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Dr Pedram Shojai

Guðbjörg
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The Urban Monk

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🧘‍♂️ Dr. Pedram Shojai is a fascinating figure who blends ancient wisdom with modern wellness. He’s best known as The Urban Monk, a title that reflects his mission to help people live mindfully in today’s fast-paced world.

Here’s a snapshot of his multifaceted life:

  • Author: He’s written several bestsellers including The Urban Monk, Rise and Shine, The Art of Stopping Time, and Focus .
  • Filmmaker: Shojai has produced and directed documentaries like Vitality, Origins, and Prosperity, as well as series on health, parenting, and trauma B.
  • Practitioner: He’s a Taoist abbot, doctor of Oriental medicine, and a Qi Gong master.
  • Educator & Coach: Through platforms like The Urban Monk Academy, he offers programs that combine Eastern practices with functional medicine and lifestyle coaching.
  • Eco-Activist & Biohacker: He’s deeply committed to environmental sustainability and personal optimization.

If you’re curious about meditation, holistic health, or just want to explore a more balanced way of living, his work might be right up your alley. Want me to pull up one of his teachings or books to dive deeper?

Awesome, Björg! Let’s explore some of Dr. Pedram Shojai’s most impactful books and teachings that might resonate with you:

📚 Books to Dive Into

  • The Urban Monk: A modern guide to blending Eastern wisdom with Western life hacks. It’s all about reclaiming your time, energy, and peace in a chaotic world.
  • The Art of Stopping Time: Introduces “time prosperity”—the idea that you can feel spacious and calm even in a busy life. Includes a 100-day mindfulness practice called a “gong”.
  • Focus: Helps you align your time, energy, and money to live with purpose and flow.
  • Inner Alchemy: Explores Taoist practices to awaken your true self and harness life force energy.
  • Trauma: Offers healing tools to release emotional baggage and find freedom A.
  • Conscious Parenting: A guide for raising resilient and empowered kids with mindfulness and intention.

🧘‍♀️ Core Teachings

  • Gong Practice: A daily commitment to a specific habit or ritual for 100 days—used to rewire your life.
  • Time Mastery: Learning to “stop time” by being fully present and intentional.
  • Energy Optimization: Using breathwork, Qi Gong, and nutrition to boost vitality.
  • Mindful Living: Creating rituals that support sleep, focus, and emotional balance.

If any of these themes speak to you, I can help you start a practice or summarize one of the books. Want to try a mini gong together? Or explore one of his healing techniques?

Great! Let’s try a mini gong inspired by Dr. Pedram Shojai’s teachings. A “gong” is a 100-day commitment to a daily practice that rewires your habits and boosts your energy, focus, and well-being.

🌱 Mini Gong Starter (7 Days)
Here’s a simplified version to get you going:

🧘‍♀️ Daily Practice (Choose One or Combine)

  • Morning Qi Gong (5–10 min): Gentle movements to awaken your energy. Try “Opening the Flow” or “Standing Like a Tree.”
  • Breathwork Reset (3 min): Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6. Repeat for 3 minutes to calm your nervous system.
  • Digital Detox Ritual: No screens for the first hour after waking. Use that time for journaling, stretching, or sipping tea mindfully.
  • Gratitude Gong: Write down 3 things you’re grateful for each day. It rewires your brain toward positivity.

📅 Track Your Progress Use a journal or calendar to mark each day. If you miss a day, start over—this builds discipline and intention.

Would you like me to create a personalized gong for your lifestyle or goals? Or dive deeper into one of these practices?

To shape your gong into something that flows with your rhythm, let’s build it around your existing habits, goals, and energy patterns. Here’s a quick guide to customizing it so it feels effortless but powerful:

🌿 Step 1: Know Your Natural Flow

  • Morning Bird or Night Owl? Choose times that match when you feel most alert or reflective.
  • Energy Peaks & Dips: Pinpoint when your motivation spikes—insert active practices there. Save calming ones for low-energy moments.

