175. Melissa Wood: The Meditation Practice & Daily Ritual That Saved Her Life

Summary

Podcast Summary: Episode 175. Melissa Wood: The Meditation Practice & Daily Ritual That Saved Her Life

Introduction

In Episode 175 of The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka, host Gary Brecka engages in a profound and heartfelt conversation with Melissa Wood Tepperberg, a renowned meditation expert and the founder of Melissa Wood Health. This episode delves deep into Melissa's personal journey from battling anxiety and an eating disorder to embracing meditation and creating a thriving wellness platform. Melissa's insights offer transformative guidance for listeners seeking a path to healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Early Life and Struggles with Anxiety

Melissa Wood Tepperberg begins by reflecting on her early experiences with anxiety, describing how she always sensed that "something was off" (00:00). Growing up in a chaotic household in Syracuse, New York, Melissa took on significant responsibilities as the middle child among six siblings. This environment fostered a constant state of "fight or flight," leading Melissa to become adept at pushing down her anxiety rather than addressing it directly.

Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "I am not anxiety. Anxiety is not me. These are feelings that I can feel and now I have the self-awareness to understand that." (00:19)

The Tipping Point: Moving to New York

In her early twenties, Melissa made a pivotal decision to move to New York City in pursuit of a more fulfilling life. Leaving behind a dysfunctional relationship and her hometown, she sought to escape the familiar chaos that had long dominated her existence.

Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "I was just like, this is. This is. I feel alive. Like, this is it." (11:07)

Upon arriving in New York, Melissa faced the intense pressures of the modeling industry, which exacerbated her anxiety and eating disorder. The constant striving for perfection and rejection from agencies pushed her to her lowest lows, where she turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms like partying, excessive drinking, and over-exercising.

Embracing Meditation as a Lifesaving Tool

Melissa's breakthrough came through meditation, which she discovered as a means to confront and manage her anxiety. Initially skeptical, she found that meditation didn't "turn anything off" but instead "tuned you into yourself," providing a profound sense of self-awareness and inner peace.

Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "Meditation doesn't turn any, anything off. It tunes you into yourself." (00:51)

Through consistent practice, Melissa learned to regulate her anxiety, transforming her relationship with herself. Meditation became an anchor, allowing her to face intrusive thoughts without being overwhelmed by them.

Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "When I feel anxious thoughts now, it's not, you know, no matter what I'm doing, I don't feel this debilitating anxiety, but I can just naturally run on the more anxious side." (25:16)

Building Melissa Wood Health

Inspired by her personal transformation, Melissa founded Melissa Wood Health (MWH), a digital platform offering accessible wellness programs. Her mission is to help others build stronger relationships with themselves through meditation and movement, without the barriers of high costs or complex routines.

Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "This isn't just about building this body you desire. This is about truly building this better, this stronger relationship with yourself through meditation, through ... moving your body daily." (50:16)

MWH provides a variety of workouts tailored to different needs, including pre and postnatal programs and cycle-based routines. Melissa emphasizes the importance of consistency and self-compassion in achieving lasting health and wellness.

Practical Tips for Listeners

Melissa shares actionable advice for listeners embarking on their own wellness journeys:

1. Start Small: Begin with simple practices like five-minute workouts or short meditation sessions. Consistency builds momentum.

   Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "If you didn't and if you, you know, okay, sometimes you don't have the 20 minutes or the 30 minutes. But then I found like, okay, ... even doing five minute arms or three minute apps, just doing something. It's better than nothing." (53:07)

2. Integrate Practices: Combine meditation with physical activities such as Pilates, yoga, or strength training to enhance both mental and physical well-being.

   Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "I started this blend of Pilates and yoga. That was how I started. ... Now it's grown to also bringing in strength." (52:01)

3. Mindful Eating: Listen to your body's signals and prioritize nutrient-dense foods to support overall health.

   Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "I listen to my inner knowing. ... I do believe that I notice a massive immediate reduction in inflammation." (66:35)

4. Create a Morning Routine: Establish non-negotiable morning rituals that set a positive tone for the day, such as meditation and movement before engaging with external demands.

   Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "But now, you know, my kids are in a place that I wake up at six and I meditate. ... I'm setting the energy for the day." (55:53)

5. Embrace Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer a best friend, fostering a supportive internal dialogue.

   Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "Our words are frequency and energy. ... Speak to yourself like you're your best friend." (46:05)

Conclusion: Embracing the Ultimate Human Within

The conversation concludes with Melissa and Gary reflecting on the essence of being an ultimate human. For Melissa, it means "showing up as my most aligned self," a state achieved through continuous self-awareness and personal growth.

Melissa Wood Tepperberg: "To show up as my most aligned self." (78:28)

Gary emphasizes the interconnectedness of mental clarity, physical health, and detoxification, underscoring the importance of a holistic approach to wellness. Together, they inspire listeners to take actionable steps toward becoming their ultimate selves by embracing meditation, mindful movement, and compassionate self-care.

Key Takeaways:

• Self-Awareness: Understanding and acknowledging one's own anxiety and emotional struggles is crucial for personal growth.

• Meditation as a Tool: Consistent meditation practice can transform one's relationship with anxiety, fostering inner peace and resilience.

• Accessible Wellness: Building a wellness routine doesn't require expensive memberships or elaborate setups—starting small and being consistent is key.

• Holistic Approach: Combining mental practices like meditation with physical activities and mindful eating creates a comprehensive path to health.

• Self-Compassion: Treating oneself with kindness and understanding supports sustainable wellness and personal fulfillment.

Notable Quotes:

• "Aging is the aggressive pursuit of comfort." — Gary Brecka (Introduction)

• "Meditation doesn't turn any, anything off. It tunes you into yourself." — Melissa Wood Tepperberg (00:51)

• "The number one thing that changes everything is owning, like, exactly where you are." — Melissa Wood Tepperberg (19:26)

• "Our words are frequency and energy. And we take it in and we hold it." — Melissa Wood Tepperberg (45:28)

• "To show up as my most aligned self." — Melissa Wood Tepperberg (78:28)

Connect with Melissa Wood Health:

To explore Melissa Wood Tepperberg’s programs and resources, visit MelissaWoodHealth.com. Follow her on Instagram and join her global community to embark on your own journey toward becoming the ultimate human.

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This episode serves as a compelling testament to the power of self-awareness, meditation, and holistic wellness practices. Melissa Wood Tepperberg's journey from turmoil to tranquility provides invaluable lessons for anyone striving to live a healthier, more aligned life.

Transcript

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Since I was really young, when things were fucked up, it didn't feel right. Something felt off. I now know it was anxiety.

[Gary Brecke]

I have a lot of empathy for people that have truly suffered with anxiety. The majority of the way that people cope with it is they just keep themselves hyper busy because being alone is the answer. But it's the most uncomfortable place.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I am not anxiety. Anxiety is not me. These are feelings that I can feel and now I have the self awareness to understand that.

[Gary Brecke]

The fact that you can face it and have tools to handle it I think is very empowering. Where would they start?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I share walking, meditations, combinations of breath, work with mantra and stillness. There is something really profound about sitting with yourself.

[Gary Brecke]

Every person that I hold in high regard in my life that meditates has told me how dramatically transformative it is.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Meditation doesn't turn any, anything off. It tunes you into yourself.

[Gary Brecke]

I assume that you didn't have a lot of strong guides around you, so at some point you said this isn't working out and you took some kind of step towards fixing it. What was that tipping point when you.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Say like people out here are listening and feel that exact way. The number one thing that changes everything is ultimate human.

[Gary Brecke]

Hey guys, welcome back to the Ultimate Human podcast. I'm your host, human biologist Gary Brecke, where we go down the road of everything, anti aging, biohacking, longevity and everything in between. And if I don't start this podcast out by giving my wife the credit for getting this guest on the podcast, she's getting killed. She's like, I needed to be known that I was responsible for getting Melissa Wood Tepperberg on your podcast. So welcome to the podcast.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Thank you. And thank you, Sage.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah, you're see big shout out babe.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

She follows through. I just have to really give it to her from one woman to the next who like if I say something, I'm going to do it and I love that. So.

