Tag: yoga

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Don’t Be Afraid to Jump

Rich Tola teaches Yoga at domestic violence shelter
Rich Tola teaches Yoga at the domestic violence shelter
Last weekend I decided it was time to move back to the beach – since I spent the summer of 1985 a few hundred yards from the ocean in beautiful Marina del Rey. However brief my first southern Cali beach experience lasted, I knew I’d be back.

But wait, don’t I need a “place to live” and a “job” and at least “get to know the area” before I just pack-up and move there?

Not at all, if I believe in myself and I’m not afraid to jump. Not literally, of course, but in way that describes what most people experience when they’re asked to commit to something new and challenging. Like Yoga. Or walking 2 miles every single morning before you take a shower. Or doing my 100 consecutive days of 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts on YouTube (all of them, especially my AB ones!). Oftentimes we experience subtle fear and inward resistance usually followed by “rational” reasons for not doing it. Like “I can’t do Yoga because I’m not flexible”.

You know how many times I hear that phrase – about a dozen times a week. That’s right, because I usually talk fitness with people I meet and encourage them to embrace a daily fitness program that’s based on Yoga. Simple, effective and to the point. That’s my style, especially when it comes to respecting yourself with an arsenal of exercises that’ll stymie Father Time.

Muster the confidence to believe in yourself, and whatever you do, Don’t Be Afraid to Jump.

Enjoy – R

Here’s another book sample about helping others believe they can: Chapter 42 – Intervention

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Be Thoughtful of Others

Being thoughtful of others can be quite elusive, especially when you’re dealing with some form of adversity in your life. Nevertheless, it’s something that makes for a better human experience, so always be conscious of how your actions – and inactions – will affect others.

Case in point: Yesterday I had the afternoon free and I was really looking forward to seeing the film Mud, with Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon (I heard it was excellent!). And since my friend and I were running a bit late – which is usually the case in Los Angeles for a boatload of reasons – we knew we had minutes to spare once we got there. But as soon as we parked, my friend takes a call from her Mom.

Not good.

Because she proceeded to have a heated discussion with her with no regard for me or the start of the movie. So what did I do? I waved for her to meet me inside, then I darted off to buy the tickets. And to wait…which I did for the next 15 minutes until I refunded our unused tickets and went back to the car – where my non-thoughtful friend was still arguing with her Mom.

So whatever your situation, remember that your actions will affect others…so Be Thoughtful.

Enjoy – R

PS – here’s a thoughtful clip from my AudioBook, Chapter 54 – Mother’s Day

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Do it with The Ellen Show

Are you one of those individuals who never has time to workout? Or to put it bluntly – since I’m definitely not one for beating around the bush – are you one of those non-fitness types who thinks they have a legitimate “I have no time” reason for never working out?

If you are (with no judgment whatsoever folks), then here’s a little something for you:

My 5-minute, full-body, Yoga-based workout from Rich Tola’s Yoga Survival Guide that you can do while watching The Ellen Show. That’s right, a 5-minute workout you can easily muster during commercial breaks with Ellen DeGeneres. With a little dance warm-up to boot!

From beginners to seasoned yoginis who want to enhance their practice by learning the proper fundamentals of Yoga, my 2 1/2 hour video encyclopedia of 100 Yoga poses will do just that. Learn Yoga anywhere…with my 5-minute fun & effective lessons that were filmed throughout the streets of Hollywood in 2010 to benefit my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation, teaching Yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.

Because who doesn’t have 5 minutes a day to respect themselves?  Enjoy – R

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Sit Tall in the Saddle

COMING SOON in AUDIO BOOK
COMING SOON in AUDIO BOOK
The past few days I’ve been in the studio recording the Audio Book (coming soon) for my memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, and had a chance to reflect on one of my favorite lessons learned on Wall Street.

