How we begin the morning often shapes everything that follows. The early hours are when the nervous system is most receptive, the mind is clear, and the body is naturally resetting for the day ahead.

For Chervin Jafarieh, that window is something he protects carefully. As the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Cymbiotika, his work is deeply rooted in understanding how daily habits influence energy, resilience, and long term health.

Below, Chervin shares the Rising Ritual that helps him start the day with clarity, focus, and intention.

Chervin Jafarieh’s Rising Ritual

My risings aren’t a “routine.” They’re a ritual.

It’s the part of the day where I’m the most impressionable, where my nervous system is still soft, my mind is quiet, and my brain is naturally sharp. If I protect that window, the rest of the day tends to unfold with a different kind of ease. More clarity. More creativity. Less friction.

And even though I call this my Rising Ritual, the truth is… my rise starts the night before. That evening piece matters. I’ll share that separately. But when the day begins, this is how I meet it.

I wake up without an alarm

This is one of my non-negotiables.

I don’t let a device rip me out of sleep. No blaring sound. No jolt. I want my body to wake when it’s ready, not when my phone decides it’s time.

When my circadian rhythm is locked in, everything works better - energy, mood, focus, recovery. I usually wake up around 5:30am, and it shifts a little with the seasons. Some days it’s earlier, some days it’s later, but it’s always natural.

It’s a small thing that changes everything. I start the day feeling like I’m leading myself instead of chasing something.

Before I go vertical, I drink my water

I keep 16–20 ounces of spring water on my mantle the night before. It’s already mixed with Icelandic sea salt, so when I open my eyes, it’s right there - no thinking, no negotiating, no delay.

And I drink it before I go vertical.

That first hydration hits differently when your body has been dry all night. It wakes me up in a clean way. It helps flush out what my body processes during sleep. It also gently elevates blood pressure naturally, which - at least for me - feels like it saves my adrenal energy for later in the day when I actually need it.

I can feel the difference when I skip it. Everything feels a little more… scattered. When I do it, I feel anchored.

I go outside immediately: feet on earth, eyes on sunrise

After the water, I go outside.

No phone. No LED lights. No artificial stimulation. I want the first thing my eyes see to be real light.

I stand on the earth and look toward the horizon as the sun comes up. I aim for at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight in my eyes and on my body.

Sunlight is one of those things that sounds too simple to be powerful, but it’s everything. It wakes up my brain. It wakes up my immune system. It sets my internal clock. It tells my whole system, we’re on.

There’s also something that happens spiritually when you do this consistently. You stop feeling like you’re living against life and you start living with it.

I move right away: 100 air squats

While I’m out there, I do 100 air squats.

It’s not about ego. It’s not a workout. It’s circulation.

Squats move blood through the body, open up the hips and joints, and pull me fully into my legs. It’s like flipping the switch from sleep to life. When the blood starts moving, my mind wakes up differently too - more organized, more creative, more directed.

Then I shake and vibrate my body

After squats, I shake.

This might be the most underrated part of the whole ritual. The lymphatic system needs movement, and shaking is a simple way to get everything flowing. It also feels like I’m clearing whatever residue is left - sleep, tension, emotion, anything I don’t need to carry into the day.

A lot of people try to think their way into clarity. I’ve found it’s easier to move your way into it.

Winter vs. summer: fire or red light

I adjust with the season.

In the winter, I’ll stand in front of a fire for about 10 minutes. There’s something ancient about it. The warmth hits deep. It feels like infrared from nature - soothing, grounding, calming my body while still waking it up.

In the summer, I might use a red light instead. Same intention: gentle cellular activation, warmth without harshness.

Either way, it tunes me.

I hum and sing every rise

I’m not doing this to sound good. I’m doing it because it works.

I hum. I sing. I let my voice come online early.

That vibration through the chest and throat is one of the fastest ways I know to settle the nervous system. It feels like it activates my vagus nerve and shifts me into a parasympathetic state - calm, clear, present.

And once my nervous system is calm, my mind becomes sharp. I can actually see my day. I can prioritize. I can create.

Then I make my drink: shilajit tea or molecular hydrogen

Only after I’ve hydrated, gotten sunlight, moved, and regulated my system… then I’ll make my drink.

Most days it’s either shilajit tea or a molecular hydrogen drink, depending on what my body is asking for.

I love this part because it feels like the bridge from ritual into creation - like now I’m ready to build.

I keep a 432Hz soundscape playing

I usually have a 432Hz soundscape on in the background.

It’s subtle, but it changes the atmosphere in my space. It makes everything feel calmer, more coherent - like my environment is supporting me instead of pulling at me.

What I don’t do matters just as much

I don’t turn on the news on the rise. Ever.

I don’t bring that frequency into my space when my brain is at its most open and impressionable. And I don’t use LED lights early either. I keep the environment soft and natural.

The early hours are my creative gold. My mind is in deep focus then. That’s when I can write, think, build, and vision the clearest. I protect that window like it’s sacred - because it is.

How this leaves me feeling

When I follow this ritual, I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat.

My body feels hydrated and alive. My mind feels clear. My nervous system feels steady. I’m not rushing. I’m not behind. I’m not reacting.

I’m creating.

And that’s the whole point. The rise is where I set the tone - so the rise and the afternoon aren’t something I survive… they’re something I actually get to enjoy.