You might recognize Waris Ahluwalia from Wes Anderson films or the Netflix show Russian Doll. Or perhaps you've seen the countless street style shots of him—his dapper personal style has landed him on several high profile best-dressed lists. Ahluwalia lives a life surrounded by beautiful things. He designed jewelry, which he says taught him not to compromise. “If you're off by half a millimeter, that stone will pop out,” he says. “It's taught me to push and to persist until I get it right.” Working with conservation organizations like Elephant Family created a tangible thread that he felt “connects all living beings and the injustices suffered across the planet.” It also made him look at his work differently. House of Waris Botanicals is more than Ahluwalia's tea brand. It's an exploration into a more thoughtful way of living through the use of plant science, community and celebration. “We're focused on redesigning our relationship to wellbeing and stress for a better you,” he says. “The whole world has been told to slow down and that's been one of our central themes—our speed, desire for shortcuts, need for productivity has led down a dangerous path.” Herewith, Ahluwalia's slow, studied morning routine.

I’m usually up by 8 am.

I wish it was at the first light of day, but I'm not there ... yet.

I could be better about sleep.

I don't always get eight hours, but I strive for it as much as I can.

I don’t rush things.

The first thing I do after waking up is to write down any details from my dreams. Then I take ten minutes for meditation and breathing exercises. Right now, we have an opportunity to create better habits. Better structures. Better lives. Don't settle for going back to normal. Normal is not good enough. Let's breakdown old ways that clearly weren't working.

Deep breathing is one of the most important parts of my morning.

Can't say that enough. It helps me mentally prepare for the day. We were never taught how to breathe properly so we're all shallow breathers. This does not get enough oxygen to the trillions of cells in our body. Breathe. Deep.