Health & Wellness Archives - Page 3 of 10

March 22, 2022July 27, 2022

Sobriety and Healing in the Public Eye – A Conversation with Dancing with the Stars Pro Cheryl Burke

With over twenty-five years of dancing experience and several championship titles under her belt, Emmy nominated professional dancer Cheryl Burke tangoed and sambaed her way into the hearts of millions through the hit ABC television show, “Dancing with the Stars”, becoming champion twice: with Emmitt Smith in season three and Drew Lachey in season two. In addition, she has starred in NBC’s “I Can Do That” in 2016 and became a coach on Lifetime’s “Dance Moms” in 2017. In 2020, Cheryl teamed with Backstreet Boys superstar and former DWTS partner AJ McLean to host the iHeart Radio produced podcast, “Pretty Messed Up”. This past year Cheryl also delved into the fashion world with her loungewear collection with clothing brand Bailey Blue.

This article is an excerpt from Carrie Ann’s March 10th, 2022 Instagram Live conversation with Cheryl Burke. It has been edited for length and clarity.

How many times have you seen a pseudo “wellness tips” Instagram post that implies that all it takes to achieve self-actualization is to drink more water and do some stretches? One of the major themes of the Carrie Ann Conversations: Journey to Wellness series is that healing and achieving wellness takes work. It requires trial and error, and an ongoing commitment to do things that feed into every aspect of our wellbeing – mind, body, and spirit. Cheryl Burke is someone who exemplifies this commitment and doesn’t shy away from sharing her own struggles. She’s an open book, and her conversation with Carrie Ann shed a refreshing light on just what it takes to come to a place of true wellness. We hope you enjoy!

Carrie Ann: So, this show is about wellness, as you know, and giving people the tools to help with their own wellness journey. I know you’ve been very open about your healing process and your whole wellness routine. When did healing become a focus for you?

Cheryl Burke: I would say when my father passed away. That was right when I was engaged, in 2019. And I’ve always been very fascinated with the brain, our intelligence, and how that all works. I’ve been listening to lots of podcasts lately, like, honestly, I don’t even listen to music anymore. I’m really into these yogis, even though I’m not a yogi. I’m not even close. But I love the spiritual world. I was born Catholic, and even though I’m not necessarily religious now, I do believe in in higher power. I think with my sobriety, it forced me to have to believe in that. As I started surrendering to that, then I really started diving in deep.

Carrie Ann: When you say that, you mean like a higher power?

Cheryl Burke: A higher power, God, whatever you want to call it. It’s hard for me to say God, but I know that there is a higher power, higher presence, universe, angels, whatever you want to say.

Carrie Ann: Yeah, I think that’s the beauty of this higher power. I was raised Christian, and so I speak to God all the time. But I’m a little bit more aligned with maybe more Buddhist philosophies.

Cheryl Burke: Yes, same.

Carrie Ann: Or Shintoism, like I believe that everything has a spirit. That’s probably from my Hawaiian background, because we have a very large Japanese population there. I think you and I are both melting pots. What are your nationalities again?

Cheryl Burke: I did 23 and Me less than a year ago, and I didn’t realize that I’m 53% Ashkenazi Jewish. And the rest is Filipina. My dad thought he was Irish and Russian, but he clearly didn’t have any clue.

Carrie Ann: You and I bonded on the fact that we both that we were Asian and Irish. (Laughing) We were like, and we can drink!

Cheryl Burke: (Laughing)Yes! I was proud. I was like, we don’t get red!

Carrie Ann: We can handle it! Cut to now, where I don’t drink. I wouldn’t say I’m completely sober, that I don’t drink at all. I’ll drink on a very, very special occasion. I’ve learned that as you get older, it just wears and tears on your body and it’s not worth it. But you’re sober. How did that happen? I’ve been fascinated with this.

Cheryl Burke: It happened right after my father passed away. So a lot of big life moments. But it was honestly for a vanity reason. I’ve said this before, but it was like as if my subconscious was rejecting poison. I used to be a proud, I would say, functioning alcoholic. Not like I was wasted, but nothing would affect me. I thought the alcohol was what would help me out of my social anxiety. It got me more comfortable. The only time I never had to drink was before I danced. But then I realized the after effects, right? So the after effects of being hungover, or starting to feel really insecure. And I truly believe that alcohol does that to your brain – it really made my thoughts louder and louder. It made me start questioning and made me feel insecure. I’ll never forget Chad Ochocinco’s season. We did a foxtrot, and my thoughts were so loud, saying “you’re going to forget your own choreography”. And I forgot my choreography! I swayed the wrong way and it threw him off completely. And after that moment, I just ended up drinking more to quiet my thoughts.

Then, right before Matt and I got married, I basically broke out into hives. So I tried everything (to keep drinking), believe me. I was like, let me take a shot of fireball. Let me try vodka. Let me try wine. All in one sitting, full out. And my whole face turned red. So I was like, I cannot do that. When I make a decision, I make a decision. And then I quit cold turkey. And I’m not saying that it is right or wrong, and that this is the way for everybody. Because most of the time it’s not, a lot of people go to rehab. It’s one step at a time.

Carrie Ann: Can I ask, do you go to meetings?

Cheryl Burke: Yes. I haven’t lately, so I’m not going to say that I’m religious about it. But I do have a sponsor that I check in with every week, as well as two therapists, and an online course. You know, I’m very excessive. I’m an addict, I will always be an addict. And that is something that I have to work on daily. It’s a daily practice for me.

Carrie Ann: Changing the direction of your focus towards wellness, which is what I’ve also done, makes your life so much better. Then there’s this whole new world! And what I have realized is it actually takes a lot of effort to really find true wellness.

You just mentioned that you have a really big team, right? And I think that’s what I’ve learned through this process – it definitely takes a team. Even if you can’t afford to get a psychotherapist, there’s apps that you can use and so many tangible, accessible ways to get help. Also reaching out to friends, like having one friend that you confess these things to that understands or is further on the journey. So, what kind of team do you have?

Cheryl Burke: Okay, let me go back to what you were saying. So, absolutely, I hear you. And I think the wellness doesn’t ever stop, because I am always a work in progress. I think for me, when I do the up and down roller coaster ride, it’s the down that really is the most important. It’s like the failure is what creates the success, right? So without feeling like crap, without feeling like oh my god, I just want to quit, and realizing that this is a test from the universe. And it’s a test to yourself to see how resilient you are and how we will survive, right? We are stronger than we think we are. I’ve I realized that it’s one minute at a time sometimes. For me, it’s not even just one day at a time, because sometimes that’s overwhelming. It’s one hour at a time. It’s literally just right now, which focuses me to stay present.

