Save local studios.

Sol Health Yoga & Wellness

Many of us join an independent fitness studio because they’re part of the community. You’ll often see other members at the grocery stores or farmers market.

Before each session you’re greeted by someone at the front desk who actually knows your name.

The sign-in process isn’t some key code, app or card swipe, it’s an actual human checking you in for your session. In fact the owners mop floors, restock shelves and manage the website. Why? Because they want to serve their community.

I’m blessed to teach at such a location and have the freedom to add my island heritage into their list of services. I came up with the idea to offer a four part Hula series that includes a soulful practice called, “Umeke Mālamalama” or bowl of light.

The class was fully booked then the governor of Washington state shut down all studios. Mind you, plenty of other stores stayed opened such a as liquor and smoke shops. Why gyms and boutique studios? (Including dance and martial arts.)

So many inconsistencies such as chain stores and fast food are enjoying a profitable season while closures affect small business owners. Schools shut down while daycares are over crowded. From the time of this blogpost eleven (11) studios closed their doors and are out of business.

11 Local Shut-downs

These owners served their community and struggled through the first six months, they were happy to reopen at a smaller capacity. To only succumb to the sad reality that nine months of zero income and a growing lease would be the end.

Many of these shops support other local business and allow them to sell their quality products.

Bottom Line

I’m 100% about being safe and cautious, don’t miss understand, but it should be the same for all businesses. We need to support what is left… we need our small business owners because they are invested into the community.

You can help

Here’s some things you can do to help your local studio…

• Instagram, Facebook the owners and leave them an encouraging message. Show love.
• Give them a good review on Yelp and Google. Help increase traffic.
• Post your testimony. Heartfelt messages are powerful.
• Join their online sessions and maintain your membership.

CAUTION: I have to mention one bad apple. I’ve heard of one gym that kept charging their clients during the shutdown and when the member tried to call NO ONE was manning the phones. Yikes.

Last suggestion, you can help them fundraise. The beanie above is made by a lovely yoga member. The sale goes towards a scholarship fund to help people maintain their membership.

So much good in the world and we need to shine a light on it!

I look forward to filling these spaces again but for now I’m content to try their online sessions.

At the end of the day we need to practice good vibes only and remember that LOVE does.

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I’m currently working on an online fitness program for Mom’s to help our bodies cope with this world. If you would like more info join my newsletter and I’ll even throw in some digital goodies.

Good Vibes Only

Bonus

I was able to redesign their website and you can visit it here: https://www.solhealthyoga.com Since covid19 it’s been a roller coaster ride due to our State’s leadership. There’s actually a Facebook page dedicated to listing all the businesses that closed due to certain ordinances. (Keep in mind that liquor, marijuana, fast food and other chain stores are thriving.)

If you know a local fitness, wellness, dance or martial arts studio that needs website help you can send them here https://www.hoomalamalama.com/design I’m doing free assessments during January 2021.

PEACE Be The Journey

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Women who DO don’t wait for permission!

I speak from experience because if I waited I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m on a WholelisticFit journey and it’s not easy. Excuses and doubt happen but it shouldn’t become a defining factor.

Can you imagine a life without pain, sickness or disease?

What would it take to make that happen?

Stop trying to heal the world. Start healing yourself and the world will take notice. Start with YOU. Because if you’re like me, we’ve seen the headlines and feel the hurt. Our first reaction is sorrow and maybe hopelessness. Sometimes we stop moving all together because we’re chained by sadness. But that’s when you use your WHY to refocus and stay in motion.

Energize your fit schedule with an emotional connection to wellness. Develop a deep and rooted WHY into every squat, plank and burpee.

Make the extra effort, do what the average person wouldn’t. Stay consistent, persevere and believe in the process.

Speaking of process, I was talking to my sister, Make Mahalo, about our goals. She used the term, “the G-d process!” Which I understand as going through challenges KNOWING that there’s a lesson in the midst. The willingness to have faith and keep moving forward.

