Ceremony of the Soul

I usually spend winter solstice reflecting and once the New Years bell rings I’m refocusing. I’ll ask myself…

What do I want to create?
What do I want to be known for?
How do I want to SHOW UP in this new year?
How will I improve?
Why is this important to me?

December in the PNW is a combination of chill and rain, lots of rain. I’ve grown accustomed to the clouds and learned to stick to my plans regardless of the liquid sunshine. On this particular day the sun made it through. Which is perfect because every year during winter solstice we join the Nisqually Tribe to welcome the change. [Scroll down and watch part of the ceremony.]

It’s a two day celebration called Winter Moon and the McCloud Ohana have been the caretakers of this ceremony for many years.

Solstice

A time just before great change, for example summer solstice is the longest day in the northern hemisphere signifying abundance, harvest and beauty. Meanwhile winter solstice is the catalyst to regeneration, self-reflection and rejuvenation. It’s also the shortest day of the year.

Our inner being understands solstice and change which is why we look at the new year as a chance to regenerate and start over. We’re wired to do this.

During this time the Elders share their wisdom and we reflect on their words.

Success

Good things come to those who pay attention to their inner voice. If you remove the distractions, blinking lights and phone chimes to focus on…

What do you desire in the new year?

What do you need to make it happen?

When will you start?

Mack and Joyce McCloud have been hosting this for generations and taught their children to carry on. The two pictures above are the two of them.

Healthy body comes from a healthy mind.

Start by taking time to nurture and listen to the cravings of your soul. Then make a food and fitness plan for the coming year. Don’t spend a dime on workout equipment or nutritional products until you answer the questions I posted above.

After everything is done the children hang god’s eyes in the trees to decorate them for the new year.

Commit to a plan once you’ve

Completed a self-reflection session. (Basically answer the questions above.)
Designate time towards intentional movement.
Assign someone to be your accountability partner.

Above all keep your word! Do not break the promise you make to yourself. Whatever you choose to do in the near future be consistent to show-up for yourself, even when the going gets tough and you want to give up.

Hau’oli Makahiki Hou to all of you beautiful MANA Wahine out there! Just keep moving.

https://youtu.be/pBzh6v9ChjY

Keep it simple and be creative.

Just sharing a video I made and sending a Christmas blessing. Mele Kalikimaka

Supercharge Your Body With Tea

Weather’s changing and we should all drink more tea 🍵. My goal of this post is to convince one person to invest in quality, preferably loose leaf, tea.

TWO CATEGORIES

Before I share my list of benefits, know that I view tea in two categories: physical health and emotion health.

PHYSICAL HEALTH

The herbs benefit your digestive system, improves circulation and boost your immune system. In many holistic homes you’ll find a tea cabinet dedicated to wellness.

EMOTIONAL HEALTH

Tea is a ritual unto itself causing you to pause. Within a stressful environment tea-time offers a unique opportunity to create a ritualistic experience of relaxation.

POINTS IF INTEREST

The term, “You get what you pay for” applies to teas. So keep that in mind when shopping for your tea stash. Speaking of stash I had the opportunity of visiting Steven Smith Tea in Portland, Oregon. My friend Jackie took my sister and I for a special excursion. He created several tea brands including TAZO which was purchased by STARBUCKS.

Imagine walking into the Mecca of tea shops. The variety, blends and presentation was elevating to my senses. It was lovely.

INVEST IN THINGS THAT INVEST IN YOU

Their main building houses both a distribution center and tasting spaces. I was excited to try their Matcha & Ginger Latte which had an energetic taste. Matcha is known to improve attention, memory and reaction time. It’s caffeine and L-theanine, can improve brain function.

Then I tried a Masala Chai which contains an impressive collection of spices such as ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper. Many are used in Ayurveda treatments for digestive issues. I asked for hemp milk and it was delicious. (As I reflect on the drink it might have been almond milk. Lol)

However the winner of the best-in-show category belongs to their Chocolate Enfleurage Flight purchased by my sister. It’s a pairing of three blends and matching chocolates. A fit-foodies paradise!

The basic truth is that organic teas have so many health benefits. You can find them at your local grocers or online.

TEAS ARE PERFECT FOR

JOINT RECOVERY
PRE-WORKOUT
POST-WORKOUT
ENERGY BOOST
RELAXATION
CLARITY BOOST
HEALTHY GUT

This is my work station while I enjoy my tea and schedule my classes. If you’re ever in Portland I suggest you visit Smith Teas and enjoy the flavors, here’s their menu.

If you’re near the Olympia, Washington I’m co-teaching a fundraiser September 29, 2019 Join the events list here. PEACE Be The Journey

Bulk buy organic beauty products.

