By fostering resilience throughout life, we enhance both our adaptability and our wellbeing, even as we age.
Welcome to our second edition of Chenot magazine, where we aim to inspire you to continue making lasting, science-backed changes to your lifestyle to optimise your health wellness long after you have left our retreats.
In this issue, we explore the theme of ‘resilience’, the dynamic and multifaceted concept that encompasses our ability to withstand, recover, and grow from adversities and stressors. With biological, anthropological, social, financial, and environmental dimensions, resilience is a fundamental aspect of our lives.
Shaped by genetics, environment, experiences, and social context, resilience is not simply a response to adversity. It is a proactive approach to navigating life's challenges with grace, optimism, and perseverance.
To explore its myriad facets, we have invited some of the world’s leading health wellness experts, as well as inspirational individuals who have overcome extreme adversity, to share their unique perspectives.
As you will discover, the impact resilience can have on health, wellbeing, and adaptation is profound and far-reaching.
Here at Chenot, we are devoted to supporting you on the transformative journey to health wellness. Let us take our first steps here, together.
Dr George Gaitanos
CHIEF OPERATING & SCIENTIFIC OFFICER CHENOT GROUP
Above: At Chenot Palace Weggis, our holistic treatment programmes nurture resilience at every age to benefit both the individual's health and longevity, and wider society.
A healthy and fulfilling life begins with our ability to adapt to change, and building resilience has profound benefits - from our cells to society, writes Dr George Gaitanos.
RESILIENCE IN HEALTHY AGEING
BY DR GEORGE GAITANOS
After graduating from university, I embarked on a career to work with elite athletes.
From Olympic sprinters to NBA players, I quickly realised that maintaining an athlete’s physical and mental performance over time was a critical factor. But the real challenge was to achieve peak performance despite the inevitable effects of ageing, all while accommodating the changes in their roles and routines in their everyday lives.
To overcome this challenge, I adopted a holistic approach to the athletes’ training. I met their families, observed them at home and learned about their life outside of sport. I focused not only on the athletes at a physiological level but on their lifestyle and stressors such as relationships, children, and finances. Through this experience, I recognized the role of outside factors and how each can make a difference in performance and career longevity. Rather than advocating for more physical stimulus to increase performance, I encouraged them to pursue their personal interests and nurture relationships.
This experience helped me understand the role and importance of resilience as a fundamental part of ageing. Resilience not only strengthens us and makes us adaptable and responsive to stress and other external impacts in our lives, but it also empowers us to let go of things that hold us back, helping to preserve our identity. It is a conscious detachment from critical situations which propels us towards the future; a never-ending process that moves all things from inertia to plasticity.
This concept applies to everybody — a profound realisation I made after meeting a centenarian in my early thirties, and to whom am forever grateful. His story exemplified resilience and inspired me to work with non-athletes and
accentuated the importance of doing so. This man was born with a substantial hearing impairment and his main forms of communication were sign language and lip reading. Moreover, as he aged, he developed macular degeneration — loss of eyesight - and his channels of communication further declined and were slowly taken away from him.
He had two choices: either do nothing and accept his deteriorating reality or find a way to adapt and remain functional, independent and relevant to his world. He chose the latter, and at his old age, he bought hearing aids to re-train his weak sense of hearing and live on.
As humans, we interact with our senses. If we open ourselves up to the ever-changing technological and societal developments we face, we will be ready to embrace the evolving reality that presents itself in various shapes and forms. By letting go of inertia we can move towards plasticity.
Plasticity is a form of adaptability. It is the ability of an organism, a human being, and a group or a society, to remain flexible and adapt to a continuously changing environment. The dialectic that moves all things to plasticity affects all aspects of life and nothing is exempt: cells, individuals, cities, culture, society, and nature. When the various layers and systems of life — from cells to society — move or begin to move towards plasticity, they are truly advancing towards resilience.
Of course, many people only start to prioritise their health when things start to slip, in much the same way that anti-ageing protocols are often only applied when the effects of biological ageing begin to manifest. Ideally this process would start much earlier in life which is why societal constructs are crucial; building resilience is connected to the interplay between microcosm and macrocosm.
The American Psychological Association defined resilience as "the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress". Yet, this is only one definition of resilience, as the term can mean different things in different contexts and include a host of biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors that interact with one another, similar to a microcosm/macrocosm view of the world.
In biology, plasticity is the ability of individual genotypes to produce different phenotypes in response to different environmental conditions (phenotypic plasticity). In this context, the attribute of being plastic refers to the shift in an organism's behaviour, morphology, and physiology in response to a unique environment that may or may not be permanent throughout its lifespan.
PLASTICITY
Although people are ultimately responsible for their own health at an individual level, engraining certain behaviours within a societal structure will encourage people to think about their health from a younger age.
But how do we build resilient societies and engrain these behaviours in the first place? It is a broad topic with many layers of complexity: individual, environmental, socio-economic, and financial, to name a few. Firstly, resilient societies should prioritise health over immediate gratification. Nutrition, better sleep, less screen time, and detoxing are all positive habits and behaviours that can drive change and build resilience. To develop more resilient societies, we need to start at the cellular level by building healthy and resilient individuals, and then scale up to larger groups and societies by providing the right tools for a stronger and more harmonious collective.
When we move on to look at urban development, for instance, we should focus on creating healthy cities and environments by asking ourselves these questions: "Are our environments
enhancing or inhibiting social interactions between social groups and individuals? Do cities contribute to building resilient societies, and how can they integrate into a resilient environment?"
A resilient society should include, integrate, and protect its different social and generational groups. It should foster the homogeneity of heterogeneous collectives and protect potential fragility. Fragility can assume different forms but one of them is undoubtedly the growing ageing population. To integrate any group into a society and protect it, we first need to understand the population's needs.
For instance, let’s take the design of a new city. When we look at the architectural plans, are they devised to foster a cohesive community, prioritise the collective good and protect the most vulnerable? Or do they unintendingly create loneliness and division between heterogeneous groups?
Consider a simple example. What if, following urban redevelopment, a little bench on the shore of a lake is removed to make space for a bigger boat dock? Will this decision bring people closer together, encourage connection with nature, and
Overleaf: Aqua Gym treatment, where the body is engaged in underwater resistance training to improve strength and mobility.
Left: Hypoxic exercise training in the Altitude Room to improve endurance, speed, power and fitness levels. Right: Chenot Palace Weggis's new contemporary building offers 97 exceptional rooms and suites.
AGEING PROCESS & BIOMARKERS
MICROCOSM & MACROCOSM
The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030, 16% of people worldwide will be 60 or older—and that by 2050, at least 2.1 billion people will be 60 years old or older, with 426 million people expected to be at least 80 years old. As the global population ages, countries face major health and social challenges and must be prepared for a substantial demographic shift. The need to understand ageing processes and biomarkers increases in this scenario.