[Gary Brecke]

Oh, so she kept up with it, huh?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

She was so persistent in the coolest way of just like, you know, following through and just answer my text in three months.

[Gary Brecke]

By the way, just wonder if you're alive.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Like no, she.

[Gary Brecke]

That's awesome. I got to tell you, my, my daughter Madison, my daughter in law Megan and and my, my wife are enormous fans of yours and I think they really identify with your journey. And you know, I find something really fascinating about my podcast, like the more of these podcast interviews that I do and there's sort of this common theme and I think you fit this theme very well. That runs through most of my podcast guests. And they. They become passionate, influential, impactful people because they solved the problem. They solved the major problem in their life. And. And it wasn't just a problem that was unique to them. It was a problem that was germane to so many people, but they just hadn't found the wherewithal to fix it. And maybe it was chronic Lyme disease or drug and alcohol addiction, and, you know, in your case was eating disorder, body morphic issues, and even, you know, an addiction which you've been very open about. I'd love it for my audience that's not familiar with you, if you just kind of walk us through that, your early 20s, when you started really realizing that, hey, there's something that I've got to face and something I need to take personal possession of and just walk us through that. That journey.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Sure. You know, I want to start by saying that to this day, with everything that I've built and who I've become, I wake up every day feeling this energy around, you know, it. I don't want to say it's ever felt solved, but heard you say that. Yeah. Like, I know what I need to do to get into a place and an energy field, to move beyond these negative thought patterns and these. This low vibrational way of being.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

So I think it's just like, first and foremost so important for me to say that. Because you can see a person.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

All this stuff, and it's just like, well, they're healed.

[Gary Brecke]

And I love that you. I've heard you say that you still wake up almost every day with these.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Intrusive thoughts every morning. Well, it's an immediate darkness, but it's.

[Gary Brecke]

But now you recognize it.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Right.

[Gary Brecke]

And you have tools to handle it.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Exactly.

[Gary Brecke]

And, you know, you might actually be the person that finally gets me to start meditating because. Oh, and I. I don't want to lose your story, but every single person that I have talked to that has taken meditation serious, you know, Will, from Whoop you. I mean, just, I've had literally hundreds of guests. Not a single one of them has said that meditation is something that's marginal or has a marginal impact for me. They talk about the massive transformative impact that it has. So I definitely want to go down that road. But I think your story is so unique for my audiences. Doesn't know you. I want them to get to know you because it's, you know, when. When my wife Sage, spotted you and told me we've got to get her on the podcast, and then I found out how many circles we ran. We actually were at dinner for Dave Grutman's birthday in. In. In Vegas, I think at Komodo. Yes, Back there. But there was a lot of sparklers and a lot of stuff going on, so I don't think we got a. A chance to really connect. But you connected with Sage, brought her here. But as I went down the rabbit hole of your story, I was really just. I. It impacted me in a way because I said this is a solution that so many people need to hear. Not just women, even though it's mainly germane to. To women, but so many people need to hear this radical acceptance of who you are and this radical acceptance of taking responsibility for yourself and then the ability to get comfortable with self care. And I think. I think so many women especially struggle with that. You know, the 82% of all autoimmune disease is in women.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Right.

[Gary Brecke]

And I don't think that's by accident. I think it has a lot to do with. With not having the wherewithal to go on the journey that you've gone on.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's been such a journey. I grew up in Syracuse, New York, in a broken home and just a very dysfunctional upbringing and being around that environment.

[Gary Brecke]

Six siblings, right?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes. Well, there's six of us total.

[Gary Brecke]

Six total.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah. I have four sisters and a brother.

[Gary Brecke]

Okay.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And just chaos. But chaos in a way. You know, I think it was just normal to if. If something needed to get across. There's screaming, there's yelling, there's not a lot of listening. There's a massive lack of communication. And since I was really young, I was very self aware of these things and that it didn't feel right. Something felt off. So I really took on this responsibility. Middle child through and through.

[Gary Brecke]

I was gonna ask you where you fell.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah. Middle child of the girls. To do everything that I could to bring peace into my home, but also to make my mom feel less stressed out because I was so aware that it all felt too much for her to manage. And I was always cleaning, making sure, you know, my younger siblings did their homework and just really took on this task. What's the spread of being like a mini mom?

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. What's the spread of my siblings?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Siblings were all like two. The girls were all about two years apart.

[Gary Brecke]

Okay.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

So like back to. Back to back.

[Gary Brecke]

So that's what I mean.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

So when you really think about it.

[Gary Brecke]

Everybody was there at the same time.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. Okay.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And then my. My youngest sibling, my brother Joe was born when I was 15, so. And my. From my dad's second marriage.

[Gary Brecke]

Okay.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And, you know, it's just when you grow up in that way, you are living in constant fight or flight and running from the feelings and the stuff, especially when it's not being talked about. And when I moved to New York on a whim, I had, you know, I came to the city with a friend, really had never traveled much. We drove here. I'd never been to New York. Early 20s. And I just remember this feeling of, like, stepping out on the streets of New York for the first time and being like, oh, my God, this is living.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. Like, this is like, it's worlds away from Syracuse. If you, if you know anything about people think of New York as all the city. But you get 15 miles north of the city and it's very rural, rolling hills, you know, houses are far apart.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes.

[Gary Brecke]

So you came into the city and you were like. I was, I need this.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I was just like, this is. This is. I feel alive. Like, this is it. This is like. And I, I got a job. Like, it was like the craziest thing. I was like, walking around Bloomingdale's, met someone at a beauty counter. I was working in Syracuse at the Chanel counter. That was one of my three jobs. I was bartending on the weekends. I was working at an auto supply company during the day. I've always been this natural born born hustler because I had to, you know, like, my parents were doing everything and anything that they could to make ends meet. But I. I realized very young, well, let me pull the weight. Let me get a job when I'm 12, babysitting and working on a farm, picking weeds and strawberries and, you know, getting free lunch and getting a little bit of money and then working at a pizza shop. Like, I was always this kind of just. I had this, like, multi layered way of being, like, well, I can do this and this and this and this. And I could take on a lot.

[Gary Brecke]

Right. So that's middle child syndrome. That's classic middle child.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. My mother child. It's the same way.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And then just like moving to New York, like, you know, as I think back now, I'm like, what the hell was I thinking? I had a boyfriend that I lived with back home and there was a lot of dysfunction there, you know, toxic habits. But, like, that all felt so normal and familiar. Like, that was the path if I stayed in Syracuse. That.

[Gary Brecke]

I love how you say familiar, too. Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It was so familiar. It was comfortable.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You know, when Things were fucked up. It felt right.

[Gary Brecke]

Comfortably uncomfortable.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah. Yep. And I interviewed at the Chanel counter and the manager was like, great, when are you moving here? Went home, told my boyfriend I'm moving. I. I drove a U haul to New York and you know, like, yeah, now that I'm in my 40s, I'm like, this fire inside of me has always been there. I just, it's like I didn't know what to do with it, but I knew to kind of run with it, right?

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And then getting to New York and being with myself, truly, if you know.

[Gary Brecke]

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[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I had a roommate, but she, her boyfriend lived with, like moved in with us. And I felt very alone in this teeny, tiny little closet. It was definitely not a bedroom. And I remember like shutting that door the first time when, you know, it was like the first night of staying there and I just took this gasp of air of, oh my God. It was like this feeling. I had no idea what it was, but I, I now know it was anxiety. And I was like on the cusp of really hitting a spiral. And I just remember, like, nope, I don't know, I'm not going to let that disrupt. And I just hit the ground running. I worked every day. I started, you know, drinking, going out late, wanted to model, but was just kind of chasing after this feeling.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. Of being in the scene of. Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Of being enough too. You know, when you, when, when you come from a small town and you think, you know, you're known in your small town is like, oh, you should model. And then you move to New York and you go to these castings and there's every supermodel. Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

You're like, oh, there's levels to this game.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And you're like, well, I don't know if I should be here. And that was just my mindset. And, you know, also not getting signed by agencies, told that I needed to lose weight and I had already not really in my core, felt enough. So that just brought it all to the surface and then, you know, hitting just my lowest of lows after.

