Episode Transcript
[00:00:12] Speaker A: What's worthwhile to consume, consider, believe, say, and do towards peace of mind, vitality of body, and joy of spirit. I'm Ramsey Zimmerman. Join me for healthy living, motivation and discussion.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: For many of us, it's like, oh, I just want more time. I want more money. I want more freedom. And it's like, for what?
Like, what would you actually do with it? And, like, what would be enough, right? So it's like if it was just, you know, this time, is it like putting your feet on the ground, going to the ocean? Is it like, I just want to lay down on the floor and be quiet? So that's like a blue zone kind of thinking. It's like in the slowing down, I can think about what lights me up and then how it can be a part of being in service or connecting to my soul's purpose.
[00:01:16] Speaker B: Hey there.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: It's Ramsey here. That was Veronique Ori. Veronique visited all five of the traditional blue zones in the world in 2025. And we chatted about how life in a Blue zone is different from the typical life in America. Veronique leads retreats around the world, is a yoga instructor, and is the author of Shine on and off the Mat. Blue Zones are places where people are known to live exceptionally long based on a bunch of different factors. We talked a lot about what those lifestyles are like and how we all might incorporate them into our lives.
[00:01:52] Speaker C: Wherever we live.
[00:01:53] Speaker A: Let's take the time to listen and think about how to take the time to slow down and enjoy our days.
[00:01:59] Speaker C: Hey, Veronique. How are you doing today?
[00:02:01] Speaker B: I'm great, Ramsay. Happy to be here with you.
[00:02:05] Speaker C: Well, I'm really glad that you're here too.
You are a yoga teacher, an author, and a global retreat leader.
I understand that you spent time in all five of the Blue Zones this year. Is that right?
[00:02:19] Speaker B: It's true. Yeah.
[00:02:21] Speaker C: Well, I want to hear kind of all about that and how that's different from, like, any town, usa.
But first, I'd like to hear kind of more about you and your background.
Where are you from? What was it like for you growing up?
[00:02:37] Speaker B: Yeah. Thank you for that. I am originally from Montreal, Quebec, in Canada, and I moved to Toronto and my dad's job transferred when I was 6. And so I grew up most of my life in Albany, New York, a couple hours north of Manhattan.
And.
[00:03:03] Speaker B: I grew up an only child to two parents who are in finance, money. My mom's an accountant, my dad's a financial advisor, and there's actually a lot of Accounting and.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: Right, Right brain kind of sensibility.
[00:03:26] Speaker B: Is that right brain?
[00:03:28] Speaker C: Left brain, Left brain.
[00:03:29] Speaker B: Thank you. I was like, that doesn't sound right.
Left brain sensibility.
[00:03:34] Speaker C: Have some right brain too then.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: I definitely have a lot of right brain, but.
Or a lot of left brain. Yeah.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: So. So, yeah.
[00:03:45] Speaker C: So finance and finance, slash accounting, slash money. Parents.
And was that you or were you like completely different?
[00:03:55] Speaker B: I was completely different. I grew up really influenced by my grandparents generation on both sides.
My grandmother on my dad's side was a phenomenal baker and cook and she made drapes by hand and was very adept at creating from nothing. You know, it's the old story, they came from Hungary with nothing but the clothes on their back when my dad was just 10 years old. And.
[00:04:34] Speaker B: She, she just really loved bringing people together. And it just felt like such artistry, the way that she really valued family above everything, like loved with her entire being. And my grandmother on my mom's side was a phenomenal painter. I have some of her pieces in my home. Just really stunning art.
Even in the framing that she chose for each of her pieces. Just so, so talented. And.
[00:05:09] Speaker B: I feel like I get a lot of my influence from them. I was always encouraged from my earliest memories was to put on shows in my grandparents living room with an Elvis Presley microphone that they connected to a double tape deck. And I would sing Somewhere over the Rainbow and oh, that's so great. My grandmother actually, she made costumes for me. Just, you know, there's some phenomenal old photos of me as a small child wearing kind of gypsy like costumes. And it's just like a casual Sunday in the living room, you know.
