Pillar 06

Mind, Energy & Spiritual Optimization

The mental, emotional, and energetic substrate that the other seven pillars run on top of. Meditation, breathwork, sound therapy, mindfulness, emotional regulation, nervous system regulation, focus systems, flow state optimization, performance psychology. Grounded, elegant, neuroscience adjacent. The brand is allergic to cultish spirituality, fake manifestation guru content, and the abundance mindset register.

Reading · 2 entries

Apollo Neuro, three months in

A wearable that delivers gentle vibration patterns claimed to regulate the nervous system. Does it actually do anything?

Breathwork as nervous system regulation, not spirituality

Why the most effective version of this practice is the version stripped of mysticism.

The Stack · 4 tools

What I’m currently using in this pillar. Each links to a full review with mechanism, evidence, and verdict.

Affiliate disclosure. The Human Upgrade may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this page. We only recommend tools we’ve tested or would use ourselves. Disclosure does not change verdicts.
Vagal training
Apollo Neuro (Gen 2)
Apollo
Wearable touch based vagal training. Subtle but real over three months. HRV trended up.
$$$Tested 3 months
Meditation
Waking Up
Sam Harris
The meditation app for non spiritual people. Theory + practice. Best subscription I keep.
$$/yrTested 5 years
Vagal stim
Pulsetto
Pulsetto
Non invasive vagal nerve stimulation. Pre sleep protocol. Effect is real but small.
$$$Tested 6 months
Sound therapy
Brain.fm Pro
Brain.fm
Functional music for focus blocks. Better than any playlist. Worth the annual fee.
$/yrTested 2 years