[Gary Brecke]

And what was the lowest of lows? Was it because you were partying, you weren't sleeping? I mean, in retrospect, your cortisol's probably through the roof. You probably did have anxiety and you were just like forcing it, you know, and not facing it. I think a lot of people that have anxiety don't fake anxiety. They fake being okay, oh, that's it. And, and so there's a sort of a facade for the outside world, but a massive storm on, on the inside. And then whenever you blow your cork, people like, wow, she's a psycho.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah, literally.

[Gary Brecke]

But you're like, no, you didn't, you don't realize how many times the cork almost blew before you saw it. You saw one of a hundred times that I almost lost it. And I, I, I have a lot of empathy for people that have truly suffered with anxiety, you know, because it is, it is the massive sensation of the presence of a fear. It can accelerate your heart rate, it can dilate your pupils, it can, I mean, it can give you a full blown panic attack. And some people walk around at a 6. I mean, on a 1 to 10 scale, they're sort of always walking around at a 6 and they float between a 6 and an 8. And I think the majority of the way that people cope with it is they just keep themselves hyper busy.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Because being alone, which I think you've perfected. And being silent.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes.

[Gary Brecke]

Which I also think you've perfected is the answer. But it's the most uncomfortable place.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's wildly uncomfortable. And I mean, you just nailed it perfectly. It was just a constant.

[Gary Brecke]

I might be married to somebody like that. Just saying.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I mean, yeah, it's, yeah, it's just this constant cycle of having all of the things come up. Right. And you start to feel it and it starts to literally like feel like it's going to explode out of you. So what did I did, what did I do? I became a master at pushing that shit down. When I felt it, I hit it, I ran from it. You know, I was running like I would take Adderall to get through like a cocktail waitressing shift and drink and, and then wake up the next morning.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You know, with Sleeping four hours and I would run for like seven miles. I was like running away from myself.

[Gary Brecke]

Because you needed the perfection in your body and you wanted to model and. But you also wanted to fit into the scene and you like, you wanted to be in top position in all of these different things. Right. I mean, for yourself.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You thought that was perfectionist.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah, perfectionist.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I feel like now I'm a recovering perfectionist. I'm aware that that is still in there.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

But to the point now where I. It's not debilitating. You know, I don't let that storyline dictate how I show up now if things are off. I'm like really comfortable being honest with that. And I actually think it's. It really breaks down walls.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

When you can show up as yourself. And from not being able to do that for so many years, because I was embarrassed.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I wanted to appear perfect. I mean, I remember even back in school, you know, I have always loved to dress a certain way and I hoped that it would make people not notice that I was poor and that, you know, we didn't have a lot of money and.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I didn't want anyone to know that there was really no structure at home.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You know, people weren't really looking up my report cards. I could kind of just fly by the seat of my pants. I was embarrassed because of all of those things.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. I've heard you tell the story about how you would take your siblings clothes and you guys would swap.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

To try to make it look like you have more outfits.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Totally. I was really good at that.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Still very good at curating.

[Gary Brecke]

Faked your way through the school. School. And just like, yeah, no one's looking at the report card, but you just were able to sort of skate, skate by. And I think, you know, that little level of vulnerability and authenticity I think is now, you know, looking back that you're able to. To verbalize those things. Because there are a lot of people watching this podcast that are right there now and they're like, man, how do I. How do I get out of it? And I think it's very refreshing to hear that. You know, I figured it out to an extent, but I haven't 100% figured it out. Right. I mean, it's. It's like I. One of my favorite stories, I saw Ed Mylett talking about his. His father when he was a young kid and his father was an alcoholic and he would always ask his dad if he was ever going to drink again. And his dad Was like, you know, I don't know, but I know I'm not going to drink for one more day. And. And it's like, you know, so you. You start taking these things in. In bite size.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Chunks. So I really am curious about that journey because I assume that you didn't have a lot of mentors or like, no, you know, strong guides around you. So at some point you either hit a tipping point or you said, this isn't working out and you took some kind of step.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes.

[Gary Brecke]

Towards fixing it. What. What was that tipping point? What was that like then?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

The number one thing, you know, when you say, like, people out here are listening and feel that exact way. The number one thing that changes everything is owning, like, exactly where you are. And a little goosebump. Me too.

[Gary Brecke]

I did.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I got it too.

[Gary Brecke]

Did you really? Yeah, I legit have goosebumps. I don't know if we can zoom in on those, but.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Because it's so hard to be honest.

[Gary Brecke]

With yourself, Is it liberating too?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It is when you're ready. It's scary when you're not. And you're doing it to please someone else. And I think this is where, like, you know, we are on the cusp of a massive shift. I feel it.

[Gary Brecke]

I do too.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I feel we see through the bullshit and, you know, all the striving for virality and all this stuff is hitting a point of people want the. They want the real and the raw conversations that can actually make a massive difference in their life. And when you can get to that honest, transparent place with you first.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And then you ask for help and we give over. And for me, it's like that little girl inside of me who always felt like I had to figure everything out.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And that I could carry the weight. And it was, you know, it was up to me. And I think a lot of us feel like we're walking around, we're trying to figure it out.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And if you can not try to figure anything out and you can actually give over. And for me, it was literally being on my knees after a night of being rocked out of my mind and had just purged, which was, you know, something that I had done for a while. No one in my life knew because it was the pushing down. The pushing down. And then what happens when you push things down?

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's gotta come out.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And like, that was my release and that was, like, that was my tool that really helped me get lost in it. Like, get lost in the storm of the stuff and eat Everything in sight that I would not let myself eat because God forbid, you know, I leaned into a slice here and there.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. Yeah. Or you gained a pound.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah. Like. And it was just such an obsessive, ugly. Like, I hated myself.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. Because then there's the guilt that goes with it. You don't like yourself because you don't like the way that you treat yourself. When did you raise your hand?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

In that moment, like, on the bathroom floor and. And, like, getting up in, you know, as the sun's coming up and I'm still up and just, like, looking at myself in the mirror and having this disgust for who I was looking at. And when you. When you have hate for yourself, it's painful.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I felt it and I saw it, and I. I knew right then and there that I had. That I had a choice. It was like, what, you know, when people say they meet God or a higher power and energy. It's a feeling like you. You will never forget. And for me, it was giving myself the grace, that one moment of just understanding that I did not know the way. I need help. And, like, really asking, like, please. And then, you know, I've shared this so many times, but I always like to bring in this visual because it was so vivid where it was like, you can continue down this path of mass destruction. You can keep going, tearing it all down. I was nasty in relationships. I would talk nasty to people. I would just about, like, get in fight with homeless people, you know, just really.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Ugly.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I was awful to myself. I was just very reactive, but, like, explosive. I didn't know how to control anything. I mean, I remember at a young age, my mom was like, you need anger management. And then it was like. Or you can create a new way. You can go down this. This unfamiliar path that is really uncomfortable because, to be honest with you.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It was comfortable to stay there.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I didn't give a. Yeah. But to actually.

[Gary Brecke]

So common. I think. Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's comfortable. Like, people don't want to stop in, you know, the cycle.

[Gary Brecke]

If you don't have it, you just create it.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

And you just. Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, I was like a drama creator.

[Gary Brecke]

Were you?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

If there wasn't drama. I brought it.