Life is a woven web of food, fitness, emotion and so much more. It’s a balance. And when I mention beauty, I’m not talking about what you read in a magazine or see on Instagram. I’m talking about your physical beauty and how it relates to self-care.

These are a few of my fave bulk buy, organic beauty products. Most of my base ingredients come from Mountain Rose Herbs 🌿 locates here in the Pacific Northwest.

I’ve talked about clays before, here, and that’s because of its many benefits. My fave is Rhassoul 💜 luv it!

I recently started to add incense into my routine for the sheer pleasure of the aroma. Shoyeido is my favorite brand because it’s not crazy-smoky like others and I don’t get irritated by the fragrance.

Salts!!! After any grueling workout you’ll want a regenerating salt bath. I like to make my own. But sometimes I get lazy, that’s when I turn to my friend who created these…

Oils!!! After the soak I keep it simple. And yes there is a difference between regular and organic oils.

This is something I just got. Going to do more research on it. It’s a Himalayan salt rock. Have a healthy & fit week!

PEACE BE THE JOURNEY

If I workout do I need to eat healthy?

Well that totally depends on what you want. Maybe fitness is a social event and you’re just chillaxing through the process. Otherwise YES EATING HEALTHY MAKES A DIFFERENCE. [Said with love and support.]

The best way to transition is slowly & NOT through a DIET [said as an educator] in my opinion. Again it’s my opinion, I’m not telling you what to do.

I recently started cooking like this. For a long time Quinoa seemed difficult but it wasn’t. The only problem was my negative perspective, so once I got over it I started cooking it regularly.

Now I prep my meals and enjoy experimenting with Quinoa. But believe me when I say that I don’t eat like this everyday. In fact my weekends look totally different.

Anyway, back on the subject, food does matter. I actually wrote another blog about it called FOOD & FITNESS, WHY IT MATTERSWhy am I writing about this?

I actually overheard a fitness coach tell a client, “Don’t worry you can workout those calories, just keep coming.” Hmm… the calories from a jelly donut 🍩 isn’t the same as a sweet potato. One actually carries vitamins & minerals, and the other is empty of any value. [Note: I was visiting this gym for a master class.]

PS: Sugar isn’t the same type of energy as chia seeds, I’m just saying. But don’t get me wrong I like a Sunday sweet treat but I don’t expect those calories to benefit my body.

Why can’t all fitness professionals be honest?

I addressed the coach later and asked, “Why didn’t you tell her the truth.” He said, “Because it doesn’t matter, I can help her burn off the calories.” HOLD-UP Shouldn’t we be empowering our clients to make better choices. I would rather have my clients learn to live sustainably instead of relying on me. My thought, “No bueno brah!” And, “Where did you go to school?” Okay, I have to change the subject…

My weekend, on special occasions.

When I do have a special treat I splurge on quality. In other words the baker or chef totally luvs what they do. Their recipes are a combination of curated products, such as farm fresh eggs.

Recently my Ohana enjoyed some Macaroons & Cupcakes from our fave Seattle spot Trophy 🏆 Cupcakes and Party. This is a weekend treat.

True story: I put supermarket cupcakes in a Trophy box and my Na Keiki (children) totally knew the difference. They were like, “Mom this taste different!” “How so you know, it was in the box?” I asked. “THE FROSTING DOESN’T TASTE RIGHT!!!” Ahh so true, they’re mini-foodies. You can taste the quality.

I hope you enjoyed this post & please share the Aloha. Tell me how you balance food, fitness & family. PEACE Be the Journey

BECOME A MERMAID

RANDOM CONFESSION: I adore packaging. I’m such a geek 🤓 because I will read & study the fonts, labels & design.

On the WholelisticFit Blog

Comment below: What motivates you?

Meal Prep vs Kawaii, Bento

Meal prep is when you line up a bunch of containers in a sort of assembly line process. Bento box lunches are the exact opposite, especially in Kawaii style. The idea behind it is taking your time to plate a beautiful and appealing meal. Kawaii uses dainty objects for sauces and special tools to cut designs into veggies. And they’ll often create cute characters. 🍱

What’s the point?

The point is value. How we in America value meals compared to other countries, like Japan, where food is a ritual to lift the Soul by nourishing the body.

Find Balance

So I find a happy balance between the two. I’ll usually prep a base, like cooking a batch of quinoa, and accessorize them in Bento fashion. Each time appealing to my senses & visually showing self-love. Loving myself enough to nourish my body in a holistic way. Below are some of my creations. For Ingredients and closer pics visit Instagram, it has each Bento with fit-foodie details.

