Balance.

Here's what I'll be covering in this episode: 1. Mindful Moment - I guide us through 5 rounds of deep breathing and an awareness practice to expand our awareness of the thoughts that cross our minds. 2. Mindful Reflection - I answered last week's question from the Balance Period Newsletter: "In what ways did I invest in my health and wellness in February?" 3. Check-In - I share the results of my Monthly Performance Assessment from WHOOP. I discuss some of the trends I notice in my data and what adjustments I can make during March to improve my sleep quality. I also talk about what behaviors have had the highest positive impact on my recovery. Here are some measured metrics: sleep quality, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, training behavior, and beneficial behaviors. 4. System Updates - I share an app that I downloaded to help me gain a deeper understanding of the quality of the food that I consume and the cosmetic products I use called Yuka. 5. Resource Review - I share the featured article from the

Here's what I'll be covering in this episode: 1. Mindful Moment - I guide us through 3 rounds of deep breathing and an awareness practice to give our muscles the permission to relax. 2. Mindful Reflection - I discuss the impact my Sustainable Self-Care System has had on my capacity to stay in alignment with my purpose in the midst of experiencing a season of transition. 3. Check-In - I share the results of my most recent InsideTracker blood test. I talk through what has influenced the increase in my inner age and some of the potential adjustments I can make to see shift this number in the opposite direction. I also discuss the difference between my optimal and clinical biomarker ranges and why I've decided to get multiple blood tests this year. 4. System Updates - I talk about beginning to expand my awareness of my nutritional intake so I can align my iron with its optimal range. 5. Resource Review - I share the featured article from the Balance Period Newsletter: Tools to Calm Your Anxiety and Finally Get So

Here's what I'll be covering in this episode: 1. Mindful Moment - I guide us through 3 rounds of deep breathing and movement practice to relieve tension in our neck and shoulders. 2. Mindful Reflection - I discuss some things I learned from reflecting on my work habits. Even though I can accept where I currently am, I recognize that there is still room for improvement in optimizing my health. 3. Check-In - I discuss how my body is recovering from a 20-mile run and how mentally I've been experiencing some symptoms of burnout; focusing my attention on whether the habits I practice are in alignment with my values and goals; recognizing that there is room for me to be more disciplined with the food I consume; and doubling down on being kind to myself instead of being critical. 4. System Updates - I foreshadow a new app that I have been testing out to support me in updating my evening routine. 5. Resource Review - I share the featured article from the Balance Period Newsletter: The Benefits of Self-Compassion &

Here's what I'll be covering in this episode: 1. Mindful Moment - I guide us through 3 rounds of deep breathing and a self-love practice through intentional touch. 2. Mindful Reflection - I share a couple of highlights from the week prior: leading a Mindful Moment at the first stop of the Moments With Murdock Experience mid-west tour and running a PR. I also discuss failing to accomplish my reading goal for January and the adjustments I am making to move forward. 3. Check-In - I discuss how my body is adapting to the strain I am putting it under and how I am approaching caring for myself mentally; continuing to prioritize time for proactive rest, primarily through taking naps and realizing that my current evening routine is unsustainable; being intentional about the relationship I am developing with myself and choosing to lead with love and compassion; and continuing to be mindful of what I consume and determine what will work best for my optimal performance. 4. System Updates - I share the practice that I ha

Here's what I'll be covering in this episode: 1. Mindful Moment - I guide us through 3 rounds of deep breathing and movement to relieve tension in our mind and body. 2. Mindful Reflection - I share the insights of my Monthly WHOOP Performance Assessment and what metrics I focus on to support me in aligning my habits with my mind and body's optimal function. 3. Check-In - I discuss the results of my monthly weigh-in and the metrics that have shifted since the start of the year; continuing to prioritize time for proactive rest practices; maintaining consistent consumption habits across my physical and mental diet; and continuing to monitor my responses and reactions so I can keep them aligned with my values and goals. 4. System Updates - I share the details of the recent purchase I made to give me insights into my biological age. 5. Resource Review - I share the featured article from the Balance Period Newsletter: 10 Steps to Take When Heart Disease Runs in Your Family and the importance of understanding your f