In the context of resilience, microcosm and macrocosm illustrate the interconnectedness of individual well-being and the broader environment. On a microcosmic level, resilience manifests in personal health and mental fortitude. These individual strengths collectively contribute to a resilient macrocosm—a society capable of thriving amid adversities. Just as every cell in the body supports overall health, each person’s resilience bolsters the collective strength, creating a harmonious balance.
enhance resilience, or will it contribute to isolation and poor health? If I loved sitting on that bench to contemplate the lake and mountains, what are the consequences of this decision? Absent the bench, am likely to stay at home without exposure to sunlight, and possibly be alone, rather than walking to the lake to meet other people. We need to put people at the centre of these decisions, zoom in on their needs and give meaning to their time. Let’s also reflect on the interactions between different age groups. How will a growing population of centenarians connect and interact with people who are born and raised in a techdriven world where AI is becoming integral to everything we do? We must retrain and broaden our way of thinking. The pace of social evolution should catch up with our technological evolution, while protecting our values and ethics - AI should be our co-pilot and not our predominant decision maker. Our goal as humans is not only to live longer but to live those years successfully, although it is difficult to define precisely what 'successful ageing' is as this is unique for everyone.
A resilient society is ultimately a healthy, happy society where different generations interact with one another. A growing ageing population doesn't wish to be a burden but wants to be integrated and contribute to society. Maintaining supportive environments, strong social connections, and participating in community activities can enhance mental and emotional health, providing support
and a sense of belonging. Embracing these concepts leads to a more resilient, vibrant, and flourishing society where individuals can thrive amidst the complexities and uncertainties of life. Creating a resilient society must start with individuals who have nurtured their physical and psychological wellbeing. Supported by a society that instils positive behaviours early and often, these individuals are given the opportunity to grow and develop from a young age. As they mature, they play a crucial role in fostering resilience within their families, neighbourhoods, communities, political systems, and economic institutions. Additionally, they remain mindful of and contribute to the preservation of the natural environment that sustains us all.
Our bodies have the potential to live for up to 120 years, but how do we identify the exact practices to achieve this? Community leaders, policy makers, doctors, and hospitals should serve as agents of resilient education, providing the foundation for optimising health, managing life stressors, and enhancing quality of life. While resilience is not yet quantifiable, we need to develop screening methods to understand its impacts so we can implement the behaviour changes which can make the critical difference — both for ourselves and society.
In a post-pandemic world, it is time to reset our approach to our wellbeing – and the arts can play a crucial role, writes mezzo –soprano and healer Leonora Gaitanou .
BEHIND
THE SCIENCE
THE ART OF RESILIENCE
BY LEONORA GAITANOU
The pandemic sounded a bell for humanity. It divided our lives and changed them forever. But it was also a period of awakening and great learning – both from a personal perspective and for us as a species.
Before the pandemic, our fast-paced lives, the rapid growth of technology, social media, and the demands of our ambition drove us to the periphery of our existence. When the pandemic came, the gears of the machine halted. Humanity froze and we were left alone with ourselves. We opened our souls' Pandora's box, and the things we had been running away from suddenly resurfaced. Yet over that period we were also given the time to wake up, take charge of our own existence and expand our consciousness. I myself have experienced a personal awakening.
In the 13th century, the philosopher and mystic Sufi poet Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī wrote: "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today, I am wise, so I am changing myself." In more recent years, the author and spiritual leader Eckhart Tolle observed: "The pollution of the planet is only an outward reflection of an inner psychic pollution: millions of unconscious individuals not taking responsibility for their inner peace." When we read these quotes we notice that – as humanity – we have not made much progress in taking care of our inner peace.
To me, the pandemic signalled a wake-up call and – driven by a unique blend of holistic therapies and arts – I had the chance to dive into my subconscious while also returning to my family tree and ancestors. Epigenetics informs us today that we carry the DNA material of up to seven generations. Hippocrates (460-377 BC), the father of modern medicine, was the first to say that “all body diseases
stem from soul diseases". Anything that is not faced as a disease of the soul during one's lifetime becomes a disease of the body and is passed on from generation to generation. When you heal yourself, you also heal your family line and prevent passing on the pattern to future generations.
In fact, ancient Greece provides many answers to questions about wellbeing and resilience. The word 'wellbeing' is derived from the ancient Greek terms EU zên and eudaimonia. In the The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle conceived 'eudaimonia' as the highest virtue that humans could attain. He defined it further as the activity of the soul's rational part, or the capacity to guide ourselves by using reason and in accordance with virtue.
So how can we achieve that today? What would happen if the arts met holistic therapies and proper nutrition and physical exercise to achieve a good physical state? The answer is possibly hidden in the Peloponnese region of Greece, an area with a mild climate and abundant spring waters.
In the small polis of Epidaurus stood the healing temple Asclepieion. In Greek mythology, Asclepius is the god of medicine and today is regarded as the godfather of so-called holistic therapies. Built in the early 4th century, the Sanctuary of Asclepius was located behind Epidaurus's ancient theatre, and Greeks considered it the birthplace of medicine.
Today, the Sanctuary of Asclepius's ruins are not only famous masterpieces of Greek art but are also a testimony of medical practise in antiquity. They reflect medicine’s evolution from a phase where healing depended on the gods to its transformation into a science, with the systematic recording of cases and the gradual
accumulation of knowledge and experience. Its fame and recognition quickly expanded beyond the Argolid Peninsula, and more than 200 healing centres were built throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
People would visit these places to cure the soul, mind and bodily diseases and stay in the area for several days. The treatment they received included cleansing with special spring water (something like today's thermal springs) and the incubator (enkoimesis) where the patient would be induced to sleep and the god Asclepius would visit their dreams to inform them about the treatment needed to be cured – rather like today's hypnosis.
Then there was the avaton (a place with a mystical healing process); the gymnasium, where special physical exercise was introduced; the restaurant, where a special diet of mainly herbs was prescribed; and the ancient theatre of Epidaurus itself, where tragedies and comedies were displayed and people could experience catharsis and cure depression. Finally, guitarists and harpists would play specific tones and harmonies to tune patients from low frequencies to higher ones.
What would happen if we could reproduce this ancient healing process today–incorporating the mind, body and spirit – to achieve a holistic approach to resilience? We have all experienced the transformative power of art. Advances in technology allow us to study human physiology like never before, and a growing community of researchers is studying how art and aesthetics affect us. We now have scientific proof that the arts are essential to survival. We know that art, in its countless forms, heals our bodies and minds. This is giving rise to a field that is changing how we understand the power of the arts, named 'neuroaesthetics’ or ‘neuroarts.'
In short, the arts and aesthetics change us and can transform our lives. Many people tend to think of art as either entertainment or an escape–a luxury of some kind. But the arts are so much more than that. They can be used to change our day-to-day lives and help address serious physical and mental health issues with remarkable results.
This way of looking at the arts links to Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia and how a person could achieve Virtue and Theosis (deification), which are also associated with inner peace and resilience. The transformative power of the arts can possibly cleanse our soul channel and dive into the subconscious mind, where we will meet our demons, traumas and negative emotions carried from generation to generation.
