, perfectionist.

I feel like now I'm a recovering perfectionist. I'm aware that that is still in there, but to the point now where it's not debilitating. I don't let that storyline dictate how I show up now. If things are off, I'm like really comfortable being honest with that. And I actually think it really breaks down walls when you can show up as yourself. And from not being able to do that for so many years because I was embarrassed. I wanted to appear perfect.

I remember even back in school, I have always loved to dress a certain way and I hoped that it would make people not notice that I was poor and that, you know, we didn't have a lot of money and I didn't want anyone to know that there was really no structure at home. You know, people weren't really looking up my report cards. I could kind of just fly by the seat of my pants. I was embarrassed because of all of those things. Yeah, I've heard you tell the story about how you would take your siblings' clothes and you guys would swap them to try to make it look like you have more outfits.

Totally, I was really good at that. Yeah. Still very good at curating. You sort of faked your way through the school and just like, yeah, nobody's looking at the report card but you just were able to sort of skate by. And I think that level of vulnerability and authenticity

I think is now, looking back back that you're able to, to verbalize those things, because there are a lot of people watching this podcast that are right there now. And they're like, and how do I, how do I get out of it? And I think it's very refreshing to hear that, you know, I've figured it out to an extent, but I haven't 100% figured it out. Right? I mean, it's, it I mean, it's like one of my favorite stories I saw Ed Mylatt talking about is his father when he was a young kid and his father was an alcoholic and he would always ask his dad

if he was ever gonna drink again. And his dad was like, you know, I don't know, but I know I'm not gonna drink for one more day. And it's like, you know, so you start taking these things in bite-size chunks. So I really am curious about that journey, because I assume that you didn't have a lot of mentors or like, you know, strong guides around you.

So at some point, you either hit a tipping point, or you said, this isn't working out, and you took some kind of step towards fixing it. What was that tipping point or you said this isn't working out and you took some kind of step towards fixing it. What was that tipping point? What was that like? The number one thing, you know, when you say like people out here are listening

and feel that exact way, the number one thing that changes everything is owning like exactly where you are. And the- I got a little goose bump. Me too. I did. I got it too.

I did you really? I legit have goose bumps. I don't know if we can zoom in on those but. Because it's so hard to be honest with yourself. Is it liberating too? It is when you're ready. It's scary when you're not and you're doing it to please someone else. And I think this is where like, you know, we are on the cusp of a massive shift.

I feel it. I do too. I feel we see through the bullshit. And, you know, all the striving for virality and all this stuff is hitting a point of people want the... They want the real and the raw conversations that can actually make a massive difference in their life. And when you can get to that honest transparent place with you first, and then you ask for help.

And we give over and for me, it's like that little girl inside of me who always felt like I had to figure everything out. And that I could carry the weight. And it was, you know, it was up to me. And I think a lot of us feel like we're walking around, we're trying to figure it out. And if you can not try to figure anything out and you can actually give over.

And for me, it was literally being on my knees after a night of being rocked out of my mind and had just perched, which was something that I had done for a while. No one in my life knew because it was the pushing down, the pushing down. And then what happens when you push things down? It's gotta come out.

And like that was my release and that was like, that was my tool that really helped me get lost in it, like get lost in the storm of stuff and eat everything in sight that I would not let myself eat because God forbid, I leaned into a slice here and there. Yeah, yeah, or you gained a pound. Yeah, like. In the industry you're in.

And it was just such an obsessive, ugly, like I hated myself. Yeah, because then there's the guilt that goes with it. You don't like yourself because you don't like the way that you treat yourself. When did you raise your hand? In that moment, like on the bathroom floor and like getting up, you know, as the sun's coming up

and I'm still up and just like looking at myself in the mirror and having this disgust for who I was looking at. And when you have hate for yourself, it's painful. And I felt it and I saw it and I knew right then and there that I had a choice. It was like, you know, when people say they meet God or higher power and energy, it's a feeling like you will never forget. And for me, it was giving myself the grace,

that one moment of just understanding that I did not know the way. I need help. And like really asking like, please. And then, you know, I've shared this so many times, but I always like to bring in this visual because it was so vivid where it was like, you can continue down this path of mass destruction.

You can keep going, tearing it all down. I was nasty in relationships. I would talk nasty to people. I would just about get in fight with homeless people, you know, just really ugly. And I was awful to myself. I was just very reactive, but like explosive. I didn't know how to control anything.

I mean, I remember at a young age, my mom was like, you need anger management. And then it was like, or you can create a new way. You can go down this unfamiliar path. you can create a new way. You can go down this unfamiliar path that is really uncomfortable, because to be honest with you, it was comfortable to stay there. I didn't give a shit.

Yeah. But to actually- That's so common, I think. Mm-hmm. It's comfortable. People don't wanna stop in the cycles. And if you don't have it, you just create it. Yeah.

And you just, yeah. Oh, I was like a drama creep. Were you? If there wasn't drama, I brought it. You just, oh boy. I would, I would bring it. And I just, it was like, I saw it so vividly, like take the risk, create this new path, this new way of being.

And I just felt it, like, open up this energy of, and your life is going to change beyond anything you can even wrap your head around. And it's that, like, I'm living and breathing that every single day. And I know it's because I actually had the courage to face myself, to face my pain, and I still face it every day.

