Wellness Tip:

Chant Your Way to Calm 🧘‍♀️

Did you know your voice can help regulate your stress response? Chanting—especially deep, rhythmic sounds like “OM” or traditional mantras—can gently stimulate the vagus nerve, a key nerve that helps calm your body and mind.

By extending your exhale through sound, chanting activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering heart rate, easing anxiety, and promoting a sense of safety in your body. Research agrees that it’s not just woo-woo stuff—it really works!

Want to try it? Pick a soothing sound and chant slowly for 2–5 minutes. Notice how your body responds.

Routine Breakdown

Rachael Davies, Co-Founder of InsideOut Wellness Academy, NLP Master Coach & Clinical Hypnotherapist

A Wellness Founder’s 4-Step Routine for Body & Mind

With just four mindful steps, Rachael Davies’ morning routine is simple—but it brings real balance to the start of her day. Here’s how her mornings look.

The Routine:

• Meditates for 10 minutes using Reiki Kotodama—a practice that involves chanting sacred sounds to align with healing energy.
• Journals by setting intentions, writing an affirmation, and listing three things she’s grateful for.
• Reads 10 pages of a non-fiction book.
• Practices yoga for 10 minutes to gently move and energize her body.

Why it works:

• While there’s not that much research on Kotodama specifically, research shows chants have a calming effect. See this week’s tip above!
• Morning journaling sets you up for a positive day. That’s why Panda Planner includes daily gratitude and affirmations as well as laying out your day’s priorities. 
• Reading strengthens your brain, improves your memory, makes you more knowledgeable, and more.
• Yoga has a bunch of research-backed benefits for physical, mental, and emotional health.

“I do this routine every morning and it sets me up to have a great day,” says Rachael. “It focuses my mind on what I want to achieve, reminds me of what I am grateful for, gets my body moving first thing, and stimulates my mind. Starting the day with the Kotodama connects me to my spiritual side and gives me energy.”