As soon as we deal with all of these bravely and let them go, we are no longer defined by our past. In other words, to heal means to bridge our subconscious with our conscious mind. When you heal trauma, you heal the nervous system. When you heal the nervous system, you heal the emotional body. When you heal the emotional body, you heal the psychic (empathic) body. When you heal the psychic body, you heal vibration. Once the vibration is healed, realities change.
Let’s respond to the call the pandemic offered us: a chance for awakening and a closer look inside our mind and soul. If we restore balance in ourselves, we will contribute immensely to healing the the planet. "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom," wrote Aristotle. One could add that knowing yourself is the beginning of creating inner peace and, thus, resilience."
Leonora Gaitanou is a Swiss-based Greek mezzo-soprano and healer. Her 2021 solo project ‘Judith’ combined holistic therapies with opera for the first time and was shortlisted for the Fedora Opera Prize; leon-ora.com
Above, left to right: The ancient ruins of the gymnasium at the healing Sanctuary of Asclepius in Epidaurus on the Saronic Gulf of Greece; the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. Opposite: The Statue of Asclepius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine, son of Apollo and the mortal princess Coronis.
To maximise your emotional resilience, acupuncture can reconnect you to your elemental self. Celebrated Five Element Acupuncture practitioner Ross J. Barr explains why this ancient medicine is as relevant as ever.
THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF ACUPUNCTURE
As a practitioner of Five Element
Acupuncture for more than 20 years have observed a pattern in my patients, time and time again. They will arrive for an appointment for a specific issue and invariably, as the needles go in, it will transpire that something else entirely is ailing them on a deep emotional level.
More often than not, this is the root cause of the physical symptom and the revelation enables a holistic, tailored treatment plan with lasting and transformative results. It is just one of the beautiful things about this medicine.
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healing on the planet and has been practised in the East for over 3000 years. That is 3000 years of scholarship, study, trial and error, and documentation. What I've learned over the years is that nothing lasts as long as this medicine has unless it works.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), 'qi' is the vital energy that flows through the body along specific pathways called meridians. Everyday life, with its constant stressors and emotional demands, can lead to 'qi' blockages. An acupuncturist helps to manipulate or conduct ‘qi’ by invigorating specific points, enhancing its flow and promoting the efficient functioning of the organs. This can improve blood flow, hormonal balance, regulation of the endocrine system and adrenalin, and the overall efficacy of bodily functions. Treat the cause, and you’ll ease the symptoms.
My specialism – Five Element Acupuncture –relates to the ancient Chinese theory that mind, body and spirit are made up of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each element
THE PRINCIPLES OF FIVE ELEMENT ACUPUNCTURE
corresponds to different characteristics and functions. It is said that everyone is born with all five, but one of those elements will be out of kilter. The person’s physiological, psychological and emotional characteristics and attributes will come from that imbalance.
In my practice, diagnosing an elemental imbalance involves a comprehensive evaluation of physical, emotional and behavioural symptoms, such as a tendency to over – or under – react to a situation. Various diagnostic tools and clues such as pulse reading, tongue inspection, facial lines, skin colour, voice quality, depth of breath and even the smell of the skin enable me to identify the dominant and imbalanced elements. For instance, individuals with Wood imbalances might show frustration or impatience, while those with Fire imbalances could display inappropriate laughter or a lack of joy.
By targeting specific acupuncture points tailored to the individual's elemental needs, Five Element Acupuncture aims to restore balance and nurture the spirit, often resulting in improved emotional resilience. For example, liver and gallbladder points for Wood elements help to break up stagnation and promote emotional and physiological flow. By addressing the underlying imbalance, Five Element Acupuncture helps individuals regain their 'factory settings,' leading to a more balanced, resilient state. As one patient described it to me after a couple of sessions, "I feel like the version of myself that I prefer."
This practise relates to the ancient Chinese theory that mind, body and spirit are made up of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Wood corresponds to leadership, and imbalances result in impatience. Fire corresponds to joy and passion, with imbalances causing insecurity. Earth represents nurturing and stability, and imbalances lead to worry. Metal is linked to structure and self-worth, with imbalances causing grief. Water symbolises wisdom, with imbalances resulting in anxiety.
Nothing tests our emotional resilience quite like trauma. In the immediate aftermath of a shock, the disproportionate amount of cortisol or adrenaline that we release has a profound impact on our mind, body and spirit and this can manifest in different ways, depending on our dominant element. Left untreated, shock can lead us to spend months or even years in a slight PTSD state – unable to sleep, with a poor appetite and constantly catastrophising thoughts.
I myself came to Five Element Acupuncture in a profound state of shock and grief. was 20
years old and my father had died suddenly. In my distress, my mother suggested I try acupuncture. I was treated for shock and I vividly remember coming out of my first session with some sense that, despite the pain and heartbreak, everything would be okay. It provided a sense of reassurance and emotional stability, and over the course of the next six months set me on the path to training as an acupuncturist myself. Like many practitioners in many different fields, I ended up doing it as a job because of how much it changed my life, in the hopes that I could do the same for others. Over the years, I have treated thousands of people from many different industries and walks of life, races and religions. What I have learned about humans is that when it comes to our wellbeing, we generally avoid addressing the most challenging but necessary tasks first. Whether it's reducing our caffeine intake, going to bed earlier, or expressing unspoken emotions, prioritising these actions can significantly enhance our emotional wellbeing. Addictions often stem from emotional imbalances, such as craving sugar due to liver stagnation. Treating these imbalances can reduce cravings and improve our overall emotional health. I have also learned that our issues are universal. When working in Cambodia some years ago, I went to treat in a small village that had been affected by the Khmer Rouge. expected to arrive ill-equipped for what those people might need. Yet the first person I treated came to see me because her boyfriend had broken up with her three days earlier, and she was suffering from heartbreak. Wherever we are in the world, and whatever our circumstances, we generally all suffer with the same emotions or lack thereof. Five Element Acupuncture can restore our sense of balance, joy, resilience and peace. I owe it a great deal.
BY ROSS J. BARR, BSC HONS, MBACC
Optimal health wellness and longevity depends not on having less fat, but on developing more muscle,
writes Dr Gabrielle Lyon .
BEHIND THE SCIENCE
THE STRENGTH OF BUILDING RESILIENCE
BY DR GABRIELLE
We often associate resilience with a strong mindset, but it is more than that. It encompasses not only our mental frameworks but also the condition of our physical body.
One very often overlooked aspect is the health of our skeletal muscle: the largest organ in our body - and one of the keys to longevity.
In fact, we often talk about fat and being overfat but seldom speak of being under-muscled. Throughout my medical career, I have encountered countless patients grappling with preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. And during my residency I had the opportunity to provide nutritional counselling, which shed light on how simple improvements to unhealthy lifestyle patterns can change the trajectory of health.
These experiences prompted me to pursue further research and a fellowship in geriatrics and nutritional sciences at Washington University. Over the course of these years, I made a profound discovery: the common denominator among many health issues wasn't excess fat but insufficient muscle mass.