Yeah. Because when you come from really traumatic upbringings, and we all have traumas. Right. It lives in the depths of your soul. It doesn't go away, but you learn how to cope with it differently. I have learned how to self-regulate and I'm naturally an anxious person. That is my baseline. I don't like to say...

That's your baseline, that's anxious. Well, I say naturally, like I can go there. I don't love to say I have anxiety. That is, I am not anxiety. Anxiety is not me. These are feelings that I can feel. And now I have the self-awareness and the mindset to understand that. And I've changed my relationship with it.

When I feel anxious thoughts, now it's not, no matter what I'm doing, I don't feel as debilitating anxiety, but I can just naturally run on the more anxious side. But that is why I am so devoted to my practice. And I'm not disciplined, but I have a devotion to myself because I know that if I didn't choose to come back to the simplicity of these things that you can do with you, you don't need anything.

Well, I've heard you talk about how when you raise your hand finally got a therapist, which I think is the, it's the ultimate sign of strength. It's not a sign of weakness. And I think people that raise their hand for help are the strongest in the bunch. But you raised your hand and then you got a therapist, but then you started manipulating your therapist

and lying to your therapist. And it's just like, so like. Well, you know, it takes a, you don't change overnight, folks. Yeah, old school Melissa was like not, she wasn't, no pun intended, but you weren't out of the woods yet, right? You were like, I got this, Mr. Professional. Oh did she?

I saw the right therapist. They're probably really good at that and going, you can lie to everybody, you can't lie to me. Right, well I think it all depends because I've seen many different therapists over the, and it really is like choosing a partner. You have to have the person who helps you really see through your stuff.

And I think sometimes it's a lot of like, oh yeah, I understand why you feel that way. And it's like, well, you know, I know you said you have not been taking Adderall, but you seem a little off today. Are you on something? Like being called right out. Like that's what I needed and that's what I had at that time.

And your pupils are quite dilated for someone in a dark room. Yeah. And it was a huge part of my journey of really understanding why I resorted to the ways that I did. Like, when you understand the why, you see it differently. Like, I see the spiral as it's starting to form now, instead of just getting sucked into the vortex. Right.

And that is what meditation has done for me. And this I'm really curious about because I think there's a lot of people out there like me. I suffered pretty severely from ADD, ADHD. I think it was kind of a superpower when I was younger. But as I got older, it caused a lot of chaos in my life. And I would move way too fast, which is terrible with time, and not particularly reliable.

And I've managed that and got completely under control now. But I think there's a lot of people out there that just think that that's just who they are, there's nothing that they can do about it. And they don't turn inwards and take some responsibility. But every person that I hold in high regard in my life that meditates has told me how dramatically transformative it is for them. So I'm going to commit to do it. I mean, I have other forms of meditation, like exercise. There's many forms to me, you know, I do cold plunging, do it. I mean, I have other forms of meditation. I exercise as meditation to me.

You know, I do cold plunging. I do, you know, red light. I do sauna. Yeah. You know, I exercise fairly intensely. And to me, when I'm done, I just feel this unbelievable sense of peace. There's nothing I like better than a rock walk in the woods

when we have a place in the mountains. And I'm telling you, you go for a few mile walk just in the woods by yourself with a rucksack on. When you come out in the woods, we have a place in the mountains, and I'm telling you, you go for a few mile walk just in the woods, by yourself with a rucksack on. When you come out of those woods, there's something magically transformative, and I liken it to a type of meditation. So, not knowing how to meditate,

and certainly going from somebody that was, you know, drinking, and Adderall, and battling an eating disorder, and in an environment where you don't have a lot of mentorship around you, to someone who's practicing meditation on a regular basis, it shows you that that must have been a powerful gift. Changed everything. Yeah. Sue, can you talk to me about the early stages of that?

Because I'm like, this is a very self-interested question. Like, how did you start? Was it like a hallway with a light at the end of the tunnel? I was seeking outwardly for all of the answers. And I think that that was also great. I needed to go to therapy. And then I started working with a health coach. And I started really understanding more,

like I said, about the why and this mindset. And I was covered in cystic acne. Oh my gosh. And I was seeing all the top dermatologists and just, I was looking for all of the answers. I wanted everyone to tell me what to do. And nothing was working. I went on Accutane, which was terrible.

I felt suicidal, depressed, super low. And I naturally dipped pretty low, which people are always surprised at because I'm pretty outgoing in this, but I actually think it's those types of people because we internalize it and we're good at hiding it. And I just knew I had to go in here. I had-

You just had that visceral- It was just, I've heard people talk about it and I just knew that I had to go inside. I had to go inside. I had to like come home to me. And I did like a transcendental meditation workshop for a weekend. And it was really helpful because it's stillness, right? So like, I mean, I love breath work

and I incorporate breath work into my practice. I know you love breath work and I incorporate breathwork into my practice. I know you love breathwork. And breathwork is meditative, but there is something really profound and awakening about sitting with yourself and not always feeling like there needs to be an action behind everything that you're doing. And I believe, you know, I share walking meditations, I share combinations of breath work with mantra and stillness and, you know, sometimes like I, you know,

I meditated in the Uber on the way here, I meditated quickly and that there's so many micro moments. One of my favorite biohacks outside of breath work by far is mineral salts, Baja Gold Sea Salt. It's got all of the trace minerals that the body needs. You know, most of us are not just protein deficient, meaning amino acid deficient or fatty acid deficient.