[00:05:49] Speaker B: And so it always felt like dress up and play and being creative. And so I just really loved that feeling of bringing people together and being in the space of joy and connection. And that's definitely a thread that has carried me through getting a theater degree and starting my own nonprofit theater company in Los Angeles when I was 22 and then moving to New York City and feeling like, you know, like the song, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. So pounded the pavement and did the thing through my 20s and 30s and then was feeling like I love the artistry and is there a way to be in this connection that I'm not giving my power away? Right. That like my happiness isn't contingent on getting cast in a play or getting a favorable review or winning this grant from my theater company, but rather I can be in the space of connection and storytelling where we are all uplifting. One Another, like there isn't failing, there isn't success by these exterior metrics, but rather we're existing in a way that is in this continual evolution of growth. And so it's really brought me through some, some very dark, challenging times and felt like in a lot of ways, when I came to arrive to the yoga practice fairly late in life, you know, Comparatively, I was 32 years old. I didn't realize that I wasn't breathing until that point. I was, I was definitely running a marathon at a sprint pace and. And then I really needed to slow down to, to really come into this next, what I call this chapter of my life.
And yeah, just always peeling back the layers.
[00:08:07] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure. And the blue zones are known for kind of the opposite. Right. Like not being running as fast, hustle and bustle. But for folks who are not really familiar with that term or the idea. How do you describe and characterize blue zones?
[00:08:26] Speaker B: Yeah. So there's five identified blue zones in the world right now.
Loma Linda, California, Okinawa, Japan, Sardinia, Italy, Korea, Greece, and the Guanacasta coast area in Costa Rica.
[00:08:45] Speaker B: They have been labeled blue zones. They were circled in blue on the map as spaces of longevity, where they have the most centenarians or people that live at least 100 years old per capita.
And they attribute this. And what's so remarkable about these different centers of the world is it's not one diet, it's not one thing. But a common thread certainly is the socialization, the connection intergenerationally with movement in nature, that there are aspects of movement that are interwoven into the daily rhythms. Like, like there are stairs to traverse from, you know, my home to my son's home. Or, you know, I garden every morning or I, I bend down to.
[00:09:44] Speaker B: Eat, you know, squatting or sitting on the floor, exercising, that I'm not just in this 90 degree angle and my legs, like many of us do in the Western world, just in chairs as I sit here on the floor speaking with you.
[00:10:05] Speaker C: Well, at least you're sitting on the floor. I'm sitting in a chair.
[00:10:08] Speaker B: Yeah.
Feel free to stand up at any time. In fact, everyone listening, stand up, stretch your arms overhead, take a deep breath.
[00:10:15] Speaker C: Look at the sky.
[00:10:17] Speaker B: Yeah.
And connecting to purpose, to faith, to, to really finding spaces of rest.
So, you know, I've, I've woven through by visiting. And what, and what's so interesting is this idea came to me just to back up a little bit. This idea came to me when I was in Sardin.
I was helping on a women's retreat guiding yoga and mindfulness for a mastermind coaching program that I was a part of. And everyone had stayed up late and I was practicing sobriety and I was up hours before everyone just in silence. And this idea came to me like, ah, like what would it be like to travel to all five blue zones in one year? And in my typical, I suppose this is where like the mathematical influence comes to mind where I try to like map it out into a spreadsheet. Like I want to, you know, organize where, where the flight pattern goes.
And it was like, okay, well I'm definitely going to Costa Rica this year, so maybe next year I'll do three and then the following year I'll do four. And then I thought, why don't I just do five next year? Like five in 2025. That has a nice ring to it. And so I actually put it into ChatGPT and I.
Can you space these out equally throughout the year where it's never below 72 degrees and I'm.
[00:11:51] Speaker B: Around a full moon, There were different qualifiers that I wanted to arrive to each place.
[00:12:00] Speaker B: And it was really satisfying in a moment. The magic of AI. It was like, here's your course for the year. And those were the dates that I set. And you know, as the year went on, there were probably 500 reasons to abort the plan.
And like we had talked about before we hit record, it was like, okay, like this is a, this is a moment to move through that initial resistance, to actually be in that space of longevity. And, and I, and I just knew in my heart of hearts that experience this, experiencing this over the course of the year, it would resonate in my bones and in my cells and just have me connected to that space of longevity, that I could come home and share that with others in a really powerful way.
