😳 Billionaires do this to stay chill

There aren’t many things in life that taste good that are actually good for you. Especially in the sweet treats department. My latest obsession is my morning DIY cacao collagen drink. Cacao is packed with antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties, plus it gives a chocolatey fix without the blood sugar spikes.

I’m loving mixing a teaspoon of ceremonial grade cacao with Ancient & Brave’s bovine collagen. Unlike most bovine collagen, its genuinely tasteless & dissolves surprisingly well in cold water. Add both into a shaker with a touch of coconut milk, some water & serve it over ice, and you’ll have yourself a superfood chocolate coconut milkshake. Except there’s hardly any calories, it’s packed full of goodness & your getting a 5000mg hydrolysed (aka, easier to absorb) collagen. Dreamy.

In your weekly dose:

• Celebs love this meditation practice: Everyone from Miss Kendall Jenner to queen Oprah herself swear by it.

• May Empties: wellness-y faves that are worth repurchasing.

• The wellness web: an AI app to make you happier, the 10 minute routine to make your teeth younger (yes, younger), the wellness store you’ll want to buy everything from is back in London, and much more.

• Summer’s latest blush trend: Sunsets. Plus, the products you need to recreate it.

^{_{MEDITATION, WITH A HINT OF SCIENTOLOGY}}
It’s good enough for Oprah

We all have our ‘thing’ that we’re willing to splurge on. For some, it’s the latest trending bag, for others it’s new homeware. For me, as you’ve guessed by now - it’s all things wellness. Luckily, I have a decent bullsh*t radar though, which comes in handy in the wellness space.

This week it was well and truly set off after learning about TM, or 'Transcendental Meditation, on the Blonde Files podcast. The host, the gorgeous Arielle, talked of how TM changed her life. It turns she’s not alone.

A whole host of famous celebrities & CEOs (we’re talking everyone from Oprah herself to the founder of WHOOP) have said the same.

So what actually is TM?

As you’ve probably guessed, it’s a type of meditation technique.

To practice it:

• You repeat a mantra silently for 20 minutes, twice (yes, twice!) a day. 

• There’s no app to follow, just you, your mantra and your phone timer. 

• You practice in silence, with your eyes closed.

• You let your thoughts come and go, but keep your focus on repeating your mantra.

All sounds good, right? But this is where my radar went off. 

If there’s no app, how do you learn the TM technique? Well, you pay £400 - £800 for a course, obviously… Granted, it’s a one time thing, but still, that’s 4x more than popular apps like Othership for a year’s membership. Pricey.

Now, I’m not saying don’t go on a TM course - but, personally, I’d rather spend £400 on a spa weekend or getting my face lasered.

So, with a weekend spent at the Scarlet Hotel in mind, I wanted to see if I could find out enough about TM to practice it, and save myself the £400.

Is it doable?

Well, first up was working out what the mantra was I’d be saying for 40 mins a day.. In the course, your mantra is apparently ‘personalised for you’, based on what your teacher feels you need. Reading online, it’s mostly to do with finding a phrase that you can repeat easily, that also somewhat resonates with you. I went for the classic ‘sat nam’. You can find some others here.

Next up, actually meditating for 20 minutes a day, twice a day. 

There’s plenty of studies showing how meditating for 20 minutes per day can change your brain, helping decrease your anxiety & improve your focus. So you can see how 40 minutes a day would have a pretty profound effect on your mental clarity. 

Honestly, the only way I’ve managed to do it is by teaming it with my red light therapy. The device I’m using at the moment can be used for 20 minutes a day (more on this soon, I’m obsessed!) in different modes, so it’s a win-win since I probably wouldn’t use the device so much otherwise.

The DR Verdict:

I’ve been practising my version of TM for the last week & I get the hype. There’s no denying that I’ve felt calmer. Plus, I feel like I’ve worked through some things that have been stressing me out, subconsciously, whilst I’ve been repeating my mantra. Is that possible? It could just be that since I’m thinking more clearly, I’ve been better at problem solving. Either way, I’m going to try keep it up. Some days, finding 40 minutes is going to be a struggle though. But realistically my screen time tells me weekly that I spend much more than that scrolling, so I do apparently have the time.

I’m so willing to be proven wrong in future, but I think you can reap most of the benefits of TM without forking out for the £400 course too.

TRENDING: SUNSET BLUSH FOR SUMMER

^{_{THE FEMALE CURSE}}

Editors empty’s worth repurchasing

Nope, it’s not the time of the month. It’s the simple fact that all of your favourite products are guaranteed to run out at the same time that your hair is due for a balayage, AND your due for your brows, nails, your acupuncture appointment & your LVL top-up. 

It’s not new news to say I try a lot of products (so I can give you the DL on them! Thats my justification at checkout anyway), so I’ve rounded up the ones I’ve emptied out this past month that I’ll be topping up.

FOR BEDROOM CARDIO

We’re all friends here right? Phew, great. So, recently, I read about the benefits that maca can have on libido. Now this is no scientific experiment (after all, the sun has been shining & my boyfriend looks lovely with a tan), but I’ve definitely noticed an increase in my desire for bedroom cardio… I actually bought mine from Bulk Powders. Granted, they couldn’t be less aesthetic if they tried, but I think it’s easy to overpay for some supplements that have invested in their cute packaging and expensive brand marketing over their formulations.

FOR A HAPPY GUT

I’ve taken this Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth for the past year now. My friend told me about it when I mentioned I was really struggling with my skin, and was trying to cut out my daily soy protein shake. Unlike my shake, this bone broth is a clean source of protein and is full of gut & skin-loving amnios.

FOR CLEAR(ER) SKIN

This one has run out partly because the size of it was so small, but also because I’ve been using it religiously. If you’re like me and most SPFs (or anything for that matter) break you out, adding a touch of this azelaic acid blend into your skincare can help keep clogged pores at bay. It’s not cheap for the amount you get, but it’s working better than others I’ve tried from brands like Face Theory & Dermetica.

FOR IRRITATED SKIN

One of my hidden talents is overdoing it with the retinol's. When that happens, this k-beauty favourite always comes to the rescue. With soothing centella & panthenol, it’s lightweight but instantly calms angry skin. I’ve tested the full centella range, but this toner was my favourite by a mile.

THE WELLNESS WEB:

• 🍄 Your new morning mushroom fix: Freesoul are joining the mushroom coffee category with their new Wake blend, launching tomorrow. Expect to see it all over TikTok shop like their bestselling Greens.

• 🧘‍♀️ The wellness girly store: We are Raye is finally back with their latest pop-up in Soho. Open until early June.

• 😇 AI will make you happier? This app, created by neuroscientist James Doty MD, gives you access to calls with an AI therapist, and it (mostly) works too.

• 👓 Watch this: famous biohacker Bryan Johnson is back with his 10 minute teeth health routine. We’re talking water flossing, then actual flossing, a soft bristle electric toothbrush, a fluoride toothpaste & a tongue scraper. Nothing crazy.

• 🥤 Try this: the new adaptogen productivity drink, Neutonic, by well-known PT James Smith & Podcaster Chris Williams. Perfect for those days where your struggling to find your mojo & your to-do list is staring at you.

• ✨ The Harrods Beauty Gift: get a goodie bag worth over £400 when you spend £250 on beauty. The perfect excuse for some (very) early Christmas shopping, plus a perfume top up for yourself.

THE DR LIST

Enjoyed this?

I’d loooove it if you could share Daily Rituals into your girls group chat 💖(https://dailyrituals.beehiiv.com/subscribe). The more of you that join, the more time I can spend building Daily Rituals & sharing the best content with you. Thanks for being here!

With love,

Jasmine