Certified wellness guru shares his best wellness advice
Dr Oberdan Marianetti shares top wellness tips ahead of his wellness event at the Lensbury in October and his journey to becoming whole again...
Numerous individuals devote a disproportionate portion of their daily lives dwelling on the past or the future, inadvertently bypassing the opportunity for a richer life experience.
It's quite understandable why many of us seek refuge from the present, as it often unfolds in a hectic, chaotic, and occasionally overwhelming manner. Nevertheless, immersing ourselves more entirely in the present allows us to navigate it with greater mastery.
It is my experience that easily accessible tools are often the most effective. However, let us not be fooled by the fact that they appear simple. By consistently applying these tools, we grow, heal or learn, and being always disciplined can be tricky, even with straightforward tools.
Wellness tips from the expert
Here are three simple tools I would recommend to manage the Now and apply mindfulness in daily life more skillfully:
1. Cultivate a conscious awareness of the present.
In practice, this means bringing your attention to what you are experiencing now, be it your thoughts, emotions, smells, sights, sounds, sensations, etc. and being fully present to them. Practice this, especially when you are with your partner and children.
How many still think of our work to-do lists when engaged with our loved ones? Giving them our full attention and presence is a gift we can bestow on them, but it also allows us to enjoy what they bring to our lives fully.
2. Introduce a daily meditative practice.
Whether a formal meditation practice, an exercise routine, or even just sitting quietly for 5 minutes, make time every day to quietly sit with yourself and make space for self-reflection.
3. Sleep well.
In my clinic intake form, I always ask about sleep habits. It is the area of life where my clients most consistently struggle greatly. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of good rest. Even for new parents with a crying baby, whatever your context, find a way to create the best sleep routine possible within your current context."
Interview with the doctor
Get to know Dr Marianetti and his journey to wholeness. Work with him personally to overcome your limitations in your first step to transform your life with an all-weekend event in October in Teddington.
1. Can you tell us more about your journey to becoming a Psychologist and Clinical Sexologist and how your extensive experience in corporate and independent settings has shaped your approach to helping individuals with relationship and sexuality challenges?
I have always been curious to understand why people behave the way they do, and even as a child, I often pondered the motives behind people's behaviours. That curiosity never left me and eventually developed into a keen study of the human psyche and exploring what makes for a fulfilling and satisfying life.
Eight years ago, I pursued my calling to help people heal by setting up my private clinical practice. I support individuals and couples to heal from traumas, depression, addictions and relationship challenges by allowing them to reconnect to their purpose and to develop healthier self-worth.
Throughout this journey, I realised that what is common to many of the challenges that clients face, is a fundamental departure from their own values, needs and purpose.
Clients often have spent so long complying with requests from the outside world that they forget who they are or what they need.
Today, in my clinical practice, retreats and educational programmes, I mainly focus on helping clients develop a strong and healthy sense of self-worth. This forms the foundation for changes they can apply to heal their traumas, eliminate crippling addictions or develop more beneficial relationships.
CYRIL T C NG
2. The OM-Wellness Process you've designed combines psychology-led processes with breathwork, yoga movement, guided meditation, and cold exposure. How did you conceptualise and develop this unique and innovative approach to helping people break through their limiting beliefs and rediscover a life of purpose?
In 2017, I had various unexpected and highly traumatic experiences concurrently within a few months. It was a profoundly taxing period that took me to the brink of my boundaries and had me even considering the idea of suicide.
When I woke up from the stupor that resulted from those events, I realised I had a lot of work to do to recover and regain a version of myself that could continue to add value to the world. Therefore, I decided to apply the knowledge and skills I acquired to help myself reset my physical and mental health.
For about 18 months, I experimented with myself, introducing new, small routines to my daily life that ranged from eating different foods, to setting up a healthier sleep regime, to daily ice baths, breathwork and exercise.
I coupled these practices with psychotherapy, which I attended weekly, as well as self-reflection and sharing with some close friends.
At the end of the 18 months, I felt great again. I was at my healthiest body weight, fitness, strength and mobility in the last ten years, I felt motivated, excited and hopeful about life.
One day, as I pondered the journey I had just gone through, I remember thinking, "Wow, I feel so lucky to be alive and have had the knowledge and skills to recover fully! Hold on a second; most people don't have access to this knowledge and skills, and during therapy sessions, I cannot practically replicate what I did with myself in the last 18 months. I wonder if there is a way to package this approach into a teachable experience!?" and that is how the OM-Wellness process began.
