Welcome to the VP

Love Podcast, the

show where we

bring you

actionable health

advice from

leading minds.

I'm your

host, Rog.

My guest today is

Simon Delve, an

entrepreneur and

the current CEO

of Sampton, a

meditation

platform and app

that aims to

bring mindfulness

meditation

to the masses.

Expect to learn

what stress

actually is and

why it's so

damaging to our

health, why

mindfulness is

such an effective

way of helping to

regulate stress

in the body, and

why you should

consider using

Sampton to

support your own

meditation

practice.

Now, on to the

conversation with

Simon Delve.

Simon, welcome to

the show.

It's great to

have you here.

I know we'll

shortly be diving

into all things

meditation and

mindfulness.

However, before

we jump into that

side of things,

would you mind

introducing

yourself to the

audience?

I know you've got

a diverse

background and

would love to

hear all

about it.

Hey, Rob.

Yeah, firstly,

thank you very

much for inviting

me as a guest on

the Vitality

Probe Podcast.

I really

appreciate it.

And yeah, I think

I have got a bit

of a diverse

background in

terms of my life

and my work life.

So I grew up in

Newport in

South Wales.

As many people

did, you know,

years ago, grew

up on a council

estate and we

didn't really

have a lot as a

family, but it

just

tended to work.

You know,

everybody that

you lived in the

area where you

lived were all

kind of in the

same position.

Same place.

Yeah. And so, you know,

we had this

element of

freedom where we

were able to be

out and about and

not have the

worries that

maybe some of the

children

have today.

And then at 13,

our life changed.

So my father was

diagnosed with

cancer and within

six weeks,

that was it.

He was 41

years of age.

My mother was 35,

had four

children,

age 14, 13.

I think my

brother was seven

and my

sister was three.

So, you know, our

lives kind of

changed at

that point.

Cancer was kind

of a thing then,

but not

massively known.

You know, you're

talking like it's

actually 32 years

ago today,

actually, that

you passed.

So our life kind

of changed.

And what happened

then was my

father asked me a

question then or

asked me to do

something on my

brother, which

was to look after

our mother and

our

siblings, really.

And that's kind

of where it went

from there.

So then I ended

up being somebody

that created this

real big

work ethic.

I had many jobs

from the age of

13, really

up to 23.

So even at the

age of 16, I

start an

apprenticeship

with Land Rover.

I still from 13

to 23, 24 always

had a minimum of

three jobs.

So I was just

working, working,

working and

really trying to

break free of the

life that we had

where we didn't

have a lot.

So I had this

attachment to if

I work hard, we

get the freedom,

I can look after

my family.

And that's kind

of what I did.

And in that time

then, at the age

of 16, I got my

apprenticeship.

And at the age of

35, I'd been with

Land Rover

for 19 years.

I'd gone from

being an

apprentice

mechanic to a

leader of a

business, which

is everything I

said I was

going to do.

In those years,

I'd had my son,

Brandon, my first

with his mother,

which was a

different

relationship to a

married to now.

And yeah, that

was kind of life

was just

happening as it

does for people

at a house, a

child, a career.

And I was ticking

all the boxes

that we were all

supposed to

tick, really.

Then as time went

on, I separated

from Brandon's

mother and they

also developed

the heart

condition,

which I had

atrial

fibrillation,

atrial flutter

and tachydermia.

So with that, my

heart would raise

about 250 on a

regular basis.

So I found myself

all of a sudden

living with this

kind of heart

condition from

the age of around

about

probably 28.

At this heart

condition, I was

struggling with

every day.

I was on

medication.

And through that

period of time,

I've had an

operation in 2010

and an operation

in 2019,

which neither of them

really worked.

But we've got it

settled down now.

My life is a bit

more or a lot

more normal than

it was for

a long time.

Over this period

of time, I've got

married to Jamie

Lee, my wife.

We've been

together now for

15 years and

married for 10.