We are mineral deficient. So a quarter teaspoon of this in water, first thing in the morning, we'll make sure that you get all of the essential minerals that you need. It tastes amazing. In fact, I made a steak today. I actually made a grass-fed steak with grass-fed butter

and I put just mushrooms and a little bit of rosemary and I sprinkled Baja Gold sea salt all over the top. Try it, it'll be your new favorite for cooking too. It's the cheapest and one of my favorite biohacks. I don't know, a 15 or $20 bag of this will probably last you five years. And it's literally the world's best biohacking secret. Now let's get back to the Ultimate Human podcast.

When you say I meditated, what were you doing? You close your eyes and do, is there a visual that you're bringing to yourself or is it just, I'm gonna be hyper aware and very present? Because I have trained myself to be very present. Yeah. You know, like I haven't thought about anything other than this podcast since we started,

whereas normally I would be sitting here going, where am I eating from dinner tonight? Who else is in New York that I could maybe connect? But I would, and I don't do that anymore. But when you meditate and meditate on the move, because I think people have different interpretations of what meditation is. I think they all think it's like, you know, sitting in the own position and in silence

and you have this, some kind of visual and you're able to transport yourself to that place. But I don't think that all meditation is like that. I don't think so either. And I think that is why people feel so intimidated by meditation, right? Like to me, meditation is deep connection with your breath. Like so deep, like you are watching that inhale

through your nose, like you can see it. It's like a wave in the ocean, right? Like the waves come up and you see it and it climbs and then it blends into the other wave. And there's like this stillness and like that is on that release, like I see it and it is being so intentionally with your breath, with each breath, but it is also... So I am very spiritual. And, you know, I feel like I have been a little

shy about that over the years, because I'm like, you know, imposter syndrome creeps in. And it's like, well, who am I? And I'm not. But the reason why I have such a devoted practice of meditation is because it's where God talks to me and where I talk to God. So it's building this relationship with Source, with this power so much greater than all of us. And you know, I look at you and I look at like, wow, what a powerhouse of a man. And I really believe this with everything that, I can't imagine what's going to happen if you meditate every day. Like, I'm just like, you guys, watch out.

No, I'm excited about it. Gary Bracatou is coming, guys. Yeah. It births a version of yourself. Is it, do you feel like it lays off a burden? Because like you said, it's your time to talk to God and God's time to talk to you. You know, I'm a Christian, I'm also spiritual, but one of my favorite things about being a Christian is I can lay my problems at the foot of the cross. I feel like I have a direct relationship with Jesus. And I don't usually get religious on my podcast, but for me, you know, very personally, very vulnerably, I do that when I'm, when I do breath work in the morning. I always say a prayer.

It's usually just a prayer of thanks. Because I never, I never go out there to face the sun and start asking for things. I think a lot of people think of prayer as like their Christmas list. Like all the things they want from God. You know, like you got to hook me up with all this stuff. This is what's wrong. Fix it for me. Tell me what to do. Totally. No, no, no. And I think you'll be very disappointed if you go in it that way.

So I like how you're describing meditation very much to the experience I have when I pray. And trust me, I don't purport to be an angel by any means, but that's been one of the grounding forces for me too, also because it's portable, and it's very personal. I've never shared those conversations outside of my own brain. I don't share them with my wife. I don't share them with my wife I don't share them with anybody and And maybe it's that monologue that you're able to have

Because you're very truthful to yourself and And I think getting it was really hard for me initially because silence was difficult. I Felt unproductive. I feel like I wanted to get to the next thing. And I think a lot of people when they try to meditate or they try to pray or they just try to sit in silence, the mind just wakes up.

Right. I mean, I remember my first Ayurvedic meditation session was a guided one. My wife and I went to the... We went to this resort in Boone in North Carolina, and the therapist sat us down and he was like, you know, get calm, bring yourself to your awareness, your breath, and he started our toes,

started working our way up, and I'm like, I'm on my toes, how long is it gonna take to get to my toes? And then he was talking about this hallway with the light, and I was like, clearly something's going on at the other end of that hallway. Like, why are we not down there? We're in the place where there's nothing going on here.

When are we getting, he's like, you're just, you're not getting it. So that's okay. So, but I like it, you had one of those minds, anxiety, anxiousness, adderall. Yeah, yeah. And now you've got it to a place. I've diagnosed, I've self diagnosed.

ADHD for sure. I'm like, it all made sense once I really understood and someone close to me got diagnosed and I was like, oh wow, this could have really helped me in school. I struggled in school. I was, I never thought I was smart, ever. I, by the skin of my teeth got by,

thank God I have a personality and charisma because I don't know what else worked. I think it was that and cheating, unfortunately. And I'm not proud of that, but that was my, you know, coping mechanism. I was like in survival mode. But so everything you just said, first of all, I love it. And you know, I just, I just had such a hit of,

so when you do your breath work, if you can just after, just sit comfortably, ground your palms on your thighs, you're not gonna do anything, okay? You're just gonna be. And you're gonna close your eyes and you're just gonna watch the. And you're going to close your eyes. And you're just going to watch the inflow through your nose, fill yourself up fully, deeply.