Chapter 21 – Sit Tall in the Saddle, tells about when I interned with a top broker at Prudential Securities:

“The day I arrived, the first thing he did was hand me a framed picture of a cowboy sitting on a horse looking sternly off into the distance. Beneath the picture the caption read, ‘When you ride alone, you must sit tall in the saddle’. I just looked at him and smiled, while he looked at me with a serious face and said, ‘Always remember that and you’ll be fine.’ To this day, I can’t help but think how the little things I learned from some of Wall Street’s million dollar men continue to inspire me.”

So Sit Tall in the Saddle in whatever you do today…and don’t forget your Daily Fitness Program!

Enjoy – R

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Boost your Self-Confidence with Good Posture and Balance

Yoga Master, Rich Tola
Yoga Master, Rich Tola
This weekend I spent time with a bunch of twenty-something year-olds talking about exercise and the importance of a Daily Fitness Program – a concept as foreign to them as The Jack LaLanne Show.

When I said “good posture and balance will boost your self-confidence”, they looked at me like I had three heads!

Because good posture and balance (and NOT slouching) exudes self-confidence to everyone around you as well as: 1) properly aligns your spine and puts less stress on your joints, 2) helps the bones, muscles and ligaments in the spine to move smoothly and pain-free in everything you do, 3) improves your breathing by making it easier for your lungs and diaphragm to expand, and 4) engages your abdominals at all times enabling a strong core and flatter midsection – and better looking Abs!

So get your Yoga groove on today and improve your posture and balance like I did with Ardha Chandrasana (Half-Moon pose) in the beautiful sculpture gardens at The Huntington Library.

Enjoy – R

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Celebrate the Emptiness

Bruce Lee
Martial Art’s greatest, Bruce Lee
I was inspired today when I read this in my friend’s yoga newsletter and wanted to share it with you:

“Emptiness is the starting point. In order to taste my cup of water you must first empty your cup. My friend, drop all your preconceived and fixed ideas and be neutral. Do you know why this cup is useful? Because it is empty.” Bruce Lee

It’s simply about clearing yourself of negative energy and creating space in your being, your mind-body-spirit, to absorb new positive energies & opportunities from a neutral, white canvas-like starting point.

Easier said than done. But definitely achievable…because ANYONE can.

Have the courage and confidence to empty your cup today and Celebrate the Emptiness!

Enjoy – R

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Add some IRON to your Diet

If you haven’t done so already, then add some IRON to your diet. And I do mean the chemical element with the symbol Fe. That is to say, IRON in the form of dumbbells and free weights. Because a well-balanced Daily Fitness Program includes weightlifting to keep your muscles tone and strong.

All it takes are some dumbbells and a flat bench – or an ottoman will do – which you can likely buy on CraigsList or eBay for a ‘song and dance’. The dumbbells you can store under your bed and the bench or ottoman becomes and part of the decor. Then off you go…with a fool-proof way to spend a quick 30 minutes on a great workout…without ever leaving your bedroom. Who can say NO to that?

Rich Tola teaching Weight Room Yoga
Rich Tola teaching Weight Room Yoga
No BS here folks. Just another way to respect yourself with another one of my sure-fire ways of getting your daily workout in without spending a lot of time and money. A mouthful, I know, but it’s true.

And if you need some expert instruction on proper posture and technique when exercising with dumbbells and a flat bench, check out Lesson #9 – Weight Room Yoga and my Yoga Survival Guide.

There are 30 fun lessons about 5 minutes each, filmed throughout the streets of Hollywood including Walk of Fame Yoga, Shower Yoga, Bus Stop Yoga, Zoo Yoga, Traffic Yoga, Beach Yoga and the advanced balancing class I call, Prison Yoga, dedicated to Lindsay Lohan the day she went away.

Enjoy – R

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Time to Weigh-in

When was the last time you stepped on the scale? If it wasn’t this morning, then it’s Time to Weigh-in!