We also have two

children, Ashton

and Riley.

So we have three

boys between us

all together,

which is

fantastic.

They're

full of joy.

My eldest boy is

20 years of age

and my youngest

is eight.

So there's also

an age range of

living life

again, I suppose

you could say.

But at the age of

35, I decided to

make a change and

leave my

corporate career

and move to

Switzerland,

which I did.

I went to live in

Zurich for a

short period of

time, trying

something new.

And when I

came back,

I had a newfound.

The best way to

put it really

view of the world

as a newfound

view of the

world, because

over there, I was

able then to find

my authenticity.

Even though it

was only over

there for six

months, the

authentic Simon

started coming

through.

I realized how

much I was

operating on a

daily basis back

in the UK, in the

Korea, in this

belief system

that I built up

in to actually

who I really was.

Because as soon

as I got into a

place where

nobody knew me, I

didn't feel like

I had to keep up

any appearances

and then the real

me came through.

So when I came

back from

Switzerland, I

then ended up in

a position where

I was just

different.

I was just

different the way

I was, my

attitude to

learning really

and trying to be

more, talking

about my

potential and

abundance of

opportunity.

My whole thought

process was

different to how

I operated.

And then over

those last 10

years, I found

more of a skill

set in developing

human culture in

businesses and

specializing in

business

transformation

and turnaround,

working in

business as an

entrepreneur,

in which then I

invested in

something and

become the CEO of

something where I

sit today.

Yeah, that's kind

of a little

overview of my

life, really.

Yeah, that's

amazing.

I just sort of,

yeah, I've

definitely spoken

to a few people

recently who have

sort of, who've

grown up in this

sort of a council

state sort of

environment.

I think you're

the first one to

actually sort of

paint it in.

I mean, I'm not

to say that it

wasn't maybe the

best environment

to grow up in,

but you

definitely sort

of highlighted

the fact that

there was a

community in

that, at least

initially.

And I think

although maybe

the circumstances

weren't ideal,

that is quite

special in a way.

I don't know what

you think, but I

think community

is something we

just solely as

black as a

society today,

which I think

drives a lot of

issues for a lot

of people,

especially this

whole thing about

sort of

loneliness and

isolation.

Did you find that

in your form to

the ears that

there was that

sort of community

there, even as I

think you put it,

you're all in the

same position.

Did you, were you

able to sort of

come together in

that respect?

Yeah, 100%.

You know, I think

my kids today,

when they go out,

you know, we've

got Find My

Child, or I think

it's called on

our iPhone, we

can track them

and, you know,

we're worried

about what's

happening in the

dangers.

There were

dangers back

then, maybe not

publicized

because of the

way social media

wasn't present

and the internet

wasn't where it

is today.

However,

we would go out

and we come back

when the lights

came on, right?

And I would go in

just in a row, we

had Margaret, one

of my mother's

friends, and our

friends, I'd be

going in there

popping.

I'd just maybe

put my hand in

the biscuit tin

and say hello,

and I'd go to the

next house.

And like

everybody knew

everybody, you

know, there was a

100% respect for

adults, for

elders when you

walk down the

street and you

did feel like a

community.

So although we

didn't have a

lot, you know, we

went to food

banks, I

witnessed a lot

going on with my

parents arguing

over money all

the time.

We had, some of

our Christmases

were great, but

the other 364

days were hard,

you know, because

the lower you had

community and

everybody's in a

similar space,

when you're

living in that

and, you know,

your Christmas

day is made up of

provident loans

and shopper check

loans and Kay's

catalogue and

Littlewood's

catalogue and,

you know, IOUs

with everybody

that will let you

have one, as you

got a little bit

older, probably

when I got to

nine or 10, I

started realising

that what we were

getting for a

year for

Christmas

actually cost us

a whole year of

like peace, I

suppose, you

know, because

anything that we

would be doing or

talking about

would be money

and work and

money and bills

and debts that

need to be paid.