And then I want you to release, really let it go, all this stuff, all the things, right? And just stay with the wave of it. And when the thoughts, because meditation doesn't turn anything off. It tunes you into yourself. So then you're able to see that you're going into that, you know, you're going through the checklist. And by the way, happens to me all the time, where I start to go like, Oh, God, I have all of this thing's shit. Did I send that message to Dylan and I see it

and I go, and we're gonna come right back. So it's this dance of, the most important thing too is the language that we use around it. We are not labeling our practice. You don't have a good meditation and a bad meditation. When you carve out the space, and that's what it is, it's this creating of the space every day.

Just as you do your workout and your breath work, stillness needs to be created in our day. Yeah. I think so many people struggle with that. They do because we're just so busy. Yeah. We're busy doing and the more still you can become, the more present it all gets.

And the beauty of this, of knowing that I don't need to think about anything else, because I'm so locked in with you right now. And that's just what it's... It's revealed so much to me. It's revealed my heart. It's helped me see the beauty of who I really am. And that is when I started meditating, when I had no idea what I was doing, by the way.

But I felt this visceral call to just put my phone up with this little cheap tripod I bought on Amazon, and I just press play, and I would just talk after my meditation. And like, that's one of the- This was 15 years ago, right? This was like 15, like, I's one of the... This is like 15 years ago, right? This was like 15. Yeah. Like, I mean, I, not exactly 15 when I started actually,

like pressing play, it was a decade ago. Okay. And I felt like the flood gates opened. Like it was like the windows to my soul just kind of like the doors flew open and I would get the, like, it would just flow out of me. And I would just talk and it was just this, like I was awakening to myself and to this feeling and the more that I started to share, people were so interested, like, tell us more, like we wanna understand more. And then coming from this background of having,

you know, such a dysfunctional relationship with myself, I was torturing myself in my workouts. I was doing an hour of cardio, an hour of strength training, killing myself seven days a week. And if I didn't do that, I was so hard on myself. You know, I was abusing my body for what I ate before, and I would punish myself during my work. That was my relationship to how I moved my body with hate.

And when I started meditating, I started moving in a way. It was like crazy. It was like I became this like choreographer where I started blending Pilates and yoga and I was doing all the crazy things. By the way that I hated it. I hated it. I went in anxious, I left more anxious,

I was gaining weight, my skin was broken out. I was just on this. Oh, your hormones were probably a mess. Whacked. I mean, stress, people have no idea my skin was broken out. I was just on this. Oh, your hormones were probably a mess. Whacked. I mean, stress, people have no idea because stress is not tangible. Yeah.

Like it doesn't show up on a lab, but it throws your hormonal system into a tailspin. Tailspin. Women that are, you know, going through severe bouts of anxiety or very high levels of stress in their life, there's zero chance of losing weight. You're never gonna get estrogen to let go of water.

You're never gonna get cortisol, to allow you into a deep sleep. So the fact that you can face it and have tools to handle it, I think is very empowering. Yeah. I mean, someone could start this today, right? Oh, that's the best part of it. Where would they start?

If they wanted to move in this way, I share everything online. I started online through this, like I'm telling you, it was like, I just started blending these two forms that felt really good in my body. And it was like, I was moving like I loved myself. And when you show up with love for yourself,

oh my God, like it's like, it just like, it touches, you know, it like makes me emotional because I'm like, that is like how sad that most of us are walking around, hating the way we look, wanting to change everything, wanting to fix, nothing's enough. Like that energy, that is such low vibrating energy. That frequency is going to become what is your storyline for everything in life.

Yeah. And it's like just changing that, the relationship, how we talk to ourselves is, if there's anything anyone can take, like, sure, I can tell everyone to come meditate and work out with me online, and I would love that, but if you can change, not even just change, if you can become more aware of how you speak to yourself.

Our words are frequency and energy. And we take it in and we hold it. It's just like, we fuel our bodies with food, we nourish our bodies. The words that we choose are what we're nourishing our soul with and our. And our heart. It's being yourself like you're your best friend, I've heard, you know? Yeah.

Like how would you treat your best friend if they made a mistake? Some people treat their best friends like shit. Well, you used to, right? Your childhood maybe. Yeah, like I always think of like my daughter and my son. And you have two kids. I have two kids.

How old are your kids now? My son is nine and my daughter six. Okay, so little man and woman now. Their personalities now like... Oh, full force. Full force, yeah. Little divas. They're the best.

Really? I am so in love with my kids. I am too. My kids are my best friends. They're exactly, like I needed these exact humans. It's the best. Yeah, and you know what's really amazing is that as time goes on, it gets better and better. It really does.

I feel it. You know, I remember when my daughter was born, I thought the world was ending. When my wife called me and told me she was pregnant, I was like, well, there goes, there goes. My entire life, I might as well just turn in my Spirit of Youth card and get a minivan and just check out. There goes, there goes my entire life. I might as well just turn in my Spirit of Youth card and get a minivan and just check out.

But it's so good. And it just gets better. Like my kids, I can genuinely say are my best friends. Like my ride or dies, my best friends were like a traveling comedy show. I try to go everywhere with them as much as I can. But if you've got two little best friends in your kids now, I mean, wait till they grow, it gets so good.

