5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Boost Your Vitality

People are all over the place trying to scrounge up some extra energy to get through their days.

From fad diets to personal trainers to those weird “quantum” bracelets people are putting on their wrists, its all about trying to eek out some advantage over time.

Time?

Yeah, think about it. The quantity of time or the ticking clock doesn’t change its pace all day but the quality of time certainly does. More things on your calendar = more stress. Less things = take a nap (or stress about something else by keeping yourself busy with nonsense).

So how do time and energy interface?

We need the energy output in our lives to match the commitments and challenges we slot into our time each day. If we have less energy than is required to get through our day, then we either crash or borrow energy from tomorrow in the form of coffee, energy drinks, and the likes. Where do we borrow it from? The “bank.” And by bank, I mean our adrenal glands.

I’m going to share with you a few tried and true ways to optimize your energy, and have a surplus when engaging with time. What happens with a surplus? Well, then you have enough energy to stop and help a stranger in need, pick up a candy wrapper on the trail, or trim the hedge in the front yard — you know the one you’ve been talking about for 3 years.

Dr. Shojai’s Top 5 Vitality Boosters

1. Qi Gong

Without a doubt, this has been the most useful tool in helping my patients and students get out of their funk and step into their power. Translated as “energy work”, this ancient Chinese practice of energy cultivation yoga really helps enhance your energy flow, calm the mind, get you focused, and give you more energy to work with. I studied it for over 20 years and was a Taoist monk so, trust me, I’ve been around the stuff and have seen it work. (check out www.taoistpath.com for more resources on Qi Gong).

2. Meditation

Calming the mind and understanding where your suffering and insanity comes from is key. Meditation helps you step into this realm of quietude and separates you from the reactivity you’ve been conditioned to live in. Here’s a blog I did on the subject that’ll explain more about what real meditation is. Want more energy? Meditation will help you learn how to stop time.

3. Exercise

Still water breeds poison, and our stagnant lives have led us to wane in our energy. Mitochondria are little powerhouses in your cells, and your muscle cells in particular are very dense in these. More muscle leads to more energy output. The brain has lots of energy requirements, so when you feel foggy and dull, it has a lot to do with the flickering light of your Vitality. Exercising regularly will boost your energy levels tremendously and really improve your mood.

4. Cutting the Garbage

There are so many chemicals in our food, makeup, household cleaning items, and just plain everywhere nowadays, that our bodies are having a hard time moving the gunk out (and we are paying the price). Our mitochondria are very sensitive to environmental toxins too, so it’s a double whammy: heavy burden on the body’s detox pathways, and less energy available to do anything about it. Getting your food at the farmer’s market, buying healthy cosmetics, and cleaning your floor with clean products can really make a difference. If you complain that you can’t exercise because you don’t have the energy to do so, then cut the garbage out of your life and, with the extra energy you feel, chances are you’ll feel like getting moving again.

5. Sleep!

This is a big one in our culture and it’s a tough one to wrap our heads around. In a world where we’re already overcommitted and pressed for time, there seems so little time to sleep- almost like it’s a waste of time. It’s a paradox but, trust me, sleep is where most of the good stuff happens. Your body’s detox pathways get to work when you’re sleeping. Your brain trims all the “he said she said” stress neurons and makes everything alright while you’re sleeping as well. We produce growth hormone which helps us repair and rejuvenate, and frankly, we shut down the computer because it has too many windows open by the end of the day and is getting hung up. Power down your system and optimize, so you can use your body with greater efficiency the following day. Study after study proves this so please don’t cheat yourself on sleep.

Apply these five principles to your daily life and you’ll immediately start seeing results in your energy levels – within a week. Keep it up and people won’t even recognize you- they’ll say stuff like, “I’ll have what she’s having!” and you can smile and know that you’re on track.

I’ve got tons of resources to help you with these items over at www.well.org. There, you’ll also notice that I hang with our friend Dr. Sara all the time, and we are conspiring together to help you get healthier. We love you guys and are here to serve you.


Pedram Shojai, OMD
Dr. Pedram Shojai is a renowned author, filmmaker, physician, lecturer, and world adventurer. He travels the world working with amazing people in an effort to create a sustainable future for generations to come. He’s an ordained Taoist priest and Qi Gong Master who has taken vows to be of service and help humanity awaken to its potential. Pedram is the founder and President of Well.Org, an innovative online media platform designed to put cameras on the good guys and tell their stories. We vote with our money and the Well.Org mission is to inspire people to support companies that are doing good work on our planet.  Pedram’s passion shows in his books, movies, TV appearances, and regular web content. His latest movie “Vitality” is set to debut on October 29th.