How I Made My Life One Big Biohack

Living in alignment with nature is the original biohack—one that supports deep healing, nervous system regulation, and lasting vitality without the need for expensive technology.

In this episode, I share what it takes to consciously design a lifestyle where nature does the work modern gadgets try to replicate.

We explore:

• How sunlight, grounding, and natural rhythms support your biology better than any device

• Why I chose to leave urban convenience behind for a life that supports true fulfillment

• Using sunset-watching as natural red light therapy and barefoot beach walks as grounding

• The emotional cost of family separation in pursuit of environmental alignment

• How to recognize the signals your body gives you about where it thrives

• What it really takes to make radical changes when your current life is draining you

• How to design your environment based on what calms your nervous system and restores vitality

This episode is for anyone seeking a slower, more intentional life rooted in nature, somatic intelligence, and personal sovereignty.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite listening platform. For deeper discussions on breathwork, embodiment, and aligned living, join me on Patreon. New episodes release every Monday at 10am Mountain Time.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing a Natural Lifestyle Alternative
• 4:20 Choosing My Tropical Paradise
• 9:16 Nature vs Biohacking Gadgets
• 14:03 Making Difficult Choices for Alignment
• 19:14 Designing Your Dream Environment
• 26:12 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hello everybody and welcome back to the daily practice with me, benita. Today's episode is a short exploration on how I built my dream lifestyle where I can thrive, live a healthy, nourishing existence, without excessive so-called biohacking or technological intervention to optimize my health. Because this episode is really a message to you. If you're spending a lot of time on finding the next gadget to optimize your health, if you live in an urban environment using red light therapy, using grounding mats, using whatever else, it is blue light blockers at nighttime. To come back to yourself, to come back to that baseline health, I'm here to tell you that there is a better way that you can actually create a life where those things just happen, where also things like exercise are built into your daily routine and you don't need to go to the gym although you might want to if you have specific fitness goals but where daily movement, daily red light, daily grounding, daily all of that is actually a part of just your daily life. And that's what I have, and you can have it too if you so choose. So, really, I want to emphasize that real health deep, profound thriving does not come from more tools or gadget or interventions. It comes from a radical alignment with nature. So I'm gonna share how I built my barefoot coconut garden sunset watching lifestyle and it's an invitation for you to do the same. Maybe it's different for you, maybe you don't want to live in the tropics, maybe on that different climate is more suitable for your constitution and personality and everything. But I'm just here to remind you that you have agency and you have the power to not just rely on a chicken lamp to give you the light environment or blue light blockers to give you the light environment that for yourself as a natural lifestyle. So, yeah, just to re-repeat or re-emphasize is that I didn't. I'm not here. I'm living in a country far, far from my native people. I'm native to Northern Europe and I'm currently living in the tropics.

Speaker 1: 3:13

Okay, I noticed throughout my youth and childhood and early adulthood that living in a cold, dark climate most of the year is really not for me. In a cold, dark climate, most of the year is really not for me. That anytime I would go south where I would see sandy beaches and palm trees, I knew that, oh, this feels good. The ocean is my mother. I need to be close to it. I need to be nourished, healed and elevated in frequency by the powerful oceans of this planet. So a lot of people say, oh, it must be easy for you to live this or that way because you live over there. Yeah, but I chose to. I made sacrifices, I made compromises and I took time to look at my life and see what is meaningful, what serves me, and then I chose it Okay. So, yeah, I have access to the ocean in my front yard, I have fruit trees in my garden, I have coconut palms all around me, but it's not like I was born with it. It's what I chose.

Speaker 1: 4:39

So, really, the invitation is to. Really the invitation is to, instead of looking at the highlight reel of somebody's life or looking at how it looks from the outside and say, oh, they're so lucky because they have this, they're so lucky because they have that. You don't know their story, you don't know what they've foregone to have that reality or how it is perceived. So there's always also trouble in paradise. So there are other things that I've had to let go of, or there are things that arise in my life here that have been very, very challenging. But because I know what my priorities are and I know what is good for me and my family, I've worked through those.

Speaker 1: 5:35

So, yeah, personally, I come from a place where the winters are long and harsh. You're inside most of the time. The people are maybe not as friendly, it's harder to make social connections, there's a certain rigidity in society. Okay, I knew that, even though there's probably a bunch of people who thrive in that environment and they choose it or they stick with it, put up with it whatever it is, I knew that that wasn't for me. So this is really an invitation to reconsider your power, your agency, that you really have the option always to change your environment, even if it requires hard choices. So, yeah, to emphasize, instead of getting more gadgets, instead of getting more tech appliances or grounding mats or blue light this or, you know, trying to optimize your really unhealthy and unnatural environment in the cities or wherever you're at you can actually just remove yourself and place yourself in an environment where the environment is the so-called hack. I don't need all those things because I get the original red light therapy every night watching the sunset. I don't need blue light blockers because I live in a place where there is next to zero light pollution. Same, I don't even get phone signal here. The Wi-Fi that we do use, I can just unplug it and I have a fully non-native electromagnetic frequency free home.