As far as my wellness journey goes, I have a therapist, and I’m such a huge advocate for therapy. I understand that not everybody can afford it. But it is important to also not just go to a friend or a family member, you want to go to someone who’s not biased, right? If you’re ready for it. Therapy has been instilled in my body and in my lifestyle because of the time when I got sexually molested as a little girl. My mom made sure I was in therapy right away. And then it was up to me when I moved here to Los Angeles, when I was 22. It was like season four or five that I was like, uh-oh, I definitely need to go and talk to somebody. That was the start of my partying journey. And for me, I love it because I’m a very curious person. Curiosity makes me want to wake up in the morning, because I just really love learning.

There was a moment on “Dancing with the Stars” where I was like, I don’t think I can continue doing this anymore. Because I didn’t feel like I was learning anything, I just felt like I was on autopilot. And there’s nothing worse for me than feeling like I’m stagnant. At the end of the day, I was just craving to learn something. So when we added the Argentine Tango to the show, I went to Argentina, I learned how to tango, and it fed my soul. And now I’m like that with my brain and my intelligence. Just little things, like learning that we’re not our thoughts. I wish I learned that in grade school. There’s a lot of things that I wish we would have learned in school. But anyway, moving to the present moment. It’s fascinating. Continuous growth is what I just yearn for, and I’m so eager to learn.

Carrie Ann: I wonder if it’s because dancers are always in motion, right? We might be more aware when we are feeling stagnant, because we are really tapped into our kinesthetic awareness.

Cheryl Burke: Oh, 100%. Because we feel that we’re very in tune with our bodies, but do we listen to our body? I’m currently doing Somatic Experiencing therapy, and then I’ve got my regular therapist. What Somatic therapy has taught me is to not push through when your body tells you to stop. And that’s what we’re all so good at as dancers – like we sprained an ankle, oh, well. I got another ankle, let’s just keep it moving. Now I’m learning how to feel my feelings. And I know that sounds real basic, but it is basic. And that’s okay. I would rather feel my feelings than not, because I know people that keep their feelings inside. I grew up with an Asian mother, who taught me that vulnerability equaled weakness. It’s not courageous. And it has been definitely an eye opener and scary as shit. It’s been really scary for me to be vulnerable, and to figure out, what does that mean? What does that look like for Cheryl? And trying not to set expectations that are too high, trying not to judge my feelings.

But back to what you were saying about body language. I believe that there’s so many different types of therapy out there – you don’t need to just do talk therapy. You don’t have to sit there in front of a stranger and talk – I understand that some people can’t. A family member of mine, who also got sexually molested by the same man, cannot talk about it. I think there’s animals, there’s movement, and I’m creating a dance program, hopefully launching this year, called Body Language. It combines movement and mental health, which is a real thing that works. I only know from experience, which is why I have a partner who’s a certified therapist that can back it up with science.

Carrie Ann: You know, it’s so true. My first experience of dance was when I was four years old. We ran around in an open air pavilion in Hawaii, and it wasn’t labeled as dance, it was more just expression. Everyone has to move. When you look into the science of it, energy has to move, and our bodies need to express ourselves. I worked with an organization a while ago called Drea’s Dream, and it’s for pediatric cancer movement therapy. It’s really powerful because our body never lies, right? And I think, as a judge, whenever I’m watching, I can learn so much about a person. It informs the critiques that I give to people, because it doesn’t lie. I can tell when somebody’s really tense, I can tell when somebody’s really scared. That’s why I’m always encouraging people to shake it off or to push it far enough that they fall. Once you get past that point, it’s so much easier. Is that a part of the new program that you’re starting with somatic movement?

Cheryl Burke: Yeah, I eventually want all different types or styles of dance. But obviously, I’m an expert in ballroom and I know from firsthand experience that it helped me from when I was sexually abused, to when I was dating abusive men. At the end of the day, the reason why I’m sitting here with you now is because of movement. I cannot discredit that. What I’ve learned so far from Dr. Peter Levine, who started this whole somatic intelligence talk, is that movement helps you shake off trauma. Dr. Levine went to Africa, and long story short, studied the animals and how they shake things off. As it turns out, when they shake it off, they’re actually shaking off trauma so that they don’t continue to keep PTSD in their body. So, Body Language is not going to be about choreography or exercise. It’s literally just bringing out the character of each dance. So we go back and relive that trauma, then we shake it off. And we are intentional about what it is that we want to shake off. For example, if we got into a car accident, and were able to get out of the car and literally shake it off, we would never have to experience the PTSD that most people have experienced. And are still experiencing, myself included.

Carrie Ann: Right, because the muscles contract. I’ve done a little work on this, because I’ve had extreme pain from trauma. When we have traumatic experiences, our body tenses, and then if we don’t release the tension, those neural pathways grow tight. If we start to experience anything similar, or in the range of something similar, we will have the same reaction. So your body will overreact, and that’s the PTSD that you’re talking about. But when you shake it off, you don’t allow those pathways to harden. I think this is going to be so great, it’s going to help a lot of people. People don’t necessarily have to understand with their mind what’s happening. This is another entryway for people who don’t want to talk, right? They don’t want to do talk therapy, they don’t want to use their mind. They just want to absorb it and heal.

(Laughing) They’re not like you and I, who are going to read 97,000 books.

Cheryl Burke: And overanalyze it all and take notes.

Who else is excited to try Cheryl’s somatic movement Therapy class when it’s available? She has come up with such a fun, creative concept that opens the door to new healing modalities. The journey to wellness isn’t one size fits all, and that is why we like to highlight many approaches here at CAC. Healing is personal, and sometimes traditional methods may not work for you. Maybe movement therapy is just the thing you’ve been missing! Let us know what you think in the comments, and if anything in particular from this conversation resonated with you.

To watch Carrie Ann’s full interview with Cheryl, click here.

For more information on Cheryl and her loungewear line, follow the links below:

Instagram: @cherylburke

Twitter: @CherylBurke

Cheryl’s Website

Cheryl’s YouTube channel

Cheryl’s favorite hobby – diamond painting!