How did they fit in? I mean, I see your daughter, I saw a funny video that you guys posted the other day and it was really cute. And you're like, what is mommy like when she does her meditation? She's like, oh, she's kind and she's nice, she's sweet. And then you're like, what happens when mommy

doesn't do the meditation? She's like, she called me a spice and spice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, that was so Oh, my god, it was so cute. She's so right. Yeah. Like, now she feels my hair in the morning, like this morning, because she said when I shower and I do my stuff, that I'm just happier. She she's right. It's so true. I am happier. And they observed that.

I mean, I think a lot of times, I missed this when I was a young parent, because I had my first child when I was 27. So, and we were still in grad school, and I was super not ready to be a parent. I don't think anybody's like really 100% ready. I was so like, oh shit, when I found out I was pregnant.

Yeah, exactly. I was like, oh man. And you know what's cool is like, there's this whole woman inside of you that just comes out and that you never would have met if you hadn't had a child. I know that to be true. Yeah. I like, I remember when I found out I was pregnant,

I was like, well, there it goes. Just like, I was like, well, I really wanted to do these other things in my career. And the crazy thing is it was pregnant, I was like, well, there it goes. Just like I was like, well, I really wanted to do these other things in my career. And the crazy thing is it was like it all really just started and opened up once I became a mom. Because it also helped really change my relationship to myself and the way I was talking to myself.

And like those things, like this is how we break generational trauma. Yeah, I mean, thank God you went on this journey before you had children. I'm so grateful. Well, it was like really in line with... Well, I guess, yeah, your son's nine. Yeah, it was really in line with it all. It just became much more consistent. And I'm like, if there's anything about me, I am.

I'm consistent as a motherfucker, like I am so consistent. And like. And what does that look like? Like, I know that if I was sort of describe what you do, you do a lot of low impact, like not beat your body up type of things. It seems like you've focused on strength and mobility and movement, functional movement,

more than physical prowess, which can beat your body up. Yes, so go ahead. But what is Melissa Wood health all about? I mean, what are some of the mantras and things that you guide people on? And what does a typical morning look like, kind of meditations involved, but what are the non-negotiables for you?

So MWH is a platform that I really have an offering for everyone. And that was really important to me when I first started. And I wanted an accessible price point because I remember back when I was in Syracuse and the first thing I bought myself was a gym membership, which is kind of crazy. And it was expensive.

And I think a lot of the time, these expenses take away from us actually taking care of ourselves because it just, unfortunately, gets in the way. And that was really, really important. And people come to my platform to look a certain way. But I think the thing that I really want people to take away is like, this isn't just about building this body you desire. The thing that I really want people to take away is like, this isn't just about building this body you desire.

This is about truly building this better, this stronger relationship with yourself through meditation, through a consistent meditation practice, through moving your body daily. And it doesn't have to be this big grand thing. And I think people walk around saying like, oh yeah, I meditate sometimes and I'm like, how is that? And they're like, well, I don't really notice anything.

And I always like to bring it back to, if you are working out, if you're working out once a week, maybe twice a week, you have a good week, and how are you going, like, how are you changing your muscles? Like, what results are you going to see? And if we can bring that attention to focusing on and strengthening the muscles in our mind, just as we put this emphasis on our body,

I mean, the power. So much science behind that too. The neuro-linguistic programming, the mind-muscle connection, even bodybuilders talk about it. Really being intentional when they're doing certain lifts and actually seeing their muscles respond better. I mean, just being intentional about the physique

that you want and actually imagining yourself becoming that kind of physique. And I imagine that meditation allows you to visualize things too, because when you create a quiet space, you have some room to create a visual. You lock in. Yeah. I am so rooted in myself because of my practice. And, you know, it started with this blend of Pilates and yoga,

all using your own body weight. That was how I started. And it was really this focus on 20-ish minutes. And if you, okay, sometimes you don't have the 20 minutes or the 30 minutes, but then I found like, okay, even doing five minute arms or three minute apps, just doing something, it's better than nothing. And then what happens is you build this inner momentum

and your endorphins start to peak and you're like high off your own supply. And then the five minutes turn into 10 minutes the next day. Because you're seeking that. Yeah, it's like you embody this feeling. And it's undeniable. And through the evolution of my own personal growth

and practice, it's grown to also bringing in strength. My girlfriend Kim is incredible. She shares all the strength on our platform. And then I've incorporated my own blend of strength and Pilates. And I think what's important as a woman too, and just as a person in life, is we are constantly going to be told what we have to do.

And it's a lot of fear-based mindset. We have to do this and how much protein, and focus on that and like. We should go down that road too, cause I don't do any of that. Let's go down the road. Yeah, cause people ask me if I count calories. I'm like, absolutely not. Who is counting calories guys?

It's 2025. Like, yeah. Dude, there's apps where you can take a picture of a food and it tells you how many calories and how many ounces and macros and micros. I mean, look, I get it. If you're a competition athlete or you're a it if you're if you're a competition athlete, or your competition bodybuilder, or your physique model, and

you're really trying to fine tune those things. And that's what you do. Then in those frames, yes, but I mean, for the majority of us that are just trying to, I want to live long, pain free life, and I want to have a high level of mobility, and I want to have a decent level of strength. I'm not trying to help bench press anybody. And I think accepting that track is a lot, it puts you on a pathway to success,

but you don't count calories. Oh my God, no. You just eat whole food. Oh, I eat until I'm satiated Yeah, because you know we make GLP one in our guts and and we make GLP one in response to nutrient density So if you eat nutrient dense foods, you will be satiated, you know, it's it's so funny. I You know when people are like, well, when do I stop eating or how much do I eat? I go eat until you're full until you are satiated.

