Today we’re having some fun with the Top 10 Phobias that have millions of Americans shaking in their boots. Because fear of anything including the number 13 is usually a bad thing that controls your mind, body and spirit. Especially in these fear-mongering Coronavirus times, everyone should – and must – face their fears head-on. Regardless of their origins, whether Biblical or pre-Christian or Babylonian times, phobias are real so we’re counting them down. Including two rather innocuous ones I just made up: Gymophobia and Yogaphobia. Fear of working out and fear of doing yoga…both of which you should never fear if you want to Drink from the Fountain of Youth. Like I do.
Suicide Sucks – Ep 8 – Tola Talks Texas
Today we’re talking about the 10th leading cause of death in the United States: suicide. To put it bluntly – and I say this numerous times on the show – suicide sucks so don’t f**king do it! Because not only does it eliminate nearly 50,000 lives every year, that’s 1 death every 11 minutes, it has far-reaching impacts including serious emotional, physical and economic costs to society. With depression and anxiety among teens and young adults at an all time high, especially with the fear mongering from COVID and Omicron, suicide has to be thwarted and stopped. Not to mention that anxiety affects 1/3 of adults and adolescents in the United States today, further complicating matters. And kudos to all schools K-12 for their prevention efforts against bullying and other forms of abuse that adversely affect students of all ages. So what should you do if you’re anxious and distraught: save yourself with fitness and yoga, and more specifically, come take my Tola Yoga class at Plano Athletic Club starting this Saturday at 12:30p. That’s right, Tola Yoga is back, and I’d love to see you there front and center. Because who doesn’t want to empower their mind, body and soul while drinking from the Fountain of Youth? Plus kudos to the David Bowie estate as well as Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, for such massive sales of their music publishing rights. PS – good luck to my father with his cancer surgery at Sloan Kettering today…you’re gonna rock it! Peace – R
Homeless in America – Ep 4 – Tola Talks Texas
Today we’re talking about the 580,000+ homeless people in America, most of those individual males and the rest single moms with children. That’s way too many, and with the help of those of us who are not homeless – including my bodybuilding idol from 1979 and seven time Mr. Olympia champion, Arnold Schwarzenegger, we need to end this epidemic now. Plus a special RIP shout-out to Man’s World Gym owner and mentor from my childhood, Joe Dodd, as well as the legendary football coach turned world-class TV broadcaster, John Madden. Not to mention more weightlifting tips from my workout today, and of course, some inspiring talk about holding the line when it comes to your cryptocurrencies…like I’m doing, even as they plunge even further.
Omicron and Retailer Woes – Ep 2 – Tola Talks Texas
In our second episode of Tola Talks Texas, we’re talking cool Texas trivia about Dr. Pepper, frozen margaritas and that famous Bugs Bunny catchphrase, “What’s Up Doc”. As for current events it’s all about the Omicron variant and the difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic cases of the virus – with a family from New Jersey experiencing both. There’s also talk about 1400 more airline flights cancelled today and major retailers like CVS, Macy’s, Walgreens, Target, Home Depot and Best Buy closing more stores with some declaring bankruptcy (JC Penny & Neiman Marcus), plus cryptocurrencies and how wash sales – and the anticipated changes in 2022 tax laws to prohibit them – will affect volatility going forward. Not to mention some stock picks including Tesla, Plug Power, Apple and Alibaba, with a special shout-out to Matthew McConaughey and his new book, Greenlights.
Merry Christmas & Welcome to Tola Talks Texas!
Our first episode on Christmas day is a special one: we’re talking about my own religion of Tolism based on the foundation that Health = Wealth with your temple as your most important asset; the history of Texas and why it’s better than California; the overall grading of the Biden Administration including the pandemic vs. epidemics; COVID and fear mongering; investing in blue chip stocks and trading all seven cryptocurrencies on Robinhood; former presidents George Washington, Donald Trump and JFK; LeBron James, Fox Nation and Paulina Porizkova as a role model who drinks from the Fountain of Youth; plus my love of films including the Swedish version of The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.
TOLA TALKS TEXAS…coming this Christmas
Hey everyone, I’m super excited to launch another original podcast, this time from the lovely confines of downtown historic Plano and appropriately called, TOLA TALKS TEXAS. Because when it comes to the great state of Texas, no doubt it’s the land of the free and home of the brave.
If you’re wondering why, let’s just say it’s time I take off the kid gloves and call it like I really see it when it comes to current events, cryptocurrencies and of course, all things related to health = wealth. Not to say my previous Tola Talks weren’t chock full of candid and intelligent no bullshit talk – the first on LATalkRadio and then YouTube while the second 2.0 version was focused on my latest book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth. They certainly were, although I never addressed the problems facing our society today as well as our great country, the United States of America…at least it used to be.
So coming this Christmas I look forward to bringing you the best of the best, i.e., my most straightforward and insightful knock-out punch. Or a barrage of punches that’ll have you questioning what’s truthful in today’s news (and politics) vs. what’s meant to “control you”. Just like our current Administration says they’re trying NOT to do…”not to control you but to save you”.