Here's what I'll be covering in this episode: 1. Mindful Moment - I guide us through 3 rounds of deep breathing and an abbreviated body scan awareness exercise. 2. Mindful Reflection - I share the insights I have gleaned about the value of rest from reading Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey. 3. Check-In - I discuss how my body is adapting to an increased amount of running, my focus on practicing proactive rest, eating food earlier in the day, and allowing myself to pause, breathe, and respond with what I experience with intention. 4. System Updates - I talk about the new app I am using to help me measure my progress during my 50K training program. 5. Resource Review - I share the featured article from the Balance Period Newsletter: 8 Secrets to Getting Better Sleep and my recommendation on where to start. My desire is to create a space where we learn, grow, and create generational wellness together. If you have any questions you would like answered on the show, email me at ray@balanceperiod.com. Remember to

Here's what I'll be covering in this episode: 1. Mindful Moment - I guide us through 5 rounds of deep breathing and a full body scan awareness exercise. 2. Mindful Reflection - I share the emotions that arise as I honor the 6 year anniversary of experiencing a pulmonary embolism. 3. Check-In - I discuss my current level of conditioning and the impact it has on my WHOOP data, my focus on carving out time for rest, eating less processed foods, and maintaining a peaceful mental state in the midst of adversity. 4. System Updates - I share the new planner and piece of software I am using to measure how I am spending my time. 5. Resource Review - I walk us through the Balance Period newsletter and share the featured article that highlights the connection between our sleep and mental health. My desire is to create a space where we learn, grow, and create generational wellness together. If you have any questions you would like answered on the show, email me directly at ray@balanceperiod.com Remember to be patient wit

Happy New Year! Back in 2020, I made the commitment to fearlessly invest in my personal growth and development, and openly share what I learn along my journey with others. This year I will be using Wellness Wednesdays as a space to be transparent about my wellness journey and provide you with insights on exactly what I am doing to create generational wellness. Here's the framework of this show: 1. Mindful Moment - I will guide us through a breathing exercise to ground us and strengthen our mindfulness muscles 2. Mindful Reflection - I will share what I learned from my experiences over the past week 3. Check-In - I will be sharing what is happening in my mind/body, how I am spending my time and energy, what I am choosing to consume, and how I am responding to what I experience 4. System Updates - I will be sharing any updates I am making to my sustainable self-care system 5. Resource Review - I will be reviewing the resources shared by Balance Period My desire is to create a space where we learn, grow, and cre

How will you be growing into 2023? If you listened to episode 194 you know the value of mindful reflections. In this episode, Nick and Ray share how they are using what they learned from this year to be intentional about where they invest their time and energy in 2023. If you haven't already, now is a great time to begin thinking about your mindset on the new year and where you will be focusing your time and attention. Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, observe 3 rounds of Balance Breathing and participate in an exercise to focus your attention on the physical sensations you are feeling Best of 2022- Ray shares some of the most popular topics from the Balance Period Podcast in 2022 and what you can expect in future episodes. Mindsets for the New Year - Nick and Ray share the mindsets they are taking with them into the new year and how it will direct where they invest their energy Contributing to the Mission  - Nick and Ray offer ways you can contribute to Balance

Have you done a mindful reflection on 2022 yet? The ending of a year brings about a great opportunity to develop into a better version of ourselves! How do you do? Through mindful reflection. As you know, mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with three things: intention, curiosity, and compassion. Adding mindfulness to your end-of-year reflection allows you to observe where you've been, without judgment, and extract the valuable lessons you can use to grow into the new year. Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, observe 3 rounds of Balance Breathing and participate in an exercise to focus your attention and energy within What lesson did you learn from 2022? - Nick and Ray share the most valuable lessons they learned from reflecting on their experiences in 2022 Sustainable Self-Care System Upgrades - Nick and Ray share the activities they integrated into their Sustainable Self-Care System throughout the year Mindful Reflection Challange  - Nick and R

