Meditation, Breathwork, and Loving Myself in a Lake: A Fun Friday Experiment
How to Connect Your Mind and Heart (And Get the Hell Out of Your Head)
Hey Fam,
Welcome to Fun Friday!!!
You’re about to get a peek inside my beautifully chaotic, blessed, ADHD–OCD–ODD–neurodivergent–and-yet-somehow-peaceful mind.
And hopefully, I get to learn more about you, too.
Thank you for trusting me with your attention.
These words come from real experience, inspired by real teachers, and they’re here to help you be just a little more kind to yourself—and maybe escape that silly overthinking brain for a bit.
Let’s do it, y’all. :)
☀️ Mornings in My Head
Starting with this Fun Friday, let’s talk mornings.
BAM—thoughts hit me like a 140mph tennis serve to the gut.
Past fears. Future stress.
Maybe that one Kendrick Lamar song from my childhood. Ah yes... Money Trees.
I don’t know how my brain is already in hype mode—it’s 16 hours into an 18-hour workday and charging full steam ahead like a biker on a crowded trail:
“Get the f*ck out the way, can’t you see I’m biking over here!?”
Anyway, that’s me. Every morning.
But something shifted for me recently.
Ever since coming back home to Chicago, I’ve felt this strange, beautiful sense of peace. Like I’m syncing up with myself and my environment.
It’s weird—because I’m not used to it. I spent so many years sprinting through life, gripping the wheel so tight I forgot what rest even felt like.
But now? I’m slowing down. Finally.
I feel like all the practices I’ve been working on are finally landing.
Nature time has been huge—going to the beach, grounding every morning, listening to the birds. It’s done so much for my nervous system… and most importantly, my spirit.
I’ve also been reading a bunch of Buddhist stuff (big Thich Nhat Hanh guy now), and wow… this practice really resonates with me. It’s sobering and refreshing at the same time.
So I’ve been putting on binaural beats, laying in the sun, and just being. No forcing. No judgment. Just mind-body connection. That’s the real flex. A peaceful, relaxed, non-thinking, purposeful life.
Too much energy is a blessing and a curse.
My default mode is full-blown high-energy chaos. That’s why I need anchors. Centering practices. Because when you live from your center, that’s when real life begins.
Here are the tools that help me get there.
🧘♂️ Meditation (The Chill Kind)
Meditation, to me, is the art of not doing anything. It’s not about “clearing your mind” or sitting like a monk with perfect posture. It's just being.
Melting into the earth like butter on a warm pan. No effort. No trying. Just letting the universe carry you.
That took me years to even understand. But now I know: there’s no right way to meditate. No special course. No required Spotify playlist. You just sit (or lie down) and exist.
Don’t even worry about your breath. Just be.
How to do it:
Sit or lie down. Do nothing. Let go. Don’t even force yourself to “meditate.” You’re just being. That's enough.
Why it works:
When you stop trying, your nervous system gets the message that it's finally safe.
🌬️ Breathwork (AKA Getting Out of Your Head)
Breathwork is like going to the gym for your soul.
It’s intentional breathing—reps for the nervous system.
My go-to lately: 10 breaths (in for 3 seconds, out for 6), followed by a breath hold. Feels like a reboot.
You boost nitric oxide (great for blood flow), lower cortisol, raise white blood cells, and most importantly—you stop thinking. It gets you out of your head and into nothingness. And it makes meditation so much easier afterward.
How to do it:
Inhale for 3 seconds → Exhale for 6 seconds → Repeat 10 times → Hold breath for 15–30 seconds.
Why it works:
Boosts nitric oxide, lowers cortisol, increases white blood cells—and clears mental noise fast.
Resource to try: Breathe With Sandy Videos
🧘♀️ Yoga (But Make It Soulful)
I started taking yoga seriously freshman year of college after reading The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma. I’d wake up at 5, jump rope barefoot in my backyard, take my dog on a quick run, then lie on a mat outside with the sunrise peeking over the trees.
Yoga changed, my life. Please do it every day. it will change yours too.
Try these Breathe and Flow Videos.
The I Love You meditation.
One practice that changed my life? The I Love You meditation.
I’d wade into a lake, just enough so my ears were underwater and my eyes were facing the sky. And I’d say:
“I love you, Jack.”
“I love you, Jack.”
Over and over.
Then I’d drop the name:“I love you.”“I love you.”
It’s a heart-opener. A way to rewire your identity.
You can do it in a lake, your backyard, a patch of grass—anywhere you feel safe. (Maybe avoid the ocean during 5-foot swells unless you’re really trying to level up your mindfulness game.)
🌬 Conscious Breathing (Thich Nhat Hanh-Style)
My favorite Buddhist book right now is The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings. In it, Thich Nhat Hanh shares a practice that seems too simple to work—but it does.
Try this: next time you breathe, add a little mantra.
Breathing in, I know I’m breathing in. Breathing out, I know I’m breathing out.
Breathing in, my in-breath is deep. Breathing out, my out-breath is slow.
Breathing in, I smile. Breathing out, I release all worries and anxieties.
Breathing in, I feel calm. Breathing out, I feel at ease.
Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment. Breathing out, I know this is a wonderful moment.
Once you get the hang of it, these phrases become second nature. I shorthand them like this:
In–Out
Deep–Slow
Calm–Ease
Smile–Release
Present Moment–Wonderful Moment
I’m literally doing it now, as I type this in a coffee shop.
Feeling more grounded with every line. I see my sister, I feel the heat of the sun through the window, and I’m debating if I want a second cortado. That’s a ez yes.
Life is happening. And I'm here for it.
🌀 Tai Chi & Qi Gong (Movement Meditation)
Not all meditation has to be still.
Tai Chi and Qi Gong are powerful ways to move your energy, slow your thoughts, and reconnect with your center. Think slow, rhythmic movement + intentional breath.
My favorite practices:
Tai Chi shaking
Zen swing
Shoulder openers
I learned some of this from a wacky white dude named Certified Health Nut (aka Troy Casey). He’s out there—but also kind of brilliant.
Try this stuff outside, feet on the bare earth, as the sun rises. It’ll make you feel rooted, open, and oddly strong.
How to do it:
Try Tai Chi shaking, Zen swings, or simple rhythmic shoulder openers outside with bare feet on the earth.
Why it works:
It reconnects you with your body and energy system, and slows the mind through physical flow.
Video to try: Tai Chi Shaking Practice – Certified Health Nut
So What’s the Point?
The point is this: when you live from your center, you're no longer a prisoner of your mind.
You're no longer reacting to every little fear or thought that comes up.
You stop living in the past. You stop stressing about the future. And you start becoming who you really are.
You become calm. Strong. Purposeful.
You say no to BS.
You feel joy in small things.
You breathe.
You live.
It’s a work in progress for me. Always.
But each time I show up to my breath, each time I move my body with intention, each time I say “I love you” in stillness—I feel more like me.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s what we’re here for.
Love you guys, have a great weekend.
💌 What’s one small thing you’re going to do today?
And if you know someone who needs a little fire under their ass—send this their way.
I’m grateful to my partners who create amazing health & wellness products.
Made it <3
Yet again Jack you hit a home-run.
I’ve not yet braved the cold-plunge.
I do a 20 minute steam room followed by 10 minute infrared sauna everyday.
Could you speak to how or if I should add the plunge to this routine? I’m concerned the cold would screw up the benefits of the heat.
Also, I wanted to add a post that I just wrote this morning that affirms the point you make about taking quiet time. Not trying to be a post hijacker just want to affirm your take and add spin for another to be blessed.
I love your take about “melting into the Earth like butter .”