Explore the world…including Vancouver

If there’s one piece of advice I can give – other than workout everyday and live by Yoga principles to build a strong body clear mind – it’s these three words:

Explore the world.

I just spent the past three days in Vancouver, Canada exploring a plethora of neighborhoods like Gastown, Downtown, Coal Harbor, West End, Davie Village, Yaletown, Kitsilano and Mt. Pleasant.  An amazing 25 miles worth of walking around one of the most beautiful, clean, vibrant and fashionable cities I’ve ever lived or visited. There’s been quite a few.

In Vancouver you’ll find tons of great shops and eateries and cool street fashion that had me people watching as much as checking out the sleek modern architecture that’s everywhere.

There’s also tons of little parks and beaches and public art that seem to pop-up out of nowhere. Like the A-maze-ing Laughter in Morton Park consisting of 14 enormous bronze statues – in all different poses – of a shirtless guy laughing hysterically. And what a great way to get your daily workout in. By kicking-the-bricks, as we used to say back in my NYC real estate days.

Speaking of which, Vancouver also has that international cosmopolitan feel, much like Manhattan and Chicago. Plus, the hi-rise apartment building where I stayed had one of those old-school Universal weight machines and some dumbbells, which came in handy every morning.  Add to that a yoga class, or better yet, a free 30-minute Tola Yoga class, and voila, you’re set!

So pack your bags, pick your destination, and do a little exploring on your own.

Peace – R

Fit, Fabulous and 50th in Seattle!

Today marks the first day of Donald Trump‘s Presidency of the United States. Love him or hate him, let’s give our new leader a chance. After all, radiating love is far better than harboring hate.

Today also marks my 50th day living in Seattle. WIth as many workouts and Yoga classes under my belt, plus more than 250 miles of walking its plethora of diverse neighborhoods like Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, Belltown, Queen Anne, Fremont, South Lake Union and Georgetown, let’s just say I’m super fit. And fabulous, of course, because feeling good and looking good definitely does that to you. Not to mention I’ve been very fortunate in spreading the Tola Yoga love around town. That’s right, you can find me teaching weekly classes at the following clubs:

TRIBE Fitness – Sundays @ Noon and Monday’s @ 6am

Gold’s Gym (Capitol Hill) – Friday’s @ 9:15am

FLOW Fitness – Saturday’s @ 11:15am

Soul Fitness – Sunday’s @ 10am

So come join me for a very challenging and effective class, and I’ll see you on the mat! Peace – R

 

 

No Judgment…Just More Resoluteness

Never judge yourself when it comes to fitness. Just forgettaboutit, and keep moving forward. Because what you did or didn’t do yesterday – or last week – or last year – makes no difference when it comes to exercising today. Because each dawn brings a new day, and with each day brings another opportunity to reward your body with fitness. With an emphasis on reward.

Case in point: Yesterday my friend says to me, “OK, this week I’m going to start working out every Tuesday and Friday for the rest of the year, because it’s two weeks into 2017 and my resolution to workout twice a week is, well, failing.” This coming from a woman who worked out 4 times a week for the past 20 years until last year, when an injury put her on the sidelines for nearly a year. Now she’s completely healed but just can’t seem to get started.

Is this you? Or perhaps you’re someone who’s never been into fitness and wants to start? No worries.

Really. Because each dawn brings a new day, and with each day brings another opportunity to reward your body with fitness. You get the picture.

And if you don’t already know it, then repeat after me: if I workout on a regular basis, I will look and feel younger. Just like I said to my friend lamenting over her inability to re-start her engines, look at it this way: if you workout twice a week for 30 minutes each for the rest of the year, by New Year’s 2018 that’ll be 50 hours of fitness. Better yet, if you can make it one hour and then turn that second hour into a Yoga class, that’ll be 100 hours…a helluva lot better than Zero.”

No judgment over failed resolutions people…just more resoluteness. You can do it.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone! Peace – R

Welcome to…Seattle

Iseattlen addition to my fitness mantra, another day – another workout, how’s this for my new travel mantra, another month – another city!

That’s right everyone, if you didn’t catch me in Las Vegas last month, you can now find me in Seattle.

With a plethora of historic landmarks and cultural attractions including the futuristic Space Needle from the 1962 World’s Fair, the Seattle Great Wheel – one of largest ferris wheels in the United States, the 24-day Seattle International Film Festival held every year since 1976, the Bite of Seattle – one of the largest Gay Pride festivals in the US, to the uniquely striking Seattle Public Library featuring 11 stories of glass and steel, the “Emerald City” is quite a city!seattle_central_library_seattle_washington_-_20060418 Not to mention Seattle is also home to business legends Amazon.com, Starbucks and Nordstrom – with Microsoft and Costco a stone’s throw away, five professional sports team including baseball’s Seattle Mariners, and of course, my favorite rock-and-roll band of all time, Pearl Jam. And don’t forget Seattle is considered the home of grunge music, having produced legendary artists such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney.