I spent an additional 18 months developing the approach and eventually tested it with a group of 11 volunteers. Their feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that it motivated me to offer the process as an open programme.
3. You are a certified Wim Hof Method and Oxygen Advantage Instructor. How have these certifications influenced your approach to wellness and the techniques you incorporate into the OM-Wellness Process?
The Wim Hof Method (WHM) first appeared around 2015, when a video was presented online to suggest something I may be interested in watching. I eventually watched the video and realised there were scientific, peer-reviewed studies supporting the positive impact this cold immersion method could have on one's health.
After that, my natural curiosity took over. I first started practising alone, following the limited online guidance. Eventually, I signed up for the WHM course and completed all levels, all the way to becoming an instructor.
I discovered the Oxygen Advantage (OA) method later when talking to fellow WHM practitioners exploring new wellness techniques to complement their learnings.
The positive influence of these methods was evident in my own life soon after I started practising them. My energy levels increased, my sleep improved, and I generally felt calmer. Integrating these techniques into my daily practice felt natural when I hit rock bottom in 2017.
The combination of my psychology expertise, the WHM, the OA, yoga and other life skills acquired along the way proved to be a winning formula for my recovery. What is particularly powerful about them is that they are all-natural and accessible to most people without significant health conditions. Once learnt, we can apply them free of charge, whenever necessary.
4. As a speaker and workshop facilitator, how do you tailor your presentations and workshops to engage your audience best and help them achieve transformative experiences?
When engaging with others, I believe everyone desires to be seen, heard and understood. When I prepare for a talk, a seminar, a workshop or a retreat, I spend considerable time thinking about the audience. I imagine myself in their shoes. I try to connect to their motivation in being at that talk on that topic. I imagine their life situation and the likely questions that emerge within them.
When I feel sufficiently connected to that image, I shape my messages to it.
I loosely hold to the plan I formulated when preparing the talk because I mostly want to focus on feeling, seeing and hearing the audience live. The energy in the room, their questions, their body language, and their gaze act as a barometer that tells me whether participants feel like I am talking to them rather than at them.
This personalised experience helps them access their own mind and feelings and support them to create the necessary transformation every step of the way during my programmes and retreats.
Cyril T C Ng
5. Could you share some insights into the benefits of cold exposure and how it fits into the broader OM-Wellness framework? How does it contribute to the mind-body connection and overall wellness?
There is mounting, credible, scientific evidence of the benefits of cold exposure, both regarding physical and mental health.
These benefits can readily be felt when practising regularly. I set myself up with a converted chest freezer at home and practice cold exposure daily.
Concerning my programmes, cold exposure is used more as a tool for self-discovery. Immersing oneself in ice-cold water is a powerful and profound experience.
Given the comfortable and cushy lives that modern society affords most of us, many people have never been tested to this level. Witnessing themselves capable of such heights can be a deeply transformative process, especially when framed by science-based psychology tools and techniques that can facilitate a deep re-wiring of our psyche.
6. What can participants expect to gain from the upcoming retreats in Teddington and Bali, and how will your teachings and practices be integrated into the experience?
om wellness mpu
I aimed to introduce this innovative program to the UK, providing access to a wider audience in a semi-urban setting, particularly benefiting weary professionals in London. In December, we will offer the same exceptional content in a more exclusive, secluded location in Bali, tailored for the cosmopolitan traveller to combine with their end-of-the-year break.
Partnering with COMO Shambhala Bali, an award-winning wellness resort, is an incredible privilege, allowing us to extend this unique experience to its discerning clients.
The retreat is perfect for people already thriving and looking for an extra edge in life. Moreover, it is equally suitable for those with personal or professional challenges that must be resolved.
Personally, by the end of the weekend, participants will experience a renewed sense of inner resolve, a stronger sense of hope about the future from increased self-confidence in their ability to deal with life's stressors, and a more profound sense of clarity on how to move forward in the specific area of life they hope to address.
Beyond the personal experience of transformation, a strong sense of community emerges from sharing a unique experience with other people on a similar journey. Friendships, partnerships, and business ventures have emerged from our past cohorts. Deep connections are created full of opportunity when we witness or are witnessed in our power.
The experience will be delivered by me in a purposeful yet organic way, designed to gently guide participants through self-exploration and discovery that will facilitate the unlocking of otherwise untapped power.
The programme is designed to seamlessly flow from one activity to the other, allowing participants to fully focus on their individual experience while allowing the magic of the learning to sink deep and create sustainable, positive change.
Upcoming events
Visit Dr Oberdan Marianetti's website to keep updated with new wellness events.