"The longer you wait to take action, the more you will talk yourself out of getting started." On this episode, we welcome Willie Viverette to the show! Willie is an entrepreneur, investor, and fashion designer. He shares his inspiring story of overcoming childhood adversity, pursuing his life's purpose, and becoming the change he wanted to see in his family and community. One of the recurring themes Willie highlights throughout the episode is the importance of taking action immediately instead of waiting until conditions are perfect first. The longer we wait, the more we will talk ourselves out of getting started so take action today. In addition to sharing his story of personal and professional growth, Willie also offers his perspective on how we can stay financially healthy during this economic recession. Here's how you can get connected with Willie: Instagram: @kingwilliee Website: www.willieviverette.com Linktree: linktr.ee/Kingwilliee Questions? Comments? Feedback? Send us an email at podcast@balanceperi

Are you in a mindful relationship? We asked for recommendations on topics we should cover on the show and you all delivered! This request centered on how an entrepreneur can maintain their mental health while in a romantic relationship. Nick and Ray provide insights on their journies of staying mentally healthy as they balance entrepreneurship and their romantic relationship. If you are an entrepreneur and in a relationship [or looking to be in one] this episode will provide valuable insights into how to approach caring for yourself and your significant other. Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, observe 3 DEEP breaths and participate in an exercise to calm your central nervous system and experience inner peace How Do You Promote Your Mental Health? - Nick and Ray share their perspective on what's important when it comes to maintaining optimal mental health Relationship Journey - Nick and Ray share the experiences they have had while finding a balance between nurturing th

What impact has your family had on your life? Coming off of the Thanksgiving holiday it's only right that this episode is focused on family. As humans, we are a lot more alike than we are different, and we are more like our family members than anyone else. Nick and Ray discuss their family's impact on them becoming the men they are today. They also share some ways each has intentionally improved the quality of their relationships with their family members. Lastly, Nick and Ray provide some perspective on how we can develop a stronger family unit, one conversation at a time. Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, observe 3 DEEP breaths and participate in an exercise to relax your muscles as you reconnect with the present moment What are you thankful for? - Nick and Ray share a family tradition and discuss what they are thankful for Reflecting on the impact of family - Nick and Ray share what they believe is the greatest impact their family has had on their lives Building a

Do you have an action plan to create generational wellness? If we fail to plan, we plan to fail. In this episode, Nick and Ray break down one of the newest offerings from Balance Period: Customized Wellness Plans. They share what's included in each package, why having a wellness plan is essential, and how getting a plan can help us incrementally improve our quality of life and create generational wellness. They also share some details of the exciting discounts and incentives Balance Period is offering this holiday season. Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, enjoy 3 rounds of Balance Breathing and space to expand your awareness of the sensations you feel as you breathe Customized Wellness Plan Breakdown - Ray explains what's included in each of the 3 wellness plan options Where's the Value? - Nick and Ray share what they believe to be the most valuable aspects of having a Customized Wellness Plan Black Friday Discount - Ray unveils the store-wide discount that is being

What is your relationship with stress? Back with another rewind episode! In addition to the happiness and joy that comes with the holiday season this time of year can also be extremely stressful. Depending on our mindset towards stress and how we choose to respond, we can ensure we maintain optimal well-being in the midst of the stress we experience. This episode is from our Stress Awareness Month series so if you are interested in learning more about stress and healthy ways to relate to it, check out episodes 157-160! Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, enjoy 3 rounds of DEEP breathing and get more in tune with the physical environment around you Community Questions - Nick and Ray answer some of the questions that were received from listeners concerning stress Understanding Stress - Ray provides insight into what stress is so we can begin to audit our mindset toward it How to Leverage Stress - Ray breaks down a 3 step process we can use to re-define the relationship w