If you're eating nutrient-dense foods, now if you're eating a highly processed diet, you're never really going to get that fullness and you'll... It's very easy to eat a box of Oreos, right? But it's very hard to eat three avocados. Right? That's the thing you can do, right? Because the nutrient density is there. So back to like typical morning for you, non-negotiables or meditation, some form of movement.

I really like to, I strive and I say that softly and gently because I'm a mother and I understand, especially when your kids are really young, like waking up before your kids, it's like, yeah, good luck with that. But now, you know, my kids are in a place that I wake up at six and I meditate. I like, I have warm water. I really, and I'm telling you from like, from like the moment my feet hit the floor,

it's like, you know, it starts where it's just like, oh God, like I don't, and I don't want to do this or like, it feels like another day. Cause like when you really think about it, like life is made up of like Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And it's like, there's a lot of them, you know? And it's like, not always that exciting, but like how can we actually bring our full self

to that freaking Tuesday and that Wednesday? And I just, you know, I have this practice of like the second my feet hit the floor, I'm just like, I just like, I'm like, look at my family, like this relationship that I- I do the same thing, man. And like, I get it, gratitude practice, everyone, you know, can I roll, but like really?

Having gratitude for what's in front of you, for who you are, for who you're becoming, who you, you know, are constantly evolving to. It is heart-opening. And then I go right, I'm very like, I don't like to have things that will sidetrack me. So like, the phone can wait. Why? Because I think most people wake up and they go for their phone and then what are you doing? You're giving to everything else

before you really give to yourself first. And then, so after my warm water, I go right and I meditate. And I do like to Habitstack and I love my red light. Do I need it? I don't think I need and I love my red light. Do I need it? I don't think I need it, but I like it. It's a beautiful addition to my life, and I'll sit in front of the red light.

You have a bed or a panel? I have the panel and I have 20 minutes and I do a combination of all of the meditations that I teach and share are what I walk myself through. So first, when you were like, how do you start? I warm it up. I come, when you were like, how do you start? I warm it up. I come, big grounding inhale, breathe it in. And then exhale, like let it go.

Let the weight, the load that we carry, and then big inhale. Exhale, really release, and then settle. And just be. And then just ground your palms on your thighs. Watching that inhale fill yourself up. And with a full exhale, taking in the energy of that release.

And as all of the thoughts and the things and the sounds start to creep in, just let them be. And make this conscious choice with yourself to come back to your breath. Inhale. Watch that inhale. Feel this energy rising up. And then with every exhale, this melting, this surrender. Every exhale, this melting, this surrender, this softening into yourself, just being with the waves of your breath. And then I let the words go. And I inhale fully. And then as I really let it go, let your shoulders melt down your back. Soften your face. Just breathing in the beauty of this moment in how being right here.

And just when you feel ready, coming back. Wow. I think I just did my first meditation. Most people don't realize this, but your energy, mental clarity, and even your sleep, they're all impacted by toxins. Every single day you're breathing in, drinking, eating, and absorbing mold spores, heavy metals, pesticides, and even plastics. Over time they hijack your health, and that's why I created the Ultimate Detox Challenge. As always, it's completely free and it's happening live June 23rd through the 25th.

On day one, Dr. Will B. will be here on gut and immune health. Day two, Dr. Jessica Petros on mold, metals, and parasites. And day three is Dr. Josh Axe on full body detox and rebuilding your resilience. And of course, I'll be there the entire time. You'll get real tools, at home lab testing options, detox protocols, even supplement guides and actionable steps to help you reset your biology the right way. This isn't about crash diets. This is real lasting transformation. Head over to detox.theultimatehuman.com.

Your body was built to heal. So let's help it do what it was designed to do. Now let's get back to the Ultimate Human podcast. Wow. You did. You did. That was actually really good. You dropped in.

I did. I could have stayed there for a while too. Sometimes breath, I know. I was like, we're gonna go deeper. I don't know how that's gonna come out on the podcast, but it was really good. No, but that's okay. Wow.

And that's exactly how you just said that. You don't know how it's going to, but that's the best part of it all. Yeah. Is you find this certainty in the uncertainty of life. And this certainty in this knowing and this like inner knowing

that you're cultivating with yourself. And after I meditate, and some days I bring in, like if I'm angry, if I'm really upset, if I'm super anxious, I will bring in breath of fire. Like I will, three minutes, and your arms will be cut from just that practice alone. Like really bringing in that breath.

And then, one thing you can do just like in the moment too, if I find myself just like upticking with all the things, I just, two inhales, deeply inhale, and then through your nose. Oh, out through the nose. Out through your nose so you can deepen your diaphragmatic breathing. and deepen your diaphragmatic breathing.

So immediate melt of tension and stress. Yeah. And you can do it. Natural Xanax. Yep, it is. And you can do it anywhere. And like that's- That's what I love about that. Like that's the beauty of meditation.

Like I think, I do think if you can cultivate a practice of stillness, and if you're someone with a super busy mind, which I think that is all of us, bring in a little breath, like do your breath work, and then just be. And it's, you're going to lock into yourself. Do you ever do this like during the day, midday,

if you feel like, okay, I had a traumatic event. All the time. I just had a tough conversation with my husband or I had a rough two hours with the kids or whatever it is and you just feel that. Oh yeah. Sense of overwhelm and you're like, okay, and this is not going my way.