Her loungewear collection with Bailey Blue

Cheryl’s book

March 11, 2022July 27, 2022

How Giving Back Lights Us Up – A Conversation with Torch’d Creator and Fitness Guru Isaac Boots

How Giving Back Lights Us Up - A Conversation with Torch'd Creator and Celebrity Trainer Isaac Boots

Born and raised in Hawaii, Isaac is a celebrity trainer, choreographer and Broadway dancer with a long list of credits to his name. While using his experience crafting routines on the main stages of the pop music world and training artists to sculpt their bodies in preparation for their demanding projects, Isaac created TORCH’D, a sustainable workout that burns fat, builds stamina and achieves visible results. Celebrities such as KELLY RIPA, VANESSA HUDGENS, LISA RINNA, JESSICA CHASTAIN, GWYNETH PALTROW, NAOMI WATTS, FAYE DUNAWAY, and LUCY LIU are just a few longtime devotees of TORCH’D and are never hesitant to give Isaac credit for their superb form and increased energy. In March of 2020, as a result of the pandemic lockdown, Isaac offered his TORCH’D classes everyday for free for the first time on Instagram (@isaacboots) and in just a short time Isaac’s workouts became one of the most followed fitness classes around the world. Not wanting to charge a fee for access to the classes during the pandemic, Isaac instead asked his followers to donate what they could to No Kid Hungry, the charity known for providing millions of meals to kids in need. The request was heartfelt and personal. Isaac, from extremely modest means, grew up on food stamps and was challenged by the stigma associated with it. Astonishingly, after just seven months, Isaac’s effort raised over $1 million for No Kid Hungry, thereby making him the single, largest, individual fundraiser in the organization’s history.

This article is an excerpt from Carrie Ann’s February 24th, 2022 Instagram Live conversation with Isaac Boots. It has been edited for length and clarity.

According to a 2006 study, the National Institutes of Health found that “when people give to charities, it activates regions of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection, and trust, creating a “warm glow” effect”. To put it simply, giving back makes you happy! This phenomena is especially exemplified in our guest Isaac Boots. He radiates warmth and generosity, and uses his platform raise awareness and funds for amazing causes. The butterfly effect was aptly mentioned in this interview, and that’s the perfect way to describe Isaac’s contributions to the world! Take any of his high-energy, crazy-fun workout classes, and you won’t be able resist forking over cash to one of the charities Isaac is so passionate about. Endorphins + giving = pure happiness. In the past two years, Isaac has helped raise $2 million for No Kid Hungry, and it’s easy to see why. We hope you enjoy this interview and getting to know the human butterfly that is Isaac!

Carrie Ann: A lot of people think oh, working out is too much for me to do, I can’t do it. How do we stop the excuses?

Isaac Boots: Everyone has at least a few minutes a day. Period. Do a little bit. What we just did for 10 minutes, it’s not that much, but it’s effective. It works. If you do it every day, you see results and you feel results. That’s why I wanted to create something that had no excuses. You can do it anywhere. And just because I offer a 45 minute workout, that doesn’t mean you have to kill yourself and do the whole thing. Do a little bit. Take a break and come back.

Carrie Ann: You’re at The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach doing Torch’d workouts in person. How’s that going? (This interview is from Feb. 24th, 2022. Check Isaac’s website for his updated schedule)

Isaac Boots: It’s going crazy. It’s a really, really beautiful community here. A lot of my people from New York and the Hamptons have a house here – they’re here in the winter. So it’s kind of cool. It’s packed. I just did a collaboration with Michael Kors, who came down and did a fashion show. We raised a lot of money for Childhood USA, which helps stop child sex trafficking. It’s a real problem and a real thing. So, Michael and I raised about 50k for that the other day, and it’s been great.

Carrie Ann: I’m so proud of you. This is what’s so spectacular about you. First of all, I’m a fan. When everybody went into lockdown, and everyone was lost and didn’t know where to go – and this goes back to what you were just saying about being able to do Torch’d anywhere – YOU KEPT GOING. You did Torch’d from Instagram, for free. Which, by the way, for all of you who don’t know, you can do any of these workouts – he’s got millions of them and they’re all fantastic. Not only did you keep going by doing your Torch’d workouts, but you encouraged people to donate to No Kid Hungry. And now you’re raising money for Childhood USA.

Isaac Boots: Yes, it’s cool because it was founded by Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden, and it’s actually World Childhood Foundation. The US faction is Childhood USA. I don’t know if anybody knows, but the numbers and rates of child sex trafficking have tripled in the past few years in the US. In every neighborhood, even affluent neighborhoods. It’s in your backyard, and it’s children. So in the last few years we’ve raised nearly $2 million for hungry kids, and now I feel I need to protect them. That’s a real issue, and has been a real passion.

Carrie Ann: Where does that passion come from? You’ve raised nearly $2 million for No Kid Hungry and now you’re going to probably raise more for Childhood USA, because I just know how passionate you are. Where does all this passion come from?

Isaac Boots: I think there’s something to be said for growing up in Hawaii. There’s a sense of community, there’s a sense of giving back. There’s a sense of being grateful for what you eat, for what you take, for what you fish. I had a really tough childhood, I grew up really, really poor. My grandmother was a real big source of light, she was like, the most magnificent Hawaiian mama that everybody just loved. She taught me that you have to have gratitude, and the way to really have it is to be aware of the underdog. And there’s nothing more innocent than a child. And particularly with this new initiative, I think it’s uncomfortable for people to talk about. But people need to talk about it, because it’s not happening somewhere else, it’s actually here. So my husband Jeffrey and I are co-chairs of the Childhood USA Gala, which is happening in May. We’re honoring Ricky Martin, actually, because he’s done a lot of work for this. So raising awareness, raising coins, and finding tactics to really fight it. People can also go to childhood-usa.org to learn more.

Carrie Ann: Everybody go check that out! You know, you were talking briefly about Ohana, that spirit from Hawaii that we both have. When you grow up in Hawaii, there’s a sense of community and it’s not separate from yourself. It’s a part of you. We believe that all things are connected. In this series, Carrie Ann Conversations: Journey to Wellness, we often talk about wellness and how the first step is being aware. You were just mentioning awareness about what’s going on in the world, even though some of us want to turn a blind eye because we don’t have time or whatever it is. But we have to be aware of what’s happening in our own backyard in order for us to heal. The world needs healing.

Isaac Boots: Yeah, you know I’m thinking of what’s going on in the Ukraine now every second. You feel a sense of helplessness, like what do I do? How can I help? I just think that it’s the little actions, it’s talking about it, it’s voting, it’s showing up. Making your voice heard. You may feel like you’re powerless, but it’s not true. It’s not true. We all have the capacity to make change, even if it’s in small, small ways. You know, I read something by Ruth Rosenberg, who is my Kabbalah teacher. She posted something on Instagram and all it said was “let someone go in front of you in the line at the grocery store”. I just thought that was so profound. It seems so simple, but it’s those little things. It’s like a butterfly effect for how you treat yourself and how you talk to other people.