What sleep hygiene habits do you practice? This is a rewind episode! Even though this time of year brings times of joy and laughter with our family and friends, it also comes with something that can have a negative impact on our mental and emotional health: seasonal depression. One of the simple and sustainable ways we can promote our mental health is by regularly getting high-quality sleep. That is why this rewind is of one the most popular episodes from our Sustainable Self-Care System series that kicked off 2022 where we share 5 healthy sleep hygiene habits! Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, enjoy 3 rounds of BALANCE breathing and check in with what you are feeling in the present moment Defining Sleep Hygiene - Ray provides insight into what sleep hygiene is and how it can help us improve our quality of sleep 5 Sleep Hygiene Habits - Nick and Ray share 5 habits we can practice to improve our quality of sleep and overall quality of life; they also share the personal

What lens do you look at life through? This is a rewind episode! The lens we choose to look at life through matters because we see what we look for and what we focus on expands. It's time for us to look at our lives through a more empowering lens so we can continue to create generational wellness and be the change we want to see in our family and community. Nick and Ray discuss what a Positive Present Perspective [PPP] is, why it is essential and how we can begin to leverage this perspective to create generational wellness. Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, observe 3 DEEP breaths and focus your attention on something you are grateful for Defining a Positive Present Perspective - Ray breaks down the 3 pillars that make up a PPP and how each relates to one other Sharing Personal Experience - Nick and Ray share their experience with looking at life through the lens of a PPP and how it has empowered them to make lasting behavior change Habits to Promote Our Mindset Shift

How have you evolved over the last few months? In this episode, Nick and Ray discuss the evolution Balance Period has made as an organization over the past couple of months. They shared what influenced the front-facing changes to how Balance Period is being branded and how the B.A.L.A.N.C.E. Blueprint was created as a tool to make generational wellness accessible to everyone. They also offer insight into how Balance Period will leverage partnerships to empower the Black community to create generational wellness, one healthy habit at a time. Here's what you can expect from this episode: Mindful Moment - Pause, observe 2 rounds of Balance Breathing and intentionally relax your mind and body Increasing Accessibility - Nick and Ray share what Balance Period is doing to contribute to making generational wellness accessible to everyone Safe Space to Share  - Submit questions or suggestions for what you want to hear on the Balance Period Podcast for the remainder of 2022 [podcast@balanceperiod.com] Welln

If we get caught up in experiences from our past or expectations of our future then we will miss out on an opportunity to appreciate where we are in the present moment. Our guest on this episode is Demond Hicks. Demond is a father, author, entrepreneur, and philosopher. "You've been talking about what you are going to do for the last two years, when are you going to just do it?" Demond tells his story of overcoming procrastination so he could begin tapping into his full potential and living a life with no regrets. He talks about his mindset on life, what motivates him to keep moving forward, and some of the habits he practices to promote his well-being from the inside out. He also shares one habit he practices with his daughters to make sure he is creating generational wellness. If you are interested in getting connected with Demond, here is where you can find him: Facebook: @DemondHicks Instagram: @_iamdemond Website: www.flowcode.com/page/demondhicks Also, be sure to check out Demond's book, Keys To Elevate

If our behaviors aren't aligned with progressive principles, we miss out on opportunities to actualize our potential. Our guest on this episode is Keenan Davis. Keenan is a wellness entrepreneur, community leader, author, and national-level bodybuilder. Keenan tells his story of developing the principles that now help him win in his personal and professional life. He emphasizes the importance of focussing more on what we can contribute to life instead of being stuck in a poverty mentality. He also shares some of the habits he would recommend us practice if we want to live a happy and healthy life. If you are interested in getting connected with Keenan, here is where you can find him: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keenan.f.davis Email: keenandavis20@gmail.com Website: https://refinershealthandnutrition.net/ Questions? Comments? Feedback? Send us an email at podcast@balanceperiod.com Let's listen, learn, and grow together! Balance Period Resources: Subscribe to the Mindful Monday Newsletter: https://balanc