Speaker 1: 7:39

And if I do feel like there's some sort of imbalance from that kind of exposure, I'm going to jump in the ocean and I feel refreshed, renewed and balanced again. I am going later to take my dogs up for a walk in the jungle barefoot. I don't need a grounding mat, really. The body feels right, your body feels at ease when it feels safe and nature is the original safe place. Truly, as soon as I get my feet on the ground, when I touch the ocean, when I feel the sand between my toes, there's just a certain full body sigh, a release and a coming home. Because sometimes we do go to the big city an hour or so away and it'll just feel agitating, not just physically but emotionally, energetically draining, to put myself in that situation where I have to sit in traffic, go to places there's cell phone towers everywhere and just in general the buzz of the city kills my buzz. I feel detached from myself, I feel anxious, and then as soon as I come home, touch the earth, touch, touch the beach, touch the ocean. Everything changes. So just I'm gonna squeeze in a little bit of announcement or reminder in here, just if my message.

Speaker 1: 9:47

My podcast feels like it's appropriate for you, if it feels like you're resonating with some of the stuff that I'm talking about here, make sure you are actually subscribed to this podcast. I publish a new episode every Monday at 10 am. I'm still on mountain time because that's where I spent the past few months, but wherever you are, mountain standard or daylight saving time, that's what we're doing 10 am Mondays. And if you want to go a little bit deeper with me into embodiment, breathwork and actually living this aligned lifestyle, I'd love to have you inside my Patreon and that's where I share a lot of the behind the scenes stuff, practices and some of the more woo, woo or real talk I don't really feel comfortable sharing in other places. So let's get back to the topic of this episode. So, yeah, now I've shared a little bit of what my current lifestyle is and how it serves me personally and how it serves me personally.

Speaker 1: 11:09

So look at your own life and how can you start designing, making choices that bring you closer to your true home, where you feel safe, nourished, thriving, alive, full of vitality and excitement about life? I bet that for most people, it's not looking at concrete walls or being surrounded by this of electromagnetic frequencies and all that stuff, where you don't know where your food's coming from, it's shipped in with big trucks like you don't actually have any connection to who and what you are as a being. You're being essentially domesticated or kept in some kind of zoo, or some might go as far as call it prison, you know, living in some kind of glorified closet. And this is not to say that a city life is always just garbage.

Speaker 1: 12:13

I've chosen to live in an urban environment for extended periods in my time, in my life, because there have been certain, let's say, cultural aspects or other things that I've found meaningful in the city, like, let's say, when I was performing spoken word poetry regularly, or I was doing stand-up comedy regularly, or I wanted to attend a university. Those are rich or like enriching and beautiful and meaningful. You know, pursuits that are only typically to some extent available in the cities. But I have been fortunate enough to find a small town in the tropics where actually a lot of those things are available here too. Anyways, I of course have chosen to live here, uh, far, far, far away from my family, my biological family, who are over on the other side of the ocean and of course I miss them and of course it's for some people. Maybe it's even harder to to leave their roots and leave their family behind. If, if you feel a duty, a love, a connection to your people, then obviously it might be harder.

Speaker 1: 14:03

Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to put it I had so much trauma or difficulties with certain aspects of my family life that that wasn't always an issue. Of course, there are people from my childhood and my family members that I do miss and I look forward to seeing whenever I go back to Europe. But you know, it was a choice I made and this was especially during the time of the pandemic. There was a certain the pandemic, there was a certain political climate in Europe that felt very, very, very hostile and very, very scary. So for me, coming to a place where I could continue to live a lifestyle that's free and joyful was so important and I was so blessed to actually take that leap and travel during that time.

Speaker 1: 15:16

So, yes, obviously, if you have a family that you're close to and they're not your parents, siblings, whatever, cousins, uncles, that they are all in one place and you're the only one leaving to chase your dreams, it might seem difficult or even an unacceptable trade-off, and that's a choice that we all have to make acceptable trade-off and that's a choice that we all have to make. I guess for some personality types or some family situations, like mine, it wasn't the obvious choice, but it was a relatively easy choice. I knew that I had to secure a future for myself and my family that is truly in an alignment with my values and where it's easy for me to make choices that are positive and that help me thrive physically, spiritually, mentally, socially and in all aspects. And certain sacrifices and trade-offs had to be made. So you know, whatever circumstance you are in, that's kind of a cost-benefit analysis each and every one of us has to make. And okay, I say cost-benefit analysis, but usually we know in our heart and our body okay, especially women you know you'll make a choice and you will know if that's the right choice.