Carrie Ann: Because other people in this world are an extension of you, aren’t they? Some people feel that wellness is a luxury for those who have more money, or have more time or freedom. But the truth is, as you so beautifully pointed out, that you can do good in this world just within your little sphere. I think that when you do good like that, you then feel a little bit bigger and brighter. You’re that ripple, and it keeps going. And your ripple, my friend, has been one of the most beautiful things that I’ve experienced during this pandemic. Whenever I felt lost, I want you to know that I watched you. I was just thinking about the time you did the live with Kelly Ripa and she was sliding all over the floor, and she had Mark set up the lights, and it all just went so terribly. Like quote unquote wrong, but it was the most beautiful thing to me! It was so uplifting, and you raised so much money!

Isaac Boots: I think you can attest to this because you’re good friends with her as well, but Kelly Ripa is like the most down to earth, most real girl. Those are the kinds of people that you want to surround yourself with, and encourage other people to be like. Just go with the flow, be vulnerable, be ridiculous, and take time out of your day to do something good. Something outside of yourself. We can all get caught up, especially in this industry. How are my numbers, how can I get more, I need a contract, I need a new deal. Why did he get that and why didn’t I? It’s a mess. It’s noise. It doesn’t matter. You’re going to get what you’re meant to get anyway. So I always say I don’t have competition, and I don’t say that arrogantly. I don’t have competition because I cannot compete, and no one else can be me. There’s room for everyone to succeed. Janet Jackson is a queen. And that didn’t take away from Madonna. And that didn’t take away from Mariah. They were all queens. Rihanna, Gaga, Beyonce, they’re all different and they’re all amazing. So when you get caught up in that, which a lot of people do, it’s all a lie anyway. It’s an illusion.

Carrie Ann: I’ve watched your fame, and your star has grown very quickly and very brightly – which is well deserved. But, I was wondering if you ever feel pressure? How have you dealt with it? Are you able to just have that thought in your head at all times, or do you slip every once in a while? And when you do, how do you pull it back? I think all people slip once in a while.

Isaac Boots: Yeah, that’s a great question. I have a daily practice of reminding myself of what’s important, and what’s really helped me is to always have the main purpose of my day be whatever charitable initiative I’m working on. It is like 100%, it’s in every conversation, in every email. Then it takes it out of just the desire to receive for myself alone, and I actually tend to magnetize more than you can imagine. When I get caught up in the noise of what other people say around me, I catch myself quick, and I just smile. And I say it is what it is. You know, that’s meant for her, that’s meant for him, and that’s amazing. I am where I am for a reason, and I feel lucky and fortunate to be. That’s the real wellness, that self-talk.

Carrie Ann: Yes, during the course of this whole series, not one of my guests has not mentioned self-talk. Negative self-talk is the poison that we must avoid. It can come from so many different directions and it affects the way we think about ourselves. I’m fascinated by the fact that the way that you’re able to help your self-talk stay positive is through the contribution aspect of life. I thought for sure it might be the physical aspect, because I know that you helped a lot of us get into our physical bodies during lockdown. But I love that your motivation is even deeper than that. I do believe that contribution and taking care of others is one of the most important things in life.

Isaac Boots: That’s why I showed up. When I do a workout, I’m putting in the action that hopefully results in someone donating to the link in my bio. That’s 30 minutes of my time, of keeping my body together, that can help a kid. When I was a kid, $5 was a lot. And now thankfully it isn’t. But I remember him.

Carrie Ann: He’s mentioning $5 because when this started he would be telling us all “It’s just $5! It’s a coffee! You can do it!” during the workouts. And you know what? I watched those numbers grow, and I saw people that maybe didn’t think of themselves as somebody who could contribute in that way do it. And in turn, you gave them the gift of the self-esteem that comes along with giving back.

Isaac Boots: And, just to go back to the physical part, as a dancer and a performer…I have to move. So I don’t think of it as working out, it’s just going back to the studio and keeping it tight. But there are so many people that didn’t work out before, or never worked out a day in their life, that started with Torch’d. Maybe they were embarrassed to go to a gym, or embarrassed to go to class. But now they were home and just sort of able to partake and have a laugh. These people have changed their bodies physically too, which to me is a perk. That’s the cherry on top. The real reward is that they’ve changed their self-talk to something more positive.

Carrie Ann: I just want to talk really quickly about your background. There’s so many people that follow you that are from the dance world. I think dancers, as I think most human beings are, are incredible. And they’re not really fully recognized for their beauty and their talent. From your career as a dancer, what is it that you think you learned as a dancer to help you to get to where you are now?

Isaac Boots: Well, first of all, you were a huge inspiration for me as a kid. Madonna, to me as a child, was very important for many reasons. She was the first person to really be a champion for people like me. I was born in ’80, so people were not really talking about being gay. I grew up in a very conservative Catholic home, but Madonna was talking about all these issues, and she was glamorous and fabulous. I couldn’t afford dance class though, so I learned how to dance, really, from watching her videos over and over again. When you did The Girlie Show in ‘93, I was 12 and I remember learning that a fellow Hawaiian was dancing with the queen. I was like, oh my god, this can happen. It was transformative for me, because as you know, being in Hawaii felt very isolating, particularly at that time. Especially if you didn’t have any money, it was like, well, good luck. And to see you up there, it was on HBO I’ll never forget, opening the show, I was like, oh my God, she’s amazing.

How Giving Back Lights Us Up - A Conversation with Torch'd Creator and Celebrity Trainer Isaac Boots | CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS — Carrie Ann with Madonna and dancers from The Girlie Show, 1993. *Click here to purchase the full concert video on Amazon.*

Carrie Ann: That was an amazing job for me too, because I got to work with my idol. Thank you for saying that, it touches me to know that. It baffles my brain to know that I have had a little bit of an effect on your life. I watch you and I’m so impressed with you all the time. But in the same way maybe this Hawaiian girl gave you a little hope to pursue your dreams, you are giving so many people hope. People of all different classes, colors, creeds, genders. I think you represent so many people, and are inspiring so many people. As a fellow sister from Hawaii, I just want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all that you’ve done. You are a spectacular human being, I love you so much.

For the full interview with Isaac, click here!