Utter nonsense if you ask me. Because only YOU can SAVE YOURSELF.
Have an awesome week everyone, and Ill see you on Xmas! Peace – R
PS – if you haven’t been keeping with my 100 Workout Challenge, there are three days left to get them in. Happy fitness!
The Year I Walked from LA to Venezuela
by Rich Tola, July 21, 2021
If anyone told you they walked 4,000 miles in the past 12 months you’d probably think they were crazy right? Because walking 4,000 miles is the equivalent to walking from the hot and sunny confines of The Valley of Los Angeles, California, to the balmy and tropical valley of Caracas, Venezuela. And yes, it’s totally possible as you can walk across the Panama Canal by way of a pedestrian walkway across the entrance of the locks of Gatun, so no worries if you want to follow my footsteps to get there. Figuratively speaking, that is.
Let me explain.
I didn’t actually pull a Forrest Gump and wake up one day and start walking south through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Columbia before arriving in the capital of Venezuela one year later. No, but wouldn’t that be cool. I actually walked the entire 4,000 miles throughout the streets of LA, from my home in Chinatown going back and forth to a plethora of neighborhoods including DTLA, South Park, the Arts District, Lincoln Heights, Boyle Heights, Little Tokyo, Echo Park and yes, Dodger Stadium.
From June 1, 2020 until June 1, 2021, I walked between 10-12 miles every single day as part of my personal COVID relief. Or shall I say, personal COVID insanity prevention. Because when the lockdowns in LA were imposed back in March 2020 and all the gyms and yoga studios were closed, my daily walking meditations became my only savior. The longer the better, and mostly in perfect quietude with no human interaction whatsoever. Except for the occasional homeless person, who seemed even more surprised to see an even less occasional pedestrian. LA was like a veritable ghost town where I can honestly say I felt like the legendary actor Will Smith, aka US Army virologist Robert Neville, cruising the empty streets of Manhattan in the 2007 post-apocalyptic thriller, I Am Legend.
For anyone who knows me, you know that I can’t go a single freaking day without exercising in some form or another, e.g., weightlifting, Tola Yoga, stretching/abs. Good news is for as long as I can remember I was taught that your physical body, aka your temple, is the most important asset you’re ever going to possess in this world. And to respect your temple with a daily fitness program that keeps it vibrant and strong and injury-free, is paramount to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as well as turning back the hands of time.
Something I’ve also been doing for the past 58 years. Drinking from the Fountain of Youth, that is, and yes, something that’s rather challenging to achieve – especially as you get older – but something anyone can do with the help of my 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth. Including Step 20 – Walk to Win, arguably the most important step of all because walking is a perfect source of aerobic exercise not to mention it does wonders for your brain.
That’s right, walking is great for your brain. Just this week the New York Times reported that “Exercise can freshen and renovate the white matter in our brains, potentially improving our ability to think and remember as we age, according to a new study of walking, dancing and brain matter. It shows that white matter, which connects and supports the cells in our brains, remodels itself when people become more physically active. In those who remain sedentary, on the other hand, white matter tends to fray and shrink.”
Fray and shrink just like everything else in our bodies with the help of good ole’ Father Time. Forgettaboutit! Don’t let the world’s most non-beloved Father get the best of you…get with the program now. Translation: start walking today. Or else stay seated and wait for your brain matter to wither away, and hopefully not before your temple does. And if you don’t care so much about improving or at least maintaining your ability to think and remember things as you age, then do it for your family. That’s right, start walking today and bring a loved one along so they can reap the amazing benefits of walking. You can even bring your dog Spot or cat Fluffy if none of your human friends desire to capitalize on such a great opportunity. I’m sure your pets won’t complain, and if they do, then pick them up and carry them for an even better workout.
Just remember to bring water. And if walking to improve your white brain matter doesn’t really matter to you, then maybe these “12 Benefits of Walking” as described by the Arthritis Foundation will motivate you (see arthritis.org):
- Improve circulation
- Shore up your bones
- Enjoy a longer life
- Lighten your mood
- Lose weight
- Strengthen muscles
- Improve sleep
- Support your joints
- Improve your breath
- Slow mental decline
- Lower Alzheimer’s risk
- Do more for longer
So there you have it, 12 more reasons to walk every single day of your life (or at least 3 times a week for 40 minutes). If you’re capable that is, because not everyone is fortunate enough to walk. But if you can, don’t deny your body, mind and spirit these amazing benefits by choosing a sedentary lifestyle that’s only going to shorten your stay on Planet Earth.
And by the way, in case you were wondering what it’s like to walk 4,000 miles in a 12 month period, let’s just say it may do wonders for your brain but it sure takes a toll on the physical body, especially the low back, hips and knees. But what’s interesting about the routine of walking nearly 100 miles a week is that once your body gets used to it, it’s not only easy to maintain but it almost becomes a daily obsession that you can’t do without. Even with all the aches and pains that come along with it, during and after.