That’s right, it’s time for you to check your weight as we enter the final three weeks of the year. And if you haven’t taken my advice from last New Year’s Day – click HERE to read my blog – then consider the following discourse “to make the better choice” as articulated in Chapter 67 of my new memoir,

Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood (click to preview on Amazon.com):

author, Rich Tola
author, Rich Tola

Chapter 67 – SELF CORRECT

“If you consider Lucy, a 3.2 million year-old ape, as our human ancestor, then as a species we’ve been around a long time. Individually though, it’s less than 100 years. The way I figure it, I’ll be happy to get 80 great years out of it, so why not keep my body (and mind) as young as possible, for as long as possible. How do I plan on doing that? Through proper diet and exercise, two of the hardest simple words in the English language. Because to do each one correctly requires pain and sacrifice. Maybe discomfort is a better word than pain, but you know what I mean. And to master each of these two simple words, you need to “self-correct”. Self-correct refers to making adjustments along the way, consciously reminding yourself to make the better choice.”

And for those of you who believe there’s no chance you can lose those extra pounds you’ve already gained this holiday season – NONSENSE!

Anyone can lose a few measly pounds in less than 21 days! Just MAKE THE BETTER CHOICE when it comes to food and alcohol – you know what that means – and be sure to embrace a Daily Fitness Program. And if you don’t have money for a gym or yoga studio, then start walking everyday and/or start doing any one of my 100 Days of 5-Minute Fat Burning Workouts on YouTube: Boulevard Zen.

Because who doesn’t have 5 minutes a day to respect themselves? Enjoy – R

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Kick Him to the Curb

These five simple yet powerful words are meant to help ANY woman who’s being abused by a significant other and doesn’t believe she has the wherewith-all or courage to do something about it.

Case in point: A few months ago I had just returned to Hollywood when I met this really sweet thirty-something year-old gal who had been living with her lazy, no-good boyfriend for the past 5 years. And I say lazy, no-good because not only does this scumbag mentally and emotionally abuse my friend, but this disrespectful low-life doesn’t pay rent, doesn’t hold a steady job, doesn’t look for work, doesn’t cook or clean or help with chores around the apartment, doesn’t help pay for groceries, and doesn’t own a car but always uses hers. Now I would call that a blood-sucking disrespectful low-life, wouldn’t you? The good news is she doesn’t own anything with him nor do they have children together.

Yesterday I had coffee with her and specifically asked why she still supports this abusive scumbag considering she has ALL the power in the relationship, which by the way, has her looking like she’s suffering from Anorexia nervosa. She meekly said, “He’s not so bad, you know, and even if I wanted, I wouldn’t know how to get him out.” My advice was these five simple words – KICK HIM TO THE CURB. She just looked at me like I was crazy until I said, “It’s really simple if you have the courage to end it – and here are three ways you can do it: 1) tell your landlord you’re being abused by your live-in boyfriend and you need to move out, then pack up all your things when he’s not there and hire a few very large men to help you move everything into a storage unit and go live with your parents or your best friend; 2) on your way out the door tomorrow morning tell your boyfriend he’s got until 5pm to vacate the premises and never return again, at which point you’ll be returning with the police (or other suitable protection) and a restraining order against him; or 3) pack-up all his belongings when he’s not there and leave them on the porch with a note saying if he comes within 100 yards of you or your apartment ever again, you’ll have him arrested (and go directly to the authorities for that restraining order).

Anyone who’s familiar with my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation, knows that I’m passionate about changing the lives of women and children living in domestic violence shelters. And not just with a daily fitness program that’s based on Yoga, but with a self-respecting and open-hearted approach to life that starts with loving yourself and never letting anyone abuse you in any way, shape or form.

Know that ALL abusers are the weak ones, and know that ANYONE can find the courage to seek help from domestic violence organizations and shelters that are there for you.

Be strong and KICK HIM TO THE CURB – you can do it!

As for that scumbag boyfriend of yours – or anyone else abusing any man, woman or child – really look at yourself in the mirror and commit to changing your evil ways – you can do it! And you can start by reading my memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, where a portion of all sales goes to support my charity and our Yoga teachers.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Everyone! – R

PS – Don’t forget to get your workout in!