We hope that something in this interview resonates with you, and would love to hear about it in the comments below! For everyone who wants to know more about Isaac, you can follow him on Instagram or visit his website. And if you’re in the mood for a sweat session, all of his free Torch’d classes are on Instagram! If you’re in Florida and would like to take a class in person, he’s currently at The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach and anyone can sign up for classes! Go to isaacboots.com for more information and to book.

If you want to get involved in his initiative to end child sex trafficking, go to childhood-usa.org.

For more information on Torch’d and how to get involved in Isaac’s latest charitable project, Childhood USA, follow the links below:

Instagram: @isaacboots

Torch’d

Childhood-usa.org

Torch’d @ The Colony Hotel

February 17, 2022May 4, 2022

Fran Drescher’s 6 Simple Tips for Detoxing Your Home

Fran Drescher has a reputation for passion and commitment. She received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as the lovable “MissFine” on CBS’s hit series,The Nanny, which she both created and executive produced. She also created, executive produced and starred in the groundbreaking TV Land sitcom,Happily Divorced, which was inspired by her real-life relationship with her gay ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson. Fran recently starred in the new NBC sitcom,Indebted, about a Baby Boomer couple who go broke and have to move in with their adult son and his young family. She has worked with many great directors in films such as Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap, to which Fran won Esquire Magazine’s One Minute Oscar, Milos Forman’s Ragtime, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Jack. She also starred in Beautician and the Beast opposite Timothy Dalton. Her famous voice is currently featured in the top-grossing SONY animated feature franchise film,Hotel Transylvania: In her role as Eunice, the wife of Frank Stein. In 2019, Fran starred in two indie films,The Creatress and After Class. She currently serves as the president of SAG-AFTRA.

An accomplished author, Fran received the prestigious NCCS writer’s award for Cancer Schmancer, which, along with Enter Whining, were New York Times Best Sellers. She also penned the celebrated children’s book, Being Wendy. Furthermore, Fran made her Broadway debut as “Madame” in Rodgers +Hammerstein’s Tony-Award winning Cinderella. Fran is a 20+-year cancer survivor and founder of the Cancer Schmancer Movement; dedicated to educating, motivating, and activating patients into medical consumers by connecting lifestyle to disease with her Master Class Health Summit and teen-targeted education video, Be The Change, starring Jamie Foxx.

This article is an excerpt from my Feb. 10th, 2022 Instagram Live conversation with Fran Drescher. The interview has been edited for clarity and format. To watch the full video, click here.

The home is a sanctuary, a place where we feel safe and at peace. Many of us focus solely on the look of our homes, tailoring them to reflect our personalities and energies. It’s helpful to have our living spaces project exactly how we want to feel inside them, but there’s a component missing to that equation. As important as it is to carefully construct a comfortable space, it is equally important to be mindful of the products we use in our homes. Some chemicals found in everyday products can be harmful to us and exacerbate or cause health issues. This is completely in opposition to the idea of creating a safe, peaceful environment to live in. So, how do we know which products are harmful? How can we start becoming more mindful about the products we use? I caught up with self-taught expert and all around wonderful human, Fran Drescher, to give you the answers. Fran is a cancer survivor and has made it her personal mission to not only advocate for safer products, but teach people how they can lead a more natural life. Fran is the definition of walking the walk, and I’m so grateful to her for sharing these tips.

The products mentioned in this article are suggestions from the Carrie Ann Conversations team based on Fran’s advice.

Switch to aluminum free deodorant and limit use of aluminum foil

“It should not have aluminum in it. I have found that people with brain diseases like Alzheimer’s have tremendous amounts of aluminum in their body. I actually don’t use aluminum foil to cook anymore, because it gives off noxious fumes that are not healthy. You have to line it with parchment paper if you need to use it, but I don’t. I grew up with my dad barbecuing and wrapping up big potatoes and corn on the cob in foil. But he has Parkinson’s, and a lot of his friends have dementia. And that’s actually not normal. It’s not something that comes with age, it comes with an environmental exposure”.

Turn off your WiFi and electronics periodically

“I installed as an on off switch next to my bed. The last thing I do is turn off the WiFi. I can sleep all night without those electromagnetic fields buzzing around my head and discombobulating my natural energy field, which is in perfect harmony with the earth’s energy fields”.

Buy organic

“The food in my house is always organic. I realize that organic can be more expensive, though it’s readily available at Costco or Walmart. But I would rather have an organic chicken once a week and eat vegetarian, stuff like rice and beans, the rest of the week”.

Find non-toxic candles or use essential oil diffusers

“Don’t use anything that has long lasting smells. I see these commercials. I don’t want to name names but they show people spraying the carpet and spraying the couches right next to the family dog. They’re saying this cleans the air and clears the air. That’s BS. It’s full of phthalates, which mask the air. The more you expose yourself to products that have smells to them, the more you’re asking for a lot of problems including bladder cancer. When I’m in an Uber or something and they’ve got that pine thing hanging from the rearview mirror, I ask them to put it in the glove compartment. I can’t even smell it. It’s so horrible. Once you detach yourself, you won’t be able to use things like that, or candles. Or plugin room deodorizers, or sprays for your furniture. You won’t be able to put those things in your laundry that are supposed to make it smell like springtime. It’s all it’s all carcinogens and toxins. It’s eroding your immune system, and aiding and abetting in your getting ill”.

Make your own natural cleaning solution

“We refill plastic bottles that were once filled with Seven Generation – which is eco-friendly – with white vinegar and peppermint essential oil. Peppermint oil is antibacterial. You can also use alcohol with peppermint essential oil. Or do lemon and water. Tea tree oil is good too; it’s anti-bacterial. And baking soda. You can use it for scrubbing if you mix it with a little bit of water and lemon juice. And it’s so much cheaper, that way you can make up for paying a little extra for organic food. You can reduce your expenses by not buying all of this stuff”.

Switch to a natural, non-toxic toothpaste

“If you’re still using a toothpaste that says on the back “do not swallow”, or “call poison control”, you’ve got to walk away from that toothpaste. How counterintuitive is it that I’m brushing my teeth every day, and they’re saying that it has chemicals in it that are toxic? I use a toothpaste that actually has prebiotics in it to help support the microbiome in my mouth. We have to start thinking about that and realizing that the mouth is connected to the whole body. It’s not a separate anomaly. The mouth is the beginning of your digestive system and the gateway to disease”.

Click here for Fran’s favorite toothpaste. You can use code CS2020 for 10% off!