So why not bring my fitness style of Tola Yoga as well as my desire to create entertaining and inspiring content, whether it be a Reality TV series or a Radio show, to one of the most liberal cities in the nation – even surpassing its “weird” neighbor, Portland, Oregon, another cool city.

Have an amazing December everyone…and hope to see you in the Pacific Northwest! Peace – R

Now Teaching TOLA YOGA Classes in Las Vegas

I’m excited to announce I’m now teaching my Tola Yoga classes in Las Vegas, Nevada. The perfect workout for beginners to advanced, my fitness style of Yoga is strong, energetic, safe and effective. Developed after 10 years of teaching more than 25,000 students in over 2,200 classes, Tola Yoga incorporates 5 key elements: Yoga stretches, abdominals, core strengthening, balancing and foundation poses. Public & Private classes – 7 days a week.

Rates and availability upon request:  [email protected]

Have an awesome day everyone…and don’t forget your daily workout!

Peace – R

New Reality TV Series to Illuminate the World with Yoga

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 06/01/16

YogaStyles of RICH and the Almost Famous

Chicago, IL: Yoga expert and former Wall Street executive, Rich Tola, aims to bring his unique workout style of Tola Yoga to the world with his new Reality TV series, YogaStyles of RICH and the Almost Famous. After 10 years of teaching Yoga to more than 25,000 students from the ages 3-to-93 in over 2,000 classes throughout the United States, Tola’s mission is to inspire audiences everywhere with his one simple mantra: Yoga…Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere.

“YogaStyles of RICH and the Almost Famous will take you on a wild and witty ride throughout the streets of Chicago before traveling to capitol cities around the globe”, says Tola. “Our mission is to creatively demonstrate the ability for everyone on the planet to reap the benefits of the 6,000 year-old mind-body-spirit practice of Yoga, as well as highlight National Landmarks and popular destinations of each metropolis while teaching Yoga to its “Almost Famous” business leaders and owners, designers, politicians, musicians and athletes”. Plus, anyone else Tola happens to meet along the way.

And who else better to inspire anyone who has ever asked, “What is Yoga and can I do it?”, than someone whose life was transformed by the powers of Yoga.

Since becoming a Certified Yoga Teacher in 2006, Tola has produced more than 20 hours of instructional Fitness & Yoga videos including his three DVDs; Yoga-to-Go, Rich Tola’s Yoga Survival Guide and Rich Tola’s 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts, plus his two Web Series; Stay Zen with Rich Tola and Rich Tola’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts.

Upon completion of his Yoga-inspired film, Boulevard Zen (2009), Tola founded a charity to teach the benefits of Yoga to women and children survivors of domestic violence, The Boulevard Zen Foundation. Tola’s passion for Yoga is complimented by his lifelong passion for fitness…more than 50 years to be exact, combining his 40 years of weight training in gyms and health clubs around the world with his 11 years of practicing Yoga.

Tola received his MBA from The Kellogg School at Northwestern University, and looks forward to “showcasing the truly unique landmarks and neighborhoods the Windy City has to offer”.

Inquiries: Angie Lee Chastain | [email protected]

Tola Yoga for Beginners…and Yes, it’s Challenging

Check-out yesterday’s Tola Yoga class LIVE on Periscope. 45 minutes of Yoga that anyone can do! And a special thanks to our wonderful Yoga student showing you precise poses, Elif Pilicer.

Have an awesome weekend everyone, and tune-in this Sunday at 1p (CT) for our Tola Yoga by the Lake class on Periscope.tv/richtola, including Vika, Lauren, Amy, Rhonda and Stephanie.

Peace – R

Tola Yoga workouts are 45 minutes and incorporate 5 key elements: Yoga Stretches, Abdominals, Core Strengthening, Balancing & Foundation Poses (Warriors, Triangles, Extended Side Angles).

Thanks for the Memories!

Thanks again to all who came out to support our amazing Stand-up comedians and the Nikki Love Project at Two Hearted Queen this weekend. Great times, great laughs, great music!

Have an awesome week everyone, and tune-in this Wednesday, May 11th at Noon (CT) for another 45 minute pop-up Tola Yoga class – LIVE on Periscope.tv/richtola. Peace – R