This realisation challenged the prevailing narrative on weight loss and health that myself and thousands of other physicians had been taught in medical school.
In a world where sedentary lifestyles and convenience foods have become the norm, our bodies suffer the consequences of muscular atrophy and sarcopenia over time, leading to a myriad of health issues and, therefore, decreased resilience.
But why is muscle mass so crucial to our health and resilience?
Skeletal muscle (the muscle that moves bones to control our locomotion) not only constructs our physical architecture but also impacts our physiological infrastructure.
Furthermore, as the largest organ in our body, our muscular system is also our metabolic currency, our reservoir for amino acids, and it plays a vital role in fighting inflammation throughout the body. Muscles are the largest site for glucose metabolism, which is critical to reversing insulin resistance and preventing or even treating chronic illnesses such as diabetes or cognitive decline.
Cell signals (myokines) released from muscle during physical activity interact with cell signals released from fat cells (adipokines)
and even chemical signals from your microbiome to influence how your brain and body work.
Longer-term benefits include a stronger body and bones, an improved blood profile including lower triglycerides, metabolism protection, increased survivability against nearly every disease, and a better mood. Research has shown that individuals with higher muscle mass are better equipped to handle physical demands and exhibit greater resilience to various health challenges, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline. 1
WEEKLY EXERCISE & STRENGTH TRAINING FOR IMPACT
So, how can we improve the quality and size of our muscles? Strength training emerges as the most potent tool in this quest. Contrary to common misconceptions, strength training is not reserved for bodybuilders or athletes; it is a practise accessible to individuals of all ages and fitness levels. Whether through weightlifting, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises, the benefits of strength training can be reaped, felt, and achieved anywhere and by anyone.
By engaging in regular strength training, individuals can stimulate muscle growth, enhance metabolic function, and bolster their resilience against the ravages of time. Moreover, the benefits of strength training encompass mental wellbeing and emotional resilience, too. As we challenge our bodies and push past our
limits, we cultivate a mindset of perseverance, determination, and self-confidence that translates into all aspects of life.
It is about building our body armour against the wear and tear of daily life, preparing ourselves to weather storms and emerge stronger on the other side. By prioritising muscular strength and embracing the transformative power of strength training, we can fortify our bodies, minds, and spirits against the myriad challenges of life. Resilience begins with strength, and strength exists within each one of us. Muscle-Centric Medicine® harnesses this powerful system to heal disease, build better body composition, boost energy, increase mobility, and combat the conditions associated with ageing. It is time to rise to the occasion, unleash our potential, and build a future brimming with vitality, longevity, and unwavering resilience.
Beginners should aim for 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, plus resistance training for all major muscle groups twice a week. Intermediates and advanced levels should take at least 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise, with intermediates adding moderate to highintensity resistance training 3-4 times per week, and advanced increasing to high-intensity resistance training 4-6 times per week.
Li, R., Xia, J., Zhang, X. I., Gathirua-Mwangi, W. G., Guo, J., Li, Y., McKenzie, S., & Song, Y. (2018). Associations of Muscle Mass and Strength with All-Cause Mortality among US Older Adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 50(3), 458–467.
Dr Gabrielle Lyon is a board-certified family physician, Founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine® and author of New York Times bestseller ‘FOREVER STRONG: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well’. Find out more at drgabriellelyon.com
LYON
As scientific research into psilocybin therapy develops, Heather A. Lee , one of the United States’ first Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapists, explores mushrooms and fungi’s potential to improve emotional resilience.
BEHIND THE SCIENCE
WHERE THE SOUL & SCIENCE MEET
BY HEATHER A. LEE, LSCW
The natural compounds found in mushrooms and fungi have long been stigmatised, and psilocybin is no exception. The compound found in so-called 'magic-mushrooms' has a transformative power, and the recent surge in scientific interest in its therapeutic potential –particularly when coupled with psychotherapydemonstrates a shifting attitude. Today, psilocybin sits at the intersection of soul and science.
As one of the United States' first Certified Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapist and a human potential optimiser, have seen firsthand the power that fungi has to transform people's minds and mindsets.
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is extremely promising as a tool for enhancing emotional resilience by fostering profound psychological insights and promoting adaptive and sustainable coping mechanisms. It involves the administration of a carefully measured dose of psilocybin in a supportive therapeutic setting, which induces profound shifts in consciousness, facilitating introspection, emotional processing, and deep personal insights.
Numerous studies have provided compelling evidence of psilocybin's therapeutic efficacy, particularly in addressing conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. A landmark 2011 study led by the late Professor Roland Griffiths at Johns Hopkins University demonstrated that a single dose of psilocybin could induce mysticaltype experiences associated with enduring positive changes in attitudes, mood, and behaviour. Follow-up research by Professor Robin Carhart-Harris et al, published in 2016 in The Lancet, further supported psilocybin's antidepressant effects, highlighting its potential as a breakthrough treatment for depression.
Neuroimaging studies have shed light on
the neural mechanisms underlying psilocybin's therapeutic effects. Research conducted by Imperial College London has shown that psilocybin reduces activity in the default mode network (DMN), a brain network associated with self-referential thinking and rumination. By temporarily disrupting this network, psilocybin may facilitate a 'reset' of maladaptive thought patterns, opening the door to new perspectives and an increase in psychological and emotional flexibility key markers for resilience and mental health.
During a psilocybin session, individuals often confront deeply rooted emotional issues and traumas in a heightened state of consciousness. Encountering memories in this neuroplastic state allows for the reprocessing and integration of difficult emotions and experiences, enabling individuals to develop greater emotional resilience while developing new neural pathways to store the past differently.
Grounded in scientific research and guided by skilled practitioners, psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy represents not only a promising frontier in the treatment of mental health challenges, but a unique pathway to healing, emotional resilience and personal growth.
As the field continues to evolve, it holds the potential to revolutionise our understanding of consciousness, mental health, and human resilience. I believe psychedelic medicine will soon find itself alongside other ancient wellness modalities such as meditation and yoga as a part of how we care for our mind, body, and spiritual wellbeing.
PSYCHEDELICS DEFINED
Psychedelics (serotonergic hallucinogens) are powerful psychoactive perceptionaltering substances that affect mood and cognitive processes. Generally considered physiologically safe and non-addictive, they have ancient origins. The term psychedelic, from the Greek for ‘mind-manifesting’, was coined by British psychiatrist Humphry Osmond in the 1950s.
PSYCHEDELICS FOR WELLNESS
According to the HERO Wellness Scale (a medically recognised self-report screening tool where both clinician and respondent can track wellness for a full return to health) psychedelic use leads to improvements of up to 44% in Happiness, Enthusiasm, Resilience and Optimism.
MEDITATIONS
Resilience manifests in many disparate and varied forms. Take a moment to pause and contemplate it at its most visceral.
MEDITATIONS
UNQUIET MIND
From the Arctic to the Antarctic, all of life’s stories can be found in the illuminating photography of Cory Richards .