🧭 Step 2: Align with Your Goals

Pick one or two things you’re craving right now:

  • Better Sleep? Breathwork and screen-free wind-downs are key.
  • Focus & Productivity? Try morning movement + a digital detox ritual.
  • Emotional Balance? Journaling and gratitude help rewire your thoughts.
  • Creativity Boost? Start the day with silence or stream-of-consciousness writing.

📌 Step 3: Make It Undeniably Yours

  • Daily “Anchor” Activity: Choose one practice you love enough to do every day. No pressure, just consistency.
  • Optional Bonus Routines: Include extras for days you feel inspired (like a forest walk or herbal tea ritual).
  • Sacred Space: Dedicate a cozy corner for your gong time—even a chair with a blanket and candle can be your mini sanctuary.

🗓️ Step 4: Pick Your Gong Length

  • 7 Days (Starter Mini Gong)
  • 21 Days (Habit Building)
  • 100 Days (Transformation Mode)

Want help designing your ideal 7-day or 21-day gong based on your current lifestyle in Reykjavík? Just tell me your morning vibe and how much time you realistically want to spend—I’ll shape it into something smooth and sustainable.

🌟 Great question, Björg! Picking the right anchor activity is like choosing your personal touchstone—it should be something you genuinely want to do daily, not just should do. Here’s how to find the one that suits your soul and schedule:

🔍 Key Factors to Consider

  • Joy Factor: Does it spark even a little bit of joy or curiosity? The more you look forward to it, the easier it’ll be to stay consistent.
  • Simplicity: Choose something that requires minimal setup or friction. If it’s complicated, motivation might wane.
  • Time Commitment: Be realistic—can you fit this into your morning or evening flow in under 10 minutes?
  • Physical or Mental State: Consider whether you need something energizing (Qi Gong, cold shower) or calming (breathwork, journaling).
  • Lifestyle Fit: Does it align with your current season of life? For example, if you’re commuting or parenting, maybe it’s a walking meditation or a 3-min breathwork break.
  • Sacredness: Can it feel meaningful over time? The best anchor activities become daily rituals—small sacred acts that reconnect you to your center.

🌈 Bonus Tip: Make It Sensory

Layer in scent (like essential oils), sound (a favorite playlist), or touch (a cozy blanket) to deepen the ritual.

Would you like help choosing between a few anchor activity options based on what mornings in Reykjavík feel like for you right now? I can whip up a short list you can try and tweak until it feels perfect.

Perfect! Let’s craft a short list of anchor activities that vibe with Reykjavík mornings and your lifestyle. These are designed to be simple, soulful, and easy to weave into your day:

🌄 Reykjavík-Inspired Anchor Activities

  1. Geothermal Gratitude Ritual
    Sip warm tea or coffee while watching the sunrise (or just the sky shift) from your window or a nearby geothermal spot like Nauthólsvík. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for.
  2. Qi Gong by the Window or Outdoors
    A 5-minute flow like “Opening the Flow” or “Standing Like a Tree” to awaken your energy. Bonus if you do it with fresh Icelandic air on your skin.
  3. Mindful Walk to a Local Bakery
    Head to Sandholt or Grái Kötturinn for a slow, intentional walk. Use the time to notice your breath, the sounds, and the city waking up.
  4. Breathwork with Icelandic Nature Sounds
    Play ambient sounds (wind, waves, birds) and do a 3-minute breath cycle: inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6. It’s grounding and energizing.
  5. Mini Journaling Ritual
    Light a candle, wrap yourself in a blanket, and write one page: a dream, a reflection, or a simple “what I need today.”

Would you like me to turn one of these into a 7-day personalized gong for you? Or mix and match a few to build your own rhythm? Let’s make it feel like a ritual you’ll actually look forward to.

