In this episode of The Mindful Journey Podcast, hosted by Sana, entrepreneur-turned-energy-medicine practitioner Craig Cooke shares how he went from building a digital marketing agency in 1996 to dedicating his life to medical Qigong and Chinese energetic medicine.

This conversation is for skeptics, seekers, and busy professionals who feel stressed, reactive, or stuck in survival mode. Craig breaks down “energy” in a grounded way—how calm creates clearer thinking, steadier leadership, and healthier relationships with pressure. He also shares the lifestyle changes that helped him bring his A1C back into a normal range—without framing it as a quick fix for anyone else.

About the Guest:

Craig Cooke is an entrepreneur and former CEO who built and sold a digital marketing agency. He now practices medical Qigong, holds a doctorate in Chinese energetic medicine, and has completed 1,000+ energy healing sessions.

Episode Chapter:

1. 00:04:15 — Sana’s intro: why this conversation may shift your assumptions
2. 00:07:10 — Working at age 10: the psychological imprint of early responsibility
3. 00:10:27 — Kung fu at 17: the turning point toward a steadier path
4. 00:12:27 — What martial arts taught him that an MBA couldn’t
5. 00:17:06 — Explaining Qigong to skeptical, high-performance professionals
6. 00:22:34 — His doctoral research: measuring shifts in stress and anxiety
7. 00:29:12 — Lifestyle changes that supported his A1C returning to normal

Key Takeaways:

1. Build your foundation first—skills, habits, and emotional regulation.
2. Treat your inner dialogue as the real opponent: notice doubt and arrogance.
3. Keep new practices simple: calm → clarity → better decisions under pressure.
4. Think “energetic hygiene” as a daily leadership habit, not a luxury.
5. Sustainable change is stacked—one small habit at a time.

How to Connect With the Guest:

Website: http://www.craigcooke.com/

Doctoral thesis/resources: C2EnergyMedicine.com (Resources section)

LinkedIn: Craig Cooke

🎙️ Want to Be a Guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life?

Send me a direct message on PodMatch.

👉 DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik

🌱 About Healthy Mind By Avik™️

Healthy Mind By Avik™️ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it has become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty storyteller, survivor, and wellness advocate the platform now reaches 200K+ global listeners across 6000+ episodes, uniting voices, breaking stigma, and reminding us that every story matters.

👉 Subscribe and be part of this healing journey.

Refer a Guest

Know someone who would be a great fit for one of our podcast shows? Email us at services@podhealth.club with the subject line “Refer a Guest.” Requests without this subject line cannot be catered to.

Support Our Podcast: Support this Podcast

📬 Contact & Links

Brand: Healthy Mind By Avik™️

Email: avik@podhealth.club | services@podhealth.club

Website: https://www.podhub.club/

Based in: India & USA

🎧 All Podcast Shows: https://podcreatorsnetwork.transistor.fm/shows

🤝 Be a Guest: https://www.podhub.club/beaguest

📩 Newsletter: https://healthymindbyavik.substack.com/

🤝 Join Our LinkedIn Community

Connect with a global community focused on mental health, wellness, and personal growth. Join meaningful conversations, discover insights from experts, and grow alongside like-minded individuals.

👉 Join the LinkedIn Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14498362/

📌 Disclaimer - This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media remains the property of their respective owners and is used under fair use for informational purposes. By listening, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer.

#podmatch #healthymindbyavik #podhub.club #mindfuljourney #qigong #mindfulnesspractice #stressmanagement #anxietyrelief #emotionalresilience #leadershipmindset #selfcarematters #holisticwellness #martialartswisdom #innercalm #burnoutrecovery

