Author | Filmmaker | Host of Tola Talks
I’m heels over head for teaching my 500th Yoga class since arriving in Chicago last September.
I’m grateful to my courageous students, fellow teachers and managers, and the owners of Chicago Athletic Clubs for giving me the opportunity to spread my passion for fitness & yoga, and specifically my style of Tola Yoga.
Looking forward to inspiring the world with YogaStyles of RICH and the Almost Famous.
Peace – R
Yesterday I turned 53, so we did a little photo shoot by Lake Michigan to celebrate my 50 years of fitness. That’s right, I said FIFTY because at age 13 my Dad started me weight training on a regular basis – not to mention all the push-ups and sit-ups I had already been doing for years.
Add to that 10 years of Yoga, and voila! 40 yrs of Weights + 10 yrs of Yoga = 50 yrs of Fitness
And like the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, so you do the math. And don’t forget to tune-in this Sunday, April 3rd at 11am (Central Time) for the best Yoga workout in the world…Tola Yoga streaming LIVE (and it’s free) on my Periscope and Twitter! Peace – R
Get ready for the best Yoga workout in the world: Tola Yoga on Periscope. Starting April 3rd at 11AM (Central Time) I’ll be teaching you my unique style of fitness Yoga I’ve created over the past 10 years. Meet my Chicago Yoga students and learn some new poses and sequences!
Spring has sprung with a Super moon and total solar eclipse. Plus, Monica Lewinsky hits the nail on the head about cyberbullying at the Ted Talks in Vancouver, congrats to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds on welcoming a new baby girl, James, to the family, and it’s Fitness Friday so check-out what to do when you just don’t wanna do it. Weekdays on youtube.com/tolatalks
Tola Talks about High School students & terror in Washington, disappearing Dads & stadium searches, NFL rookies & stupid mistakes, plus new Alcoholism applications and simple mind tricks to get the most out of your workout. On Movie Mondays, Rich and guest co-host Troy Titus-Adams also review the new Keanu Reeves action-thriller, John Wick.Â
Weekdays on youtube.com/tolatalks.
Tola Talks with Celebrity Fitness Trainer, Author, Spokesperson and LATalkRadio’s host of “Fit and Sexy for Life”, Kathy Kaehler. On Whatever Wednesdays, Rich also talks about healthy living & good nutrition, gunshots & terror in Canada, Social Security increases & Warren Buffet losing Billions, plus the GYST Award for pre-natal pill popping & drug addicted babies.
Weekdays on youtube.com/tolatalks.
Tola Talks weight loss, GYST Award for an Olympic Champion and the USA Today. Â On Wellness Wednesdays, Rich interviews the Brand Ambassador for the 99 Cent Store – and 250 pound loser –Â Papa Joe Aviance. Weekdays on youtube.com/tolatalks.
Tola Talks with Wellness Professionals, Dr. Thomas Polucki & his lovely wife Toni. On Wellness Wednesdays, Rich also teaches us the proper way to do a Yoga push-up (Chaturanga Dandasana). Weekdays on youtube.com/tolatalks.
Forgettabout using that infamous phrase “I used to” when it comes to health & fitness. Stop resting on your workout laurels of yester-year, and get it together today!
There’s been a lot of talk these days about how “yoga can wreck your body”. Well, there’s no question that practicing yoga with an inexperienced or bad teacher can lead to injury; I’ve been hurt three times in the past six years from so-called master teachers and their inappropriate sequencing of poses. Unfortunately, just like Glenn Black says in the NY Times article, “To many schools of yoga are just about pushing people”. Add to that, too many yoga teachers have no background in physical fitness and/or body mechanics, and voila, yoga can hurt you.
Proof in point: Last summer I read a GQ article and posted my Letter to the Editor in my July 22nd blog (click HERE to read). In short, a NYC studio owner prescribed a 15 minute yoga workout with three twisting and forward bending poses that made me cringe. Because there are certainly yoga poses that should never be attempted without the proper (and complete) understanding of how to come into and out of each pose, as well as properly warming up the spine and preparing your body. And if you’re new to yoga, be extremely careful with any teacher that’s pushing too hard or moving too fast – especially an overzealous one that’s new to the profession.
And if you’re someone who truly wants the benefits of yoga but are reluctant to take a class (for a variety of reasons), then try my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts that are based on yoga principles and employ my very precise teaching style that’s designed to minimize injury to any body part, especially the neck and low back. Or better yet, if you really want to arm yourself with knowledge, then watch my Yoga Survival Guide with 30 fun lessons teaching you the proper and safe way to practice 100 yoga poses. Enjoy – R