Biohacking the Ancient Way

10 daily practices to reconnect with nature, nervous system, and self. 🌿

After returning to Lisbon, I’ve been quiet. Weaving threads pulled from a dozen directions. Letting knowledge settle like leaves after a storm, waiting to see what wants to root.

It had been a while since I visited Berlin. This time, it wasn’t for the reasons people expected. No clubbing, no lines outside Berghain, no dancing until dawn. I came to visit a dear friend I met six years ago on a tiny island in Cambodia—a place with no ticking time, no Wi-Fi, only hammocks and starlight. A place that reminded me of the ancient slow life.

Back then, we both were still creatures of the night—me working in beach bars, both of us living between Southeast Asia and Australia, following a rhythm of parties and planes. But this time in Berlin, the rhythm was different. We woke up early. Walked empty streets. Took a forest hike to learn about herbs. And somewhere between the red poppies and the moss-covered roots, I heard the forest’s whispers:

“Sit down,” it asked.
“Rest with me. Reflect on me, as you do on yourself.”

And I did.

Because…
What is herbal knowledge without the plant in my hand?
What’s breathwork without the air in my breath?
What’s a forest view if my eyes never leave the screen?

Over the following weeks, I went of the radar, allowing the knowledge in my mind to transform into routines lived.

Here are the real tools I’ve been using to come back to my body. All of them free—or under 50€. None of them will make you go viral. But they might make you feel yourself again.

Morning Rituals: Root into your Self

1. 🧡 Orange Glasses After Sunset (Yes, it starts the night before)

Biohack: Blue light in the evening disrupts melatonin production and circadian rhythm—affecting everything from sleep quality to hormonal balance. For menstruating women, consistent blue light exposure can even shorten or disrupt the infradian cycle. Swap screens for oranger or red lenses after sunset to gently tell your body: it’s time to wind down.

Investment: ~30-50€
Effect: Deeper sleep, restored hormonal rhythm, brighter mornings.

2. 🚫 No Devices for the First 2 Hours

Biohack: Your brain isn’t wired to absorb the entire world the moment you wake up. Starting your day in output mode (notifications, emails, scrolling) puts you immediately into a cortisol spike. But when you give your inner world time to surface first, your parasympathetic nervous system has a chance to regulate: reducing stress, increasing focus, and allowing you to act with intention, not reaction.

Tip: Keep your phone on airplane mode. Journal. Gaze at the sky. Breathe. Stretch.
Ask: What wants to move through me today?

3. 🌬️ Breathwork (5–10 Minutes)

Biohack: Conscious connected breathing with breath holds is one of my favorite ways to switch from fight or flight to rest and digest. Deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, lowers cortisol, and increases heart rate variability—key markers of a resilient nervous system.

Try: 3 rounds of 30 connected breaths (in through the nose, out through the mouth), followed by a breath hold.
Need guidance? Breathe with me on YouTube → click here

Midday: Embodiment, Movement & Nature

4. 🌳 Nature Contact

Biohack: Being in nature lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation, and improves immune function—thanks to phytoncides (aromatic compounds released by plants). Touching soil or bark connects you with the Earth’s electromagnetic field, which can help regulate circadian rhythms and mood.

Practice: Find a tree. Sit with your back to its trunk. Close your eyes. Use all 5 senses:

• What do you smell?

• What do you hear, near and far?

• What textures do you feel?

• What’s the taste in your mouth?

• Open your eyes—what do you see first?

Let your body remember it belongs here. We are not separate from nature, we are nature.

5. 💃 Movement + Shaking

Biohack: Movement is medicine—especially when it comes from joy, not punishment. Shaking specifically helps discharge cortisol and trauma imprints from the body, resetting your nervous system the way wild animals do after a threat.

Try: Shake your whole body for 2 minutes.
If you feel anxious or restless: Move first. Think later.

6. ❄️🔥 Sauna & Cold Plunge

Biohack: Contrast therapy activates mitochondrial biogenesis (cellular energy production), reduces inflammation, boosts endorphins, and sharpens focus. For women, timing matters—honor your cycle. Avoid intense cold exposure during menstruation or late luteal phase.

When your thoughts spiral: Return to the presence of your body.
Your mind might live in the past or future—
but your body is always in there here and now.

Evening: Tending the Inner Temple

7. 🪞 Mirror Work + Spoken Affirmations

Biohack: Speaking affirmations while making direct eye contact activates both the limbic system (emotional brain) and the neocortex (logical brain). It rewires internal narratives and can even shift gene expression through the power of voice, vibration, and intention.

Practice: Look into your left eye. Speak truths you want to believe until you feel the resonance in your body. Repeat daily. (Even if you might not believe it yet.)

8. 🌱 Skin as Sanctuary

Biohack: Your skin is your largest organ—and your first line of defense. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in many commercial creams, deodorants, and fabrics can disturb hormone balance, mood, and immunity.

Switch to: Organic oils, natural deodorant, toxin-free fabric dyes.

Because not just what you put in your body—
but also what you put on your body matters.

9. 🎵 Sound as Spell

Biohack: Music bypasses conscious filters and influences subconscious programming. Studies show sound can reduce pain, stabilize heart rate, and even regulate stress hormones.

Check: What’s on your playlist?
Do the lyrics empower or limit you?
Curate a new soundscape for your life.

10. 🍵 Herbal Allies (Local, Accessible & Ancestral)

Biohack + Ritual: Plants are powerful regulators of the nervous, hormonal, and digestive systems. Working with herbs grown on your ancestral land creates deep resonance in the body.

Here are a few of my local favorites (Central Europe):

• Nettle – Iron-rich, deeply nourishing. Supports blood building, energy, skin health.
  → Infuse dried nettles overnight for a potent green tonic.

• Linden Blossom – Gentle nervine. Supports sleep, softens anxiety.
  → Sip as a warm tea before bed.

• Chamomile – Anti-inflammatory and calming. Helps with bloating and nervousness.
  → Add to tea or bath. Whisper your wishes into the water.

• Yarrow – Menstrual support and wound healer. Regulates blood and strengthens boundaries.
  → Use as tea or in a sitz bath for womb care.

Let your tea become a ritual. Let your herbs become memory.

⏳ Now you might think: Who has time for all of this in one day?

Well… check your screen time.
You’ll see—if you put your phone away, the day becomes longer right away.

But as always, let this be an invitation, not a to-do list. Pick and choose what calls to you.

🌒 Remember…

You don’t need the next big gadget.
You don’t need to spend thousands on optimization.
You need nature. Rhythm. Rest.
A return to the body. A return to what’s always been free.

And so I ask you:
Which of these will you begin with?
What small act will you bring home today?

With slowness, breath, and natures ways,
Pia 🌿🕯️✨