Fitness, Wellness, & Mindfulness Blog

This week, the fires that have ravaged the greater Los Angeles area have been a brutal reminder of nature's unpredictability and the deep resilience of the human spirit. These flames have left so many in our community devastated but have also sparked moments of extraordinary courage and kindness. Amidst the pain and loss, we are reminded of what makes life worth living. And as we rise, we do so with the knowledge that, together, we will rebuild this city, stronger and more compassionate than before.

As the year draws to a close, we’re presented with a unique opportunity to pause, reflect, and realign with what truly matters. December often carries a whirlwind of busyness—holiday plans, tying up loose ends, and preparing for the new year. Yet within this momentum lies an invitation: to move into the new year with intention, purpose, and mindfulness.

If you're someone who finds it hard to slow down, I understand. It’s not easy to let go of the belief that more is always better. But when we take the time to pause, reflect, and create space in our lives, we allow ourselves to reconnect with what truly nourishes us. And that’s where the real magic happens. It’s a journey I’m on always - the journey is the destination. But I can say with certainty: slowing down has been one of the most transformative decisions I’ve made. I feel more grounded, more connected, and more aligned with who I really am. Here are some tips for slowing down, inspired by my own journey. I still struggle to slow down sometimes, and like everyone else I am a work in progree. Be gentle with yourself, and remember to go slowly!

Last weekend I was featured on KTLA 5 Weekend Morning News where I discussed my “ProACTIVE” Aging campaign and the philosophy behind it. I also shared my 6 essential tips for feeling your best as you navigate the aging process. This discussion was particularly timely, sparked by a recent publication in Nature that challenges the conventional belief that aging is a gradual process. The study suggests that we may actually experience noticeable changes to our bodies in distinct bursts, "during our mid-forties and around 60 years old.” During the segment, I shared practical advice on how to embrace these changes with confidence and vitality. Here are the 6 tips I discussed to help you proactively manage your well-being as you age and, most importantly, adopt lifestyle habits that will prepare your body to navigate these waves of change.

Recently, I was interviewed on CBS2 NY about my "ProACTIVE Aging" Movement. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to change the pervasive conversation labelling the aging process as "Anti-Aging." The term is unfortunately negative and sets us up for a losing battle. “Anti” literally means “opposed” or “against,” and perpetuates the myth that aging is something to be feared and avoided, as opposed to what it is actually: a powerful, meaningful, lifelong process that unites us all. My use of the language, “ProACTIVE Aging,” is a positive step towards creating a new movement and experience around this privilege denied to many.

Happy New Year! The task of improving your health need not be daunting. I offer you here 10 Healthy Simple Habits to help you feel and be your best in the year ahead. 

On December 9th I turned 54 and here's what I know. Aging is not a problem to be fixed or a disease to be cured. It is a natural, powerful, lifelong process that unites us all. It is a gift to be alive and well, and getting older is a privilege denied to many. Every year I welcome and celebrate my birthday, and of course every year is unique and quite different from the last. The constant is that each birthday is always an expression of my truth, of where I am in my life, in my soul, at my core. I have embraced and adopted the language “PRO Aging” as opposed to “anti-aging” as anti-aging beliefs commonly promote how to remain young or prevent aging (impossible). Pro-aging shifts the belief toward enjoying and celebrating aging - on our own terms.

Just this past October 2nd, I gave the opening Keynote Speech for the LD Micro 16th Annual “Main Event,” a 3-day investor conference held at the chic LUXE Hotel in Los Angeles. When my friend, Chris Lahiji, Founder of LD Micro, invited me to deliver a keynote, I immediately knew I wanted to fundamentally reframe how people think about movement and exercise. I used this platform to provide easy-to-use tools to live a long life filled with meaning, joy, and optimal function and movement ability. Rather than viewing movement and exercise as a chore, I wanted to inspire people to view it as a privilege and a gift that we give ourselves. I asked the attendees to think about the final decade of life, how each person wants to feel, and to make a list of specific things each wants to be able to do. I asked them a question that I pose to you.

Try holding completely still for a minute. Impossible. Why? Breath is movement. Simply by nature of being alive, you are moving. So movement from breathing - and all movement - is a vital human need. Movement is life, life is movement, and movement is the first and primary language of the body. I suggest you drop the word “exercise,” throw out the word “fitness,” and replace those dreary and loaded terms with the word - 'movement.’ How do you view “exercise?”

Did you know that if you can stand up and sit back down without using your hands, odds are you will live longer? That's right. Numerous studies have been done indicating that the ability to stand up from sitting without using your hands is a precursor to longevity. While it's well known that aerobic health is an important fitness staple, we also know that core strength and stability are crucial for longevity and directly related to survival.