As you can see, Fran has so much knowledge from personal experience and the extensive research she’s done. She is such a bright light in this world and is working to change the way we approach health and wellness. If you would like to take a deeper dive into detoxing your home or learn about the Cancer Schmancer movement, please visit her website! Be kind and stay well.

For more information on Fran Drescher and her work, visit the links below:

Cancer Schmancer Movement

Her book, Cancer Schmancer

Her Instagram, @officalfrandrescher

February 16, 2022May 4, 2022

What’s the Deal with Intermittent Fasting? Uncovering the Mystery with Personal Trainer Michelle Lovitt

Michelle is the author of Exercise For Your Muscle Type: the Smart Way to Get Fit and creator of Prevention Magazine’s ULTIMATE FLAT BELLY DVD series. She currently runs Lovitfitness, a Beverly Hills based training company that is known for getting clients in remarkable shape. Her background in Exercise Physiology is why her methodology and results reside in heart rate based training. Michelle’s signature training method, Train Smarter Not Harder, gives her clients educational tools that help them understand their bodies, lose body fat, get stronger, stay motivated and enjoy a better quality of life. She has a loyal following and a reputation for getting her clients in remarkable shape.

What is intermittent fasting? Is it safe to do, or another dangerous diet fad? It’s become such a hot topic over the last few years, and the word fasting can intimidate a lot of people. But what does fasting actually mean in this context? As it turns out there are a lot of misconceptions about intermittent fasting and its intensity. I asked my friend and personal trainer Michelle Lovitt for all of the answers, and she delivered! Get the details on intermittent fasting and how to make it work for you and your lifestyle in our conversation below. And of course, please consult your doctor before making changes to your diet or fitness routine.

This is an excerpt from my Instagram Live conversation with Michelle Lovitt on Feb. 3, 2022. It has been edited for length and clarity. For our full conversation, click here.

Carrie Ann: Joining me today is someone who knows a lot about fitness. She’s incredible. She’s a personal trainer to stars like Courtney Cox, Alicia Vikander, Amber Valletta, plus many more. And I’m going to include me in that list, even though I don’t really think of myself as a star. She’s also a nutrition coach, an author, and basically a physical health guru. She is amazing. Okay, Michelle, I’m going to ask you this right off the bat. It’s a hot topic, people are wanting to know about it. What is intermittent fasting and does it work?

Michelle Lovitt: Intermittent fasting has been around forever. It’s what our ancestors used to do when they were out chasing down buffalo and bears. It is basically timed eating, rather than eating throughout the day, having a set time that you eat. Whether it’s 7 to 7, 10 to 6, there are different fasting levels. But fasting is so important and so good for your body because it actually reduces cortisol levels, which is the stress hormone in your body. Because it’s not being fed constant fuel, whether it be carbohydrates, protein, or fat, it’s actually utilizing stored body fat through these random crazy processes. You know me and my big words – gluconeogenesis. This process is breaking down body fat and little amino acids from protein for energy sources. It actually helps clear brain fog, and helps us lose body fat more efficiently, more effectively. There are different apps that keep you timely with it, so that when that buzzer goes off, you know your eating is done until the next period or the next day. So it really helps keep you accountable. And it always reminds you to drink water, which is a huge, huge thing as well. So intermittent fasting and hydration go a long way and they go together, hand in hand.

Carrie Ann: Oh, I love that. You know, I never even thought about intermittent fasting and then making sure that you’re getting enough hydration along the way. And I just want to ask you – can you work out when you’re fasting?

Michelle Lovitt: What you don’t want to do is do like a high intensity interval training type of workout. Because when you are in a fasted state your body is basically out of glucose. Your body can store two and a half hours’ worth of energy coming from glucose, which is called glycogen – that’s what your muscles hold onto. So once that glycogen is gone, your body will go into body fat and muscle tissue. So if you are doing high intensity interval training, or really hard workouts, your body doesn’t have the fuel from sugar, so it’s going to go into breaking down muscle tissue. So if you want to build those big, big, strong muscles, you’re not going to be able to do that. But if you want to lose body fat, you can do more of an aerobic, slower intensity type of workout and get amazing results with that.

Carrie Ann: Oh, that’s amazing.

Michelle Lovitt: You don’t have to get out of breath either, so you can actually talk to your friends. So it’s good.

Carrie Ann: So how long is the time period, I just want to make sure everybody understands what intermittent fasting is. How long of a time period is recommended if you’re going to do it?

Michelle Lovitt: Well, it depends on what you’re looking for. But some people can go with a 20 hour fast and only a 4 hour eating period, which is, it’s insane. It’s crazy for a lot of people. But that works for some people. What I have found in working with my clients, and seeing and reading different researchers’ reports, is that 18 / 6 is usually something that’s doable for people. Or 16 / 8. So if you go 16 hours without eating, and you eat for 8 hours, that’s basically eating from 10 o’clock in the morning until 6 o’clock in the afternoon. And I don’t mean eating, like, oh my god, I only get eight hours to eat, so I’m gonna eat everything. Make healthy choices, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and hydrate. That also helps with the feelings of being hungry and all of that. It’s a quick way to lose body fat, and maintain muscle mass. And it’s not hard to do. Mentally it is, until you’ve done it for a couple of days. And then you’re like, oh, it’s not that bad. I actually feel better. I’m actually thinking clearer. I think everybody should give it a go, give it a try once and see if you like it.

Carrie Ann: You know, I’ve been doing it, and I like it. It’s made a big difference. It was kind of scary when you said 18 / 6. Because I’m like, what does that mean? It sounds very intimidating. But when you start to think about it, or 16 / 8, I actually like that version better, then you can eat during normal hours. And it’s not that intimidating. I think it’s just a scary idea, the word fasting makes it sound intimidating. But it sounds like a great way and it’s been working.

Michelle: My sister tried it, and I gave her an app to follow. And she was like when the app binged I knew I couldn’t have food anymore, but I would get up and still go look in the refrigerator. She said the only difference is that when she opened the refrigerator, she knew she couldn’t take anything out of it. Whereas before it was just mindless, you just take something out and eat it. And your body doesn’t need that many calories, especially if you’re not getting out and being active.

So what do you think? Is intermittent fasting for you? Leave a comment below if you learned something new or want more videos and articles with Michelle! You can view our full conversation on my Instagram pages, @carrieanninaba @carrieannconversations for more on all things fitness and even a live demonstration of some core strengthening moves. Be kind and stay well!