[00:12:57] Speaker A: Look, we all deal with stress. Stress is not the problem.
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[00:13:35] Speaker C: That is fantastic. So what are some of those things that you learned or that you saw? Things that were different from sort of what our everyday lives are like, Things that you brought home with yourself that you might like to share with us.
[00:13:52] Speaker B: Yeah, I love that.
So I started in Loma Linda. I thought, okay, let's start in the States. Let's see. Because if you've traveled in the States at all, a lot of people are surprised.
Of all the places in the US that this is the place that was deemed the blue zone of the US and it's often attributed because of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. And so it's the vegetarian diet. It's taking the Saturday Sabbath. So that day not only completely off, but if you are in Loma Linda on a Saturday, you likely are gonna have a little trouble finding a restaurant to go to. Like, the whole town kind of shuts down, which I think is such a powerful reminder. Like, let's just have a day to not be operating business.
And for many of us, certainly if we're entrepreneurs or if we have that kind of conditioning of more, better, faster, it's really hard. Hard to take a whole day, even if we're maybe not in the office. And especially since COVID Right. It's like, oh, well, let me just do this email real quick. And then all of a sudden, we get, like, pulled into 18 different tasks, and it's like, okay, I said that I wouldn't do this today, and here I am sort of despite myself. So I think. What?
Yeah, so it's. So. It's. I think it's so needed. And it's like when you can vibrate with that and you know how deeply therapeutic that is and how it directly promotes longevity. It's not like living longer for the sake of living longer. Right. It's. It's a life well lived that you're aging with grace, with fortitude and strength and with grit and with tenacity, all of that.
And so it's. It's so deeply inspirational. And so it's like, okay, how am I nourishing myself? Not just with what I'm choosing. Choosing to put in my body, but also the thoughts I'm choosing to have and the practices I'm choosing to have, and. And the people I'm choosing to be in connection with. Right. All of that can either be medicine or it could be toxic.
And. And the more that we awaken to what it is that we each feel on. On a deep level as nurturing, then we just. By the very nature of being addictive beings, we want more of that.
So it's. It's so important to. To be in that constant curiosity. And, you know, we had talked in our initial call of.
Of how it is that we are able to be in this conversation of continually waking up, right, that we're. We're sort of stripping away this default mode of like, oh, this is Monday. This is what I usually do. Or like, here I am, like, half asleep, doing the morning rhythm, but in that slowing down. And this is why travel is so deeply therapeutic and helpful, is that we're choosing to be in the discomfort. We're choosing to disrupt the rhythm in order to see that actually the discomfort is where the growth resides.
[00:17:21] Speaker B: And so it's so important.
[00:17:27] Speaker B: I'm so. So I'm so happy to talk about this topic because I often get a lot of messages of like, oh, it must be nice to be able to travel. It's like, oh, it's actually available to all of us, you know, if it's a priority of yours, you know, and if you're listening and feeling like you can't, just give me a call, I'm happy to talk you off the edge.
[00:17:52] Speaker C: Well, it feels like a big deal to pick up and travel. You know, we're. We're sort of committed to all of the things that we're doing, and we're trying to stay on top of everything. And, you know, that we're. We're typically trying to. We're doing the things that we think are important, or at least the things that we thought were important enough to sort of commit ourselves to.
[00:18:19] Speaker C: And we're trying to achieve all of those things, and they are in our work lives and family lives.
[00:18:28] Speaker C: But it often becomes a. A chase, hustle, a bustle.
You know, we're striving to get all of these things done, and it's easy to kind of lose.
[00:18:41] Speaker C: Perspective or lose track of why we're doing those things in the first place and what might be really important to ourselves and our health and the people that we care about.
Did you feel like when you were visiting these blue zones, that the vibe there was different from the vibe that I was just sort of describing and that we sort of have all the time around us?
[00:19:06] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely.
[00:19:09] Speaker B: I'll say.
[00:19:12] Speaker B: In all of my travels, particularly in cities, right, There's a certain hustle. And because of our nature of being mostly water, I often say we're so spongy, you could arrive to New York City and not be in a rush, but somehow you're thrown off of this subway and you're like, oh, I gotta go up the escalator as quickly as possible. And then all of a sudden, you're kind of with the sheep moving at a pace and it's like, oh, wait a second. I actually wasn't in a rush. I forgot.