Will the life lessons ever stop? Probably not. The G-d process seems to be ingrained into the universe.

Keep moving forward!

So I’m doing another fitness concert, and it’s been awhile. The last one was in the Spring and it feels like decades. I can’t wait to sweat along side of some fabulous women and a few good men. The best part is blasting the music 🎶 and moving to the rhythm.

Also if you’re interested my blog WholelisticFit.com has a new article called, “WHY & WILLpower, which do you need first?” It list the 5-Steps-To-A-Strong-Why and includes some pinable quotes. Keep in mind that you have to be a MERMAID to read it, and membership is free. Click here to become a Mermaid.

I’m closing with a few vision boards I created and posted on Instagram! PEACE Be the Journey, Ho’omālamalama

 

3 Changes 2 Better

I’m always learning and processing. Especially when confronting uncomfortable change. When I first started teaching STRONG By Zumba® I was way out of my league, but I wanted change. 

Being a mother of seven [7] I didn’t want to look like I gave birth to seven. I wanted to be healthy enough to play soccer ⚽️ with them.  Hike and create an active lifestyle. 

My goal was to embrace where I was and suffer through the workout, to be STRONG. Happily, I no longer suffer through the workout because my body is conditioned to flow with it. 

Here’s what I did in info-pic form…

[PS: Comment if you want to dive into a life changing experience of your own.]

Get my post: How to get over a fear-of-success. You can expect a questionnaire and resources. Start living your fit life today. 

Excercise and Chemo Treatments

I realize the era we all live in with our advanced technology and stem cell discovery. There’s a pill for everything. Well almost everything. There is one muscle that requires regular exercise. In fact pharmaceutical companies spend a fortune trying to duplicate what this muscle can do. It is the source of life.

Do you know what it is?

It’s your amazing heart ❤️

I learned a key factor, when hanging out at my sister’s chemo treatments, back in December 2015. Walking activates the calves which helps to contract the heart. [Because blood is circulating.]

Now why is this important? Well… the chemo is directed to the heart and walking will help the heart muscles move it through and OUT of the body. Inactivity is like a stagnant pond of pain. The tricky thing is that it hurts to move. But movement is what the body needs. 

Why am I writing about this? If you have a loved one going through chemo treatments volunteer to walk with them. Help them activate their calves and contract the heart. The simple act of walking is truly beneficial.

Why walk with them? It hurts. Every fiber of their being is in excruciating and unbearable pain. I use to make it up to her room just in time to walk with her. The workout was literally circles on the oncology ward. She would often bring her phone to play music 🎶 and dance along the sanitized hallways. Your presence is a gift of HOPE! 

You can read about her experience and recovery here. PEACE Be the Journey, Ho’omalamalama 

Oh one more thing! I’m planning a How-To VISION BOARD webinar. If you’re interested join my email list and become a MERMAID here. I’ll also send you my free course BALANCED BEAUTY. 

Creating a holistic lifestyle full of intentional beauty. ~Ho’omalamalama 

5 Tips to Vision. [Fitness Edition]

I host a booth at my local farmers market and for years people would ask me, “What do you do?” And I use to have trouble answering it. Yes I’m creative and I make stuff but I’m also a mother, blogger, fitness professional, foodie, nature lover and many more descriptive words. One day I decided to glue it all down. Literally.

The idea was to gather all these descriptions and match them up with images. To create a cohesive vision board. [What is vision?] Vision, my definition, is the ability to project what you desire.

Here are 5 Tips To Vision [Fitness Edition]

1. Start with self discovery. What kind of lifestyle do you want? How do you want to feel & look in 1, 2 or 3 years? What do you like to do for fun that involves movement?
2. Search for inspiration. Look for magazines, blogs or Pinterest for image and words. Magazines are my favorite because you can do part 3 with them.
3. Collect words and images that inspire you. Cut and glue them on art paper. I use water color paper because it can handle the weight of the glue without warping. I also use decoupage glue instead of a glue stick.
4. Display your creation in a prominent place. Be proud of the work you did and look at it often. It will motivate you when times get rough.
5. Create or modify a new one as needed. We are in constant change. Our cells are regenerating and so much goes on in our daily lives. If an old vision board isn’t serving you than create a new one.