Sana Hey, everyone. Welcome back to the Mindful Journey podcast, where we slow down long enough to actually think about how we are living. I'm your host, and I genuinely believe some of the most transformative conversations happen when someone sits across from you and makes you rethink everything that you assumed you knew. And today's guest, I believe, is one of those people. He grew up in an entrepreneurial family, started working at ten years old. I mean ten build a digital marketing agency in nineteen ninety six, which if you if you know anything about internet in nineteen ninety six, that is either visionary or slightly reckless. The Greenwood, he sold it. And then instead of riding off into a comfortable retirement, he pivoted hard into something most business executives wouldn't even entertain at a cocktail party medical qigong and Chinese energetic medicine. And let me tell you listeners, he now holds a doctorate in Chinese energetic medicine. He has completed over a thousand energy healing sessions, published a book for entrepreneurs, and this one's taught me when I read it. I mean, he reversed his diabetes naturally without medication. So whether you are a skeptic, a seeker, Well, somewhere beautifully in between, I think. I hope you'll find this conversation worth every minute. So let's get into it. And listeners, let's welcome our guest, Craig Cook. So Craig, welcome to The Mindful Journey. And as always, it's an absolute honor to have you here with us.

Craig Cooke Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you for that kind introduction. And that's very nice to hear. And actually, um, um, I'm happy to report I just happened to see my doctor this morning. Um, I go to a naturopath doctor, and I was looking a review in my lab results, my latest lab results with her, and, yeah, I'm still my a1-c. Uh, number is is normal. Uh, so it's just good to see that, uh, it continues to be normal that I have beat, uh, that diabetes naturally. So. Yeah. It's a good day.

Sana Yeah. That is awesome. That is awesome. And I wish, uh, the best. Best of this. And this keeps going on and on. But then let's rewind. And let's start at the beginning here, because we are on the mindful journey here. And I think, um, where we come from, it shapes everything. Um, you I mean, you started working at ten years old in a family business. Yes. And most kids that age are worried about recess. I mean, if I recollect or I remember, I was only worried about what? Which which cartoon to watch. But what did that early experience to entrepreneurship actually do to you? Craig? And and I am asking about the psychological imprint, not just the business skills.

Craig Cooke Yeah, I think the psychological imprint was really developing a strong work ethic. So the job I had was washing dishes and my mom's a restaurant. She had a small restaurant, and I spent a lot of time by myself because, you know, she was a single mom and, you know, raising me and my sisters are older than me and already had moved out. Um, so I spent a lot of time alone. So when I went to go work and wash dishes, it wasn't every night, but, you know, a few nights a week. Um, I didn't mind it because I was around other people and just, I don't know, I just, you know, I just didn't mind it. And it just started to imprint a strong work ethic in me. And and then when I was thirteen, I became a busboy and then sixteen, a waiter. And, you know, so it was kind of like this progression. So that was another kind of imprint like, you know,

as you work, you you grow and you achieve and, you know, the promotion in a sense. So, um, yeah, yeah, yeah. That was uh, that was really, really big for me.

Sana That was very, very interesting. And I think, um. Speaker 5 It's it's absolutely about work ethic.

Sana And, and I think this is so, so important to consider because, yes, the early years, the, you know, the exposure to, you know, working hard and having a bit of discipline, I mean, it all shapes how you become in your adult life and how you react or you behave or you think to events, to people, to circumstances, to challenges. they become the fundamentals of the way you live. So it's interesting, and I think there is almost a double edged quality to that story. Like, you know, on one hand you learned work ethic, resilience very early. But then on the other hand, I mean, I wonder this question comes to my mind, like, did starting that young ever blur the line for you between your identity and your productivity. You know, like if you ever figure out who you were outside of working.

Craig Cooke Hmm. Yeah. I mean, um, that's an interesting question. I mean, uh, as you're a young kid and then getting into your teenage years, you're just trying to figure things out. You really don't know who you are. Um, and I didn't, and and. Yeah, there's aspects of when I wasn't working and I had free time, um, you know, going to school and hanging out with my friends. Uh, sometimes I just wouldn't be making the best decisions. Actually, I got into a lot of trouble, um, in my teenage years. And, um. But at age seventeen, I started studying Chinese kung fu, and that really got me on a positive path. And that's when I really started to kind of figure out who I am. And, you know, which was still an evolving process as I went into college and so forth, because that's a whole other area of growth, and I'm just trying to figure things out. Um, I mean, you really don't figure out who you are until later in life. And, you know, there's some that do figure it out early. But for me, it took a while.