[00:19:50] Speaker C: What I love about she get knocked over.
[00:19:52] Speaker B: Yeah. It's like, get out the way.
Yeah. So what's. What's so powerful about being in a blue zone? And I think, you know, people can feel this in different small towns in different ways, is people will just linger over a meal for a few hours.
You know, they'll go for a walk.
People just kind of will be, you know, on their front steps, and then people will gather and join in the conversation, and it's more, okay, how are we connecting?
Right?
It's not like, let me shove this food down my throat to get to the next meeting on time. It's like, no, like, the nourishment is the thing. We're not rushing to do anything to get to the next thing.
And.
And I think about that in terms of how important it is to.
[00:20:49] Speaker B: Be in that resonant practice on the daily. That it's not like, oh, I do this in this week that I'm away from my daily rhythm, but it's like I soak that up and then I incorporate it into my daily rhythm. So, like, the morning prayer is sacred or the meditation or however you're in silence in the morning.
And then it's like, oh, actually, like, this conversation is also a prayer. And like, my walk with my dog is also meditative. And, you know, so it's. It's never like, oh, I'm also going to simultaneously respond to these five emails in the midst of this conversation. Like, if. And this is what I think is so beautiful about the podcast format is like, you could try to multitask and listen to this conversation, but you'll probably miss something.
So it requires a presence, which I just adore so much. So it's like, maybe it's a nature walk while listening, but probably not trying to do anything that's requiring.
[00:21:56] Speaker B: The mind to figure something out, like a message or something like that.
And so.
[00:22:03] Speaker B: That'S probably one of the most beautiful parts about the blue zones universally, is.
Is the slow pace. Like, I think, like, to be a sloth, you know, just to climb up the tree.
Just you're, like, seeing this happen in real time, but you think that you're watching a video in slow motion and you're like, oh, no, this is actually happening in real time in front of me.
How spectacular.
[00:22:32] Speaker C: I was tracking with you right up until you started describing, you know, sloths, because that feels a little too slow for me.
[00:22:41] Speaker B: Slow for you.
[00:22:42] Speaker C: A little Too slow. But what I was with connecting with was the idea that, you know, there's all these things that in.
[00:22:50] Speaker C: In busy life are sort of happening at once, or there's sort of transition things or we're going to eat real quick and then we're going to go and run off and do the important thing.
But what I'm hearing you say is that, no, the eating is the important thing.
[00:23:06] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:07] Speaker C: You know, and there's other examples of important things that need to happen and they need to get their own space, you know, to be able to breathe, you know, metaphorically or literally, you know, and I think a lot of us who are stressed out and moving from one place to the next, we all of those sort of physiological things or body things or eating or sleeping or resting, there's a bunch of big inconveniences that we sort of try to get done just so we can get to the important work.
Well, or is the work that you're supposed to be doing the things that you get done so that you can enjoy your actual life, which might be the eating and the breathing and the resting and the spending time with people that you care about?
[00:23:56] Speaker B: Oh, absolutely. Yeah. It's so wild. I actually, I woke up, so I go through different phases, so maybe people listening will resonate with this.
So I love a color coded calendar. I love to fill up every minute with something, whether, you know, it's practicing the guitar or, you know, administrative tasks or, you know, specific appointments that I have. I like to sort of schedule everything out to make sure that it has a spot. So rather than having a running to do list, I'll actually like put them in my calendar as appointments just to make sure that everything gets done on a certain timeline.
And. And there'll be like a stretch of time where that feels really grounding and then there'll be like a moment where it's like a wall shows up and all of those things just feel like noise and it's like I have to just clear house.
And so I did that yesterday. And I think it's so important that we do inventory on the regular. And the beginning of the month or really just any moment is a great day to begin again. Right. Where you just decide like what is actually necessary.
[00:25:11] Speaker B: Right.
[00:25:12] Speaker A: Or perhaps what's worthwhile.
[00:25:15] Speaker B: What's worthwhile or what's worthwhile, one might ponder.
Exactly.
[00:25:21] Speaker C: I shouldn't interrupt.
[00:25:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
And so what's wonderful about that prompt is then you actually get to run everything through that filter.