[Gary Brecke]

You just. Oh, boy.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I would. I would bring it. And I just. It was like, I saw it so vividly, like, take the risk. Create this new path, this new way of being. And I just felt it, like, open up this energy of. And your life is going to change beyond anything you can even wrap your head around. And it's that, like, it. It. I'm living and breathing that every single day.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And. And I know it's because I actually had the courage to face myself, to face my pain, and I. I still face it every day. Because when you come from really traumatic upbringings and we all have traumas.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's. It lives in the depths of your soul. It doesn't go away, but you learn how to cope with it differently. I have learned how to self regulate. And I am a naturally an anxious person. That is my baseline. I don't think that's your baseline. Well, I say naturally, like I can go there. I don't love to say I have anxiety. That is, I am not anxiety. Anxiety is not me. These are feelings that I can feel. And now I have the self awareness and the mindset to understand that. And I've changed my relationship with it. When I feel anxious thoughts now, it's not, you know, no matter what I'm doing, I don't feel this debilitating anxiety, but I can just naturally run on the more anxious side. But that is why I am so devoted to my practice.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I'm not disciplined.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

But I have a devotion to myself because I know that if I didn't choose.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

To come back to the simplicity of these things that you can do with you.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You don't need anything.

[Gary Brecke]

Well, you know, I've heard you talk about how when you raise your hand, finally got a therapist. Which I think, I think is the. It's the ultimate sign of strength. It's not a sign of weakness. And I think people that raise their hand for help are. Are the strongest in the bunch. But you raised your hand and you got a therapist. But then you started manipulating your therapist.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

So like, you know, it takes a. You change overnight.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. Old school Melissa was like, not. She wasn't, you know, no pun intended. But you weren't out of the woods yet. Right. You're like, you're like, I got this. She called me professional. Oh, did she?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I saw the other therapist.

[Gary Brecke]

They're probably really good at that and going, yeah, but you can lie to everybody. You can't lie to me. Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Well, I think it all depends because I've seen, you know, many different therapists over the. And you. It really is like choosing a partner.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You have to have the person who helps you really see through your stuff.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I think sometimes it's a lot of like, oh, yeah, I understand why you feel that way. And it's like, well, you know, I Know you said you have not been taking Adderall, but you seem a little off today. Are you on something like being called right out?

[Gary Brecke]

Oh, wow.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Like that's what I needed and that's what I had at that time. And your pupils are quite dilated for.

[Gary Brecke]

Someone in a dark room, you know.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah. And it was a huge part of my journey of, you know, really understanding what, why I resorted to the ways that I did.

[Gary Brecke]

Like, Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

When you understand the why, you see it differently. Like I see my, I see the spiral as it's starting to form now instead of just getting sucked into the vortex.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And that is what meditation has done for me.

[Gary Brecke]

And this I'm really curious about because I think there's a lot of people out there like me. I suffered pretty severely from ADD adhd. You know, I think it was kind of a superpower when I was younger. But you know, as I got older, it caused a lot of chaos in my, in my life and I would move way too fast, which is terrible with time and not particularly reliable. And I've, I've managed that and got it completely under control now. But I think there's a lot of, of, of people out there that, that just think that that's just who they are. There's nothing that they can do about it and they don't turn inwards and take some responsibility. But every person that I hold in high regard in my life that meditates has told me how dramatically transformative it is for them. So, so I'm going to, I'm going to commit to doing. I mean, I have other forms of meditation, like exercises. To me, you know, I do cold, plunging, I do, you know, red light, a new sauna. Yeah. You know, I exercise fairly intensely and to me, when I'm done, I just feel this unbelievable sense of peace. There's nothing I like better than a rock walk in the woods. When we have a place in the mountains. I'm telling you, you go for a few mile walk just in the woods by yourself with a rucksack on. When you come out of those woods, there's something magically transformative and I liken it to a type of meditation. So not knowing how to meditate and certainly going from somebody that was, you know, drinking and Adderall and battling an eating disorder and in an environment where you don't have a lot of mentorship around you to someone who's practicing meditation on a regular basis shows you that that must have been a powerful gift, changed everything. Yeah. So can you talk to me about the early stages of that because I'm like, this is a very self interested question. Like, how did you. How'd you start? Was it like a hallway with a light at the end of the tunnel? Like what?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You know, I was seeking outwardly for all of the answers. And I think that that was also great. Right. Like I needed to go to therapy. And then I started working with a health coach and I started really understanding more. Like I said about like the why and this mindset. And I was covered in cystic acne.

[Gary Brecke]

Oh my gosh.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I was, you know, seeing all the top dermatologists and just I was looking for all of the answers. I wanted everyone to tell me what to do. And nothing was working. I went on Accutane, which was terrible. Yeah. I felt suicidal, depressed, super low. And I naturally dip pretty low, which people are always surprised at because I'm pretty, you know, outgoing in this. But I actually think it's those type of people because it's. We internalize it and we're good at hiding it.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I just knew I had to go in here. I had.

[Gary Brecke]

You just had that visceral.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It was just, you know, I've heard, heard people talk about it and I just knew that I had to go inside, I had to come home to me. And I did like a transcendental meditation workshop for a weekend. And it was really helpful because it's stillness. Right. So I mean, I love breath work and I incorporate breath work into my practice. I know you love breath work and breath work is meditative, but there is still something really profound and awakening about sitting with yourself.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And not always feeling like there needs to be an action behind everything that you're doing. And I believe, you know, I share walking meditations. I share combinations of breath work with mantra and stillness. And you know, sometimes like I, you know, I meditated in the Uber on the way here. I meditated quickly and that there's so many micro moments.

[Gary Brecke]

One of my favorite biohacks outside of breathwork by far is mineral salts. Baja gold, sea salt. It's got all of the trace minerals that the body needs. You know, most of us are not just protein deficient, meaning amino acid deficient or fatty acid deficient, we are mineral deficient. So a quarter teaspoon of this in water first thing in the morning will make sure that you get all of the essential minerals that you need. It tastes amazing. In fact, I made a steak today. I actually made a grass fed steak with grass fed butter. And I put just Mushrooms and a little bit of rosemary. And I sprinkled Baja Gold sea salt all over the top. Try it. It'll be your new favorite for cooking, too. It's the cheapest and one of my favorite biohacks. I don't know, a $15 or $20 bag of this will probably last you five years. It's literally the world's best biohacking secret. Now let's get back to the ultimate human podcast. When you say, I meditated, what were you doing? You close your eyes and.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Is there a visual that you're bringing to yourself or is it just, I'm going to be hyper aware and very present? Because, Because I have trained myself to be very present.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

You know, like, I haven't thought about anything other than this podcast since we started. Whereas normally I would be sitting here going, where am I eating from dinner tonight? Who else is in New York that I could maybe connect? But, you know, and I don't do that any anymore.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

But.

[Gary Brecke]

But when you, when you meditate and meditate on the move, because I, I think people have different inter interpretations of what meditation is. I think they all think it's like, you know, sitting right in the home position and, and in silence and you have this, some kind of visual and you're able to transport yourself to that place. But I don't think that all meditation is like that.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I don't think so either. And I think that is why people feel so intimidated by meditation. Right. Like to me, meditation is deep connection with your breath. Like so deep. Like you are watching that inhale through your nose. Like you can, you can see it. It's like a wave in the ocean. Right? Like the waves come up and you see it and it climbs and then it blends into the other wave and there's like this, this stillness and like that is on that release. Like I see it. And it is being so intentionally with your breath, with each breath. But it is also. So I am very spiritual. And, you know, I, I feel like I have been a little shy about that over the years because I'm like, you know, imposter syndrome creeps in and it's like, well, who am I? And I'm not. But the reason why I have such a devoted practice to meditation is because it's where God talks to me and where I talk to God.

[Gary Brecke]

Wow.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

So it's building this relationship with source, with this power so much greater than all of us. And, you know, I look at you and I look at like, wow, what a powerhouse of a Man. And I really believe this with everything that I can't imagine what's going to happen if you meditate every day.