So, yeah, there

was probably a

two pronged

attack there

where you were

going

through that.

But when you're

out in the

street, everyone

was smiling,

everyone was

happy, everyone's

in the same

position.

You know, there

was no

comparison.

We were all just

living the same

life and that

felt good.

Yeah, no, it is

really powerful

and that's

obviously not to

take away from

the struggles.

Of course, I do

think I don't

think money buys

happiness, but it

definitely sort

of buys the

freedom to not

worry about

having to be able

to provide for

your family or to

be able to go.

And it just helps

alleviate that

sort of stress,

as you know, very

little, will sort

of drive or

stress levels up

or destroy your

health fast and

that sort of

financial

pressure.

So, yeah, no,

it's definitely

something to sort

of be aware of.

But yeah, I think

what I was just

trying to sort of

point to is maybe

that that silver

lining of that

community, which

is definitely

something again,

like I mentioned

that we are

missing today.

We are.

I completely

agree with that.

Simon, before we

dig into

the guts,

actually, that's

a poor

choice of words.

Let me

rephrase that.

Before we sort of

dive into the

conversation

today and

actually that's

also cliched.

All right, let's

just go with it.

I'd love to sort

of talk about

your recent

experience

with Awake.

Now, I know I

don't know to

what extent

you're involved

in putting it

together, but I

do know that our

mutual friend,

Andrew

McLaughlin, along

with Jamie,

so his second

name escapes me.

Yeah, we're

instrumental in

putting the whole

event together.

And for those in

the audience who

maybe don't know,

Awake, from my

understanding of

it, is sort of a

getaway or a

treat, maybe, for

the better word,

or that aims to

sort of help

individuals sort

of break through

mental barriers

and discover how

to sort of move

forward in life,

especially from

Andrew's side

with the

transformational

coaching.

And I know there

was blood work

involved and some

physical

parameters that

were

measured as well.

But could you

sort of speak to

your experience

with the event,

though, maybe how

involved and what

you took away

from it?

Yeah, 100

percent.

So Awake.

Well, like I

said, really, the

start off is wow.

Like this.

I've been in the

wellness space

for a little

while in terms of

maybe just

getting an

understanding of

myself, because

that's all we

ever will really

understand is

ourselves more than

anything else.

And Andrew and

Jamie are very

good

friends of mine.

And Jamie kind of

give birth to

this idea that he

would have a

community which

was just Jamie

and friends.

So it would be

just him.

No titles, no egos.

It's very Welsh.

Yeah, you know.

And with myself

and Andy and

other people

being very close

with Jamie, Jamie

was very keen to

have some of us

on board.

Now, for myself,

I didn't have the

time really to

commit to what

was needed really

to pull something

like this off

where, you know,

Andrew and Jamie

very much put a

lot of effort

into it.

And they really

designed

something that is

different.

It is different.

You know, it's

we're not just on

a retreat, we

reconnect into

source and that

sources us and

kind of what they

delivered.

Across the whole

of the event

really was

conscious

connection.

It really was a

conscious

connection to

ourselves and

conscious

connection

to others.

And that was like

for everybody, a

really special

moment, because

once you got in

there, it wasn't

probably until

all of us got

home that we got

out of it.

You know, we

connected and

stay connected

every day, all

day through over

coffee in the

morning, through

the walks we were

on, through the

yoga, the

meditation, the

rope work, the

breath work,

the

learning centre.

And one of the

breakthrough I

had actually,

which was quite a

big breakthrough

for me, everyone

had one.

And I kind of I

was simmering on

it for a

little while.

And then when I

was there, I kind

of I got it when

I was doing my

facilitation of

my talk.

And it was that

we talked about

my father passing

obviously 32

years ago today.

So let's say 32

years ago, minus

two weeks was the

last time that I

spoke to my

father two weeks

before he passed.