Speaker 6 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Sana Exactly, exactly. Yes. For everyone, it's different. some do figure out it early, but for many, it takes a lot of years. Or maybe not even the number of years, but the experiences that you get to have or see to figure out who you are. Yes. Sometimes it can become a lifelong quest.

Craig Cooke That's right. You're continuously evolving, which you should be continuously evolving and who you thought you were, say twenty years ago or ten years ago. Five years ago may not be the same view that you have today, actually.

Sana Absolutely. Absolutely. Superb. Um, let's let's move on to martial arts, you know, because you have, um, in the last conversation which we had on this planet, you have talked about your martial arts background, laying the foundation for your business career. And I think that's a connection a lot of people make loosely, um, discipline, focus. But then I kind of want to push past the bumper sticker version here. Craig. What did martial arts actually teach you that an MBA couldn't.

Craig Cooke Um, yeah. So yeah, there's those couple of things that you just mentioned. Of

course. Discipline and focus. Yeah, that really hone that ability that I had and and applied it to, um, running a company. However, there was more than that. So for example, one of the big lessons I learned early on in martial arts is the importance of building a foundation, a strong foundation, you know, so like the first six months, I was like, well, like, hey, when do I get to fight? Like, no, you don't get to fight. You gotta learn stances. You have to learn blocks and kicks and punches and how to move and step. You know, you got to learn these foundational techniques and you got to strengthen and build upon that foundation. And and then later on, once you have a solid foundation, then you can get into other things. So I took that same approach with my business, making sure I built a very strong foundation. Uh, not only, uh, the service offerings that I had, but just my own skill set, which I had developed through my college years and also through, um, the family business, so forth, but continuously evolving and and building upon my, uh, skills, especially like with communication, sales and salesmanship. And that was really big. Um, so, yeah, that building, that foundation was, um, one of the things and we could talk about some others as well, but that, that was, you know, right at the very beginning.

Speaker 5 Makes sense. Makes sense.

Sana But then also, you know, martial arts. And correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, martial arts, it's it's also about combat. I mean, you know, about having an opponent. Um, a winner, a loser. So do you think that, um, competitive, like, even adversarial mindset ever worked against you in business? Like, did it ever make you fight battles that didn't need to be fought?

Craig Cooke Mm. That's a great question. Um, you know, there are times when the ego does get in the way. We're all susceptible to that. And, um, yeah, I'm sure there are some times where maybe I, uh, uh, through certain just interpersonal dynamics that, um, you know, you just kind of lose yourself in that. It's just natural. However, that martial arts foundation, like, yes, there's the battle, the winning and the losing concept of fighting an opponent. But as I wrote in my book, uh, one of the things that martial arts taught me, uh, is that a winning mindset in that your biggest competitor is yourself, and you have to overcome, uh, a lot of the inner battle that you have on a daily basis, um, which involves a lot of negative self-talk, actually, you know, things like when you when you lack confidence and you say, oh, I'm not good enough or, uh, who do you think you are? You know, things like that, like, um, yeah, just this, this negative downward spiral. Um, and it could go the other direction, though, where you become too confident and you become arrogant, and that's a battle you need to overcome, because that creates all kinds of other problems. So that's that that was a something that martial arts instilled in me. And it definitely Applies to business and being able to understand that you're your own biggest competitor, and sometimes you got to get out of your own way and look at things objectively and be mindful, uh, of that daily battle and overcome it on a daily basis.

Sana I really like that answer. And it is true. I mean, I didn't I mean, to be honest, um, in the formative years of my journey, I didn't even know about that. You know, anything around mindset? It was more like, you know, the usual template that, um, sometimes you have to follow and of course, external factors, external validations. But then how important it is to realize that, you know, mindset or how our mind and body when they are connected with each

other, uh, this is something it can be sometimes very challenging to realize. But then how martial arts helped you realize that? I think that's why, you know, there are so many parallels drawn not only with business, but in personal lives also. So it totally, totally makes sense in here.

Craig Cooke Yeah I agree. Not only business, but personal. Yes, one hundred percent.