[Gary Brecke]

Like, I'm just like, you guys, I'm excited.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Watch out.

[Gary Brecke]

Gary Brackettu is coming, guys. Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It births a version of yourself.

[Gary Brecke]

Is it. Do you feel like it lays off a burden? Because, like you said, it's your time to talk to God, and God's time to talk to you. You know, I'm a Christian. I'm also spiritual. But one of my favorite things about being a Christian is I can lay my problems at the foot of the cross. I feel like I have a direct relationship with Jesus, and I don't usually get religious on my podcast, but for me, you know, very personally, very vulnerably, I do that when I'm. When I do breath work in the morning, I always say a prayer. It's usually just a prayer of thanks, because I never go out there to face the sun and start asking for things. I think a lot of people think of prayer as, like. Like their Christmas list, like, all the things they want.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You gotta give gratitude, you know, like.

[Gary Brecke]

You gotta hook me up with all this stuff.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah, yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Fix it for me. Tell me what to do.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Totally. No, no, no.

[Gary Brecke]

And. And I think you'll be very disappointed if you go in it that way. So. I like how you're. You're. You're describing meditation very much to the experience I have when. When I, you know, when I pray. And. And trust me, I don't purport to be an angel by any means, but that's been one of the grounding forces for me, too, also, because it's portable and it's very personal. I've never shared those conversations outside of my own brain. I don't share them with my wife. I don't share them with anybody. And maybe it's that monologue that you're able to have because you're very truthful to yourself. And I think getting. It was really hard for me initially because silence was difficult. I felt unproductive. I felt like I wanted to get to the next thing. And I think a lot of people, when they try to meditate or they try to pray or they just try to sit in silence, the mind just wakes up. Right? I mean, I remember my first Ayurvedic meditation session. It was a guided one. My wife and I went to the. We went to the. This resort in Boone in North Carolina, and the therapist sat us down, and he was like, you know, get calm. Bring your. Bring yourself to your awareness of your breath. And he started. Our toes started working our way up. And I'm like, I'm on my toes. How long is it gonna take to get to my. And then he was talking about this hallway with the light, and I was like, clearly something's going on at the other end of that hallway. Like, why are we not down there? We're in the place where there's nothing going on here. When are we getting. And he's like, you're just.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You're not getting it, so that's okay.

[Gary Brecke]

So. But I like. Cause you're. You had one of those minds. Anxiety, anxiousness, Adderall.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah, yeah. And now you've got it to a place I've diagnosed. I've self diagnosed ADHD for sure. I'm like, it all made sense once I really understood and someone close to me got diagnosed and I was like, oh, wow, this could have really helped me in school. I struggled in school. I was. I never thought I was smart ever. Yeah, I, by the skin of my teeth, got by. Thank God I have a personality in charisma. I don't know what else I think it was that and cheating, unfortunately. And I'm not proud of that. But that was my coping mechanism. I was like in survival mode. But so everything you just said, first of all, I love it. And I just had such a hit of. So when you do your breath work, if you can just after just, you know, sit comfortably, ground your palms on your thighs, you're not going to do anything. Okay. You're just going to be. And you're going to close your eyes and you're just going to watch the inflow through your nose. Fill yourself up fully, deeply. And then I want you to release, really let it go. All the stuff, all the time, the things. Right?

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And just stay with the wave of it. And when the thoughts. Because meditation doesn't turn anything off, it tunes you into yourself. So then you're able to see that you're going into that. You know, you're going through the checklist. And by the way, happens to me all the time where I start to go like, oh, God, I have all of this things. Shit, did I. Did I send that message to Dylan? And I see it and I. I go. And we're going to come right back. So it's this dance of. It's in the most important thing too, is. Is the language that we use around it. We are not labeling our practice. You don't have a good meditation and a bad meditation when you Carve out the space. And that's what it is. It's this creating of the space every day, just as you do your workout and your breath work. Stillness needs to be created in our day.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. I think so many people struggle with that.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

They do, because we're just so busy. We're busy doing. And the more still you can become, the more present it all gets. And the beauty of this, of knowing that I don't need to think about anything else because I'm so locked in with you right now.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And that's just what it's. It's revealed so much to me. It's revealed my heart. It's helped me see the beauty of who I really am. And. And that is when, you know, when I started meditating, when I had no idea what I was doing, by the way.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

But I felt this visceral call to just put my phone up with this little cheap tripod I bought on Amazon, and I just press play, and I would just talk after my meditation. And, like, that's 15 years ago, right? This is. This was like. 15. Yeah. Like, I mean, I. Not exactly 15, when I started actually, like, pressing play. It was a decade ago.

[Gary Brecke]

Okay.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I felt like the floodgates opened. Like, it was like the windows to my soul just kind of like the doors flew open, and I would get the. Like, it would just flow out of me, and I would just talk. And it was just this. Like, I was awakening to myself and to this feeling. Feeling. And the more that I started to share, people were so interested. Like, tell us more. Like, we want to understand more. And then coming from this background of having, you know, such a dysfunctional relationship with myself, I was torturing myself in my workouts. I was doing an hour of cardio, an hour of strength training, killing myself seven days a week. And if I didn't do that, I was so hard on myself. You know, I was abusing my body for what I ate before, and I would punish myself from during my work. That was my relationship to how I moved my body with hate.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And when I started meditating, I started moving in a way. It was like, crazy. It was like I became this, like, choreographer where I started blending Pilates and yoga. And I was doing all the crazy things, by the way, that I hated it.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I went in anxious, I left more anxious. I was gaining weight. My skin was broken out.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I was just on.

[Gary Brecke]

Oh, your hormones were probably a mess. I mean, stress. People have no idea, because stress is not tangible.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Like, it doesn't show up on a lab, but it throws your hormonal system into a tailspin.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Tailspin.

[Gary Brecke]

Women that are, you know, going through severe bouts of anxiety or very high levels of stress in their life, there's zero chance of losing weight. You're never going to get estrogen to let go of water. You're never going to get cortisol, you know, to allow you into a deep sleep. So I know the fact that you can face it and have tools to handle it, I think is. Is very empowering.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Right. I mean, someone could start this today, right?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, that's the best part of it.

[Gary Brecke]

Where would they start if they.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

If they want. If they wanted to move in this way? I share everything online. I started online through this. Like, I'm telling you, it was like I just started blending these two forms that felt really good in my body, and it was like I was moving like I loved myself.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And when you show up, that's cool. With love for yourself. Oh, my God. Like, it's like it just. Like it, like it touches you, you know, it, like, makes me emotional because I'm like, that is like, how sad that most of us are walking around hating the way we look, Wanting to change everything, Wanting to fix nothing's enough. Like, that energy that is such low vibrating energy. That frequency is going to become what is your storyline for everything in life.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And it's like just changing that. The relationship.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

How we talk to ourselves is. If there's anything anyone could take, like, sure, I can tell everyone to come meditate and work out with me online, and I would love that. But if you can change, not even just change. If you can. Can become more aware of how you speak to yourself. Our words are frequency and energy.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And we take it in and we hold it. It's just like, you know, we. We fuel our bodies with food. We nourish our bodies. Like the. The words that we choose are what we're nourishing our soul with.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And our heart.

[Gary Brecke]

Speak to yourself like you're your best friend. I've heard, you know.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

Like, how would you treat your best friend if they.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Some people treat their best friends like.

[Gary Brecke]

Well, you used to, right?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Your child, maybe. Yeah. Like, I always think of, like, my daughter.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

My son.

[Gary Brecke]

And you have two kids.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I have two kids.

[Gary Brecke]

How old are your kids?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

My son is nine and my daughter six.

[Gary Brecke]

Okay. So little man and woman now they're their personalities out like.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, full force.

[Gary Brecke]

In full force. They are little divas.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

They're the best.

[Gary Brecke]

Really.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I am so in love with my kids.