Would I recommend walking that many miles in any given year? No. But I do recommend walking 1-2 miles a day for the rest of their life, no matter who you are. And if you need some help try this: walk out your front door and keep walking for exactly 15 minutes, at a brisk pace with good posture, then stop, turn around, and come back. Voila! 2 miles in about 30 minutes. You can do it, especially if you live in LA or Venezuela or anywhere with a beautiful climate. Or just brave the rain and snow like I did in Chicago and Seattle. But then again you might say it’s summertime in the northern hemisphere and just like DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince rapped back in Philly circa 1991, “Summer, summer, summertime, Time to sit back and unwind.”
No doubt unwinding can be a good thing, especially to decompress from our busy lives. But when it comes to your health, walking is something anyone can incorporate into their current lifestyle. And should incorporate, based upon all the goodness it brings. Especially in today’s new normal world of working from home, there should be ample opportunity in your day to lace’em up Rocky style and kick the bricks, as I like to say. I hope you do, your temple will love you for it.
Have an awesome summer everyone, and get your walking in! Peace – R
China Foresees the Fountain of Youth
Hey everyone, I want to give a huge thank you shout-out and kudos to Miranda and Dali, my amazing team from China who did a wonderful translation of my new book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth (available in English on Amazon). Here’s yesterday’s press release:
China Foresees the Fountain of Youth
Author and yoga guru shares his 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth (in Chinese)
LOS ANGELES, CA, December 08, 2020
The new motivational book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth, has been translated in Chinese (simplified) and will soon be formally made public. Just four months after the English version was released on Amazon, author/filmmaker and modern-day yoga master, Rich Tola, will soon be revealing the secrets of his youthful success to more than 800 million daily readers throughout the People’s Republic of China. This family-friendly and easy-to-read “how-to manifesto”, as the author calls it, promises to encourage anyone on the planet looking to achieve their best possible self.
In today’s pandemic times when being fit and staying healthy can mean the difference between life and death, the 57-year old author – who thinks he stopped getting older at age 30 – believes that anyone can turn back the hands of Father Time. If you follow his “practical and wise” advice, as one reader describes it. The book delivers an inspiring message of hope and self-respect and that anything is possible if you set your sights and try. How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth provides step-by-step instructions on living better and stronger, and for being your best and healthiest self. The book is ideal for anyone looking to lose weight, feel more energized, be more confident, define their personal goals and aspirations, plus grow mentally as well as improve their entire outlook on life. It’s also for aspiring Millennials still searching for their calling, and for baby boomers who finally have the money but not the motivation to pursue their passion.
Tola’s book also doubles as a handy note-taking journal with a 50-word glossary to improve your vocabulary. Plus, his writing style is just like his Tola Yoga, fast-paced and colloquial, not to mention laced with insightful anecdotes garnered from a half-
century of experiences. With Steps like Be Vain, Love the Scale, Embrace Failure and Self-Correct, the author’s quite the sage who respects the powers of karma. Because, as Tola believes, “Everything in life is circular, so our choices, both good and bad, definitely come back to us in the future.”
Why China and why now? “Because I wanted my universal message of hope, self- respect, and self-discipline to permeate the globe in a big way. And what better society of strong, focused people is there than China, where they’ve been embracing my tough love values since the Xia Dynasty,” says Tola.
Rich Tola is also known for his heartfelt and witty memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, and films such as Boulevard Zen and Skateboard Bandits.
For more information visit RichTola.com
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FIND and FOLLOW your Passion
Make a difference in your life and in the lives of everyone else on the Planet. And in order to do so – no matter what – it’s always best to Find and Follow your passion…just like Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Enjoy Tola Talks 2.0 – Episode #159, and get your workout in! Peace -R
Holidays are Made for Workouts…Really!
Happy Holidays everyone!
That means more time spent running around as well as more time spent lounging around the house, mostly before and after meals, right?
Wrong…because the holidays are a great time NOT to lounge around doing nothing but to instead, get your workout in. Whether it be the extra cardio – yes, zipping around the mall counts – or making use of that “lounging” time by hitting your gym or local community center for a quick 20 minute workout, just do it. That’s right, it’s easier to get your workout in during the holidays because who really wants you standing around the kitchen or taking up space in the living room hours before the meal. That’s how I look at it, squeeze every workout or group class or Tola Yoga class into your schedule, no matter where you are, and make that time all about maintaining your strong body – clear mind. No doubt good health always triumphs over bad. So make it good.
And if you need a little inspiration for some additional get up and go…or if you really need to Get Your Sh#! Together then watch my two films, Skateboard Bandits and Zen Diaries: The Lockdown. Sometimes we all could use a swift kick in the butt from badass attorney turned yoga master, Bobby D’Angelo.
Have an awesome Thanksgiving everyone, and get your workout in! Peace – R