PALOMA Profiles: Rory Warnock

In this PALOMA Profile, we take you on a journey to the edge of the outermost limits of physical capability, and inwards to the heart of calm and focus with the indefatigable Rory Warnock.
Rory is an industry-leading performance and wellness coach, UltraMarathon runner, and keynote speaker. He specializes in breathwork and nervous system regulation to help improve mental and physical health, and optimize wellbeing and performance.

Rory is also Head of Wellness at Cingulum Health, a neurological health clinic where he works closely with the in-house psychologists and psychiatrists. Within the corporate space, Rory assists businesses looking to support employee mental health through breathwork sessions and companies who value up-skilling their team through breathwork seminars.

Read this insightful interview with Rory, and learn about how he maintains and optimizes his physical and mental health through the power of breath. He’s always a calming influence when he visits the salon and we all know that we could all do with more of that in our day sometimes.

Rory, you are clearly someone who likes to push themselves to their outermost limits while also taking care of your body and mind. How do you navigate the extremes of physical exertion on the one hand and mental/emotional calm and wellbeing on the other?

I do my best to be mindful of conscious stress to promote positive adaptation, with adequate and appropriate rest to allow my brain and body the correct time to recover. Daily, I’ll use tools to enhance recovery - various breathwork techniques, hot and cold exposure, Puresport supplements and lots of sleep. To run 50km, 100km, even 250km, my weeks are structured, I stay consistent and I'm not always motivated, but I am disipline. In a fast paced world I feel rest is undervalued and we must be aware of the stress/rest balance, otherwise burnout or chronic fatigue will creep in.

How did you come to be where you are today in the physical and mental wellbeing space?

I certainly didn't leave university with the intention of being a breathwork coach, I did however graduate with a degree in Strength & Conditioning Science, so I've always had a keen interest in human development. In 2017, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and prescribed antidepressants. I tried everything I could to improve my health and stumbled across breathwork. The feelings were immediate and incredibly apparent, I was hooked. In 2019 I moved to Sydney and made it my purpose, passion and mission to help others feel as good as breathwork makes me feel. My practice focuses on holistic brain and body health as I believe the brain and body should be developed as a whole, rather than in isolation. Gratefully, I now work with a wide range of people in corporate, medical, education along with high performers such as professional athletes, Olympians and Australian Defence Force.

At PALOMA, the idea of ‘SELF’ is a core pillar to our brand, our service, and our community. What does ‘Self Care’ mean to you? How do you take care of yourself, and what are your ‘Self-Love’ practices and rituals?

When you’re in a profession that provides a service to others, I think it’s incredibly important to fill your cup first. If my cup isn't full, how do I expect to support others? For me, self care is spending solo time with my dog, Albie, going on long runs, practicing conscious breathing, listening to music, sitting in the sauna, spending quality time with a great friend, eating yummy food. These are essentially the things that bring me happiness in the short and long term.

At PALOMA we are about community and inclusivity. Obviously community is a key aspect of your work - tell us more about what community means to you?

Apart from the occasional 1-1 session, the vast majority of my work is with groups and communities. Bringing like minded people together, who each have a goal of bettering themselves brings me energy. I often find certain breathwork practices can pull back the curtains of ego to allow people to be open, honest and vulnerable. I witness this week in and week out during community sessions and I can see how much growth is found. Community is strength and security.

Paloma met you through being a participant at one of your breathwork sessions some time ago and became a frequent student of yours. What is the super power that you’re unlocking through breathwork? Why should everyone invest in breath?

Breathing isn't a choice, but the way you breathe is. By gaining control over your breath and nervous system, this unlocks a secret power to emotional regulation. Through consistent breathwork practice, people will report feeling more calm, less reactive, improve decisions and much more. Breathing is the foundation to all of human development. Maybe because it’s an unconscious, automatic action we do nearly 25,000 times per day, it's vastly overlooked and undervalued. During my sessions I help individuals learn how to breathe optimally to support a balanced nervous system along with improving oxygen delivery…after all, isn't that the point of breathing. The final technique we utilize I call ‘A & P Breathing”, which is active and passive breathing. This type of breathing accompanied by emotive, thought provoking music can be incredibly powerful. Once the session is over, people will report feeling calm, euphoric, light, spacious, joyful, strong, empowered and powerful. Hopefully this teases you enough to come try a session…

You have a thick head of luscious curly hair. How do you keep your curls tame? What products do you love that work for you?

Grace has been incredible and given me confidence to lean into the curls. I’ve tried many products over the years and have found Kevin Murphy’s Curl range to work for me. I use KILLER.CURLS WASH followed by KILLER.CURLS RINSE in the shower. I then use KILLER.CURLS to style.

What is it you love about coming to Paloma Salon? You have been a regular guest of Grace for some time now. What keeps you coming back?

I feel as if I'm popping over to a friend's house when I visit my Paloma Salon family. Everyone is welcoming with beautifully infectious smiles. Grace is a wonderful listener and a true professional who I trust 100%. I leave feeling more confident and excited for my next visit.

Thank you for sharing with us, Rory!

Follow us on @paloma_salon for behind the scenes and other PALOMA Profiles to come.
Keep in touch and follow Rory’s Journey @rorywarnock_

Credits
Photography: Jay Patel from The 10th Letter | @10thletterau