Right. And so in the pause between the Question and the response, it's like, whose voice is that?
Am I thinking, oh, I need to empty the dishwasher before I get in the car and go my next meeting?
Or is it like, oh, I actually could empty the dishwasher later and have less of a hurried commute and then arrive in a state of calm? Right.
But I think for most of us we're in this engine of like, let me just sneak in one more thing. And then we're like kind of in this continuous stress state and it's like, for what? Actually, Right? So I really, I think it's so important to look at the inventory of where the attentions are and run it through. Whose voice is that?
Is that my parents voice? Is it like a past mentor? Is it like a former version of self?
Right. So it's like, if actually I could clear the calendar for you, like, what would you fill your days up with first?
And this is actually like a really great equalizer because for many of us it's like, oh, I just want more time, I want more money, I want more freedom. And it's like, for what?
Like what would you actually do with it? And like, what would be enough? Right? So it's like if it was just, you know, this time, is it like putting your feet on the ground, going to the ocean? Is it like I just want to lay down on the floor and be quiet? Is it I want to finally learn Italian or you know, whatever the thing is that feels like, ah, like I would really enjoy doing this and it's challenging and I would like to share it with the world in this way. Right? So it's so that's like a blue zone kind of thinking. It's like in the slowing down, I can think about what lights me up and then how it can be a part of being in service or connecting to my soul's purpose.
[00:27:55] Speaker C: Well, and a big, I think a fallacy of, of life is that you have to work really hard for a really long time in order to create the spare time or the resources to do those things.
But the fallacy is, well, why don't you just do some of those things now?
[00:28:13] Speaker B: That's exactly.
[00:28:14] Speaker C: Why don't we just go ahead and try and do some of those now? Like, does it have to be, you know, if we could carve out some time, maybe we can do some grounding and get outside and walk around in the grass and the dirt or the beach.
[00:28:32] Speaker C: And why does it have to be so exotic?
[00:28:34] Speaker B: That's exactly it. Yeah, you could in bed Close your eyes, Be in the visualization of it for 20 minutes with your breath. That's a really powerful grounding way to begin the day.
If you feel like you don't have 20 minutes, give me a call. Happy to look at your calendar with you.
Right.
[00:28:56] Speaker C: There's always, I mean, that's.
[00:29:00] Speaker C: That'S within the margin of error of the amount of time that we waste scrolling through social media, if nothing else.
[00:29:08] Speaker B: Yeah. So, you know, and I have, you know, I'm. I'm at the age now where I feel like maybe this is not the age, but maybe this is just the moment where I feel like every time I turn around, someone has passed away.
Like a friend's parent or sister or.
[00:29:29] Speaker B: Dog, cat. Like, there's just been so much loss.
And.
[00:29:36] Speaker B: It just really is such a powerful reminder of like, we really don't have so much time, honestly.
And.
[00:29:51] Speaker B: Rather than sort of just waiting to get through, you know, this chapter while the kids are still living at home or this chapter of still working, you know, I have one of my mom's oldest friend, her husband worked himself to the bone, finally retired and was like pining away to go on bike trips and travel and do all these things. And he passed away a week after he retired.
[00:30:21] Speaker B: And you hear this, you hear this oftentimes. And I think this directly connects back to the blue zone. It's like.
[00:30:30] Speaker B: We think that it's the thing that we're doing most that's in the way, but actually whatever it is that we're doing, that's all that we're doing.
[00:30:43] Speaker B: Does that, does that track? So it's like if you're purpose, if you're like in service and then you take that away, then there's a certain part of the soul that feels like it's complete.
So that's why you hear these stories so often when someone retires that they pass away because it's like that's the end of the chapter. Because that's been like their entire existence. And then the soul, the body is like, okay, this is the signal that we're done versus you could be in service in connection to what actually lifts you up, what you connect to be worthwhile throughout all of it.
Right.
It's, it's. We're not like waiting for something to finalize in order to. There's so many creative ways to be in the, the life that maybe you, you wish for or you dream of in the here and the now. And a lot of it is, is the resourcefulness. It's, it's the getting creative with how to incorporate that.
And.
[00:32:01] Speaker B: It'S, it's, it's so, it's such an important attention.