Sana Okay, so let's bring in the central character here, Craig, into the conversation. Let's talk about qigong. Okay. Um, okay. So if I say, you know, let's say in a board room at a major corporation, if I even imagine or mention the words energy healing, like I probably get politely escorted out. You you ran a company. You understand that world. How do you explain qigong to someone who is genuinely skeptical, or maybe absolutely dismissive or completely unaware? Um, about about, you know, even the concepts of energy or healing?

Craig Cooke Yes. Well, thankfully, today there is, uh, more openness and receptivity to the topic, especially in professional circles. I'd say ten years ago when I really started getting into qigong. Um, that was not the case. And actually, as I was, uh, doing my practice and running my company, I was under the radar. I really didn't tell anybody. Um, but it did make a profound difference and impact on me, uh, being able to achieve higher levels of success. But to answer your question today, since people are more open and receptive to it, but even if someone is not like they're not, they've never even heard the term. And maybe they've loosely heard the term energy healing or, you know, working with energy and think it's kind of, um, woo woo and silly. I what I tell them is just based on my personal experience and my background as a highly successful founder and CEO of running a company, how being able to manage my own energy, enable me to perform at higher levels and help me achieve higher levels of success. So right there, that kind of takes down a little bit of a barrier, I think. Okay, well, okay. You're you're definitely someone that isn't like come down from the mountain and spinning in a cave for thirty days and saying everything's all great and, you know, just think positive. Like, okay. So you have actual grounded, practical life experience. Okay. Well, all right, tell me more. Right. So that's that's kind of one of the advantages I have is my background to be able to bridge that gap there. And then I think it's really about keeping it simple. Um, not getting too esoteric and out there with people that, yeah, this is new to them. I mean, I could go there, but I don't think it could just get too overwhelming. Overwhelming and and weird. Strange for them. So I just like to keep it simple. It's just, you know, doing an energy practice such as qigong just can provide much more clarity of thinking. Because when it creates calm and and balance within you and you can be centered, you're able to function better, you're able to make decisions better, you're able to communicate and have interactions with team members at a much more productive level. Um, especially when there's high pressure situations and you don't lose control of yourself and you're able to operate with calm and clarity amidst the chaos. and as a leader. Then when other people see that, they're able to look up to you and feel secure in that everything's okay, and they can think about how to do their work and perform to the best of their abilities. So that's that's one of the big benefits that I like to accentuate to people when they're new to this, this topic, because it has a very real benefit when they hear that.

Speaker 6 Hmm hmm.

Sana So when you talk about energy and I want to be precise here because, you know, um, this matters to skeptical listeners. And you're absolutely right, you know, because because you come from the background, you understand the practicality of that world and you understand that, you know, for someone, especially from a business background, or who would be in that position and may not be, um, maybe skeptical or may not be aware how for the first time, when they get introduced to this concept or to this world, how they would react. I think that is something that, you know, finds its, uh, connection somewhere in the middle, like that balance. But then my kind of question here is that, like, are we talking in terms of metaphor? Are we talking something which is measurable because our business numbers. Yeah. Or how are we talking a framework for understanding the body that, you know, Western medicine simply hasn't or maybe is still in that initial phase to adopt it now, because those are three very different things. And the answer shapes how seriously people take this.

Craig Cooke Yeah. yeah. Great question. So yeah you can look at as, as frameworks. Right. Um, however it can be measurable. And actually, uh, my doctoral thesis, I did a research study, um, with professionals, business professionals. And I was actually able to quantify the impact of, of energy medicine sessions. So, um, yeah, I used a couple standard psychological assessment tools, and then I created my own based on medical qigong, the practice of medical qigong. Okay. And, um, and over the course of a couple months, uh, having at least six sessions, uh, with each participant and had them to fill out these assessments before the session and then after. And I was able to quantify, measure the improvement in their mental state and their mental and emotional state, um, with that work, and especially with giving them, um, qigong prescription exercises to do on their own during the course of the study. Uh, so, uh, people can actually read my doctoral thesis on my website, C2. Com that's the letter C in the number two energy Emedicine.com. It's in the resources section. And then if people don't want to read the PDF because it could, it's kind of long and can be a little boring for some. There's actual audio file that's like a podcast that summarizes the findings, but essentially it was all about how qigong can reduce anxiety, mitigate stress, and reduce anxiety in modern business professionals. And the results were extremely compelling.