I created several versions of vision. A flat poster to display on the fridge and an accordion styled vision board. The one above usually lives by my windowsill. It’s one of my favorite things to look at because it has so many elements that I enjoy.

For an added bonus I did this excercise with my children and they loved it. The cork board above was an Ohana, family, project. My kiddos cut out images that they wanted and I arranged it in a snug design to reveal our idea of Ohana health.

Goals and dreams are all laid out for me to revisit often. I truly enjoyed doing this and I hope you try it out. The whole process is to align what you see with what you desire. If you want a healthy body than make sure to add images that support it. NOT a model or someone else’s body but things that will support your journey. For example: I want to loose 20lbs and like to hike; I’ll find images of trails and nature.

Need help organizing your thoughts and creating a schedule click here. 

Want to be apart of my virtual class and need more info, comment below. I’ll be working with several individuals online to plan, create, schedule & do.

What you see in this blogpost is part of the fun process. PEACE Be the Journey.

If Jellyfish were coaches…

Who knew that staring at jellyfish could be so thought provoking but apparently it is. We, hubby & me, like taking our children out on excursions which is exercise minus the gym. During  the 2015 Christmas break we went to ZooLights, basically they dress up the entire zoo in fun festive lights, and we skipped our way into the aquarium. That’s when it began, my temporary fascination with jellyfish. I don’t know why or how I managed to forget to post these but I snapped away and this is what I captured #nofilter .

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you’re encouraged by these words and have a prosperous 2017. Take time to plan because life is worth living.

 

5 Reasons to throw a “Fit” during the holidays.

Throwing a FIT just means that you’ll be working out 🏋🏽 during the holiday season. Here are five reasons to throw a fit and the benefits will be seen in the summer. So I want to inspire you to stick to your happy regiment.

1. Stick to your plan. The 15 minute drive and the 1 hour workout is even more important during the holiday season.
2. Your body looks forward to that extra boost so don’t deprive yourself of the sweat. Have a FIT!

3. Try to plan around your fitness schedule and refrain from caving in on your original intentions.

4. When ever possible include others in your workout. I know that relatives might fly in to visit but a brisk walk or b-ball game might be fun. Competitive family sports are fun, as long as the referee is fair.

5. Remember your WHY as in why you started working out in the first place 🥇 and honor yourself.

If you would like to get email from me then by all means become a Mermaid and I’ll see you in the pod.

I would also like to send out a BIG MAHALO to all the women & men who are serving our country.

I had to do one more pic. PEACE Be the Journey.

CHANGE from pain to prosperous.

The day I took these pictures was a catalyst in my life. That was the day I almost lost my sister because three hours after this was taken I was in an ambulance with her. Read about that here. Change is a funny thing because it happens quicker then a second and can drastically adjust your perspective.

During my sister’s treatments I wrote in this blog to encourage and motivate her. We are both Zumba instructors who enjoy what we do and while she was healing I took it upon my self to create challenges to occupy her mind. Ones inability to do what they use to-do can be depressing and that rabbit hole is a dark and endless pit. If you are a care-giver or are dealing with a serious illness I hope you will read some of the past post or maybe embark on one of the challenges. [Find out about the three challenges here. If you choose to do one of them and want accountability just comment after each task.]

Speaking of change my sister is now cancer-free kicking stage 4 and living life to the fullest. She started a blog called Make Mahalo which is her journey and today she encourages others. As her blog takes off I’m at a crossroads with MANA Wahine Fitness because I believe this blog has served its purpose and it was seasonal. I can look back at this blog and see the transition from her first diagnosis to us celebrating her recovery by attending Zumba Convention 2016 in Orlando, FL.