And at that age,

I'd made a

decision, a

conscious

decision with my

mum to say, I

don't want to see

my father again.

I could see him

changing.

And I didn't want

to see him any

different way

than what

I knew him.

And when I think

back now of like

my middle boy is

13, I think of

him making those

decisions.

I can't

quantify it.

However, on that

last time I see

my father, I sat

there with my

brother, Peter,

and he said,

promise me you

will look after

your mother and

your siblings.

He said, your brother

and sister.

At which point I

said, I will.

And for 30 years,

not until two

years ago, my

mother

passed away.

I realized I

lived that, Rob.

I lived it right

in all my

decisions,

although me and

my siblings might

have fell out a

little bit.

Me and my mother,

a little bit at

different times.

I put them first

over everything,

over my

relationships,

over my career.

Whatever was

needed

financially,

emotionally, I'd

done my best to

show up at all

times to fulfill

this promise.

And when I was

speaking,

I kind of

realized I'd

never really

managed to put

all the pieces

together.

I'd always say to

people, maybe

come from a more

egoic standpoint.

I don't know.

I've like, oh,

yeah, I did this.

I did that.

And then I'd look

at my

relationship, my

marriage, I had

broke down once

or twice.

And I looked at

previous

relationships

and, you know, I

looked at

sacrifices

that I made.

But all in all,

it was all about

I made a promise

to my dad and I'm

going to keep it.

And it was only

when my mother

passed away,

things

started to change.

I started to feel a

different light.

I didn't feel as

drawn to make

sure that

everybody else

was OK

over myself.

And I was almost

prepared to let

go of things a

bit more.

And in a wake,

that was probably

my breakthrough.

I really managed

to crystallize

that into an

understanding

that my father

never meant it

the way I

took it.

And as human

beings, we take

things sometimes

how we believe

they're said, not

as they said.

And that then

affects us into

making judgment

and decisions

that are

not right.

And there's no

way my father,

maybe in 13,

expected me to

spend 30 years

doing that.

He meant it

probably in just

to me a favor,

kids, look after

your mother and

your brother

and sister.

Yeah, it's it's

definitely

interesting.

And I suppose

just looking at

it, that that's

how your 13 year

old self would

maybe

understand that.

I mean, you don't

understand that

sort of nuance as

you do as an

adult, do you?

You don't

understand that

speaking as an

adult, that isn't

as much pressure

when you don't

have that sort of

relative

understanding of

the world.

And you always

will bubble as

your family.

And and and and

that's it.

Then I suppose as

a child, it's

very easy to just

look at something

like that, look

at your father's

instructions and

just sort of

take it on.

As as gospel and

then sort of

carry that

through.

And I think,

yeah, looking

back at my own

childhood, sort

of

retrospectively,

I mean, there

were definitely

sort of

similar issues.

I will not

issues, but

occurrences in my

own childhood and

just

retrospectively

looking

back at them.

I just sort of

think, wow, I

just cook that

completely the

wrong way, not in

a negative sense,

but it just from

the perspective

of that's

all I knew.

If you're

following, if I'm

making any sense.

And then you sort

of you get to

this sort of,

well, I wouldn't

call

myself an adult.

I think I've

grown a bit more

since then, but

not much.

But you sort of

come to this

realization that

actually, no,

that's not what

my childhood was

supposed to be.

Or maybe that's

not what that

parent meant.

And it's just

that just I think

is something that

generally comes

with at least

some level

of, yeah,

growing up is the

wrong term.

But, yeah, sort

of evolving as a

human being.

And but, yeah, I

mean, if you if

you're able to

take that away

from, oh, wait,

that's

incredible.

I think it's

that's magic.

It is, I think a

lot of people

have

breakthroughs

there.

But more so,

it was the

education piece.

It's almost like

you don't know

what you don't

know, right?

And, you know,

as Andrew says it

really well,

actually, I think

it was last two.

Sue was said it

as not knowing is

knowing, you

know, there's

like so many ways

to look at

the world.

