Start the day screen-free by exposing yourself to natural sunlight to synchronize your biological clock, then follow up with 5 minutes of rhythmic breathing (cycles of rapid breaths followed by breath retention) to regulate the nervous system and oxygenate the body.

noli's read

Exposure to bright light immediately upon waking is an excellent practice validated by science: a research review published in the *Journal of Pineal Research* (2026) confirms that morning light effectively helps set the rhythm of melatonin. Regarding breathwork, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted at Stanford by Yilmaz Balban's team (2023) shows that 5 minutes of daily structured breathing improves mood and calms overall physical activation more markedly than simple meditation. However, the physiological explanation for rapid breathing is exaggerated: it does not flood the blood with oxygen, as our cells are already naturally saturated at nearly 99%. In reality, this temporary hyperventilation eliminates carbon dioxide (hypocapnia), which dulls the brain's alarm signal and allows for longer breath retention. Finally, Mark Hyman's exact retention sequence is a pleasant personal formula, but there is no evidence that it surpasses other more classic breathing exercises.

the sources

1. 1Blume C, Garbazza C, Spitschan M 2019
2. 2Brown TM et al. 2022