For more information on Michelle and her training techniques, follow the links below:

Instagram Accounts:

February 16, 2022May 4, 2022

How to Begin Working Out – A Conversation with Personal Trainer Michelle Lovitt

This is an excerpt of my Instagram Live conversation from Feb. 3, 2022 with Michelle Lovitt. It has been edited for length and clarity. For our full conversation, click here.

Starting your physical health journey can be daunting, especially when the fitness industry seems to encourage intense workouts that are not realistic for the beginner. Even for the advanced person, the industry can elicit a cycle of guilt for not doing enough or not pushing past your limits. In this conversation with my personal trainer, Michelle Lovitt, we discuss the right way to start exercising and how to set expectations. We also talk about how Michelle and I worked together to create a fitness routine that helped me transform my body without triggering flare ups of my autoimmune conditions. She has such a wealth of knowledge and I’m so excited to share this conversation with you!

Carrie Ann: So I just want to start talking about your philosophy and your background. You were the first ever female strength and conditioning coach at three different universities – Fresno State, Notre Dame, and USC. So that’s big guns, my friend. How has that shaped your philosophy on fitness and how you train clients today?

Michelle Lovitt: It’s interesting because when I started at 22 – which is kind of scary thing to say that I started in that business 30 years ago – what I knew then to what I know now, there’s such a huge difference. Sports science and nutrition evolve every day. And that’s why I love what I do so much, because it’s always a continual learning process. And hopefully everyone in my field continues with the learning process as well, because no one knows everything about everything. So it’s always fun to learn from other people.

But what I’ve learned working with athletes – and then working with people who have had hip surgery, or somebody that is wanting to get in shape for the first time in their life, they’re going through menopause, they’re 40 and they’ve never done anything – those challenges and educating people have become my passion in life rather than just getting someone to run 100 meters fast. I appreciate the speed. I appreciate athleticism, but for me, it’s all about education and really teaching people that fitness and nutrition are doable. Even if you do it for 3 minutes a day, or you read about different things. Just keep yourself informed on what things could be good for your body, because you’re one person, you’re not like everyone else. And I think that’s really important for people to understand that when they look at those 22 or 52 year old fitness models on magazines, that they’re one person, you’re another person, and you have to work with what you have. And don’t be intimidated by that.

Carrie Ann: We have a question from a viewer – “I’m 62, how can I start working out?”

Michelle Lovitt: Oh, my gosh, I work with 85 year old’s that have never worked out in their life! And they are so fit and so happy because they never thought they could. Their doctor suggested it to them and then they’re like, “oh, maybe I should, what does that mean?”. And I’ve learned more from them then they’ve probably learned from me because they’re the most interesting people I work with. Because of the history and the knowledge base that they have acquired over the years. But 62, come on, 82, 92, and 102. I encourage everyone to work out.

Carrie Ann: Speaking of 62, I’m 54. And when you started working out with me, that was about just a few years ago that we started working out together, I was in a state of really being unable to do anything. I had been in chronic pain, and the pain was pretty much unbearable at the time. I have autoimmune conditions, which meant I was susceptible to flare ups. And every time I would start a workout routine, I would fall back into not being able to work out because I would hurt myself. And then we started working out together. In the beginning we would work out, and then we had to adjust. And adjust again. And after a while we found our way. There’s a lot of people in the 50s out there. So how is working out with someone like me different than working out with an athlete?

Michelle Lovitt: Oh my gosh, they’re similar and they’re very different. Because training an athlete is like fine tuning a Ferrari. But you were an athlete your whole life because you were a dancer. The trick with you versus working with somebody who is coming from a completely non-compromised state, it’s not that I can’t push them a little bit and know that they’re going to be sore, but I can’t cause a flare that sets that person back for three or four days. That’s the difference. I know that muscle soreness, when somebody who is healthy and doesn’t have any autoimmune issues, is okay. What we discovered together is that your soreness was different. Because if we pushed you past a certain level, you would have a flare in one of your joints. You had an injury in your right trap and your right shoulder from when you were dancing that would always cause a flare, and because of that we had to watch everything so closely. And then because you are a dancer and the moves are so beautiful, that was also tough for me at first because I would watch them go “oh, that’s a beautiful squat, that’s a beautiful shoulder fly”. And then go “wait a minute, that’s really going to hurt her because she’s extending her shoulder right out of the joint”. So making modifications with you was a constant, day to day thing. And just really understanding that some things that would cause an issue with you may not cause an issue with somebody else. I went in with kid gloves so we could figure it out, and it took a little while to do it. But we did find out that your body was born to move, it loves to move.

Carrie Ann: My body does love to move. But you know, I really do believe that everyone’s body loves to move but some of us are struggling, right? And then what happens is we get in these places where we’re afraid. We’ve been trained to think, either by society, by our parents, or the voices in our own head that we can’t move. And then we kind of get stuck in this place where we’re frozen and we can’t get started. So I want to ask about motivation. There’s just so many reasons why you could lack motivation. So, for people who are unsure how to get started, what would you say to them?

Michelle Lovitt: Well, the first thing is that you’re right, everybody can move. I think a lot of people have been taught that if you move – I’m going to refer to women in general – you’re going to get bulky, you’re going to get big muscles, you’re not going to be attractive, you’re going to be this, you’re going to be that. Women can’t develop muscle like men, they just can’t. They can get strong and beautiful and lean, but they will never get big and bulky. So get that out of your head to begin with. And then, thinking about the benefits of exercise, if feels good just putting on your shoes and going “okay, I’m going to get out and maybe I’ll walk to the end of the driveway and back because there’s a blizzard on the East Coast. And that’s as far as I can go today”. But you did it. So that’s a huge accomplishment because you did move your body. It’s not about the quantity of exercise, it’s about the quality of exercise. And really understanding how you should start and where you should start is key. That could be just starting with little movements like pulling in your core, for example. Little things make a big difference.

Carrie Ann: This is what was so shocking and so different about you and your approach, and what has helped me so much is that you were open to going slowly. You know, most trainers say “no pain, no gain”, right? But what I’ve learned is these intense mantras can be unhealthy. You have to listen to your body, you have to honor where you are. And yes, there’s a little bit of pushing past your finish line, but that’s for growth, and not to the point where you hurt yourself. And you’ve been so great at helping me understand that. And I thought that was so impressive, it’s really helped me get back to my own physical fitness.

