Your thinking of the hierarchy of basic hygiene -> exercise -> mindfulness is exactly how I started thinking about my daily life about 3-4 months ago. I am not 100% there yet but I started by making sure by never skipping brushing even if I'm running late to work, then moved to flossing more often. Around the winter holidays I started walking more often (30+ mins), now I do it every day and then just last week I started practicing mindfulness by meditating and I saw it as the last step toward understanding my body more. Of course, I could be doing these with more rigor and more time but I think soon I'll see them as non-negotiables for everyday living. To me, it's a surprise that I went for a long time without thinking exercise is what my body needs just as much as I need calories and sleep.

> To me, it's a surprise that I went for a long time without thinking

Boy, me too!

I think most of my days fall into several categories: 1. hygiene: exercising, flossing, shaving, making my bed, eating, etc 2. spirituality: something like mindfulness, not meditation though, but rather just looking at the evening sky more often or being acutely aware of this moment and the next, of the very food I am eating, or not interpreting every experience I experience and just allowing this moment to be, etc 3. simplifying: decluttering, eliminating ideas or things that I become aware of and come across that I find aren't capital-t true or that I don't need, internally or externally 4. play: interests, going to class, studying, learning, working, hanging out with friends, sitting in traffic, paying the bills, swimming in the ocean, etc

Flossing is the kale of dental hygiene. It's the best habit I've taken up for my health other than running.

I think introspection without action is quite common in America. Laziness, procrastination, smoking, being fat, etc. are all too easy here. I feel like we are too comfortable as consumers.