Do you ever just park it? All the time. Really? Oh yeah, but like I've also gotten to the place where I used to feel like I always have to like kind of be alone, like in the bathroom or in the back of a taxi or wherever it was. And now, like even being in like the heat of the moment

with something and just knowing that, like I can right here, you know, you come back, when you be with your breath, this practice is an anchor in your life, no matter where you are. So good. It's so important to me. You have it available to you.

Like if you're blessed enough to be, you know what I mean? If we have our breath, we have life. So true. And like that is, it's just, it's not something you need to seek and find, it's here. That's amazing. So after I meditate, it's usually kind of like

off to the races with my kids. So I have my morning. Now you come out of that and it's game on. It is game on, but like I'm locked and loaded. I'm making lunches. I have a playlist so that we are vibing because I did not wake up in that energy. And I want to create a space that feels like,

you know, there is joy and we are smiling and we're dancing and mornings are chaotic. And I used to cry in the morning after drop off. Sometimes I still do. I think a lot of moms do, yeah. Yeah, but like, and I'm making breakfast and this one wants this food and this, and it's a lot of balancing and I do it myself.

I love doing the mornings by myself because I feel like it's really shaped this relationship with my kids. And you know, my husband joins kind of midway through, but like I have that touch point with them. And I love putting them to bed by my, like there's these times where I think it's just really important to connect with your humans.

And it's really helped me like just build this beautiful relationship with them. Yeah, I noticed you're also back on the celery juice in the morning. You know, I've come to this wave of like, it was really an internal feeling, like super intuitive of like... It's a medical medium of you. Yeah, I was feeling really off and we have a big photo shoot this week for, you know, we're doing something with our creators.

And I was just like, oh God, I'm feeling inflamed. And like, this is where, like, you know, I had someone comment, but you eat eggs. I'm like, he says not to do that. I don't listen to anyone. Right. I listen to my inner knowing. And I like celery juice.

I do believe that I notice a massive immediate reduction in inflammation. Wow. And I, you know, I have my way of eating and being, and listen, I also love food combining. And I know there's a lot to say around that. People are like, it's not science backed, it's this. It's a feeling.

It's like an undeniable feeling. And for me, when I am feeling off, I know. It's like, I have a three-day reboot because I know that if I can lock in to just like three days of kind of coming back to the basics. It's really simplifying. Yeah. You know, what's interesting is the centenarians that are 115, 118 years old right now certainly didn't have the vegan, vegetarian,

pescatarian, keto, carnivore, paleo, raw food diet book, right? They did more of what you're doing. And first of all, they ate no processed food because it wasn't around, but they did more of what you're doing, which is eating whole foods, food pairing, being conscious about what makes you feel one way

versus makes you feel one way versus makes you feel another way. I mean, our bodies are so innately intelligent. We all methylate things differently that, you know, whether you have an allergy to dairy or not, if it doesn't make you feel good and doesn't show up as an allergy, you shouldn't eat it. You know, if you're just...

I think part of the benefit of being present, especially being present in silence, is you actually do start to tune into how you feel. You're just more self-aware. I mean, I notice a lot of people don't even realize that they wolf a meal down and then they're sniffling and they're flimmy and they're congested and, you know, they're clearing their throat and they're not even aware. They're really just so blind and pushing through their day that they're not even aware of the impact that that just had on their body. And if you're manifesting symptoms up here, just think of what's happening in the gut. It is so true. I mean, and that's the sole source of everything.

Our immune system, our or mood our emotional state You know our ability for our body to defend itself or inflammatory cascade, you know, I don't think that there's a Mental health or mood disorder that we cannot trace back in large part to gut disruption All right, one million. Yeah I mean, I think we're only beginning to scratch the surface of the microbiome and the consequences of leaky gut and the consequences of low grade inflammation in the body. You know, there's this theory emerging in longevity and aging called immunophatique. And I think the majority of leading minds would subscribe to this, that, you know, aging, amongst other things, is the slow progressive overwhelm of the immune system.

Right? It's just, it's just fighting on too many fronts. I know. Right? You take the greatest UFC fighter in the world, if you just keep adding fighters to the cage, maybe it's not two on one or four on one or six on one, but at some point he or she's gonna lose. And the immune system is no different. It's, you know, we got mold and mycotoxins and heavy metals and parasites and viruses and inflammation and cortisol and, you know,

all of these things. And as that toxic bucket just gets to a certain level, then it just overflows. And now bang, chronic disease, metabolic syndrome, whatever it is,ne in your case. I realize that now. Yeah. So so um, first of all, this has been amazing.

You're just as incredible as I thought you would be in person. I wish my wife had been able to make the podcast. She's on the ground so she's might be on her way here. She is. Tell Sage that we gave her a big shout out. He did. And credited the whole podcast. It's true.

So I would love for you to give our audience a few tips, just especially the women that are in that place where you were the first baby But especially the women that are in that place where you were, the first baby step towards this ability to take responsibility and look inward. What is what does that look like? If you're watching this podcast right now and you're, oh, my God, I identify with exactly who she was and I'd love to be where she is. But that seems like a long road. Where do they start?

