As we celebrated the dawn of a new year I wasn’t trying to make a resolution, start an eating program or pressure myself into a ridiculous workout regiment.
I just wanted to enjoy the new year and step away from the previous one. What I chose to do was…
No live-streaming in my private Facebook group.
No online fitness.
No hula sessions.
All I did was meditate, practice hot yoga four times a week and explored new recipes. I felt like I had to work on me and ground myself.
Stir fry portobello mushrooms with nori and sesame seeds, over spinach. The dark coloring is the nori.
Be more YOU
I suggest that you take time to ground yourself and reconnect to your beautiful soul. It doesn’t make sense to draw water from an empty well and we all should have learned some important life lessons from 2020.
Covid19, elections and civil unrest contributed to an emotional roller coaster ride. Depression, oppression and worry knocked us off our feet. The last one standing were people who developed a strong sense of self-worth.
Which is why I decided to be selfish and work on being me in January. However, in February I’m launching a new fitness program that involves helping families develop a holistic lifestyle. Woohoo!!!
Stir-fry: kale, sesame oil, sesame seeds, nori and fried tofu. Next to one of my favorites… steamed kalo (taro).
I did a first…
I bought my first microwave oven… seriously! Yes it’s a staple in North American culture but it’s one of the things I’ve rejected. I don’t really need it to cook for me and I don’t like microwave popcorn. Although I do luv kettle corn, yikes!
My retro microwave oven.
I bought it for two reasons. It’s great for melting products to make my salves and my husband has to heat up his meals. (I’ve been meal prepping for him and he’s been eating it cold.)
Can you see my “shaka” in the reflection.
I figured that owning one doesn’t have to be an eyesore. So I actually found something that looked cute. Who knew that a microwave could be this stylish? I’m happy with it.
PS:
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The weight-loss industry and fitness realm have one thing in common. They create for the masses NOT unique individuals.
What if there was something that a local herbalist could create for you?
Herbalist do exist!
They’re nothing like a dietitian or nutritionalist but can be super beneficial. Their delivery system come in three forms: Teas, Tablets and Tinctures. (Also, creams and salves but neither of those words started with “T”)
TEAS: herbal mixtures to work within the gut, permeating your digestive system to detox, soothe or energize.
TABLETS/PILLS: Imagine everything you wouldn’t eat, but know it’s good for you, stuffed into a tiny caplet. Fungus like reishi mushroom can be quickly digested for its benefits.
TINCTURE: A liquid extract of an herbal product. A single drop of a specific tincture under your tongue can work wonders in the body.
There are powder blends, salves and so much more.
I personally enjoy the quality of knowledgeable people, and what they have to share with me. Bottom line, I didn’t have to pay for their education but I do benefit from it.
Why share this info?
I just want you to know that we have options when it comes to weight-loss.
You are not alone on this journey called wellness.
Connect on the community level, find help and resources in your environment.
As a bonus, I wrote another article called, “It doesn’t have to be organic.” And if you’ve read this post then the other one will make total sense. I’m trying to shed the light on local business.
We often default into a donut 🍩 after declaring, “I’m going gluten & sugar free!” Why do we give into temptation? Well, it’s because we forgot to sabotage our way into wellness. Why should you do this? Okay the simple version is that food packaging, ingredients and processing has changed so much.
I would default into Cheetos when pressed for time. So I decided to meal prep. My biggest failure comes when I fail to plan, sounds like a success quote.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. ~B.Franklin
I use to think that people who practiced Meal-prep Sunday were extreme but then I realized that they learned a valuable trait. They sabotage their way into wellness.
As a foodie I completely up cycled the meal-prep idea.
First of all I refuse to eat five bland meals in a row. I’ll prep three at the most.
Color and flavor are super important to me. Sometimes I feel like Ego from Ratatouille, “If I don’t like it I won’t swallow!”
Try recipes from other countries. I enjoy soba noodle bowls with a Korean twist. It’s vegetarian without even trying to be.
Remembering my first experience with meal-prep helped me create a program for my fitness members. Many of them are just like me, food is memories. I try to introduce meal planning with foods that they’re familiar with and then branch out.
All of the pictures link to where I first shared them and the ingredients. Information about my my fitness program click here. PEACE Be the Journey.
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.
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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.
It’s Valentines Day in New Zealand 🇳🇿 and it will be tomorrow here in the USA. This is a beef inspired dish plated with a lovely organic tomato for all of you fit-foodies. Showing love ❤️ to your body by taking time to eat beautifully. I read a post by Dr. Mark Hyman, “You are what your food ate.”
I’m not a regular beef connoisseur but when I do eat it I prefer locally raised & grass fed. Since my last post I’ve been in training and the extra workout has me eating more protein.
DETAILS: Fit-Foodie Inspiration: Bulgogi beef cuts with shredded ginger, carrots & purple cabbage. On a spinach nest topped with a juicy tomato. Seasoned with crushed pepper & Yakima smoked salt. [My fave sea salt smoked with apple wood.] Beef 🥩 is grass feed organic & my butcher knows how to make bulgogi slices.