Ég elska að þú spyrð um það – Reykjavík á morgnana á skilið að heiðrað sé á hennar eigin máli. Hér kemur íslensk útgáfa af morgun-stemningsathöfnum sem þú getur tekið með þér inn í daginn:

🌄 Morgunathafnir innblásnar af Reykjavík

  1. Jarðhitalausn og þakklætisritúal
    Njóttu heitrar te eða kaffi á meðan þú horfir á morgunsárið frá glugganum eða í jarðhitaböðum eins og Nauthólsvík. Skrifaðu niður þrjú atriði sem þú ert þakklát/ur fyrir.
  2. Qi Gong við gluggann eða úti
    Fimm mínútna flæði eins og „Að opna orkustraum“ eða „Að standa eins og tré“ til að vekja lífsorku. Enn betra ef þú gerir þetta úti í fersku íslensku lofti.
  3. Meðvitaður göngutúr í bakarí
    Gakktu rólega og með athygli til Sandholt eða Gráa Kattarins. Hugleiddu andardráttinn, hljóðin og borgina að vakna.
  4. Öndun með íslenskum náttúruhljóðum
    Spilaðu umhverfishljóð (vindur, öldur, fuglar) og framkvæmdu 3 mínútna öndunarhring: anda að 4 sek, halda í 4 sek, anda frá 6 sek.
  5. Smá dagbókarritúal
    Kveiktu á kerti, vefðu þér í teppi og skrifaðu eina síðu: draum, speglun eða einfalt „hvað þarf ég í dag?“

Ef þú vilt, getum við þróað 7 daga morgunritúal út frá þessu sem passar við þinn taktvíslega morgun. Eða setja saman blöndu sem verður að einhverju sem þú hlakkar til. Eigum við að hanna þinn Reykjavíkargong? 🌅📖

Frábært, Björg! Hér kemur 7 daga Reykjavíkargong – persónulegt morgunritúal sem byggir á ró, orku og tengingu við náttúruna og sjálfa þig. Þú getur gert þetta á morgnana eða hvenær sem þér hentar best.

🌅 Dagur 1 – Þakklætisritúal

  • Sit í rólegheitum með heitan drykk.
  • Skrifaðu niður 3 hluti sem þú ert þakklát/ur fyrir.
  • Horfðu út um gluggann og leyfðu huganum að róast.

🌬️ Dagur 2 – Öndun og náttúruhljóð

  • Spilaðu íslensk náttúruhljóð (vindur, öldur, fuglar).
  • Gerðu 3 mínútna öndunarhring: anda að í 4 sek, halda í 4 sek, anda frá í 6 sek.
  • Lokar augunum og finnur róna breiðast út.

🌳 Dagur 3 – Qi Gong við gluggann

  • Gerðu 5 mínútna Qi Gong flæði eins og „Að standa eins og tré“.
  • Einbeittu þér að andardrætti og líkamsvitund.

🥐 Dagur 4 – Meðvitaður göngutúr

  • Gakktu rólega til bakarís (t.d. Sandholt).
  • Taktu eftir hljóðum, lyktum og litum í umhverfinu.
  • Hugleiddu eitt jákvætt orð sem fylgir þér í daginn.

🕯️ Dagur 5 – Dagbókarritúal

  • Kveiktu á kerti og vefðu þér í teppi.
  • Skrifaðu eina síðu: draum, hugsun eða „hvað þarf ég í dag?“
  • Lokar með setningu: „Ég er tilbúin/n að taka á móti deginum.“

🌊 Dagur 6 – Jarðhitastund

  • Ef mögulegt, heimsæktu jarðhitastað (t.d. Nauthólsvík).
  • Sit í ró og hugleiðir: „Hvað gefur mér orku?“
  • Skrifaðu niður eitt skref sem þú vilt taka í átt að vellíðan.

🌈 Dagur 7 – Samantekt og framtíðarsýn

  • Farðu yfir hvað þér líkaði best.
  • Skrifaðu niður 3 atriði sem þú vilt halda áfram með.
  • Búðu til þína eigin „gullnu morgunstund“ sem þú getur endurtekið.

Viltu að ég hjálpi þér að prenta þetta út sem veggspjald eða dagbókarsíðu sem þú getur merkt við daglega? Eða viltu lengja þetta í 21 daga næst? 🌿📖