As we step into a new year, we are challenged to commit to a newly chosen path and make it a regular part of our daily life. I often hear students express that they have difficulty motivating themselves to move their body every day, read more, eat cleaner, walk more, meditate more, or they struggle to watch TV less, doom-scroll less, and avoid or eliminate other unproductive activities and behaviors. Commonly I hear, “I just don’t have any discipline.”

Here is an important and beneficial tip for your mental health in the new year: replace the word “discipline” with “commitment.”

"You have an unlimited reserve of energy in you." I often say this to my students, whether it's a group class or a private one-on-one. And you do - You have an unlimited reserve of energy in you. I’m not referring to the kind of energy that would help you do five hours of jumping or running every day , I’m referring to your energetic self... YOUR energy... You.

When you ask people around the world what they most want out of life, so much of the time the answer is, “I just want to be happy.” It seems to be life’s #1 goal, and in the U.S., one of our inalienable rights is indeed ‘the pursuit of happiness.’ But what is “happiness”? Scientists can’t even agree on a definition, even though they’ve filled bookcases and professional journals with advice on how to get it…

I used to often feel like the Energizer Bunny, running from one goal to the next on my list. I have since learned to pause and celebrate my achievements. As such, I am sharing my gratification with you in respecting what I have created and built and how I have invested in myself.

The culture in which we live of “busy overachievers” seems to “require” a hustle, as does the entrepreneurial world. It’s as if we are doing something wrong if we’re not hustling. The idea that the only way to achieve success is by overloading our plates, overwhelming our minds, and taxing our bodies is neither sustainable nor healthy and - well - false.

Women are amazing creatures – strong, smart, beautiful, and capable of doing just about anything. And there’s certainly no shortage of diversity among us. Neither is there a shortage of complexity in our health and wellness issues, which are multi-faceted and very different from men’s. There are a few facts women tend to hold in common in terms of their health and well-being. Here are 3 things you may not know about women as featured in my article with @womenfitnesscelebrities.

"ALOHA is reaching for someone’s hand and touching their heart at the same time. ALOHA is the essence of relationships in which each person is important to every other person, animal, and all of nature for collective existence. ALOHA means to hear what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.”

I buried my friend Jay yesterday - along with almost a thousand other people who loved him. I am heartbroken and grieving this loss - for his wife and children, his parents, his entire loving family and community, all of his patients, the babies he brought into this world, and for me.

Please tell the people in your life you love them. Every day.

One can hold a philosophical belief and yet still struggle with incorporating that belief into their own lives. The two are not mutually exclusive – they can co-exist. An example of what I mean: Like so many others, I have struggled with body image issues my entire life as well as times of disordered eating. Yet I believe that all women should be celebrated for their beauty, power, and magnificence at any size, weight, age, shape, form.

So in honor of women's health, and mental health awareness, here we go.

In a year I will not be the same person I am today - none of us will. I will be rooted even further into my heart, immersed in following my soul’s mission. I choose to welcome the new year becoming an even better version of myself. I am committed to consistent growth, dedicated to self-care, and continuing to cultivate self-love.

I am committed to consistently taking action to build my freedom - merging my passion and way of life into one, allowing a harmonious balance to emerge. This year has taught my soul many lessons.

I was born on December 9th, 1969 with both the sun and moon in Sagittarius - last week I turned 52. I've always identified deeply with this sign- the archer- the deep wisdom-seeking, the call of adventure, the beauty of expansion, all with the enthusiasm of fire. Leaping and soaring with my bow and arrow.

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Today is all about giving thanks and expressing gratitude. While this is something I practice daily, it is magnified when I'm surrounded by loved ones and expressing my feelings of joy today.

“When you let go of your idea of what your life has to look like your world gets so much bigger."

Years ago, one of my mentors taught me this lesson, and it is still one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned. It is one that I continue to practice and teach. I am certainly practicing it here in Maui. I knew that this trip was necessary. But I could not have imagined how transformative it would be.

Since 1949, May has been nationally recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. The goal is to raise awareness and educate the public on symptoms, causes, and available treatments. A larger mission is to inspire more social empathy for those who suffer.

A few years ago in an interview, I was asked "What do you believe people are missing the most when it comes to a healthy lifestyle?” My answer was - and still is - “the ability to cultivate joy on a daily basis.” Make no mistake, I was speaking as much personally as I was collectively.

Dear friends and family, as we collectively experience the passing of 2020, it’s fair to say that this year has been like no other in our lifetime.

"'The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." - Socrates

This week I turned 51, and here’s what I know - it is a gift to be alive and well! And my life is full of many gifts and blessings for which I am grateful. Therefore I always welcome and celebrate my birthday in some fashion, although every year that looks different.