When I told my buddy I wasn’t vaccinated and was never getting the jab, he said, “Then it’s either Texas or Florida if you want to lead a normal life.”
Normal life, as in freely or being allowed by law, including going to the gym, nail salon, movie theatre, shopping mall or any bar or restaurant in the city. Talk about a quintessential What-The-Fcuk. I mean, one of our nation’s greatest Presidents and spokesperson for democracy, Thomas Jefferson, would roll over in his grave with such “tyranny over the mind of man” exhibited by today’s government officials.
Because in my book the COVID mandates of Los Angeles are not only ridiculous and unjust, they’re also a form of tyranny or “arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power”, as defined by the dictionary. Most importantly, these mandates prevent me from living a so-called normal life, which includes working out every single day plus walking 10+ miles a day since COVID began. Not to mention I’m at my ideal weight with less than 10% body fat, a blood pressure of 110 over 60, plus a great bill of health from my doctor. Oh yeah, I’ll be 59 in March and I’ve never taken a daily pill in my entire life – medicine or supplement. And don’t forget I wrote the book on How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth. So why do I need to inject myself with something that isn’t necessary? Forgettaboutit.
So there you have it California, you leave me no choice but to leave you after 15 glorious years. Albeit, it’s more like you kicked me out after 15 hard-working and dream chasing years.
Here I come Texas, with my new horsepower and anything is possible attitude. And no worries to anyone who thinks like I do and remains committed to living a fearless and vaccine-free life, all the while treating your most valuable asset, aka your Temple, with the utmost respect.
Happy Veterans Day everyone…and get your workout in! Peace – R
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.
Walking the empty streets of LA during COVID (4,000 miles)
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
Excited to announce the Chinese edition of my new motivational book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth, is now available in eBook format in modern-day Mandarin. Email us for more information: [email protected]
Have an awesome day everyone…and get your workout in! Peace – R
How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth
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 Youthprovides 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 Zenand Skateboard Bandits.
When it comes to the relentless march of Father Time, I think of myself as the rapper Eminem, flipping that aging bastard the bird with both fingers.
Why? Because when it comes to staying young, I’ve got that old ass curmudgeon beat.
That’s right, folks, there’s no way I’m letting Father Time’s renowned conspiracy theory, “Everybody Gets Old,” catch hold of me. Forgettaboutit!
Now get outta my kitchen, you pesky youth plunderer, because I consider my mind, body, and spirit – and my protective aura surrounding it – way too vibrant to be hoodwinked by you. Just like you should stop the aging process by fortifying and maintaining an everlasting aura that emanates into the Universe, keeping you harmonious, youthful, and strong.
Now you think who’s this Tola character and what’s he been smoking? Everlasting youth, yeah, right.
But I am right. Because the proof is in the pudding and with my youthful successes, that is to say, I’m a 57-year-old who got stuck at age 30; I know you can. Whoever you are and wherever you live, regardless of your current state of eternal metamorphosis, take my practical and very doable advice…and stop aging now.
Here are my top 10 tips for everlasting youth.
1. Keep Moving
Arguably the most important step of all, which begets one simple question: Do you wake up in the morning and soon find yourself sitting down for long periods? Can’t do it. Gotta keep moving – at all times – like baby dolphins.
2. Be Vain
We’re talking about the good vain here and not the obnoxious vain that Carley Simon sings about. Always be confident and proud of your accomplishments as well as your aura and appearances.
3. Love the Scale
Yes, the one device that displays a tiny number between your toes that can totally ruin your day. But you have to learn to love it because it’s crucial to stay within your optimum bodyweight range daily. Forever. Plus, it keeps you honest.
4. Be Passionate
In everything you do, or don’t do it. Passion keeps you young and vibrant.
5. Respect Yourself
Arguably the #1 Step again (or tied with Keep Moving) means that any way you look at it, everlasting youth and being your best possible self starts with self-respect. And as the saying goes, everything else is gravy.
6. Don’t Quit
Oftentimes the ‘art of winning’ is in the ‘never quitting.’ Plus, perseverance can take you all the way, no doubt. As Great Britain’s courageous Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, “Never, never, never give up.”