But when you find

that deeper

understanding of

self and try to

really connect

with you, you

actually find it

easier to let go

and come to terms

with things.

So, yeah, I would

say for anybody,

whether it was a

wake or another

similar, it's

definitely

something that is

transformative

and will

sit with you.

When you talk

about community,

those of us that

went, we will

have a connection

now for the rest

of our lives,

because it was

such a tight,

conscious moment

over those days

that we couldn't

we couldn't not

not be

connected now.

You know, it was

it was special,

you know, when

there's all about

the diamonds

inside of us,

it's all about

our wisdom and

our intuition and

who we

really are.

That gets clouded

over by the

psychology and

the belief system

that we are bred

into, that we

build up

ourselves.

And then we think

with our

thoughts, but

we're not our

thoughts.

You know, we

never really use

feeling anymore

because it's all

in thinking.

And when you

strip all that

back and all that

psychology back

and you just go

back to you, you

know, I suppose

my my moment of

that happened

when I went to

Switzerland and I

discovered that.

But this was a

different level

of discovery.

I kind of knew

what it felt like

to find myself.

But I still now

and again,

especially when I

think back with

my parents and my

mother and stuff,

I was still being

somebody else

that I thought

someone wanted me

to be as opposed

to just being me.

Yeah, it sounds

like a

particularly

effective magic

mushroom ceremony

without the magic

mushrooms.

I think we tried

to order some in,

but it wasn't any

available.

Okay,

I should hold me.

I have sources,

don't you worry.

Yeah, no.

Yeah, obviously

we just and

psychedelics

should only be

used sort of in

controlled

situations.

But yeah, it

sounds like an

amazing event.

I'm sorry, I

couldn't make it

this time around.

I know there will

be I know you'll

be hosting it

annually, though,

and there will be

daily

events as well.

So twice a year.

Yeah.

So we have every

April and I think

it's November the

first to the

fifth this year.

So we'll have

twice a year.

We'll be having

the event plus

we'll be doing

day events in

between to give

people tasters of

what it's like to

experience it.

But, you know,

that is just

going to

be a taste.

It won't be the

same as being,

you know, away,

you know, with a

group of people

having the

constant

conscious

connection.

Of course not.

You can't expect

that sort of

immersion in one

day, although, to

be honest, it's

sort of

sunny oils.

It's probably a

bad

experience either.

So what we'll do

for those listing

if anyone is

interested in a

way, we'll just

we'll link to it

in the show notes

and yeah, just

get all the URLs

in there for

anyone who would

like to

follow up.

OK,

I'm coming.

I think I better

get us back on

track of this.

We'll be

here all day.

I'm sorry.

I'm like a bag

pie to see

something shiny

and I'm off on a

tangent.

So yeah, make of

that what

you will.

OK, I think that

was kind of a

really nice segue

to what I'd like

to start talking

about next, which

which is this

concept of stress

and which will

also be great for

the rest of

conversation.

Now, everyone's

heard a stress,

of course, and

it's essentially

and essentially

what it is and

that is sort of

an issue in high

amounts and that

it can sort of

damage

our bodies.

But I think what

most people sort

of fail to

realize is that

we do require a

certain amount of

stress to

function.

Can you break

down obviously

sort of with your

understanding of

stress having

worked or working

with a

sound time?

What stresses and

why we need it to

to some extent

optimally

function, but

then also why too

much of it can be

an issue?

Yeah, I

definitely can.

I think like from

myself, you know,

I'll have my own

view on it.

I'm not a medical

practitioner.

So for me, it's

just the way I've

come to learn it

through my own my

own ways of

dealing

with stress.

You know, I've

had a lot of dark

times myself.

You know, I've

been rock bottom

a few times

in my life.

And yeah, I've

had some really

dark times, dark

thoughts.

So for me, stress

is really is

pressure, right?

It's pressure on

our mental,

physical being.