Speaker 6 As.

Sana Actually very, very interesting. Um, any any interesting insight from that research that

you would like to share? Craig, you maybe any use case or any example.

Craig Cooke Yeah, there was um, some qualitative data in addition to the quantitative data. I mean, the numbers I'm not remembering right off the top of my head, but, uh, what I can tell you is that there's different emotional states that we all experience, especially in the professional world. You know, say, for example, anxiety is a very common one with, uh, professionals that I see and there's a strong, uh, reduction in anxiety. Also, uh, worry is another one because a lot of people worry, you know, business leaders worry about making payroll, for example. Right. Uh, so that's another state of mind and emotion that is, um, pretty common. Uh, and there is a significant impact on a reduction of, of worry and obsessiveness. Um, also there is irritability, Anger. Frustration. Yeah, those are emotions that can easily come out, um,

through interpersonal relationships and business situations and the interactions that take place. Uh, what I was talking about earlier where, uh, it could not be conducive to, um, uh, healthy, healthy workplace. And there's definitely, again, a measurable impact on a reduction in those types of emotions. Um, and then there was a lot of qualitative, um, statements that were made was just how much better they felt immediately after, uh, qigong energy session, like immediately, uh, afterwards compared to when they walked in the door. And over time, how it kept improving actually. So there's quantifiable and qualitative data in that study, which was which was really telling and makes a strong case as to why business leaders should incorporate what I call a practice of energetic hygiene. And my my saying is, energetic hygiene is the new leadership competency.

Sana Um, and you know, that's the that's the thing with, you know, emotions. And I think at a, at a larger level when, whenever we talk about mental health, um, that's the thing, you know, because it's not tangible. I mean, it's not exactly, you know, directly measurable as people would, um, see, but sometimes it can be challenging to, um, to translate the effectiveness or, um, the, the importance of these tools or modalities or channels, um, in a way that, you know, people can actually understand the importance in day to day lives. Um.

Craig Cooke Yeah. That's why my, uh, research study is, is so important. Because it actually proves it. Because I was able to actually measure, uh, those things. And even from my own personal experience, uh, ten years ago or so when I was getting into this practice, and, um, I was transforming and, you know, evolving through the practice, um, my employees noticed that, and they I didn't tell them when I was doing, but some of them would come up to me and be like, wow, you're something's different about you. You're just just more calm these days. Yeah. I would just laugh and. Yeah. Thanks. Um, you know, so even anecdotal, um, from, uh, stories from my own personal experience, uh, just it just showed you just know, um, and it's it's really profound and impactful.

Sana It is. It is. And, um, I mean, you have done over a thousand energy healing sessions. I mean, it's not a hobby. It is definitely a body of work. It is.

Craig Cooke Thank you. Thank you. Yes, yes. Over ten years. Over a thousand such. I think I'm around a thousand fifty now or something like that.

Sana Oh, wow. That's great. That's great. And yes, um, I think, uh, circling back to where we started, um, I mean, you reversed diabetes naturally, and I want to give that the weight it deserves. You know, without overstating it, because, um, I also don't want listeners with diabetes to hear this and think, okay, I'll just do some breathing exercise. So.

Craig Cooke Yeah, it's more than that.

Sana Yes, exactly. So being, like, specific and careful, what was the actual process, Craig? I mean, what changed in your body, in your habits, in your relationship with stress, with yourself?