"It is the responsibility of a photographer to connect an audience with their emotional internal landscape to inspire some level of outward care or empathy for something greater than themselves," says the awardwinning photographer, filmmaker, writer and speaker Cory Richards.
Whether shooting fashion and fine art work in a studio, or capturing threatened ways of life, war zones, the intersection of humans and animals, or spectacular feats of human endurance, the rich and complex human story runs through all of Richards' photography.
His desire to forge connections between people and their elemental selves through his visual storytelling has taken him to the ends of the Earth. Now for the first time, 300 of Richards' mesmerising images have been brought together in Bi Polar: Photographs from an Unquiet Mind.
Describing it as a "visual extension" of his memoir The Color of Everything, the book is organised not by chronology or geography but by emotional polarities. "That to me was most representative of my mind," says Richards. "So, you will find Hope and Fear, Awe and Contempt, Pride and Shame, and in those categories I included stories that thought were most representative of those two primary dualities in our emotional expression." All of life is here.
Overleaf: Mbo Tadi, Bajo sea nomad. Sulawesi, Indonesia. 2012. Opposite, Left to Right: Xoma Xkgao (L) and Xoma Xwii (R), KoiSaan "Bushmen" in the Makgadigadi Pans. The KoiSaan are perhaps the most genetically ancient humans and have populated southern Africa for 140,000 years. 2015. Right: Alex Honnold, professional climber and subject of the Academy Award winning documentary Free Solo photographed for ESPN’s Body Issue near his home in California. 2019.
Introducing Chenot’s first cookbook, featuring a collection of inventive haute cuisine recipes designed to enable you to continue detoxing at home for successful ageing.
CHENOT UPDATES
DETOX AT HOME
Ageing may be inevitable, but how we age is in our hands. This guiding principle of the Chenot Method® and its integral component, the Chenot Diet®, comes to life in our first cookbook, Chenot Detox at Home.
Featuring over 150 elegant seasonal vegan recipes by our Executive Chef Ettore Moliteo, each dish is crafted to adhere to the core principles of the Chenot Diet®. Our recipes provide 850 calories over three meals per day, mirroring the regimen you’d experience at one of Chenot’s health wellness retreats, and empowering you to reach your healthy ageing potential from the comfort of your home.
Extensive scientific research demonstrates that fasting or diets mimicking fasting, activate our ‘anti-ageing switch’ by shifting our bodies’
metabolic focus from growth and reproduction to maintenance and repair, thereby increasing energy efficiency and promoting cellular health. Moreover, this approach enhances our inherent healing mechanisms through a process called autophagy, by which cells recycle damaged components, helping you feel energised and rejuvenated.
Periodic incorporation of the Chenot Diet® can benefit everyone to optimise their health wellness and especially those wishing to reduce chronic inflammation and stress, manage their weight, improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Chenot Detox at Home offers easy-to-follow recipes organized by season, ideal for a periodic detox or to complement your daily diet. Each
dish embodies haute cuisine, aligned with the Mediterranean dietary approach, featuring an exquisite balance of whole food ingredients like nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. The recipes follow the natural cycles of the seasons, advocating for the use of organic, locally sourced ingredients harvested at their nutritional peak. This approach ensures maximum flavour and nutritional value, making each meal a sustainable celebration of nature.
SHIFTING METABOLIC STATES
Following the Chenot Detox at Home recipes as a five-to-seven-day programme, the body goes through a process transitioning from glucose metabolism (using carbohydrates for energy) to ketone metabolism (using fats for energy), resulting in fat burning, cellular repair and rejuvenation.
Day 1: Enter fasting state, reducing glucose, forcing the body to find alternative energy sources. Day 2-3: Shift to fat utilisation, ketogenesis, enhanced autophagy. Day 7: Cellular renewal with refeeding.
To retain nutrients and minimise unwanted end products, we recommend short duration, high moisture, and low temperatures cooking methods like steaming, poaching, and boiling to preserve ingredient integrity and flavour. The recipes vary in preparation and cooking time, with many taking 30 minutes or less for busy days and more elaborate dishes for weekends. On a typical day, you may enjoy buckwheat and cherry porridge for breakfast, followed by a lunch of fig carpaccio, sorrel and Modena balsamic vinegar; chicory and raspberry salad: and quinoa pokè. Dinner could begin with caponata, followed by edamame soup, and a beetroot burger with soya bean sprouts and sprout salad.
Just as you will find at a Chenot retreat, each recipe in the book is beautifully prepared – a feast for the senses – with each element working in harmony to promote optimal health, allowing you to unlock your body’s full potential. This is edible science.
Saffron Risotto with Chestnut Butter, Porcini and Bitter Cocoa
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
Start with the chestnut butter. Cut the bottom of the chestnuts and boil them for 40 minutes, then let them cool and peel them – it should be quite easy. At this point bake them at 200°C for 6 minutes and then boil them for another hour. After this time drain and transfer to a mixer, still hot. Add in a mixer, add water, vinegar, salt and coconut oil. Blend until smooth.
Continue cutting the hulled shallot into a brunoise. Peel the porcini mushrooms and cut them into a julienne.
Toast the rice with the saffron and salt over a medium-low heat and cover with the broth (about two and a half times the volume of the rice). While the rice is cooking, sauté the shallots in a pan in a drizzle of oil and brown the porcini mushrooms on both sides, then salt them and dry them with some kitchen roll. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and cream it with a tablespoon of butter.
Put the rice in the centre of the dish and beat it lightly, so as to distribute it well. Cover with porcini and sprinkle part of the rice with cocoa.
‘Chenot Detox at Home’
For over two decades, we have seamlessly blended exceptional hospitality with science-backed wellness. Now, our pioneering partnership embarks on an exciting new chapter.
CHENOT UPDATES
TWENTY YEARS OF CHENOT ESPACE AT L’ALBERETA RELAIS & CH â TEAUX
Sometimes, the most successful partnerships begin with serendipity. "In 2002, I was at a meeting in Milan with the Director of the Four Seasons," remembers Carmen Moretti, Vice President of Holding Terra Moretti, which owns L’Albereta Relais and Châteaux. "He had just met Henri and Dominique Chenot and mentioned they were looking to open a second wellness facility in Italy."
The Four Seasons space didn’t quite suite Chenot's needs and the family was looking for a suitable alternative. Moretti suggested her family’s hotel, L'Albereta, which had opened in 1993.
An ivy-clad 19th century villa set within the verdant vineyards of the Franciacorta, 75km east of Milan, L'Albereta was devoted to hospitality, gastronomy and culture. When the Chenots visited, they knew they had found the perfect partner.
"L'Albereta was born to make our guests feel at home; we are a family and greet our visitors in a warm and welcoming setting," says Moretti. "The property is also the perfect location to experience a holistic idea of wellness – perched on a hill overlooking Lake Iseo and surrounded by vineyards. Here, you can truly relax."