[Gary Brecke]

Like, I am, too. My kids are my best friends.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

They are exactly. Like, I needed these exact humans. It's. It's the best.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. And you know what's really amazing is that as time goes on, it gets better and better. It really does. I feel it, you know? Like, I remember when my daughter was born. I thought the world was ending. When my. My wife called me and told me she was pregnant. I was like, well, there goes. There goes my entire life. I might as well just turn in my spirit of youth card and get a minivan and just check out. But it's. It's so good. And it's. And it just gets better. Like, my kids, I can genuinely say, are my best friends. Like, my ride or dies. My best friends were like a traveling comedy show. I try to go everywhere with them as much. As much as I can. But you, if you've got two little best friends and your kids now, I mean, wait till they grow. It's just. It gets so good. How did they. How did they fit in? I mean, I see your daughter. I saw a funny video that you guys posted the other day, and it was really cute. And you're like, how does it. But what is Mommy like when she does her meditation? She's like, oh, she's kind and she's nice, she's sweet. And then you're like, what happens when mommy doesn't do the meditation?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

She's like, she called me a spice and spice.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, that was so. Oh, my God, it was so cute.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

She's so right.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Like, now she feels my hair in the morning, like, this morning, because she said when I shower and I do my stuff, that I'm just happier. And she's right.

[Gary Brecke]

It's so true.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I am.

[Gary Brecke]

And they observe that. I mean, I think a lot of times I missed this when I was a young parent because I had my first child when I was 27, so. And we were still in grad school, and I was super not ready to be parent. I don't think anybody's like, Really?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I was 100 ready. I was so like, oh, yeah, I found out I was pregnant.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah, exactly.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Like, oh, man.

[Gary Brecke]

And you know what's cool is, like, there's this whole woman inside of you that just comes out and you. That you never would have met if you hadn't had a child.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I know that to be true.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I, like, I remember when I found out I was pregnant, I was like, well, there goes just like, I was like, well, I really wanted to do these other things in my career. And the crazy thing is it was like it all really just started and opened up.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Once I became a mom. Because it also helped really change my relationship to myself and the way that I was talking to myself and like, those things, like, this is how we break generational trauma.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. I mean, thank God you went on this journey before you had children.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I'm so grateful. Well, it was like, really all in line with.

[Gary Brecke]

Well, I guess. Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah, it was really in line with it all. It just became much more consistent. And I'm like, if there's anything about me, I am. I'm consistent as a. Like, I am so consistent. And like.

[Gary Brecke]

And what does that look like? Like, I know that if I was sort of describe what you do. You do a lot of low impact, like, not beat your body up.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes.

[Gary Brecke]

Types of things. It seems like you've focused on strength and mobility and movement. Functional movement, more than physical prowess, which. Which can beat your body up.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes. So go ahead.

[Gary Brecke]

But what is, what is Melissa with health all about? I mean, what are some of the mantras and things that you guide people on? And what. What does a typical morning look like? I know meditation's involved, but what are the non negotiables for you?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Mm. You know, so MWH is a platform that I really have an offering for everyone. And it was. That was really important to me when I first started and I wanted an accessible price point because, you know, I remember back when I was in Syracuse and the first thing I bought myself was a gym membership, which is kind of crazy. And it, you know, it was expensive. And I think a lot of the time these expenses take away from us actually taking care of ourself because it just unfortunately gets in the way. And that was really, really important. And, you know, people come to my platform to look a certain way, but I think the. The thing that I really want people to take away is like this. This isn't just about building this body you desire. This is about truly building this better, this stronger relationship with yourself through meditation, through. Through a consistent meditation practice, through moving your body daily. And it doesn't have to be this big, grand thing. And I think people walk around saying, like, oh, yeah, I meditate sometimes. And I'm like, how is that? And they're like, well, I don't really notice anything. And I always like to bring it back to if you are working out, if you're working out once a week, maybe twice a week, you have a Good week. And how are you going? Like, how are you changing your muscles? Like what results are you going to see? And if we can bring that attention to focusing on and strengthen, strengthening the muscles in our mind.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Just as we put this emphasis on our body.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. I mean the power, so much science behind that too. Neuro linguistic programming, the my. The, the mind muscle connection. Even bodybuilders talk about it, you know, really being intentional when they're doing certain lifts and actually seeing their muscles respond better. I mean just being intentional about the physique that you want and actually imagining yourself becoming that kind of physique. And I imagine that meditation allows you to visualize things too because when you create a quiet space, you have some room to create a visual.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You lock in. Yeah, I am, I'm so rooted in myself because of my practice. And you know, it started with this blend of Pilates and yoga, all using your own body weight. That was how I started. And it was really this focus on 20ish minutes. And if you didn't and if you, you know, okay, sometimes you don't have the 20 minutes or the 30 minutes. But then I found, I found like, okay, you know, even doing five minute arms or three minute apps, just doing something.

[Gary Brecke]

Yes.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's better than nothing.

[Gary Brecke]

Yes.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And then what happens is you build this inner momentum and your endorphins, right. You know, start to peak and you're like high off your own supply and then the 5 minutes turn into 10 minutes the next day because you're seeking that. Yeah. You just, it's like you embody this feeling and it's undeniable.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And through the evolution of, you know, my own personal growth and practice, it's grown to also bringing in strength. My girlfriend Kim is incredible. She shares all the strength on our platform. And then I've incorporated my own blend of strength and Pilates. And you know, I think what's important as a woman too and just as a person in life is we are constantly going to be told what we have to do.

[Gary Brecke]

Yes.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And it's, it's a lot of fear based mindset. We have to do this and how many prot. How much protein and focus on that.

[Gary Brecke]

And like we should go down that road too cuz I don't do any of that.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Let's go down the road.

[Gary Brecke]

So sick people ask me if I count calories. I'm like, absolutely not.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Who is counting calories? Guys, 20, 25.

[Gary Brecke]

Like, yeah, like dude, there's apps where you can take a picture of a food and it tells you how many calories and how many ounces and macros and micros. I mean, and look, I get it. If you're, if you're a competition athlete or your competition bodybuilder, you're a physique model and you're really trying to fine tune those things and that's what you do then in those frames. Yes. But I mean for the majority of us that are just trying to, I want to live pain free life and I want to have a high level of mobility and I want to have a decent level of strength and not trying to out bench press anybody. And, and I think accepting that track is, is a, is a lot. It puts you on this, a pathway to success. But you don't count calories.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh my God, no.

[Gary Brecke]

You just eat whole food.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, I, I eat until I'm satiated.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. Because you know, we make GLP1 in our guts and, and we make GLP1 in response to nutrient density. So if you eat nutrient dense foods, you will be satiated. You know, it's, it's so funny. I, I, you know, when people are like, well when do I stop eating or how much do I eat? I go, eat until you're full. Eat until you are satiated. If you're eating nutrient dense foods now, if you're eating a highly processed diet, you're never really going to get that fullness and you'll, it's very easy to eat a box of Oreos. Right. And but it's very hard to eat three avocados right now to think you could do it. Right. Because nutrient density is there. So, so back to like typical morning for you. Non negotiables or meditation, some form of movement. Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I really like to, I strive and I say that softly and gently because I'm a mother and I understand. Especially when your kids are really young, like waking up before your kids, it's like, yeah, good luck with that.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

But now, you know, my kids are in a place that I wake up at six and I meditate. I like, I have warm water. I, I really, and I'm telling you from like, from like the moment my feet hit the floor, it's like, you know, it starts where it just like, oh God. Like I don't, and I don't want to do this or like it's, it feels like another day because like when you really think about it, like life is made up of like Tuesdays and Wednesdays and it's like there's a lot of them, you know, a lot of them. And it's like not always that exciting, but like, how can we actually bring our full self to that freaking Tuesday.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And that Wednesday. And I just, you know, I. I have this practice of like the second my feet hit the floor, I'm just like, like, I just like, I'm like, look at my, like my family, like, yeah. This relationship, that same thing, man. Gra. And like, I get it. Gratitude, practice, everyone, you know, can I roll? But like, but like really having gratitude for what's in front of you, for who you are, for who you're becoming, who you are constantly evolving to. It is heart opening. And then I go, right. I'm very like, I don't like to have things that will sidetrack me. So like the phone can wait. Why? Because I think most people wake up and they go to for their phone. And then what are you doing? You're giving to everything else before you really give to yourself first. And then so after my warm water, I go right? And I meditate. And I do like to habit stack. And I love my red light. Do I need it? I don't think I need it, but I like it. It's a beautiful addition to my life, you know. And I'll sit in front of the bed.