7. Embrace Failure
You’ll find this one on the flip side of Don’t Quit. As basketball legend Michael Jordan professed, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career, I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” Amen.
8. Exercise Daily
This one goes without saying because your body is a temple that needs to be exercised every single day, something I’ve been doing for the past 50 years. It’s true; that’s why this one is easy for me. But no worries if it’s more challenging for you, kinda like cooking is, for me, impossible. Anyone can embrace a daily fitness program that’s easy to maintain. Just do it.
9. Know You’re Young
Believing and knowing are completely different energies. You Gotta know it.
10. Self-Correct
So what if you’ve fallen off the wagon again? Get right back on it. It’s that simple, self-correct, and you’ll be back on track. Because you can do anything, you set your mind to. Just like when I quit drinking alcohol altogether 13 years ago. And yes, you can too.
Now, what about all those aches and pains that seem to accompany us Boomers with each new dawn? Can anyone make those disappear and truly feel like you’re 30 again?
Not exactly.
But you can come close. Everyone knows that concept of mind over matter. It actually works and sure comes in handy when convincing yourself to ignore those aches and pains.
Tell you the truth, there are some mornings when my legs and feet are so sore from walking 10 miles a day – that’s right, 10 miles a day since the Coronavirus hit last year that I need to mindfully stretch my legs and crack my feet before stepping out of bed.
I also have recurring neck and back problems that date back to my baseball playing days of the 70s and 80s, plus hip and knee problems from all the walking I do. So yeah, I’ve got problems. Lots of them, but who wouldn’t after thousands of hours lifting weights and doing yoga and running canyons and walking all over God’s creation.
Yet I’ve loved every minute of it. That’s right, and I’ve been embracing good health and fitness since I was a toddler doing push-ups and sit-ups alongside my older brother Sam.
The good news for me and all the other fitness enthusiasts from the 70s and 80s who cherished all things Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger is that staying healthy, strong, and fit is so deeply ingrained in our psyches that nothing can derail us from our daily workout routines.
In closing, let me say this: Regardless of your predilection toward exercise or anything else that’s really good for you or otherwise fat burning, anyone can drink from the fountain of youth. As I say on the back of my book, “Youthfulness is not contingent upon your physical body or even how old your face looks, but rather the force and energy you emanate into the Universe.”
So may the force be with you…and I’ll see you at the fountain!
Just like it’s always best to finish the year strong, the same goes for starting strong, also know as ‘like a bat outta hell’, as the rock legend Meatloaf once sang. At the very least be sure to set your sights, aka your specific goals for 2021 – or the first six months like I do – and make sure to respect your temple along the way. Every single day that is, because who doesn’t want to stay healthy, vibrant and young while drinking from the Fountain of Youth?
In the New Year we also lowered our prices to make it easier for anyone to get motivated by my old-school “everlasting youth” advice that’s very practical and doable and most importantly, effective. Because the proof is in the pudding. Always. Not to mention a little fun and fast-paced inspiration from the plethora of wild and witty stories recounted throughout my life’s colorful journey.
Rich Tola’s books on Amazon, Kindle and Audible (Fountain of Youth coming soon!)
Finish and Strong are no doubt two very simple yet very effective words. Just like everything I’ve been recommending in all of my creations since time began (or maybe 2006) including my new book, How to Drink from the Fountain of Youth: 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth, keep it simple and finish strong. And always Keep Your Cool, no matter how many COVID pounds you’ve gained.
Enjoy the last Tola Talks of 2020 everyone…and definitely read my book, because who doesn’t want to be their best possible self while looking, feeling and “being” at least 20 years younger!
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.
In addition to respecting yourself – mind, body and spirit – you also need to Respect the Universe if you want to Drink from the Fountain of Youth. It’s also Step 9 of my 30 Steps to Everlasting Youth, and it’s all about extending your self-respect out into the world as it relates to all things living and non-living. Do it, and the Universe will thank you for it.
Now here’s a quick workout anyone can do with a single dumbbell. Peace – R