Craig Cooke Sure. So interestingly enough, uh, qigong does help. Like my doctor, who I just saw this morning, actually, way back then about we were just talking about it. It was funny that

because it'll be it was it was about nine years ago when I first saw her and, um, she had mentioned to me how if I hadn't been doing qigong, my numbers would have been worse. But I did, um, have full on diabetes. And, um, it was the approach I took was like a war that needs to be fought on all fronts, like land, air and sea. It's not just one thing that's going to take care of it. It's a combination of of different habits. That is a complete lifestyle change and that you need to, um, take on in order to, to beat it. So what did that look like? It looked like getting better sleep and more sleep. Uh, proper hydration, uh, exercise in the form of strength training, lifting weights, strength training. That's super important because you have to build lean muscle mass, because the lean muscle mass opens up the the the insulin receptors function better in lean muscle tissue, and it helps to regulate and burn off that blood sugar. So that's super important. Also walking getting steps in increasing my steps. Um that is really important as well. Um, walking after I eat actually is very important as well. Um, also protein um, the what's what's my macro mix look like when it comes to protein, fats and carbohydrates? Yeah, much more higher protein rich diet and moderate fats, but low carbohydrates. And then the type of carbohydrates that I was ingesting, like I started to remove a lot of grains. You know, here in America, um, our bread is awful. It's filled with, uh, um, gluten. That's just not the same that it was a long time ago. And then there's the pesticides, like glysophate. And it's just really bad, really unhealthy for us. So, you know, cutting out, you know, ninety percent of my bread intake. And then the bread that I do, um, have is better, like, just like, uh, a real more, um, artisanal, uh, sourdough, for example. Um, or, you know, some there's some specialty breads in, in more healthy stores, um, that you can purchase that are gluten free and so forth. Um, so it's really modifying the diet. And then there's, you know, supplementation as well, uh, with certain minerals and vitamins and so forth. So it's all these different things combined on a daily basis that you have to really embrace, and it's a complete lifestyle change. And that's what did it.

Sana Yeah, it's a lot of things. It's a lot of things. It's not just one miracle. Miraculous. yeah. Tool or, you know, do this and your diabetes is gone. No.

Craig Cooke Yeah. No. And it takes a little time to, um. Yeah. You know, and I lost weight, too, because I was, I was a little overweight at the time as well. So losing weight helped, too, because all those different things that I was doing. Um, yeah. And it just takes, takes time. But it's interesting. I was seeing my numbers, um, that were I think my a-1c number was like one hundred and forty five when I first found out somewhere around there. Um, and, you know, within weeks I started saw it starting to trend down. I started measuring it every day, And, um, you know, because it's supposed to be between eighty and one hundred. And within weeks I started seeing a trend moving down. Once you incorporate these, these healthy habits. And within six months, um, there was a huge turnaround. You know, I got to prediabetes level, and I think within a year, um, I had it completely.

Sana That's really a really amazing thing. Really, really amazing. Um, and, um, it's an important anchor, I believe that, um, you know, um, but then also, you know, for someone, Craig, who thinks or maybe who would say that I'm working two jobs I can't afford, uh, many of the things maybe I can't access. And, you know, there are genuine, uh, constraints when it comes to resources or maybe time or money. Um, circumstances. What's what's the entry point for them?

Speaker 7 Yeah. Great question. So it's all a matter of priority.

Craig Cooke And in my book I have a comment or a quote that I say that, um, be of service to self so that you can be of service to others for a lifetime. Yeah. Despite all these obligations and responsibilities, time constraints, budgetary constraints, uh, you still have to prioritize your own self care and and find a way and to take care of yourself before you, um, um, just let everything go, because there's a hard lesson I learned because I was in great health. Then I was in the opposite end of the spectrum with diabetes, poor health, and I had to prioritize my self-care to turn it around. And I was super busy, you know, I was, um, second year on the Inc. five thousand list of fastest growing private companies. Um, I landed on that list five years in a row. So during this time, as I was, as I found out, and I was starting to change this lifestyle, um, embrace this new lifestyle, I was extremely busy with my company growing, um, and then and then decide to sell my company, which was a tremendous amount of work on top of that. And I had a family to balance. And this is where qigong really helped me, because it helped me stay centered and balanced and able to do all these things. Um, and then from a budgetary standpoint, well, actually, before I go there, uh, I was so busy, uh, with all those things. What made it possible is I told myself, I need to wake up just super early, and that's the only way it's going to get done. Because by the time seven a m hit, I was just so inundated with emails, text messages, phone calls, you know, all these things, um, meetings with all these different people and then coming home and, you know, um, wife and kids and so forth. So I started getting up around four twenty a m, you know, to go. And that was about half an hour away, actually. And and so there could be all kinds of excuses one makes, but one has to give the self a priority. Self care make it a priority and number one priority. And then find a way. And if there's budgetary constraints like, oh, I don't have the funds to join a gym or whatever. Okay, well you can do all you need is your own body. Yeah it does. It does help to have weights because that helps build, you know, certain exercises can help with, um, lean muscle mass building that. But there's a lot of things that could be done with just your own body. So at the end of the day, there's all kinds of people can create all kinds of excuses. Um, but you have to get rid of those excuses and, tell yourself as a mindset that my own self-care is the number one priority, because I have to be of service to myself so that I can be of service to others for a lifetime. Like today. Now I feel totally different. I feel like I did when I was in my twenties, and I have all the energy to be of service to my family and the clients that I work with for the rest of my life if I want to, because I feel that good.

