🧠 Vagus nerve, Indigenous teen, and how kindness affects pain

Happy Monday my friend,

🌝 Look up tonight for the first full moon of the year – the Wolf Moon. Named by Native Americans in reference to the pack of wolves that can be heard howling outside the villages in the winter.

**If you want this Wednesday’s Earth Conscious Deep Dive sent straight to your inbox, the founder’s lifetime discount for your Earth Conscious Life Membership is only available this month. It grants you loads of ongoing perks like weekly exclusive articles, premium videos, and expert interviews. Learn More HERE.

🌎 BE THE CHANGE: “We all take care of the earth – because the earth takes care of us.” Read this and more from environmental Indigenous activist Xiye Bastida of Mexico, and her many feats of heroism and change starting at an early age: mobilizing student strikes, speaking publicly against climate degradation, and forming the movement “Fridays For Future”… and more.

🍚 RECIPE OF THE WEEK: “Primavera” means “spring.” But you can still enjoy this healthy Risotto Primavera any time of year! Grab veggies like zucchini and asparagus from the garden, grocer, or farmers market to create this creamy Italian symphony: complete with peas, Arborio rice, Italian seasonings, a splash of white wine, and a whole bouquet of other ingredients (as always, skip/swap the dairy if that’s not in your diet).

🥦 SUPERFOOD SPOTLIGHT: Some of us still push it to the edges of our plates, but Broccoli may be one of the best and most accessible superfoods around — capable of supporting natural detoxification, providing a diverse slate of nutrients, and promoting immune function and cellular repair. If you want super concentration of the most healing compound in broccoli (sulforaphane), I use BrocElite.

🧠 MIND: Sometimes the path to a calmer, clearer mind comes from a completely different direction: or maybe a completely different part of the body. This article explains how working with your vagus nerve (complete with tips on how to do so, where to locate it, etc.) may have surprising effects on brain function — helping promote calmness, reignite focus, bring on more mental clarity, and beyond.  

🫴 BODY: Being kind to others is a reward in itself. According to new research, going out of your way to help others may also be good for the body — and specifically for lowering physical pain and improving body functions, especially with age. Researches claim even simple acts like volunteering, or making donations, can have these same impacts!

🧘 SPIRIT: Mindfulness and meditation are almost everywhere now, sold and packaged to us in a million different ways. And yet: do we still have a handle on what meditation actually is? What is meditation really meant to do? This spiritually-provoking article could help you re-focus and re-center on what really matters about meditation — as well as the true keys that help us feel happy and fulfilled.

How to breathe cleaner

With the recent devastation in my former home city of Los Angeles, I am reminded that the other side of the destruction is the ongoing impact of wildfire smoke. No wildfire smoke is healthy to breathe in, but when human-made structures like homes (full of and endless list of toxic materials and chemicals) burn to the ground, they are emitting an onslaught of poison that lingers in the air for days or weeks and contaminates the lungs of all who come in contact.

Regardless of the brand, you need at least some air filter. For me, my Air Doctor has stood out as an indispensable ally.

The advanced filtration technology effectively removes particles, smoke, and pollutants, safeguarding my well-being.

In times of crisis we need these already on hand, so it is best not to wait until fire or some other pollutant affects your area.

Air Doctor’s cutting-edge features set it apart from competitors. Its medical-grade UltraHEPA filter captures particles as small as 0.003 microns, outperforming HEPA filters found in typical air purifiers. The activated carbon filter eliminates unpleasant odors, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and toxic gases, ensuring a fresh and clean environment.

My favorite feature is the real-time air quality monitor, which automatically increases filter strength when toxins are detected! You have to see this in action to believe it.

The quiet operation and energy efficiency make it a great choice for most homes. Don’t waste money on cheaper systems that honestly don't do much. Get the best right now to protect your breathing. «

😊 Conscious Corner

Other earth-conscious stories you may have missed…

🦕 DINO DISCOVERY: Massive collection of dinosaur footprints found on Britain's ancient 'highway' (more)

💪 FITNESS FINDINGS: Study shows being fit matters more for longevity than being thin (more)

🌿 ECUADOR PROTECTION: Workshop launches to protect key biodiversity areas amid changing ecosystems (more)

🧠 AUTISM INSIGHT: Research reveals hidden cognitive strengths in autistic traits (more)

🐦 BIRD ALERT: Wildlife experts warn drivers to watch for newly-hatched chicks on roads (more)

💬 Poll

⬅️ Last poll’s results

Have you ever used AHCC?

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🍄 Yes (12.5%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Not yet (87.5%)

To a healing future,

— Rob