The three challenges I created are Beautiful Mind, Beautiful Body and Beautiful Soul. It was as if we were walking through the shadow of death fearing no evil while maintaining an atmosphere of love and beauty. As a result I began to work on a project called WHOLELISTIC FIT – “Fitness for the whole BEing” and wrote a book which I will be publishing in the near future.

Change is a guarantee and my mantra is all about flow.

In all honest I don’t know what to do with this blog beyond this point and I feel that it has served its purpose. A place for me to flow out my thoughts and promote positivity. Don’t worry I’m still going to write but my primary focus will be in wholelisticfit.com because I’m excited about what I can create there.

MANA: Strength that is ancestral.

WAHINE: Women

Knowing when to CREATE the CHANGE is a huge responsibility because you are pulling it from the universe. My change is publishing my book, creating WholelisticFit, adding YouTube tutorials, podcast, building an organic skin-care line and doing more workshops in 2017. Basically I’m pulling a lot from the heavens and living in faith. I’m sure none of the task I mention will be easy but I am driven to make-it-happen. You are more then welcomed to change with me. Comment below about what changes you will be manifesting in 2017…

What are you going to change?

If you want to know when I publish my book send me your email address and you will be among the first. Take care and I look froward to reading your comments about CHANGE.

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#SubconsciousCurating

Our subconscious is always working and alert. It’s drawing in from our environment and making snippets of memory that we might use. It influences so much of our daily lives yet it is rarely considered. We focus on intellect, memory and physical abilities but what about our unconscious thoughts that brings out our emotion and feelings?

What if you designed a space that would motivate you to get healthy, finish what you started, grab that promotion or live your best life? It’s possible. You can mold some of your living space to reflect your goals. Let’s begin.

Step 1 Pick a corner, table top, dresser, credenza or shelf in a prominent area. A place you see often or pass by regularly. Then clear, dust and polish it. Maybe burn some incense to freshen up the atmosphere. (It’s healthier than a can of aerosol polluting the habitat.)

Step 2 Now sit back, maybe play some inspirational music, and be still. Close your eyes, listen to your breath for three cycles of inhale and exhale. After you feel your shoulders relax hold that posture for three more slow breath cycles. Then open your eyes and write down your first thoughts. Next cross out anything negative or work related. (This might take more time but you can adjust to your needs.) What are you left with?

Step 3 Look back at that pile of stuff you just removed. Do any of those items fit your thoughts from Step 2? Repurpose, remove or donate what doesn’t serve your higher purpose. Commit to keeping this particular spot clutter-free and dust-free.

Step 4 Your new space might not have all the elements you want. No worries. Find magazine images then cut and glue them onto an inexpensive canvas, watercolor paper or foam board. Collage the colors that inspire you along with a few design elements. Maybe a bamboo plant, figurine or a framed picture of a Tahitian shoreline.

Step 5 Place the items you have on the new space. Remember the old saying, “less is more” well that statement will help you maintain good proportion. Gather things in groups of three and leave some table top showing.

BENEFITS (Which are purely individual and unconsciously felt.)

1. Your eyes have something pleasant to dwell on while contemplating your daily activities.
2. Promoting peace and a clean space can help you duplicate that effect into other areas of your life.
3. You don’t have to physically be active in this space to benefit from its sense of orderliness.
4. It will give you something to look forward to which can boost joy and excitement.
5. The ability to become the master of one area might help you become the master in others. After all, mastering personal space comes before positive change.

My testimony ~ I use to work my butt off exercising trying to eat healthy and raise children but my personal space was a disaster. Eventually I couldn’t maintain my workout schedule and quit. After a bunch of fails I happened to watch an old rerun called Trading Places. Basically it was the idea that changing someone’s atmosphere could change their (self) perspective.

I started with the mantle by my fire place and got a BIG canvas with the words, “Live your dreams & be your best self.” That space is dust-free and always organized. Eventually I added pieces that have positive connotations and branched into other areas of my home, teaching my Ohana (family) along the way.

🌴 If you want more information about working with me click here.

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🌴 PEACE Be the Journey