After an expansion of the estate to meet the Chenots' requirements, the partnership began in earnest in 2003. Initially, some assumed that L'Albereta's gastronomic offering would be in contrast with Chenot's programmes. But Moretti and the Chenots believed the experiences complemented one another perfectly.
"There has always been a strong connection between the essentiality of Chenot's cuisine – very clean and organic – and the concept of eating healthy ingredients developed by Gualtiero Marchesi, one of the most known Italian chefs, who started as one of our partners,” explains Moretti.
Their intuition proved to be correct, and in 2023 L'Albereta and Chenot celebrated the 20th anniversary of their joint venture — and Albereta's 30th year of existence. The milestone year also saw L'Albereta win the accolade of Italy's Best Day Spa in the World Spa Awards. While some might drift into complacency after winning such an award, L'Albereta underwent a substantial renovation to improve their
offering further still. "There is a lot of competition in the industry, but we have always been successful because we combined two different offers," says Moretti. "We provide a medical spa, but our guests do not feel they are inside a clinic."
Through the renovation, carried out in part by Chenot Palace Weggis’s architect Davide Macullo, L’Albereta aligned its Chenot Espace design more closely with Chenot's blueprint, but without compromising its unique qualities.
"The aesthetic of the spa has gained in cleanliness and minimalism, but it is still a warm environment," explains Moretti. "We moved away from the artificial resin floors and used wood instead, or technical materials for the spa. The colours are also softer, with the selection of green and pink alluding to a sense of wellbeing."
The Chenot Espace at L'Albereta has been reorganised across two floors and now accommodates 14 medical offices, 14 massage rooms, and eight hydrotherapy rooms, attended by a team of 50 professionals.
The spa's diagnostic capability has also expanded to include Skin Collagen Thickness Assessment, Stress Testing, and an intensive Postural Movement Assessment. The results can then be used to inform treatments with advanced therapies such as the Neurac method, which addresses musculoskeletal pain, posture and mobility. Currently, Chenot Espace at L'Albereta is the only spa in Italy to offer this pioneering treatment.
The redesigned layout offers guests enhanced privacy and a discreet check-in experience, while the upgraded gym, equipped with cutting-edge Technogym equipment, ensures they can maintain their fitness routine throughout their stay.
Moretti is well aware of the importance of being ready to respond to the rapidly evolving landscape of the health wellness sector. "The next 20 years will be very different," she says. "Our guests have changed: they are more demanding, and younger audiences are more interested in wellbeing, prevention and health promotion –particularly after Covid. Their demands have made us resilient and adaptable to change, and that is an improvement that will certainly bring positive outcomes."
L’Albereta was born to make our guests feel at home; we are a family and greet our visitors in a warm and welcoming setting.
CARMEN MORETTI, VICE PRESIDENT OF HOLDING TERRA MORETTI
Writer Anna Pasternak tested our brand –new Sleep Cycles module and redefined how to recover through sleep.
CHENOT UPDATES
OWN THE LIGHT TO WIN THE NIGHT
For nearly two decades, The Chenot Method® has rebooted me when I have been below par. Its holistic approach has helped me attain optimum physical performance when my energy levels and metabolism lag. When I can’t switch off my agitating monkey mind, this ingenious blend of cutting-edge diagnostics, detox diet, energetic rebalancing and Chinese medicine has soothed my soul, becalmed my psyche and re-invigorated my entire system.
Writing my last book, my sleep pattern went haywire. I woke in the early hours, my mind whirring with words, unable to fall back to sleep. It was dementing as I already practise good sleep hygiene: no electronic devices in my cool bedroom, no evening screen time, and no coffee or alcohol consumption.
The minute finished my manuscript, I rushed to Chenot Palace Weggis to experience their new Sleep Cycles module; offered as an add-on to their Recover & Energise programme. Shattered to the
bone, was curious about a sleep programme that does not involve monitors.
The gift of visiting a Chenot centre is that it is not just about weight loss or muscle gain – it is their incentive to re-educate you that is potentially life-changing. What I learned about healthy sleep has proved invaluable. That to reset one’s circadian balance, you have to pay as much attention to what is going on in the day, as you do to the night. As biologist Antonio Di Mauro, Member of Chenot’s Scientific Team, told me: "You have to pay attention to the light phase to enhance the dark phase."
To relax the nervous system, attention at Chenot is paid to increased sleep pressure (which causes you to feel sleepy), which is achieved by improving the progressive and physiological build-up of the neurotransmitter adenosine throughout the day. The more adenosine we build during daylight – by being outside in daylight and exercising, for example – the better and longer we
sleep at night.
As part of the daily programme, every day I rested under what looked like an old-fashioned sun lamp, officially a full-body photobiomodulation machine. Far from bronzing me, it applied specific low-level laser therapy lightwaves to my cells to stimulate the levels of ATP, that is the source of energy at the cellular level. Despite the energetic trigger of this treatment, found it extremely relaxing, and almost as soothing as the proceeding treatment, where I lay in a darkened room with headphones on, listening to cleverly curated neuro acoustic music.
WHY 'SLEEP CYCLES'?
During the night the body works in 90-minute sleep cycles: N1 (lightest sleep), N2 (light sleep), N3 (deep sleep) and REM. While non-REM sleep accounts for the larger share earlier in the night, REM sleep stages lengthen during the second half. Chenot’s ‘Sleep Cycles’ module is designed to increase deep sleep, the cycle in which the body repairs and recovers.
Pioneered by the American company NuCalm, this soporific blend of tinkly tones, rushing water and sounds of nature is designed to synchronise with the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, coaxing the brain into relaxing alpha and theta waves. The aim is to reduce beta waves, which are associated with our active states and higher anxiety.
According to Di Mauro, most of us live in over-heated homes, which is detrimental to sleep health. "Science tells us that warmth is more dangerous and impairs our sleep more than cold," he says. "Cryotherapy is not a futuristic medicine. It is a return to the past, where we were exposed to light and cold." As part of the package, two daily sessions of whole-body cryotherapy at – 110 ° C helped calm my wired adrenal system, preparing me for deeper sleep.
Everything at Chenot is geared to help the body and mind recover from the thrashing it takes in our daily lives. The fast-mimicking daily diet of 850 calories triggers the metabolic process of autophagy. "It’s a healthy short-term shock that regenerates our body and biochemical pathways," explains Di Mauro. Allowing the digestive
system to rest and reset reduces inflammation, strengthens immunity, and restores the body’s biorhythm. Not only do you feel physically lighter as excess weight sloughs off, but mentally lighter, too. After the initial raging hunger subsides, I always feel that my appetite regulates to what my body needs – as opposed to what my mind craves.
The real joy of the Sleep Cycles module was, for me, staying in one of the four special sleep suites, which have been designed like a sound recording studio, so they remove noises unhelpful to slumber. Acoustics are carefully controlled so that noise doesn't bounce off the walls, resulting in the rooms having a contained, safe feel. The Nanobionic bed linen, complete with an FDA determination as a medical device, is a revelation. This scientific bed linen contains minerals that absorb the body's heat and reflect it back as infrared energy. It is sensational – you never overheat in the night and wake feeling reenergised, a feeling that is also achieved by using the Dagsmejan sleepwear, which has high-tech fibres that are also designed to maintain optimal sleep temperature throughout the night.