[00:32:10] Speaker A: Hey guys, do you ever feel like you're gonna lose it? Are your best showing up at work and at home for your family, but struggling, tired all the time, snapping at people, hangry, restless and not sure what's going on? Well, let me tell you, you need to get better before Burnout. I'll send you a free PDF guide and tell you about the 12 week better before Burnout journey that we can take together. Visit whatsworthwhile.net to learn more.
[00:32:37] Speaker C: Getting back to some of the examples of blue zones.
Tell me more about Costa Rica. Costa Rica is always, always a place that I've wanted to visit, but I haven't ever been there. But what was that like?
[00:32:50] Speaker B: Costa Rica is one of my favorite countries on this planet.
I have been going there for many years now where I did my first yoga teacher training and I've traveled there.
I've led yoga retreats there and have had the opportunity to, to travel to different areas.
[00:33:15] Speaker B: Within Costa Rica on both coasts. And.
[00:33:20] Speaker B: When I was there just this recent time, about a month ago, I was in Santa Teresa and I just felt so deeply like this is Mother Earth in the purest form. You just feel so held, like the jungle is so alive and it's so lush and the people are so familiar and welcoming. The food is so delicious, everything is so fresh and you'll definitely have the best fruit you've ever had in your life. The mangoes in particular are just extraordinary and the flavors are just.
[00:34:09] Speaker B: So exceptional.
[00:34:12] Speaker B: I've flirted with the idea of living there at least for part of the year.
I just love the land, the people, the food, the practices.
There's also such a collective attention to mindfulness there that feels so deeply resonant. And I think that this is how we can really connect into what.
[00:34:38] Speaker B: Uplifts us and then like what uplifts one another is when we really find the place, the people and the practices. Like I had mentioned before that it's like this perfect convergence where it's like, oh, this feels like it makes sense, you know, and we've all been to places where it's like, oh, this isn't the vibe.
You know, we've, we've been around people really like this isn't really, you know.
[00:35:07] Speaker B: The, the kind of conversation maybe that feels most uplifting.
But when we, when we do connect to that, and I do believe that Costa Rica, at least for me and of course for Many others where it, it does feel like that in so many ways. It, it just feels like, oh, like how do I either be here more or incorporate what I feel here back at home? And so.
[00:35:38] Speaker C: Have you figured that out at all? Like have you come up with some ways to bring Costa Rica back? And you're in New York, right?
[00:35:46] Speaker B: Right now I'm in Florida. I do spend a lot of time in New York.
Yeah, I was in New York for many years, most of my life in the state of New York. And then I was, was in the city for nine years before I moved down here. And I, I love this little town that I'm in because of course the weather is temperate and it's, it's tranquil. The quality of life is really wonderful.
However, one of the universal truths that I found for myself, which I would almost blanket statement say is, is something that we all could benefit from is that the over comfort.
[00:36:34] Speaker B: Is.
[00:36:36] Speaker B: Hazardous to our health. Right. And so this is why there's like the movement of incorporating stress on purpose so that we can breathe through challenges. So this is why like intermittent fasting is on the rise. Like the huge, the sauna therapy, the ice therapy that we're, that we want to create rhythms where we're having to regulate against some kind of friction the way that our ancestors did. Right. So it's like we weren't meant to eat around the clock. We definitely weren't meant to be like at.
[00:37:16] Speaker C: Eating around the clock. That was the alarm going off to tell us, oh, need to eat again.
No.
[00:37:21] Speaker B: Is that your alarm to eat?
[00:37:24] Speaker C: No, no, that's my random alarm. Anyways, that's okay.
[00:37:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:37:29] Speaker C: Bad alarm.
[00:37:29] Speaker B: Bad, bad alarm. I know. Turn your notifications off. Let this be a reminder.