And essentially

we release

chemicals like

adrenaline and

cortisol.

And these these

generally happen

when we're in a

flight or fight

response.

Now,

stress is

positive, right?

Because like when

you become

motivated, when

you become

focused, when you

want to grow

through personal

growth, having

stress is good

because you're

putting yourself

under pressure to

complete

something, to

achieve

something, to go

somewhere.

Right.

So that is not a

bad thing

to have that.

The problem kind

of really comes

where we remain

in flight or

fight for long

periods of time.

And we go into

chronic, chronic

stress, really.

And that is for

prolonged periods

of time, that's

hard then.

Because when

you're in that

state, it kind of

can trigger also

like health

conditions that

you've got.

You know, if

you've got

underlying health

conditions, you

know, with your

heart, with your

blood pressure,

you know, it

could be a

digestive system,

many different

things, really.

That that's when

it really

affects us.

And what some of

us tend to do

then is we we

turn to bad

habits because we

turn to things to

relieve

our stress.

So it could be

drink, it could

be drugs, it

could be

overeating, it

could be over

consuming TV

programs and sit

in, it could be

doom scrolling.

Yeah.

So we naturally

look for

something to give

us a dopamine hit

to keep us going.

And then when it

falls off, we

kind of sit

ourselves in this

state there

really where we

we become stuck.

And that's really

how I would say I

would explain how

stress is.

So it is a

good thing.

But when you

allow it to

take over,

you know, when

you're in your

body really, when

you start

releasing

adrenaline at

first, it's not a

bad thing.

Even when you

produce cortisol

at first is not a

bad thing.

But too much of

it can out

balance your

system and then

it affects your

serotonin levels,

which puts you

out of balance.

And with that,

I think people

almost feel lost.

They feel like

they're not able

to to do anything

because they're

in this position

where they're all

out of balance

and they're like,

right, I don't

feel

confident now.

I don't feel

focused now.

I don't feel I

can do something.

I think that's

that's why stress

is such a major

player in

people's

lives today.

Hi, I know it

definitely is.

I'd love to sort

of help wrap that

up for the

audience

in a second.

But do you think

whether any

stresses, I mean,

you chatted about

your arterial

fibrillation

earlier and your

heart condition.

Did that was

acting genital

under that sort

of first appear

when you you said

28 was when you

first started

experiencing

symptoms?

Is that correct?

Well, I started

experiencing.

It made it must

have been

late 20s.

Yeah, well,

yeah, 2728.

Okay.

I used to work

out a lot.

And I used to

work hard.

So I used to a

lot of hours in the

corporate world.

I used to go to

the gym five, six

days a week,

working hard and

I wasn't really

ever a big

drinker.

But we had a

newborn, I must

be 26 when

Brandon was born.

So it was like,

you know, I was a

newish

relationship at a

bought a new

house, a

new baby.

And I was

definitely a lot

of things going

on in my life.

But the heart

condition is

something that

people have when

they're not

stressed.

So I'm not sure

it was

caused by that.

But what

it did do,

of course, yeah,

did just

exacerbated.

I'm sure it was

hugely a

congenital issue.

But yeah, yeah,

hugely

exasperated it.

I remember being

in periods where

obviously until

I, till I really

understood what

was happening.

All I know is

that I

would be there.

I'd feel dizzy.

Yeah.

And I would be

like kind of

burping a lot

because there'd

be a lot going on

in in my chest.

And it was trying

to operate still

because I didn't

know what it was.

So I'd be trying

to operate

as I would.

And I remember

times, you

know, where,

well, two times

when I remember

when Brandon was

playing me up,

I'd say to him,

look, you've made

my heart go now.

Because the

anxiety of

thinking it was

going to happen.

And then it

happened.

And I got to the

point Rob where

if I stood up too

fast, my heart

would race.

Now, at this

time, I didn't

realise he was

racing

200, 200, 250.