According to Di Mauro, there are three interconnected pillars to our quality of life. The first is sleep: "the elixir of life. Second are dietary habits, and third is physical activity. All these pillars impact our mindset and are all tightly connected."
After five nights on the Sleep Cycles module, I slept through the night. My busted circadian rhythm was repaired and has remained so. Di Mauro says that sleep quality is essential to our wellbeing. It increases our resilience to challenges and escalates our capacity for joy. I can vouch for that. I left Chenot Palace Weggis on a health high, armed with information to enhance my slumber and thus increase my appetite for life.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep increases brain activity to near-conscious levels. Muscles (except eye and respiratory muscles) are temporarily paralysed, and the body takes information and transmits it to the brain. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) floods the brain, cleansing cells and removing amyloid plaques. Cognitive function improves and dementia risk reduces.
Also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), the deep sleep cycle is when the brain is most relaxed and produces delta waves – the slow waves this phase is named for. During this stage, healing occurs, with the body repairing and regrowing tissue, building bone and muscle, and strengthening the immune system. This hugely enhances the efficacy of our Recover and Energise programme.
World Champion freediver, Alenka Artnik , is one of the deepest divers in the world. After a troubled childhood experiencing monumental loss, she nearly succumbed
to her grief. But then she discovered freediving.
UNLOCKING POTENTIAL
ON ONE BREATH
BY LYDIA GARD
During Alenka Artnik's World Record dive at the Vertical Blue competition in 2018, the commentator remarked on her 'perfect control, perfect technique'. It was the biggest competition of her career to date, and she was performing her favourite discipline –constant weight with monofin. She was there representing Slovenia against two other strong women, Alessia Zecchini (Italy) and Hanako Hirose (Japan). Her dive was flawless. She emerged fresh. The world waited for her to announce a next, deeper dive.
This is the principle of VB. Held at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas over the course of nine days, divers can make six attempts at their chosen discipline. If they start strong – as Artnik did – they tend to go deeper and deeper. Many records are set and broken, just to be set again the following day. So when all three women divded to 105m and shared a world record, Artnik shocked the community by stopping there.
"I just got this very strong message telling me, 'You’re going to stop now. This is just a game of ego. Your body needs more time at this depth,'" Artnik says. "This is when I really showed myself how resilient I can be.”
She was alone at the competition and made the decision without consultation. Artnik has never had a coach. She learned early on in life, during a childhood marred by an alcoholic father and addict brother, to fend for herself and to trust her gut.
"To me, resilience means having control of your ego. The outside world wants battles and titles. It's not easy to be unaffected, but it's possible. If you're diving for yourself, it's an extension of you, but not your whole identity. But if reaching a number represents happiness to you, then what? That's where the trouble comes."
Freediving is a unique sport: where mental strength has a greater bearing on success than physical, and age can be an advantage. When you fall into the depths of the ocean on a single breath, your heart rate drops to conserve oxygen. Blood shifts from the limbs to supply the vital organs and prevent the lungs from collapsing under increased pressure. Mentally, you must surrender to the ocean — not fight against it. You can train your body, slowly, patiently, to adapt at a cellular level. But the ability to stay calm, present and focused is key to success.
Yet, like many other sports, the conversation revolves around numbers and records. "We don't ask ourselves enough, 'why do want this certain thing? What is behind this need to achieve a result?'" says Artnik. "I see a lot of people achieve their goals and yet they are still miserable. They don’t feel accomplished."
To Artnik, her recent World Record dive to 111m (CWT bifins at VB in 2023) is simply the logical consequence of training consistently. During a typical cycle she will dive three days on/one off, then three days on/two off. For months. There's depth in the morning, then dynamic (in the pool, for CO2 tolerance), strength, breath-hold static-cycling or a long stretch routine in the afternoon.
On her rest days, Artnik relishes normality: shopping, reading or simply putting on make-up and enjoying good food and wine with friends. "It's about balance. Rest is important for the nervous system. If you’re sacrificing so much, you also have to give yourself pleasure."
Of course, there will always be things in training, as in life, that we don't want to do. In Artnik's view, either we simply don't need it, or it's exactly what we need to work on. "Out of our comfort zone, we learn about ourselves. It can be as simple as saying, 'maybe I'll learn something', instead of 'uff, I have to do this thing'".
Unlike many elite freedivers, Artnik, doesn’t train the mental aspects of the sport separately. "If I'm present in my training, don't need to say, 'ok for ten minutes after that I'll meditate, or, for 30 minutes I will be mindful.' Be present in your life. Care about what's happening, not only in you but also around you. This is how to train mindfulness – not because you want to obtain a certain goal. But to enjoy the whole process."
Artnik certainly does that. She is blissfully married and universally liked. She exudes a warm, gentle energy that's completely engaging. She seems to have found balance, although the flipside to her hardwon mental resilience, she says, is a poor relationship with sleep.
A hangover from her unpredictable childhood, she is only able to succumb to complete relaxation when she dives.
"When I’m ready to perform a dive, the only focus is on my breathing. I put myself in this state where I am not myself anymore. Once I touch the line, I don't feel like, 'Alenka Artnik is about to perform a world record attempt'. My identity melts away and feel at one. It's spiritual."
She's not the only diver who talks about approaching great depths as a kind of existential liberation. It requires letting go of control, trusting your body, being present and in a flow state.
"When you start to freefall, you feel instead of thinking. You must dive with feelings. The mind and the body are well-trained, they communicate without me interfering. I would describe it as unconditional love, which has nothing to do with love on the surface, because on the surface we condition it a lot. It's a feeling of grace. Pure peace."
ANATOMY OF A FREEDIVE
SURFACE
At the surface the air spaces in our body and the environment are at one bar of atmospheric pressure.
10 metres
By 10 metres the volume of the air in our lungs, airways and mask has reduced by 50% and divers must equalise to protect the ear drums from pressure related injuries (barotrauma).
20 metres
The diver is now in negative buoyancy, and freefall begins. They will now streamline their body to fall efficiently, and create as little drag as possible.
30 metres
At this depth, under 4 bar of pressure, the lungs have been reduced to 1/4 volume - known as residual volume. It will now become hard to equalise, and most deep divers will have already brought air up above the glottis to begin constant pressure - mouthfill.
40 metres
Falling at around 1m per second, the diver will be orientated on the line so that they can effectively sleep, in a meditative state, until they reach the bottom plate.
Award-winning photographer, filmmaker, writer and speaker Cory Richards is the man behind one of mountaineering’s most iconic images. As he publishes his first book, he discusses resilience, reinvention and the power of storytelling.