[Gary Brecke]

Is it a bed or a panel?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I have the panel And I have 20 minutes. And I do a combination of all of the meditations that I teach and share are what I walk myself through. So first, like when you were like, how do you start? Like, I warm it up. Like I come big grounding. Inhale, breathe it in. And then exhale. Like let it go. Let the weight, the load that we carry. And then big inhale, exhale, really release and then settle and just be. And then just ground your palms on your thighs. Watching that inhale. Fill yourself up. And with a full exhale, taking in the energy of that release. And as all of the thoughts and the things and the sounds start to creep in, just let them be and make this conscious choice with yourself to come back to your breath. Inhale. Watch that inhale. Feel this energy rising up. And then with every exhale, this melting surrender, this softening into yourself being with the waves of your breath. And then I let the words go. Inhale fully. And then as really let it go, let your shoulders melt down your back, soften your face. Just breathing in the beauty of this moment. Inhale. Being right here, just when you feel ready, coming back.

[Gary Brecke]

Wow. I think I just did my first meditation. Most people don't realize this, but your Energy, mental clarity, and even your sleep. They're all impacted by toxins. Every single day, you're breathing in, drinking, eating, and absorbing mold spores, heavy metals, pesticides, and even plastics. Over time, they hijack your health. And that's why I created the ultimate detox challenge. As always, it's completely free, and it's happening live June 23rd through the 25th. On day one, Dr. Will be will be here on gut and immune health. Day two, Dr. Jessica Petross on mold, metals, and parasites. And day three is Dr. Josh Axe on full body detox and rebuilding your resilience. And of course, I'll be there the entire time. You'll get real tools at home, lab testing options, detox protocols, even supplement guides and actionable steps to help you reset your biology the right way. This isn't about crash diets. This is real, lasting transformation. Head over to detox. TheUltimateHuman.com, your body was built to heal, so let's help it do what it was designed to do. Now let's get back to the ultimate human podcast. Wow.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You did. You did.

[Gary Brecke]

That was actually really good. I did. I could have stayed there for a while.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Sometimes breath. I know. I was like. I was like, we're gonna go.

[Gary Brecke]

I don't know how that's gonna come out of the podcast, but that's okay. Wow.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And that's, like, exactly like how you just said that. Like, you don't know how it's going to. But that's the best part of it all.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Is you find this certainty in the uncertainty of life.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And this certainty in this knowing and this, like, inner knowing that you're cultivating with yourself. And after I meditate and in some days, I bring in, like, if I'm angry, if I'm really upset, if I'm super anxious, I will bring in Breath of Fire. Like, I will. Three minutes. And your arms will be cut from just that. Practice alone.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Like. Like really bringing it after it. And then, you know, one thing you can do just, like, in the moment, too, if, like, if I find myself just, like, upticking with all the things I just.2 inhales deeply in, out, and then through your nose.

[Gary Brecke]

Oh, out through the nose.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Out through your nose. So you can deepen your diaphragmatic breathing. So immediate melt of tension and stress.

[Gary Brecke]

Yes. Intra human, you can do it natural Xanax.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yep. It is.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And you can do it anywhere. And, like, that's. That's what I love about, like, that's the beauty of meditation. Like, I think, I do think if you can cultivate a practice of stillness and if you're someone with a super busy mind, which I think that is all of us bring in a little breath. Like do your breath work and then just be. And you're going to lock into yourself.

[Gary Brecke]

Do you ever do this during the day, midday? If you feel like, okay, I had.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

A traumatic event all the time.

[Gary Brecke]

I just had a tough conversation with my husband or I had a rough two hours with the kids or whatever it is. And you just feel that. Oh yeah, sense of overwhelm. And you're like, okay, this is not going my way. Do you ever just park it?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

All the time.

[Gary Brecke]

Really?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, yeah. But like, I've also gotten to the place where, you know, I used to feel like I always have to like kind of be alone, like in the bathroom or.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

In the back of a taxi or wherever it was. And now like even being in like the heat of the moment with something and just knowing that like I can right here, you know, you come back when you, when you be with your breath, it. This practice is an anchor in your life no matter where you are.

[Gary Brecke]

Oh, it's so good. Breath work is so important to me.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You have it available to you.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Like, if you're blessed enough to be in. You know what I mean? If we have our breath, we have life.

[Gary Brecke]

So true.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And like that is. It's just. It's not something you need to seek and find.

[Gary Brecke]

It's here that's amazing.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

So after I meditate, it's usually kind of like off to the races with my kids. So I have my morning come out.

[Gary Brecke]

Of that and it's game on.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It is game on. But like, I'm locked and loaded. I'm making lunches. I have a playlist so that we are vibing because I did not wake up in that energy. And I want to create a space that feels like, you know, there is joy and we are smiling and we're dancing and mornings are chaotic. And I used to, I mean, I used to cry in the morning after drop off. Sometimes I still do.

[Gary Brecke]

I think a lot of moms do.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah. But like. And I'm making breakfast and this one wants this food and this. And it's a lot of balancing and I do it myself. I love doing the mornings by myself because I feel like it's really shaped this relationship with my kids. And you know, my husband joins kind of midway through. But like I have that touch point with them and I love putting them to bed by my like, there's these times where I think it's just really important to, to connect with your humans.

[Gary Brecke]

Yes.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And it's really helped me like just build this beautiful relationship with them.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. I noticed you're also back on the celery juice.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You know, I, I've come come to this wave of like, it was really an internal feeling, like super intuitive of.

[Gary Brecke]

Like medical medium of you.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah, yeah. I was feeling really off. And we have a big photo shoot this week for, you know, we're doing something with our creators and I was just like, oh God, I'm feeling inflamed. And like this is where like, you know, I had someone comment, but you eat eggs. And like he says not to do that. I don't listen to anyone.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I listen to my, my inner knowing.

[Gary Brecke]

Right.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I like celery juice. I do believe that I notice a massive immediate reduction in inflammation.

[Gary Brecke]

Wow.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And I, you know, I have my way of eating and being and I listen. I also love food combining and I know there's a lot to say around that. People are like, there's, it's not science backed, it's this, it's a feeling. It's like an undeniable feeling.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And for me, when I am feeling off, I know it's like I have a three day reboot because I know that if I can lock in to just like three days of kind of coming back to the, the basics.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's really simplifying.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. You know, it's. What's interesting is the centenarians that are 115, 118 years old right now certainly didn't have the vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, keto, carnivore diet, raw food diet book. Right. They did more of what you're doing. And first of all, they ate no processed food because it wasn't around, but they did more of what you're doing, which is eating whole foods. Food pairing, being conscious about what makes you feel one way versus makes you feel another way.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Me.

[Gary Brecke]

Our bodies are so innately intelligent, we all methylate things differently that, you know, whether you have an allergy to dairy or not, if it doesn't make you feel good and doesn't show up as an allergy, don't. You shouldn't eat it. You know.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Couldn't agree more.