[00:37:37] Speaker B: Yeah. So what I will say about like bringing an element of Costa Rica back home is I find this to be true every single time. Right. That being in temperature, that's like a little bit warmer than what we would say is comfortable. Like if you do happen to live in a home where you can set the thermostat to a certain temperature that you prefer, it's like if you're out in nature and certainly if you're in the jungle and you're in heat or maybe all of a sudden it starts pouring and then you're wet and you're needing to, you know, create heat in your body to protect yourself, these kinds of things are actually really helpful for longevity. Right. That we're not like overly comfort. Like I think what has happened certainly like through this last generation is like this over, like, Purell kind of environment of like, oh, we have to over sanitize and we have to, you know. And then what has happened, right, We've had this huge rise in allergies. Like, a peanut allergy was never a thing when you and I were kids. And. And now all of a sudden, like, there's this generation where, like, you know, we can't even have peanuts on a plane anymore. Like, just opening the bag, someone could go into anaphylactic shock and be hospitalized and possibly die.
And so what's so important about creating these circumstances where we are in that conversation with ourselves of how to move through discomfort? Like, actually that's a part of life. The.
The way that it's actually hazardous is when we are resistant to change or we're resistant to the discomfort. That's where the suffering actually resides, not in the change, because that's just the very nature of life. It's all impermanent. But however, as we're in circumstances, and I think being in the jungle is such a great example of this, is you realize, like, okay, I happen to grab whatever items of clothing and I put them in this suitcase. I don't have every belonging. So invariably in these circumstances, you're like, I didn't bring this specific thing that would be perfect in this instance. And then you realize, oh, I actually don't need anything, right? I can just be entranced with how this monkey is an acrobat from one branch to the next.
And I found in these instances, which is for me, a universal truth. And I would also say I've seen this in people that have come on retreats with me is like, wow, time slows down when we're not in the busyness.
[00:40:38] Speaker B: When we're allowing the eyes to cast as far as they can see, when we're really just back into that awe and wonderment, like that childlike curiosity of like, oh, my gosh, like, this world is so beautiful.
[00:40:55] Speaker B: And we have to stop and regard it, or we're just missing the whole thing by these things that we're prioritizing and like, for what?
Right?
And so I think it's so important to recognize that. And in those instances, I will just say that. But I require less food and I require less sleep because I'm getting the nourishment otherwise.
And so I think there's something to be said for that as well.
[00:41:28] Speaker C: Well, you made so many really fascinating points.
[00:41:32] Speaker C: Like, in juxtaposing sort of what life is like in the Blue Zone versus, you know, anywhere usa.
[00:41:43] Speaker C: We Try to do all these things.
And we simultaneously feel like it's so important to just smooth everything out, you know, like we need to have the temperature just right, whether it's in the house or in the car or we're not going to go outside or we're going to wear our Gore Tex, you know. And I do this as much as anybody.
[00:42:08] Speaker C: But what I'm hearing you say is like out in the jungle it just rains.
Yeah, you get rained on, you get wet, you might dry off, you might not. You're gonna shiver some your body. But you know, like those are the stresses that our body was actually made for.
[00:42:24] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:42:25] Speaker C: Like those are the kinds of things that our body's like, yeah, I know how to deal with this.
And then we, we deal with it and we get stronger each time that we go experience a stressor that is a natural one and go through it as opposed to, you know, when we're sitting at our desk and we get this really stressful email and our brain's like, but we don't have anything that we can actually do about it because, you know, our, our bodies were designed to be out walking around in the jungle. They weren't designed to be sitting in a chair in front of a computer. And so then the response that we have to that stress is not appropriate to what's going on.
[00:43:14] Speaker C: And then what you said about time is so interesting too.
[00:43:20] Speaker C: The sort of perception or passage of time. It's so ironic that when we're doing so many things, time goes by so quickly versus if you're just, you know, watching a monkey swing through the trees, then time really slows down. And who knew that you ever had time? It's like you never had, you thought to yourself that you never had time to just hang out and watch nature. But if you actually hang out and watch nature, it seems, it feels like it takes forever because it stretches out. Like, how crazy is that?
[00:43:54] Speaker B: Yeah, you expand the time. That's, that's actually one of the reasons why I've, I've, you know, I've always been theater kid, where I would more likely still be up at 5am than waking up at 5. Really my entire life.
And since I shifted to waking up at 5 and really being in the sacred silence hours, sometimes I'm like, oh my gosh, it's only 5:30, you know, like.
[00:44:24] Speaker C: I've been awake for hours already. Yeah.