All I know is I'd

stand up and I'd

be like, and then

like, Brandon

would ask me to

play with him

every night.

Obviously, this

went on

for years.

So this is where

I had my probably

one of my darkest

depressions

because I got to

a point in my

life where I got

to 17 stolen

weights.

And I could not

run four or five

meters at my

heart going.

I was on

medication, I had

an operation.

But it was still

not right.

So I literally

used to get

anxious about

doing something.

And then I would

have this problem

with my

heart racing.

So yeah, it's

definitely

exasperated.

Everything went

on in life was

definitely

exasperated

because that

moment of stress

would get

it to go.

And then I'd be

living in this

this period of

time down where

it was really,

really

hard, you know.

I'm sorry, this

is where I sort

of started

a bit nerdy.

Did you by ever

sort of

experienced any

sort of what's

called

orthostatic

hypertension sort

of get up and

sort of sit down?

Did you get

disease spells

lightheaded or

anything

like that?

All the time.

Does it

still happen?

It doesn't now.

No, it doesn't.

They've managed

to get my

medication right.

So I've been back

in the gym for

almost two

years now.

But, you know,

that's from so

I've gone back in

the gym at the

age of 44.

But I hadn't been

in the gym since

the age of 27.

So it was a

long time.

And in that

period of time, I

always

experienced it.

I remember being

in the showroom

when I was

selling vehicles

to in Land Rover.

Many years ago,

and people would

be talking to me

and I'd be

talking to them

knowing I'm about

to faint.

I just I

don't know.

I've always had

this resilience

where I know some

people cleverly

would probably

go, sorry, I'm

not

feeling too good.

I want to

go home.

Where I would

just stay there.

I would just

breathe through

it and try and

get through it

all the time.

And one thing I

could do really

was take long

deep breaths in

through the nose

and then slow the

breath out

through the mouth

to try and slow

it down.

So, yeah, I

experienced

that a lot.

Yeah, it's called

vagus syncope,

that feeling of

wanting to faint.

And there's

definitely some

literature there

that suggests

that thiamine

might affect the

vagus nerve, the

connection to the

heart and that

those what's

called, again,

that authors that have tension.

So when you stand

up, you sit down,

you feel like

you're

going to faint.

So we'll have to

send you some and

see if it helps.

But yeah,

anyway, again,

sorry, off topic

completely.

I think if I was

to just summarize

that for the

audience and your

answer was

perfect,

by the way,

the way I

understand it is

that when an

individual sort

of experiences

chronic stress,

they get, as you

alluded to an

increase in these

certain various

hormones, things

like cortisol,

glucagon, all of

which, as well as

catecholamines,

again, these sort

of paracene

derived

neurotransmitters

that you were

talking about

things like

adrenaline and

nordrin and

epinephrine for

anyone listening

for America.

And in the short

term, those those

are required.

Those are

hormones and

neurochemicals

that help the

body to sort of

survive in acute

sort of settings

and circumstances

if you're well,

we're not running

away from targets

anymore.

But if you have

that desperate

need to sort of

get away from

something,

whatever it is,

it provides that

instant surge of

energy and

release of

glucose,

release of

dopamine to act

quickly.

But as you

alluded to,

when it becomes

chronic, these

stress hormones,

they start to

drive, they start

to negatively

interfere with

the immune system

and you cause an

increase in

inflammation.

So I'd like to

say going to

talking about

meditation and

how it can be

used to help

start mitigating

stress and how it

can be a really

effective tool in

helping to

improve the

symptoms that

someone is likely

struggling with

when they're

under a high load of stress.

But first, would

you mind sort of

breaking down

what

meditation is?

Because I think a

lot of people

still sort of

just purely

associate

meditation with

sort of sitting

cross-legged in

the sort of the

lotus position

with your fingers

pursed together

like this and

coming or box

breathing.

And there's

obviously a lot

more to it

than that.

But yeah,

so I suppose you