Author | Filmmaker | Host of Tola Talks
In today’s fast-paced world, staying updated on significant global events and personal well-being is essential. On today’s Tola Talks, we’ll explore the current state of the Iran war, celebrate the UK’s initiative to phase out tobacco sales, and discuss how cultivating generosity can make a difference in our communities.
Have an awesome day everyone…and get your workout in! Peace – R
In this conversation, Rich Tola discusses various themes including the impact of grief as portrayed in film, the existential crises faced by today’s youth, the effects of social media on mental health, practical advice for seniors on handling falls, and the positive initiatives in education such as free tuition at Yale University. Each topic is explored with personal anecdotes and insights, emphasizing the importance of self-care and community support.
Watch now and discover: → Nature can serve as a metaphor for human experiences. → Social media usage is linked to increased anxiety and depression. → Reducing screen time can improve mental health. → Awareness of social media’s addictive nature is crucial. → Understanding youth struggles can lead to better support systems.
In this conversation, Rich Tola reflects on the past year, discusses the importance of reading and education, and shares insights on upcoming movies for 2026. He emphasizes the warrior mindset and life lessons drawn from films like ‘Peaceful Warrior’ and ‘Lost in Translation’, as well as gives his review of the new Timothee Chalamet film, ‘Marty Supreme’. Tola also encourages listeners to make good choices as they enter the new year.
Watch now and discover: → It’s time to refocus, recenter and wipe the slate clean for the New Year. → Reading books is crucial for child development – children with access to books complete 3 more years education than those who don’t (have access to books). → The warrior mindset is about peaceful positivity and accountability for your actions. → Make good choices and make it about the journey, not the destination → Movies can provide valuable life lessons, while 2026 is set to be a great year for movies!
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In this conversation, Rich Tola reflects on the importance of slowing down time, especially as the year comes to a close. He discusses personal accomplishments, the psychology of time perception, and how experiences of awe can enhance our sense of time. Tola emphasizes the significance of mindfulness and setting intentions for the new year, sharing his personal goals for health and well-being.
Watch now and discover: → Take time to reflect on your accomplishments. → Setting intentions for the new year can guide personal growth. → Physical and psychological well-being are interconnected. → A varied life filled with unique experiences can stretch our perception of time. → Experiencing awe can help slow down our perception of time, while Mindfulness is the key to enjoying the present moment.
Hey everyone, hope your 2024 is off to a great start!
As for small victories along the way, on behalf of the very talented cast and crew of my short film, Zen Diaries: The Lockdown, we’re honored to receive a 4-Star Review from Short Films Matter. Here’s what they say:
* * * * A drama that delves into the transformative power of confronting personal weaknesses.
SYNOPSIS: Ten years after his wife was killed in a drive-by shooting gone bad, former hot-shot attorney turned yoga master, Bobby D’Angelo, is dealing with another shooter in his life. This time causing a police lockdown of his Los Angeles studio. A zenful place “where self-doubt goes to die”, but it’s also where tempers start to flare between students and strangers as Bobby vows to ‘protect his family’ while trying hard to inspire and not insult them with his tough love words of wisdom.
REVIEW: Rich Tola’s short sequel to his 2009 feature film ‘Boulevard Zen’ takes center stage during a police lockdown of his yoga studio, prompted by an external situation, yet it skillfully weaves a narrative focused on internal conflicts. The crux of the story revolves around an outsider forced to confront his realities, under the candid guidance of the brutally honest Bobby D’Angelo, portrayed by Tola himself. The ensemble cast navigates the anxieties stemming from external conflict, with A.P. Moses delivering a compelling performance as Mr. Sloan, a character grappling with weight issues and self-esteem.
Tola’s film delves deep into the theme of personal transformation, emphasizing the need to confront and overcome our weaknesses. The societal implications of these individual struggles add depth to the narrative, creating a thought-provoking ensemble piece that resonates with universal themes. The well-acted cast brings authenticity to their roles, complemented by Salvadore Sclafani’s cinematography, which adds visual richness to the storytelling. The sequel stands out as a commendable film, offering a compelling exploration of self-discovery and the potential for positive change within individuals and society at large.
FILM: 20-minute dramedy (completed from start-to-finish in less than 90 days for $2,000) starring Rich Tola, Jonny Haug, Kayla Moore, Romi Valenti, Anita Davenport, Jennifer Cheung, and A.P. Moses.
Click HERE to visit the review on Short Films Matter, and thanks for watching!
Have a great year everyone, and as always, get your workout in! Peace – R
Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!
It’s exactly one year since the Coronavirus shut us down and we’re slowly getting back to normal, so it’s time to de-COVID-tize your Habits. That is to say, keep the good ones and delete the bad. It’s also been a while since my last Tola Talks 2.0, so it’s good to be back! Today is all about getting you back on track with those pre-COVID routines that include your old – and good – habits. So let’s re-tool, re-focus and stick to the winners that served your well.
All the while staying safe and strong and thinking positive along the way…also know as “Step 11 – Think Positive” in my new book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth. Because who doesn’t want to live their best possible life. Now available in audiobook.
Have an awesome day everyone, and get your workout in. Peace – R
LOS ANGELES, March 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The newly released How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth, is now available in audiobook alongside the paperback and ebook editions on Amazon. Narrated by the author/ filmmaker and modern-day yoga master – who really believes he got stuck at age 30 – Rich Tola’s family-friendly audiobook is 3:24 hours long and marks his second narration since his memoir.
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 audiobook is fun, fast-paced and colloquial, plus it’s laced with pop culture references and insightful anecdotes garnered over a half-century of experiences. With 30 motivational steps including Be Vain, Love the Scale, Embrace Failure and Self-Correct, Tola is quite the sage who infinitely respects the powers of karma and its effect upon one’s aura, “Looking, feeling and being 20 years younger than your actual age is all about empowering and replenishing your aura on a daily basis, keeping it strong and vibrant for the long haul.” Which is 108, if you ask the former Wall Street trader who also claims he was reborn with the help of yoga.
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 audiobook is a great way to listen to the secrets of Tola’s youthful success at home or on-the-go, while the paperback also doubles as a handy note-taking journal for memorializing your dreams, actions and small victories in life. And if you follow Tola’s 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth, “you’ll never be out-of- shape and overweight. I guarantee it.” Strong words to stand by, but Tola certainly does.
Just like he stands by his belief that anyone can drink from the fountain of youth, regardless of your predilection toward exercise or anything else that’s really good for you or otherwise fat burning. As the author states on the back of his book, “Youthfulness is not contingent upon your physical body or how old your face looks, but rather the force you emanate into the Universe.”
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.
We’re about a week away from releasing the Audiobook for my new book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth.
Have an awesome day everyone…and get your workout in! Peace -R
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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We had such a great time on Halloween that I decided to teach a weekly Tola Yoga class on Zoom every Saturday from 9-10a (LA time), through Christmas 2020.
No doubt if you take the class – and read my book – you’ll be that much closer to Drinking from the Fountain of Youth. Go to Zoom.us and “join a meeting”
Meeting ID: 917 1004 1603 Passcode: tolayoga
Have an awesome week and I’ll see you on the mat! Peace – R