🧜🏽‍♀️

It all boils down to perception, how one perceives their body. I teach my fitness ladies to enjoy the food process. Eating is the single thing that we do for ourselves, daily. So why not make it lovely.

On the WholelisticFit blog I wrote and article about choosing a fitness routine/style that will meet the needs of your mind, body and Soul. It’s a private blog for Mermaids so make sure to use your password. Or… become a Mermaid using the link in the sidebar. See you in Instagram.

August’s Fitness Challenge

The inspiration behind this challenge came from an info-graphic on my Pinterest board. I tried to find where it originated to give them credit. But every time I found that image and clicked, it lead me to a different blog or website. It was so confusing.

Nevertheless I chose to name my version ✨”ABracadabra” because it sounded cooler than ab-challenge. Imagine melting away flabbiness and embracing a toned tummy. 🙌🏽 I’m down with that.

So my workout crew is waking up at 5:30am to join me on Facebook Livestream to do this together. We just completed ✅ last months 5min Plank challenge below. 👇🏽

So we’re at it again.

I normally don’t post back to back so if you’re reading this and wanted to read my other post: The Fit Side of HULA -or- HULA FITNESS click here. Or the image below.

PS: If you’re wondering here’s this month’s Zumba with Ho’o fitness schedule. 😉 If you were wondering. 💋

Inspiration behind: Fitness Concert “Island Style”

This year I attended Zumba Convention or ZINCON 2016 with my sister & fellow instructor Paish. We vlogged, Snapchat, YouTube our adventures to our friends and families. Nothing impacted me more than the welcome sign,

Master the business of fun!

That was the inspiration I needed to plan, create, host & lead my Zumba classes. It can be challenging to stay motivated while motivating others but that sign said it all! All I have to do is be FUN.

The first event was such a boost and all I could think about was my class. How can I duplicate my experience at #ZINCON to my students & fellow mermaids? What can I offer that would make them excited to dance off those unwanted calories and invite others?

Answer: I need to host a fitness concert, make it fun & make it memorable.

See what we got here.

Check out the #ZINCON lobby here.

Get the dance moves here.

Motivated by #ZINCON and the beautiful ladies in my class I’m hosting a fall kick-off to fitness. My background is Polynesian performing arts and what better way to host a FITNESS CONCERT than “Island Flavor.”

Become a Mermaid & grab the fitness apps resource page, for free. It’s live links that you can use right away with a brief description and cost per app.

Beautiful Soul – Day 21

It’s the 21st day of the BEAUTIFUL SOUL CHALLENGE which deserves a celebration chant. Hip-hip-hooray! Now let’s spend a little time reflecting on the process with a few questions…

Why did you start the BEAUTIFUL SOUL CHALLENGE? (Day 1)
How did you practice gratitude before this challenge?
Was it difficult, at first, focusing on gratitude?
Do you feel that it got easier or harder as time went by?
How can you share your insight with someone else?

The Soul is multidimensional, brilliant and fragile all at once. Take time to build a foundation of gratitude that will lead to overall peace & balance. ~Ho’omalamalama

I’ve learned that gratitude is the oil in the mechanism of emotional stability. You can live your entire life without it but eventually your emotional gears will wear themselves out. Practicing gratitude will benefit every area of your life. It won’t take away your problems but it can open the way for perseverance and with that you can do anything.

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Look up!

Beautiful Soul – Day 20

One day I found myself sitting in on a lecture that felt like it went on for days, as all lectures do. Then the last speaker got up to talk and his words were so prolific that I had to mentally apologize for my previous negative thoughts. (Yes, it’s true I can slip into sarcastic monologue when board out of my mind.)
Anyway… he said that abundance is like the candles on a cake while the cake itself is similar to scarcity. (Read on, it gets better.)

A cake can be divided into portions but once taken it can not be replaced therefore becoming scarce and for a few. However, one lit candle can ignite the rest without becoming less of a light in fact the opposite happens. The more candles you light the brighter it becomes which is like having an abundance mindset. (Of course this is my interpretation, thanks Rabbi Daniel Lapin for the teaching.)

You can share gratefulness and it will never diminish your worth. This healthy soul activity will flow into your mind and body.

But why don’t more people practice gratitude? Because it’s not a social norm. It is a life skill. And no one person or business can make millions off of something we can do for ourselves. Can you imagine the gratitude pill to end all emotional discomfort.

Remember to practice a wholelistic fit life which is balancing the whole BEing and working the muscles of your mind, body & soul.

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PEACE Be the Journey.

MANA Wahine Fitness