I believe the first step is to really ask yourself, what do you deeply desire? Like, what in your life right now do you desire above anything else? Like, what matters most to you? And then I want you to ask yourself, how bad, how badly in your life do you wanna feel good? And I know for myself, and that's something I say a lot too, my incredible community is,

how bad do you want to feel good? Like when you ask yourself that, it reveals to you like your truth. Yeah. You know, because I think sometimes people think that they want to feel good, but then their actions don't align to support their desires. Absolutely. And it's time, guys, to get really honest with ourselves and to strip back these layers and these lies and the bullshit that you're telling yourself. And we have to take a good hard look at how we're showing up.

Who are we giving our energy to? What? Are we just endlessly opinion shopping on the phone, talking in circles over things that don't matter, and, you know, talking about the drama and stirring the pot? Like, a lot of people, I lived my life like that for the majority of my life. And now knowing that that is not the energy that I want to vibrate on.

And when we can get really honest with ourself, like congratulations, it's time to get to work. That's awesome. And we have to really want it because the work doesn't end. There's no pretty finish line of achievement that you have gotten to. This is a, it's a daily, daily commitment to yourself.

And the best part is it doesn't have to be hours long. You don't need all the stuff. And listen, I love stuff. Like I love my infrared sauna. Like I said, I love my red light. I like a cold plunge, depending on where I am in my cycle and depending on the temperature. I can get down with that.

That's revealed the strength within me that I didn't even know that I had. Yeah, my wife would say the same thing. Oh my God, I mean, it's crazy what it did for me. But you have everything you need. That's great. You have you, you have your breath. You can use your own body weight.

If you don't have the means to, you know, grab a set of weights or a band or whatever it is, like, start right where you are. Mm. Start right where you are. Be where your two feet are. So if you haven't moved in years or months, great. You can begin again right now. Like in any moment, like if you have a bad day, whatever it is, we all do.

And just like giving yourself that grace and just knowing that in that next breath, you can choose differently. It's just so like, it always just makes me feel so safe with myself. Yeah. And knowing it doesn't have to be so pretty. And this is a lot of what you do at Melissa Wood Health.

You take people on this journey. So how does my audience find you? Yeah, so I share everything on my platform. It's a digital platform, global, that we have members all over the world on melissawoodhealth.com. And there's over a thousand of categorized workouts. So whether you're pre and post-natal, I have you covered.

If you want a period program, I've got you. I'll guide you through every phase of your cycle. And then, you know, I just, I love to- It must have taken a long time to build that. I know how hard it is to create that kind of content. It's a lot of hours. It's been a lot, you know what though, like the best part of it is it's, you know,

like yesterday I went to the office, I filmed one workout. It was 18 minutes, 18 minute full body. And I, let me tell you, I feel it today. And like, that's the best part of it. Like, I, like people think I work out all day. I'm like, guys, I do a workout a day. Like, I used to, like going back to feeling kind of misaligned

and all of the things when I got to a place where I was not trusting in myself and listening to a lot of outside stuff, I was doing things that were not me. So I was filming a few times a day and then I was like, this doesn't feel right, this is not me. Like, I do everything in the way that I naturally would and that's how it's worked for so long. I don't pound myself into the ground. I really want it to be exactly

what I would tell someone else to do. And so I create, we create a weekly schedule, which is, you know, this Monday we had like 23 minute inner thighs, abs and arms. And then the next day is a yoga flow. And then today I did a 21 minute booty. Like, there's a method to my magic in the way that I curate because I want you to really feel and see results.

Like, you'll notice a shift in three days. If you can commit, and it's about doing something every day. And okay, if you want to walk on Sunday and kind of just take your day, great. But it's, you know, we have to move our bodies every day. I totally agree. And for the mobility of our spine, and I love that you touched on mobility

because I feel like people are really driving strength home, which I am not saying that is not important, but let's not forget about the fact that if you can't touch your toes, but you've got, you know... Big biceps, yeah. I'm not so sure that that's necessarily the formula either. I could totally agree with you,

and you know, we have to remember that our lymphatic system is our main detoxification system in the body. And it's a static system, there's no pressure behind it, it moves by, I mean, it's it flows by movement. Literally. So that's why like Tai Chi and yoga and Pilates and, and mobility exercises, walking, are just so incredibly good for you. So I wind down every podcast by asking my guests the same question.

And before I ask it, you know, we're gonna, when we end the podcast, we're gonna go into my VIP group. They have a couple of questions for you. Oh, amazing, I love it. Yeah, they've got nine questions for you. Great. So, and I always allow them to ask them directly to the guests, but I end every podcast

by asking my guests the same question. You know, what does it mean to you to be an ultimate human? To show up as my most aligned self. Mm. That's a good one. Wow. I haven't heard that. That was a good one. Ladies and gentlemen, Melissa Wood Health. Check her out on Instagram. Go over to melissawoodhealth.com. Melissawoodhealth.com is where you can find everything. Okay, melissawoodhealth.com. Melissawoodhealth.com is where you can find everything.

Okay, melissawoodhealth.com. We'll link everything in the show notes below. And if you're in the VIP, we're going to go into the VIP room now. If you're interested in becoming a VIP, just go over to theultimatehuman.com forward slash VIP and you can join us in one of these private rooms. I look forward to seeing you there. And until next time, that's just science.