[00:44:27] Speaker B: And so, you know, because I used to be like, okay, I have to, to try to squeeze in as much sleep as possible. And then I would find myself just catapulting myself out of bed and just kind of going right into the things and then would always feel like I was behind. And I know many of us are in that rhythm where it's like, well, you know, I didn't go to sleep until this time and so like I have to try to get at least, you know, six hours at the minimum. And then it's. And then you're just kind of like bleary eyed and trying to catch up. And then you're, you know, shoving food down your throat until you're like, like onto the next thing. You know, a lot, a lot of us are in that rhythm. I definitely was in that rhythm for many, many years.
And so now it's like, you know, I share with my mom, like, oh, like if you got on the mason jar meal train, like, you would save yourself so much time. And she's like, well, I don't have hours to be meal prepping. I said, mom, how long do you think it takes me to make my seven mason jar meals for breakfast? She was like, probably.
I said, it takes me 15 minutes.
I line up my seven jars, it's like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Like I make my own almond milk. It's in the fridge. And then my future self is like, thank you so much. Right. Because I have 15 minutes between clients. And so it's, it's all timed out. But I'm not wasting time. Like, what am I going to have? Because that used to be the thing. Like, let me just open up the fridge and then I would just kind of of stick a carrot and peanut butter and like, let me just snack on this until I figure it out. And then, you know, not actually eating a real meal.
Yeah.
So, so, but it's, it's, I think what's so great about being in the travel mode or you know, if you have the, I think, you know, we should all be on retreat as often as able.
Every time that I've gone on a yoga retreat or I've hosted a yoga retreat, there's something so equalizing about.
Here's the yoga practices.
Here are the nourishing meals. You don't have to tend to home. You don't have to cook, you don't have to clean. You don't have to tend to any messages.
Like all of these sort of like have tos are taken away and like what's left is the nourishing things.
[00:47:02] Speaker C: Hmm. And do you, do you have any retreats coming up that if folks would like to find out more about them that they can find out about.
[00:47:13] Speaker B: Oh absolutely. So I have a five day workshop at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York which I'm really excited to be invited to guide from there.
And I am leading a retreat with my partner Aaron in Italy next October, October 24th to the 31st of 2026. And there'll be an energetic practice in the morning and a more therapeutic chill practice in the evening. And then we love to organize excursions and different outings and really experience the land and the culture during the afternoons. And there'll be space to rel as well. The retreat center is on this beautiful property on the east coast of Italy and there's magnificent food and just gorgeous community and I also host bespoke retreats. So if you, or if you have a small group of people that you've been say wanting to go to Costa Rica, you can reach out and we can curate and customize an experience exactly to what it is that, that you're wanting to experience, where you want to go. Exactly the timing and so that's a really spectacular way to journey as well.
[00:48:38] Speaker C: That sounds wonderful. Hey, how do people find you online?
[00:48:44] Speaker B: Yeah. So you can connect with me on Instagram. I'm Araniqueori and you can learn about all my offerings on my website yogawithveranique.com where you can see my book Shine on and off the mat. I have an online membership called Shine which is a really great place where you can connect to 20 minute practices where you know, we've talked. 20 minutes is the perfect amount of time to connect to yourself, to your own inner nature.
The invitation is to do them in community where you can really be in that blue zone, living exactly where you are and so you can learn more about that. There's a seven day free trial so you're so welcome to join in and, and see if it resonates for you.
And then all the details on the retreats, those retreats aren't on my website yet actually. So just, just for people that are in the know, which I think is so important, like I think like curating the people to come in that are aligned is, is so important and that we're continually connecting with like hearted souls.
So if you are interested in the retreats you can message me on, on Instagram or, or find my contact on my website.
[00:50:14] Speaker C: Great.
Well, hey Veronique, thank you so much. This has been really great. I enjoyed so much, much speaking with you and hope we'll get a chance to talk again. Soon.
[00:50:22] Speaker B: Yes. Thank you so much, Ramsey.
[00:50:25] Speaker A: Ready for more? Visit whatsworthwhile.net to listen to podcast episodes. Master your response to stress by reading my book, Stress Response, available through Amazon, or to get better before burnout sets in by requesting the free guide. Regardless of where you are in your journey, I'd love to hear from you and talk about how we might move forward together. Together. Please contact me, Ramsey Zimmerman through the website or on social media like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or X. Thanks.