UNLOCKING POTENTIAL
OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES WITHIN IS THE TRUE SUMMIT
At 43 years old, Cory Richards has already lived many lives. A prodigious student who dropped out of high school at 14, he became an internationally acclaimed mountaineer, photographer and filmmaker. In 2012 he was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year and remains the only American to summit an 8,000 metre peak in winter.
He has climbed Everest without supplementary oxygen, experienced homelessness, battled mental health crises and addiction. Today, he is an author, speaker and storyteller, recently publishing his first book The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within.
“I'm so grateful for everything that has happened in my life,” Richards says. “I'm really proud and grounded in the person I'm becoming, and removing any piece of it would alter that.” Much of Richards’ journey is defined by his experiences with his mental health. Raised in Utah, he and his elder brother grew up skiing and climbing with their “deeply loving and caring” parents. “And yet – and this is one of the things about mental health – these challenging situations still happened.”
A straight A student, Richards went to high school two years early but at the age of 12, he started underperforming and was diagnosed with depression.
At 14, he was diagnosed as bipolar. For several years, Richards went in and out of psychiatric hospitals and 12-step programmes. Then in his late teens, he rediscovered climbing.
“People who grow up in stressful households come up with all sorts of maladaptive coping mechanisms and they’re often drawn to chaotic or extreme environments,” he says about his gravitation to climbing. “People say doing those things is a death wish, well I would refer to it as having a life wish.”
Climbing introduced Richards to photography, and his ability to capture vast landscapes and raw humanity led to assignments from National Geographic, Outside and The New York Times, in war zones and the remotest corners of the globe.
In 2011 he made the first successful winter ascent of Gasherbrum II with Simone Moro and Denis Urubko. During their descent the team was swept away by an avalanche; Richards captured his moment of survival by photographing himself covered in ice, eyes stunned and uncomprehending. The National Geographic put it on the cover of their 125th anniversary issue.
That image, together with COLD, the awardwinning documentary Richards made about the experience, skyrocketed his career. He became a National Geographic Photographer Fellow, joined
The North Face’s Global Athlete Team, and gained a million followers on Instagram.
And yet the image also captured a man in mental crisis. It precipitated a 12-year journey which saw him reach terrible lows, with his divorce in 2015, and incredible highs. In 2016, he summitted Everest alone without oxygen and spoke at the World Economic Forum on connecting the human family to the natural world to tackle climate change.
VULNERABILITY
"Above all else, vulnerability is key to making all good art. You have to show up with your baggage. Seek the humanity in your subjects, catching them in that moment where they are thinking about something else and you are
no longer present in their mind. That’s reality."
What reserves of inner strength was he drawing on?
“There is something inside the human psyche, heart and soul that is, I believe, infinitely powerful and has nearly limitless potential. And oftentimes it's expressed without speaking it, simply by the situations that we are thrust into.”
However, pursuing evermore dangerous challenges had, Richards realised, become a way of “distracting from intolerable feelings.” In 2021, he was set to attempt the unclimbed Northwest Ridge of Dhaulagiri ahead of filming a documentary about uncovering a new route on Everest. He experienced a terrifying mixed bipolar episode and had to return home, ending his professional climbing career.
“That was the real crisis point – when I couldn’t keep going to climb, couldn’t keep going to take pictures.” Richards moved to LA, joined a men’s group and started writing. “The transition was hard,
but I started to see that storytelling is the basis of the human experience,” he says. “I recognised that so much of my story was ubiquitous within the male psyche from my friends, but also the different cultures that I had experienced,” he says.
The result is his memoir The Color of Everything.
“This is not an adventure book; it is a book about mental health, about the mind and the heart,” he says.
“It explores tough things; we need to be triggered for the development of our resilience.”
In October, Richards releases his photographic book, Bi Polar: Photographs from an Unquiet Mind, named to reference both his diagnosis and the career that has taken him to both ends of the Earth. It is the visual extension of The Color of Everything, featuring 300 images arranged not by geographical location but by polarities of human emotion.
Today, Richards is motivated not simply by extremity but by written, oral and visual storytelling which illuminates important issues of the day. “We're all given one thing; time,” says Richards. “Stories are how we occupy that time and our potential is relative to our willingness to expand the stories we tell ourselves. You have no idea how much time you have, so to maximise your potential you have to understand your stories. And be mindful of the ones you tell.”
The Color of Everything: A Journey to Quiet the Chaos Within by Cory Richards, published by Random House; Bi Polar: Photographs from an Unquiet Mind by Cory Richards, published by Ten Speed Press (15 October 2024); coryrichards.com
Main Image: Cory Richards, Mustang Nepal, 2023.
What does someone’s approach to their Health Wellness reveal about them? In each edition of Chenot magazine, we will ask a person of note to answer the same set of ten questions to better understand how – and why – they strive to achieve their true potential.
Atitan in the world of professional road cycling, Fabian Cancellara's illustrious career is synonymous with power and precision. Having discovered cycling at the age of 13, Cancellara went on to achieve astonishing success in the sport. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Spartacus’, he was the time trial world champion four times, won the opening stage of the Tour de France five times, and took home three Olympic medals for Team Switzerland. He announced his retirement in 2016 after clinching a gold medal at the Rio Olympic Games. Cancellara has since created the TUDOR Pro Cycling Team; Chasing Cancellara, a platform of cycling events for cycling enthusiasts; and Kids on Wheels, promoting cycling to children. He lives in Berne, Switzerland, with his wife and their two daughters.
What is your idea of perfect wellness?
There are many different kinds of wellness. Wellness can be a luxury, but it can also be doing nothing at home on the couch. Whatever the type, it is needed for your health and recovery.
When have you overcome adversity?
At London 2012, crashed out on a corner in Richmond Park and potentially lost an Olympic gold medal. I suffered a lot because it was my mistake and so I took some distance from everything to really digest it. After a few months of hard work and professional support I was able to find the fire again and come back. think in life you need those tough moments – we cannot live just on the crest of the wave.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
Being able to decide by myself when I retired. When I crossed the finish line at Rio 2016, decided that it was over for me, and I was going to retire. It was amazing to be able to go out on such a high.
Which person, living or dead, do you most admire?
I would have loved to have met Nelson Mandela. It would have been a pleasure to talk with him and feel the aura of this man. Mandela said, “sport has the power to change the world,” and he was right.
What is your daily health essential?
A hot and cold shower in the morning. It’s a small thing, but it makes such a difference to how I feel.
What motivates you?
Having peace and goals in life. I am who I am thanks to cycling – not because of what I have won, or what have achieved – but because of what I have learned through the good and bad moments. I wanted to give back to my sport, so I created my projects, and am so thankful for the people I work with; I give them chances and they give me smiles. I need to have a sense of purpose, that is my anchor.
What is your health motto?
Live a life with balance and happiness. Achieving a good work life balance is where I'm trying to get to.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Nothing. am who am, and I am happy with that. I think about the things have, instead of things I don't.
When were you happiest?
When I have felt peace and freedom.
FABIAN CANCELLARA
What does ‘potential’ mean to you?
Potential is something that everyone has but it’s up to us to find our own way to bring it out of ourselves.
