The Goop Lab: a mostly harmless rollercoaster to self-discovery.
Gwyneth Paltrow has a new show on Netflix, and it’s (unfortunately) not a television series about Pepper Potts and Tony Stark’s relationship.
It’s a production called The Goop Lab, in which Gwyneth and her brave employees show the mechanics behind Goop - the wellness brand she founded in 2008, now worth around two hundred and fifty million dollars.
The trailer seemed crazier than a rose quartz crystal straw, meant to radiate a heart-opening, calming vibe ($68). It teased everything from exorcism, vulvas, psychedelics… you name it!
So, I thought as an avid Netflix binge-watcher, I’d give it a go.
I hope I’d be forgiven for walking into the series with scepticism. I was expected to be sold maybe a $2,000 endorphin infused patch to put on my butt after a long day in university. But what may come as a relief (or disappointment to some) is that the show felt normal, even boring compared to the action-packed trailer.
Each thirty-minute episode dives deeper into the curious land of alternative wellness trends, such as micro-dosed mushrooms, lifestyle interventions and psychic reads.
The Goop Lab's alternative ways of healing included psychedelics, pescatarian diets and psychic reads. Credit: @ Jimmy C, @ ErgSap's photostream, @ Midnight Believer
The soft-spoken experts and Goopers create largely reasonable and emotionally impactful cases. The safe space atmosphere made me wonder: “Am I doing enough to be healthy and in touch with myself?!”
As someone who struggles with anxiety and severe panic attacks, the Wim Hof’s Breathing Method, an extreme physical approach to mind-over-matter, was exceptionally appealing to me. I didn’t want to jump into Lake Tahoe mid-Winter, so I’ve opted out for cold showers each night and the push-up challenge. Here’s the gist of the experiment:
- Do as many push-ups as you can.
- Practice deep breathing for roughly 1 minute.
- Do as many push-ups as you can.
The breathing exercise not only helped me to optimise my athletic performance, but it also helped me learn how to calm myself more effectively when another panic attack approaches. The cold showers in the morning - whew, boy - helped me to be more clear-headed and relaxed.
The methods are not for everyone, but if you’re willing to take a small leap of faith, you might as well believe in the otherwise unbelievable… or at least have a laugh at how easily gooped you were.
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