More fit-foodie inspiration & smoothies on my Instagram.
WholelisticFit Blog: “The art of self-care.” I started writing more holistic lifestyle post on a Members only blog, but don’t worry it’s easy to join. In fact it’s free. I’ll post the link below.
The goal is to live in BALANCE while getting fit. Paying attention to the mind, body & Soul. If you’re already a Mermaid then use this link to read the post.
To join the Mermaid pod click here, it’s free and you get access to the WholelisticFit blog, monthly newsletter & occasional printable.
Calendula salve I made & wrote about on the holistic blog. What’s your self care routine?
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
Living fit is only part of the journey, having a holistic life brings every facet of your BEing into balance. And balance isn’t perfection it’s grounding. Which leads me to the title, “How STRONG is your WHY?”
This journey called life is meant to challenge your WHY, but if you lack foundation & balance then your WHY will crumble under the weight of L-I-F-E. So let’s talk about your why as in why live healthy, holistic & happy.
Do you deserve healthy, holistic & a happy existence? None of us deserve or are entitled to it but we can earn it. I once heard a wise elder say,
You were given the gift of life, now you have to earn your living.
In other words we don’t wake up winding a dial that’s attached to our heart. The heart has its own intelligence, that’s the gift of life. Yet how we take care of our hearts is an example of us earning a living.
Your why is the emotional connection between appreciating the gift and earning it. It’s your anchor ⚓️ into everything you do. This is the secret sauce to having a powerful why, the type that moves mountains. [That’s why I’ve created the MERMAID e-news to stay connected.]
I started this blog to encourage my sister through stage-4 cancer and one of the harshest chemo treatments, confessed by the nurses, they’ve ever heard of. You can read my why here but to summarize we did a complete 180• and changed everything.
Somewhere in the mix they wanted to remove her uterus because that’s where the cancer was. It started as a molar pregnancy that spread into bladder and lungs. However after a combination of modern, ancient & holistic therapies she was deemed cancer free by her doctor. While looking at her X-ray he & the nurse said it was one of the most beautiful uterus they’ve ever seen.
Q: What was her why?
A: That’s simple her children.
Q: But I’ve heard that before. So what made her why so different?
A: The energy she put behind it!
Q: Did she do it alone?
A: No, she incorporated a team & consciously surrounded herself with love.
Q: Is it safe to assume that her why needed help?
A: Yes, all of us will face moments when our why requires a little boost. That’s when we enlist the energy of others to carry us through. This can be emotional support, teachings or reading something to encourage us.
I’m excited to announce that I will be going full-time into my WholelisticFit coaching helping other women regain the power of their why and thrive.
Which brings me to another announcement: My sister just gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Both a miracle and a confirmation of our Spiritual foundation.
I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken…
My husband adoring a bundle of grace, mercy & unconditional love. [ALOHA] I’m sharing this, very private, moment with you to encourage YOU, yes YOU. Miracles do happen! You have all the resources, tools and knowledge at your fingertips. All you have to do is put energy behind your why.
I took a snapshot of the scenery outside of the birth center & tons of baby pictures. But the purpose of this blog isn’t to show off my nephew, it’s to testify to the power of WHY.
There are steps to connect to your why.
I’ve grown to understand and appreciate the process of reconnection. And I was also grateful that my sister allowed me to coach her even in the delivery room.
There in the delivery room both her life and babies life faced hurdles. My sister’s body had grown tired and weak. The midwife’s assistant was concerned because her water broke, baby was in the birth canal but her push wasn’t strong enough. Meanwhile a host of family members stood in prayer.
We all go through moments of doubt, which is why a coach is so important.
And then I spoke, “You can and will do this because your Savior has brought you this far and HE can do anything but fail. Stop fidgeting and use the contraction to push baby out! Short sips of air into your nose then exhale him out.”
See him in your arms and send your energy there.
Sometimes we have to refocus our why.
Partner with a coach that can see your potential, remind and hold you accountable. It’s their job to ignore the excuses and condition your mind for excellence.
This is the type of WholisticFit coach I’ve become. Through trials and personal tribulations becoming a student to the teachings of L-I-F-E. My goal is to connect women to their power of why which is MANA WAHINE. Women of power. This power doesn’t stand alone, it’s a culmination of experiences. The life lessons taught overtime from one generation to another.
Seasons of change… for the better.
I’ve enjoyed blogging here and I feel that it has become a testimony to the circle-of-life. [Enter the Lion King theme.]
Through this blog I’ve shared, stirred the mind & supported a place of growth. And now it’s time to open my arms to the future of sister-hood. Create a virtual space of excellence. I hope you will transition with me and become a MERMAID to receive my e-news. Also I’ll be posting on my blog WholelisticFitregularly and creating content for women who pave the way. I look forward to seeing you there.