[Gary Brecke]

I think part of the benefit of, of being present, especially being present in silence, is you actually do start to tune into how you feel. You're just more self aware. I mean, I noticed a lot of people don't even realize that they woof a meal down and then they're sniffling and they're flaming and they're congested and, you know, they're clearing their throat and it's. And they're not even aware. They're really just so blind and pushing through their day that they're not even aware of the impact that that just had on their body. And, and if you're manifesting symptoms up here, just think of what's happening in the gut.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, it is so true.

[Gary Brecke]

I mean, and that's, that's the sole source of, of everything, our immune system, our mood, our emotional state, you know, our ability for our body to defend itself, our inflammatory cascade. You know, I don't think that there's a mental health or mood disorder that we cannot trace back in large part to gut disruption.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

One million.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. I mean, I think we're only beginning to scratch the surface of the, the microbiome and the consequences of leaky gut and the consequences of low grade inflammation in the body. You know, there's this theory emerging in longevity and aging called immuno fatigue, and I think the majority of leading minds would subscribe to this, that, you know, aging, amongst other things, is the slow, progressive overwhelm of the immune system. Right. It's just, it's just fighting on too many fronts.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I know, right?

[Gary Brecke]

You take the greatest UFC fighter in the world, if you just keep adding fighters to the cage, maybe it's not two on one or four on one or six on one, but at some point he or she's going to lose. And the immune system is no different. It's, you know, we got mold and mycotoxins and heavy metals and parasites and viruses and inflammation and cortisol and, you know, all of these things. And as that toxic bucket just gets to a certain level, then it just overflows and now bang. Chronic, chronic disease, metabolic syndrome, whatever it is. Acne in your case.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I realize that now.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah. So, first of all, this has been amazing. You're just as incredible as I thought you would be in person. I wish my wife had been able to make the podcast. She's on the ground, so she might be on her way here. She is. Okay. Tell Sage that we gave her a big shout out.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You did.

[Gary Brecke]

And credited the whole podcast.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's true. We gotta give credit where credit's too.

[Gary Brecke]

So I, I would love for you to give our audience a few tips. Just especially the women that are in that place where you were the first baby step towards this ability to take Responsibility and look inward. What is. What does that look like for watching this podcast right now? Oh, my God. I identify with exactly who she was, and I'd love to be where she is.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yeah.

[Gary Brecke]

But that seems like a long road. Where do they start?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I believe the first step is to really ask yourself, what do you deeply desire? Like, what in your life right now do you desire above anything else? Like what. What matters most to you? And then I want you to ask yourself, like, how bad. How badly in your life do you want to feel good? And I know for myself, and that's something I say a lot too, my incredible community is how bad do you want to feel good? Like, when you ask yourself that, it reveals to you, like, your truth.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You know, because I think sometimes people think that they want to feel good, but then their actions don't align to support their desires.

[Gary Brecke]

Absolutely.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And it's time, guys, to get really honest with ourself and to strip back these layers and these lies and the bullshit that you're telling yourself.

[Gary Brecke]

Yourself.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And we have to take a good, hard look at how we're showing up. Who are we giving our energy to? What are we just endlessly opinion shopping on the phone, talking in circles over things that don't matter and, you know, talking about the drama and stirring the pot. Like a lot of people, I lived my life like that for the majority of my life, and now knowing that that is not the energy that I want to vibrate on. And when we can get really honest with ourselves, like, congratulations, it's time to get to work.

[Gary Brecke]

That's awesome.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And we have to really want it because the work doesn't end. There's no pretty finish line achievement that you have gotten to. This is a. It's a daily, daily commitment to yourself. And the best part is it doesn't have to be hours long. You don't need all the stuff. And listen, I love stuff. Like, I love my infrared sauna, like I said, I love my red light. I like a cold plunge. Depending on where I am in my cycle and depending on the temperature I can get down with that. That's revealed a strength within me that I didn't even know that I had.

[Gary Brecke]

My wife would say the same thing.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Oh, my God. Like, I mean, it's crazy what it did for me, but you have everything you need.

[Gary Brecke]

That's great.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

You have, you. You have your breath. You can, you know, use your own body weight if you don't have the means to, you know, grab a set of weights or a band or whatever. It is like, start right where you are.

[Gary Brecke]

Start right where you are.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Be where your two feet are. So if you, if you haven't moved in years or months, great. You can begin again right now.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Like in any moment. Like, if you have a bad day, a bad, you know, whatever it is, like we all do, and just like giving yourself that grace and like just knowing that in that next breath you can choose differently. It's just so, like, it always just makes me feel so, like, safe with myself.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And, and knowing it doesn't have to be so pretty.

[Gary Brecke]

And, and, and this is a lot of what you do to Melissa Wood Health. You, you, you take people on this journey. So how, how does my audience find you?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Yes. So I share everything on my platform. It's a digital platform, platform, global, that we have members all over the world.

[Gary Brecke]

Right on.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

On Melissa wood health.com and there's over a thousand of categorized workouts. So whether you're pre and postnatal, I have you covered. If you want a period program, I've got you. I'll guide you through every phase of your cycle. And then, you know, I just, I.

[Gary Brecke]

Love taking a long time to build that. I know how hard it is to create that kind of content. It's a lot of hours.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

It's been a. You know what, though? Like, the best part of it is it's, you know, like yesterday I went to the office, I filmed one workout. It was 18 minutes, 18 minute full body. And I, let me tell you, I feel it today. And like, that's the best part of it. Like, I, I like, people think I work out all day. I'm like, guys, I do a workout a day. Like, I used to, like, going back to feeling kind of misaligned and all of the things. When I got to a place where I was not trusting in myself and listening to a lot of outside stuff, I was doing things that were not me. So I was filming a few times a day. And then I was like, this doesn't feel right. This is not me. Like, I do everything in the way that I naturally would. And that's how it's worked for so long. I don't pound myself into the ground.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I really want it to be exactly what I would tell someone else to do.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And so I create. We create a weekly schedule which is, you know, this Monday we had like 23 minute inner thighs, abs and arms. And then the next day is a yoga flow. And then today I did a 21 minute booty. Like, there's a Method to my magic in the way that I curate. Because I want you to really. I want you to really feel and see results. Like, you'll notice a shift in three days.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

If you can commit. And it's. It's about doing something.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Every day. And. Okay. If you want to walk on Sunday and kind of just take your day, great. But it's, you know, we have to move our bodies.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah, I totally agree.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

And for the mobility of our spine. And I love that you touched on mobility, because I feel like people are really driving strength home, which I am not saying that is not important. But let's not forget about the fact that if you can't touch your toes.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

But you've got, you know, big biceps.

[Gary Brecke]

Yeah.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

I'm not so sure that that's necessarily the formula either.

[Gary Brecke]

I. I could totally agree with you. And. And, you know, we have to remember that our lymphatic system is our main detoxification system in the body. And it's a static system. There's no pressure behind it. It moves by. I mean, it's. It flows by movement, literally. So that's why I like tai chi and yoga and Pilates and. And mobility exercises. Walking are just so incredibly good for you. So I wind down every podcast by asking my guests the same question. And before I ask it, you know, we. We're going to. When we end the podcast, we're going to go into my VIP group. They have a couple of questions for you. Yeah, they got nine questions for you.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Great.

[Gary Brecke]

So. And I always allow them to ask them directly to the guests. But I end every podcast by asking my guests the same question. Um, you know, what does it mean to you to be an ultimate human?

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

To show up as my most aligned self.

[Gary Brecke]

That's a good one. Well, I haven't heard that. That is a. That was a good one. Ladies and gentlemen, Melissa Wood Health. Check her out on Instagram.

[Melissa Wood Tepperberg]

Go over to Melissa woodhealth.com Melissa woodhealth.com.

[Gary Brecke]

Is where you can find Melissa woodhealth.com we'll link everything in the show notes below. And if you're in the VIP, we're going to go into the VIP room. Now, if you're interested in becoming a VIP, just go over to theultimatehuman.com VIP and you can join us in one of these private rooms. I look forward to seeing you there. Until next time, that's just science.