On the 13th of September we gathered for the first Brunch Club event since COVID-19 lockdown. This event had originally been planned for the 15th of March due to event restrictions. 6 months later we were able to all come together once again and share the morning together.

THE SUPPORT BEHIND THE BRUNCH CLUB

As always, the event simply would not have been possible without the support of all the collaborators, sponsors and helping hands.

A big thank you to our panelist Helena for taking the train from Bern to join us, to Racines for the incredible brunch buffet, to Daniel for the pictures, to Lista Office for the space, to The Goodlife Coffee for the brew, to Sproud for being the milk to our lattes, to Coffee Page for opening on a Sunday just for us, to Le Smart Cake for the granola station, to Dame Gingembre for our juice shots, to SIRADIS, Urban Kombucha and Not At All for the goodies in our goodie bag… and every single one of you for coming!

Now onto the event recap…

THE BRUNCH CLUB BEGAN WITH A BALANCING YOGA FLOW

THE BRUNCH CLUB CONTINUED WITH A PANEL DISCUSSION

The topic of this Brunch Club was: The Positive Face of Fear. We spoke with Wim Hof Method (WHM) Coach Helena Hefti Wenger all about fear, stepping out of our comfort zone, intuition, and the ins & outs of the WHM.

If you missed the discussion, here were some of the key takeaways:

• When it comes to fear, Helena describes fear as the opposite of love/inspiration

• When fear arises, it should be accepted as just a sign. Your body is trying to tell you something. The first step is therefore not to accept it as true, but instead to question it. Helena suggested using The Work by Byron Katie as way of reconnecting with your truth.

• There is a difference between eustress and distress. Eustress is positive stress such as exercise, intermittent fasting and cold exposure. Distress is what can cause long-term health concerns and is what we often think of as stress, anxiety and/or depression

• Many of us struggle with the difference between fear and intuition, Helena described the difference as intuition pulls us towards something, and fear pulls away

• What is the Wim Hof Method (WHM)?

  • A combination of breathing exercises with cold exposure

  • The breathing practice is a set of 30-40 deep inhales through the nose with passive exhales out the mouth (it feels like you’re slightly hyperventilating)

  • After 30 breaths, you hold you breath as long as you can, sit in stillness, and when you feel the urge to breath, take a deep, slow breath in and enjoy it

  • This practice is to be done before getting in the water as a way of keep our bodies in optimal condition and in complete control when faced with the cold

  • Cold exposure, most often by submerging one’s self in cold water, is the 2nd step

• The benefits of WHM?

  • Helena explained that one of the key benefits is a mental one; it’s about learning to be still, present & “letting go” in situation of discomfort. This practice can be translated to all parts of our life. When we learn to sit in stillness and keep a clear mind when in an ice bath, we can do the same when in an argument with a colleague

  • The cold water is a “positive stress” (eustress) which trains your body to deal more effectively when in stressful situations

  • Cold water exposure along with the breathing exercises has been linked with a strong immune response through the production of white blood cells & reduction of inflammatory proteins

AFTER THE MOVING, TALKING & BREATHING… CAME THE BRUNCHING

We enjoyed a beautiful plant-base buffet by Racines. We also had a granola station with granola from Le Smart Cake paired with plant-based milks from SIRADIS and a juice shot station from Dame Gingembre.

P.S. Don’t forget you can use the code: thebrunchclub at check-out for 20% off on Le Smart Cake.

We took our turns strolling across the street to grab coffee to-go from Coffee Page, made with The Goodlife Coffee paired with Sproud plant-based milk.

With our bellies full of good food & coffee, and minds & hearts full of inspiration, we left with goodie bags full of treats from SIRADIS, Urban Kombucha & Not At All.

Pictures taken by Daniel Rodriguez.