PS: As a sweet parting gift here’s a 60min course I created called BALANCED BEAUTY. Use is in good health and share the link with others. PEACE Be the Journey.
The whole point to habit tracking is to shine a light on YOU. You’re basically paying attention to yourself. The vlog above and the pics in this post are from a habit I started with my Ohana. It was to run-away into nature on weekends.
Nature feels like a sanctuary from this digital world. It’s the only place that we can chillax. The idea was to plan, schedule and track what we do. So far so good.
I first started habit-tracking, back in the day, when trying to watch my water intake. Today I track all sorts of things. [Why?] Because understanding my habits has become a part of my holistic practice. You see I’m not interested in loosing weight but I am interested in lifestyle. That’s the #1 benefit to tracking, knowing your lifestyle.
This flows nicely with a post I did called Subconscious Curating. I also wrote an entire “how to” blogpost on my WholelisticFit page. I’ll include the link below.
Which is why I’m inviting you to track your habits. In fact I’ve created a tracker that you can PDF print for free. Click here and grab your tracker today. [PS: I put a lot of work into creating the habit-tracker and it is an opt-in printable. It’s up to you if you choose to join my Mermaid email list.]
Use it to track your…
💵savings
☕️coffee intake
🍱eating
🛀🏽self-care
🙂🙃 mood
📝daily journal
🎨art & creativity
🚭 📵quit something
🏋🏽♀️⛹🏽♀️🏄🏽♀️🚴🏽♀️start something
The possibilities are endless. This is one of my favorite blogpost because this process has changed my life for the better. 🤓
There’s no school like old-school! Especially with all the fitness trends that are spinning out of control. When I run into a new dance fit craze I check to see…
Who’s culture has this evolved from?
What is their claim to fame?
How can the average person benefit from it?
However there’s one dance style, that in it’s OG form, you would have to be at the peak of your game. In other words are you physically, mentally and emotionally ready to take on Hula? [OG: slang for original gangster.]
In it’s original form you were expected to devote your life to memorize song genealogy. Talk about fitness for the mind. And practice for hours on the sand in the heat of the day. Truly physical and grueling. Finally, portray the story through facial expressions which connects the viewer to the soul of that particular Hula. Fitness for the mind, body and soul.
A typical practice might be an hour of basic steps followed by learning or perfecting a song. Each step has an origin and each Kumu [teacher] has their preference. Basically it’s similar to martial arts. Each form has a purpose and you can add them together to create fight sequences. But in this case it’s choreography.
Speaking of martial arts there was a time when a student devoted their life to the craft. Yet, today I see 3 year olds with black belts. The practice became diluted with the lure of quick and easy. Form, history and protocol went right out of the window. This is what I see happening to Hula, but it can be so much more.
This past weekend I taught a session during 3 DAYS OF ALOHA in Vancouver, WA. The participants danced their muscles into a tired and happy frenzy. The Na Kumu [teachers] are some of Hawaii’s finest.
If your Kumu tells you to hold a position you don’t ask, “How long?” You just do it. And heaven forbid you have to do the Hula sequence over and over again. But if you do make sure you’re smiling. 😅😃
Why do we torture ourselves? For the Love of Hula and the gift of storytelling. If you truly want to challenge your fitness levels while maintaining grace and finesse learn to Hula. Seek out a Kumu with an amazing history and genealogy.
Hula is fitness when taught by a master and practiced daily. It doesn’t need to be diluted or modernized to techno-beats. Hula is both art and fitness uniting. This is MANA: strength that is generational. PEACE Be the Journey 🙏🏽
The sounds of nature are therapeutic and holistic but taking time to actually listen can become quite a task. I had an app that allowed me to listen to my favorite nature sounds but it's not the same.
We try to hike or do some type of nature inspired fitness. The air quality is better and you don't realize the challenges because the path captivates the imagination.
On this particular hike I told my kamali'i (little ones) to listen. We played a game called: WHAT CAN YOU HEAR? Here are the rules…
Pick a starting and ending point. (Shorter distance for little ones because it's hard for them to grasp the "quiet" concept.
During the hike or walk pause if you notice something and enjoy the sound.
When you reach the END have them share what they heard or noticed.
You can play this several times during the same hike. Always allowing them to communicate their observations.
National refuge and parks are worth every penny. This one has a $3 suggested donation but it's worth so much more.
The goal is to have adventures that move you. Creating a fit lifestyle takes time but if you designate one trip per month you'll find it extremely rewarding. This allows you to research and prepare for the trip.
I also included a description on my Instagram page and did a mini vlog on YouTube.
We walked a total of 4 miles and enjoyed every minute. This was cheaper than a family membership to a gym or YMCA. More engaging than watching tv and created connection. WOW!
They saw forest, marsh and the Puget Sound coast line. Nature is the only place that will provide fitness for your mind, body and soul.
Want more holistic ideas visit WholelisticFit.com below is an example of the types of articles on that blog.
MANA Wahine Fitness 