Sana Yeah, of course, of course. I mean, it it can be felt. It can be felt. And I think, it doesn't have to be dramatic or like a major overhaul, you know, because that's right. That's where that's where many of us, we struggle because we think, okay, let me change everything today and it will work out. But then and our brain, our bodies, especially our brain. I think it's designed in a way that, you know, it kind of tries to protect itself from big changes. So I think to start small is the most practical and an intelligent. A good way to begin with, maybe, you know, start with working or sorry, getting up early. Maybe first you get up. If you are getting up at seven a m in the morning, maybe you can try for six a m because I'm someone who struggles to get up in the morning because I'm a night owl, right?

Craig Cooke Yeah, no, I understand, I understand I was a night owl as well. Yeah, it could be,

you know, fifteen minutes early and then thirty minutes early. Um, you know, just that moderate, moderate approach I one hundred percent agree with. And you just start to it's like building that foundation that I mentioned earlier. It's just like it applies to everything in life. You you have to build that foundation one brick at a time, and it just doesn't all come together instantly. So yeah, it's the same thing. Just building that foundation, stacking the habits, introducing one thing, maybe one week, then the next week, another, uh, whatever pace that it's going to you can handle, because then that'll be sustainable. You know, some people will go, go for it and just do everything at once. You know, that last like thirty days, sixty days, ninety days, and then all of a sudden, oh, this is just too much, right? It's just too overwhelming for the mind. As you mentioned in The Body too, which affects the mind. So, uh, it's just, uh, that that gradual, moderate approach is the way.

Sana To go. So. Great. Of course. Uh, now, if our listeners, they would like to further connect with you, seek some more wisdom. What would be the easiest way?

Craig Cooke Easiest way is to go to my website and that's Craig. And then c o o k. e com and then also on LinkedIn. You can find me. Craig Cook um, if you just search for my name on Google or any other search engines, I come up all over the place. Um, and you can find my book to business Kung Fu. But my website and LinkedIn are the two best places to reach out to me.

Sana Awesome. So, yeah, you heard it from Craig. And I'll make sure to have all the links in the show notes mentioned. And before we close, I think I came into this conversation listeners with a lot of questions, maybe some skeptical, some curious, but then I'm leaving with more nuance than I had before, which is honestly the best possible outcome for one of these conversations. So to all of our listeners, whether you walked away inspired, challenged, or somewhere in the middle, that middle ground is actually where all the real thinking happens. So you need not rush to a conclusion. Sit with it. Maybe that's the most mindful thing any of us can do. And Craig, thank you so much. Um, I mean, this has been such a such, you know, a personal, candid conversation, um, looking into a looking into your journey, your life, and you reversed diabetes. You, um, worked with qigong. You. I mean, it's it's a lot of, you know, that we discovered today, uncovered today in this conversation. So thank you so much.

Craig Cooke Thank you. Thank you I appreciate you thank you so much.

Sana So, listeners, um, thank you for spending part of your day or night. Uh, here. Until next time. This is the mindful journey I am, Sana. And take care of yourselves and I'll catch you in the next episode. Thank you.