Speaker 1: 16:53

Do you feel like you're sinking, feeling heavy, feeling anxious, or does it feel almost erotic? This is what I desire, this is what I. I feel almost like turned on by getting on this plane, heading to whatever location you're going to. Does it really feel exciting in your body? Does it feel like you truly, truly yearn for it and it feels aligned, true and appropriate. Okay, and see if you can do the same thing with the other option of staying where you are, and then you'll know. So what does it take to design your dream life?

Speaker 1: 17:53

Obviously, what I said, you know it's, it's recognizing that there's a trade-off, but you will know in your body what the right choice is. So there's a certain amount of courage. There's also, you know, in the tarot you have the card the fool. It's like jumping into the unknown. It might or it might not work out. And what if it doesn't? Okay, do you take the infinite? Should we say you take the milk train back home? Is that what you're going to do? Even if you do, that's maybe not a bad thing. At least you tried, at least you took a shot, okay.

Speaker 1: 18:36

So, yeah, there's a lot of challenges in forging your own path, being some kind of pioneer. You know there's okay, now I'm in this new place by myself, or maybe you brought your family. Okay, but we're here and okay, we got to start from scratch. What are we doing? Where do we get this? Who's going to help us? And, of course, it's a big job to create community, create your friends, find those people that are there for you in that new location? Obviously there's some other, you know. Of course there's a financial cost, financial uncertainty. Have you created an income, a source of financial stability that's going to sustain you, no matter where you are geographically? But you know, then when you get there, you'll know You'll be like, hey, I can actually live with less. I don't. Of course we live in a world where a certain amount of dollars in the bank is necessary, but when you have your own garden, when you have a certain security that comes from being actually aligned with nature, you'll have far less.

Speaker 1: 20:17

You know doctor's bells well, personally, I would suggest don't even go to the doctor. You know, we have so many tools and so much information, people who are actually way more informed and have a better understanding of healing than some so-called medical doctor, that I would even not as medical advice, but, just as you know, experiments, what happens if you don't go to the doctor and actually trust your body to heal itself by eliminating toxins and eliminating harmful things in your environment, by living in a place where you are actually aligned with nature. So there, like, just as a thought experiment, I'm going to invite you to do this. If there were no limitations financial, social, mental, anything where would you be? What would your dream life be? What would it look like? What kind of home would you live in? What kind of garden would you have? Would you have a garden? Would you you know what is the perfect environment for your body, for your constitution, for your being? What kind of environment does your body, the deepest layer of your being, what kind of environment does your body, your, the deepest layer of your being, crave, and what would your life look like if you actually trusted your body? So this whole talk episode has been an invitation for you to build your dream life. Start making aligned choices that take you closer to where you need to be.

Speaker 1: 22:29

There's a bonus tangent that we could go on where. If you're into astrology, what is also interesting is to look at your astro cartography and you will see certain planets make these lines on the map of the world, and certain planets lines will give you a clue as to where it's healthy for you to be. But I'm no expert in that. I just find it very, very interesting, and actually I'm currently in a place where my Venus line crosses, so that's maybe something worth looking at, but that's a whole other talk. Maybe something worth looking at, but that's a whole other talk. But I guess the point is I'm not better or different than anybody else. I've just lived a life where I've, through experimentation, I've found what kind of environment I feel really, really safe, good and regulated, where my nervous system feels like it can relax. For me it's the beach it for me it's being surrounded by coconut palms, fruit trees, birds, swim with the fish, look at the dolphins, look at the whales, walk barefoot on the jungle trails. That's what I like.

Speaker 1: 23:57

That's not for everyone, obviously, but whatever it is for you. And if you're not feeling safe, comfortable, relaxed where you're at, then start making those choices. Don't get another red light mask, don't get another grounding mat, or maybe do for now, but see if you can start making choices, even radical choices that change everything for the better, right, right. Or if there is some reason whether it's family, work, education, whatever it is, that's that's kind of requiring you to stay more in an urban environment that maybe necessitates more of these gadgets or biohacks to actually feel aligned or thriving. Then what are some of the other things that you can do? Can you spend the weekends in a place where you can actually reset your circadian rhythm, where you can actually really balance your body and ground and nourish with nature there with nature there. So, if you're listening on YouTube, please do leave a comment. What are the things in your environments that you would change? What is your ultimate biohack? What is your ultimate environment that you would actually feel safe, grounded and relaxed in, where you could actually wake every day full of excitement, vitality and just feel like you're thriving?

Speaker 1: 25:53

Like I mentioned earlier, I have my, my patreon. It's open, so if you want to join, it'll be so fun to also connect there. And, obviously, if you're listening to uh, this on apple podcasts or any other platform, please do leave a review. That will make a huge difference and it will allow this message to reach more people. And, obviously, if your friends or family might need some encouragement to plan their dream lives and make some changes, please do share some changes. Please do share. And, yeah, also stay tuned on Friday for the next practice video. I'll see you next time. Thanks so much for listening. Remember, a good practice is the one you do.