Michelle Lovitt: The one thing that people need to really think about is that this is the only thing that you have going through this earth. You have your body and that’s it. So take care of it and don’t do bad things. I believe everything in moderation and being kind to yourself, and not berating yourself for doing these things that the fitness industry puts out there. Like you need to work out for 60 minutes at 70% or 300%. I think that’s hard to understand. Because this is what I’m supposed to do, this is what they say, I read this magazine. And there’s so much misinformation out there that I think it’s about doing your homework and figuring out what works best for you, not everyone else.

I truly believe that if you’re just starting a fitness program, buy a heart rate monitor. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It can be $20 at Walmart, Kmart, Amazon, any of those. Wear it and see what your heart does. When you start to walk, if your heart rate shoots straight up and stays elevated for a while, then you don’t want to go a long period of time. You want to do a couple minutes a day and add on. As your heart gets stronger, it doesn’t shoot up as fast. So just knowing what you’re doing for a workout and having a map. You wouldn’t drive to your friend’s house in the suburbs that you’ve never been to with a blindfold on. And that’s what it’s like without knowing what you’re doing for exercise and knowing truly what it means to burn 200 calories when you’re walking on a treadmill. That gives you meaning to your workouts. I think that having something to quantify what you’re doing is everything.

Carrie Ann: That’s huge. You know, in the original episode of Carrie Ann Conversations, we spoke to Dr. Amen, who’s a psychiatrist and brain expert. And he talked about how psychiatrists do a lot of work without actually seeing the brain. So kind of like what you’re saying is a lot of trainers just start training you without heart rate monitors. And they don’t even know what your level of where you’re actually burning fat is. For a beginner, if they buy a heart rate monitor, what range should they try to get into where they’re burning fat?

Michelle Lovitt: You know, it’s tricky because it’s age dependent. But for women to find out what their maximum heart rate is, or find the zone that they should be in, there’s a simple equation. 220 minus your age and then take 50% or 75% of that number. And that’s how high you should get your heart rate. And I’m being very simplistic what that.

Carrie Ann: Can you repeat that?

Michelle Lovitt: Take the number 220, subtract your age from it, and half of that number would be close to where you want to be. But you know, the best check of your heart rate is if you can carry on a conversation.

Carrie Ann: And that means you’re still in a good, safe heart rate.

Michelle Lovitt: If you’re out of breath, you’re working too hard.

Carrie Ann: That’s helpful. We’re all talking to ourselves during the pandemic. So just keep talking to yourself and when you can’t talk to yourself anymore, you’re gone too far past your heartrate.

Michelle Lovitt: I think the funniest thing with some of my clients is that they say getting in shape with Michelle is hysterical, because you just go in there and talk, you’re working out, you don’t even know you’re doing, and then you leave and all of a sudden two weeks later you’re fit.

To view our full conversation, head over to my Instagram pages @carrieanninaba @carrieannconversations! Michelle has so much information on all things fitness and our live conversation was filled with helpful information. Leave a comment below if you learned something new or want to hear more from Michelle! Be kind and stay well.

For more information on Michelle and her training techniques, follow the links below:

michellelovitt.com

Instagram Accounts:

@mllovitt

@lovitfitness

Her book – Exercise Your Muscle Type

February 16, 2022May 4, 2022

Getting to the Core of It – Simple Core Exercises with Personal Trainer Michelle Lovitt

What is your core? Why do fitness gurus everywhere seem to sing the benefits of core exercises? Well, turns out it’s a pretty important part of your body and fitness journey! Your core can affect everything from your posture to your flexibility. Focusing on building back my core transformed my own body, and I want to share everything I learned from my personal trainer, Michelle Lovitt, with you. Find out which muscles comprise the core, why they’re vital to our overall physical fitness, and the at home exercises you can do to build up those muscles. I’ve learned so much from Michelle, and I hope these tips kickstart your own learning process with what works for your body. Without further ado, here’s my conversation with personal trainer to the stars, Michelle Lovitt.

This is an excerpt from my Instagram Live conversation with Michelle Lovitt on Feb. 3, 2022. It has been edited for length and clarity. For our full conversation, click here.

Carrie Ann: One of the greatest things Michelle taught me was to reconnect to my core. As somebody who had been working out her whole life – I was a dancer, I was fit my whole life, and then was not fit – I was trying to find my way back. Working with Michelle these past few years has been tremendously helpful, but we didn’t have a huge breakthrough until we realized I wasn’t using my core properly. But we didn’t really have the huge breakthrough until we rediscovered my core as a dancer.

The way I used my core was so second nature to me that I never had to think about it. But the way I was used my core wasn’t giving me the desired results. So why is the core such an essential thing? Why suddenly did we see such huge breakthroughs with me and my body and my shape (I went from a size 10 to a size 6)?

Michelle Lovitt: Well, I think everything from a dancer’s perspective is about extension. And everything about an athlete’s perspective is about performance and power. If they don’t have a strong base, they can’t bring any power from the ground up – your power starts with your trunk. And the misnomer with core is when you ask what it is, people will say, “oh, it’s my abs”. Wrong! Core is actually your abdominal muscles, your lower back muscles, and your hips in all four directions. If you have a weak core, your ability to stand and be stable is compromised. So if you want to start a workout program, starting from the ground up is the way to go. I would start with your core first, meaning do exercises to engage your abs, your lower back, and all four planes of your hips. And if you only have five minutes, then you do it every day for five minutes, or every other day for five minutes. You’ll start to get a stronger core, you’ll start to feel more centered, more balanced, and more capable of doing a workout.

Carrie Ann: Okay, so let’s show them what you’re talking about!

Michelle Lovitt: I think we should start with a bridge because I think everybody can do it right whether they’re on the ground or they’re in a chair. Let’s show them how to activate their abs by pushing them into the ground. So contract your abs like somebody is going to walk up and drop a medicine ball on your stomach. You have to contract them really hard and push a little back into the mat, and then you can lift and lower as you breathe. Don’t forget to breathe. When you do core, a lot of people like to hold their breath and that’s not good for your heart. So now Carrie Ann is going into her bridge position, which basically you just lay on your backside, and then you tuck your feet back to work your glutes, keep your weight in your heels, and get your butt up off the ground. If you can get your lower back off the ground, great. If it bothers your lower back, then put a block or your hands underneath just to give you some support. But which she is strengthening his her glute muscle, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles. So doing a bridge gets 3 out of the 7 things of core addressed. That’s one of the greatest exercises to do, I love bridge.

Carrie Ann: For everyone at home, is it better to just drop down or roll down?

Michelle Lovitt: When you come down after holding your spine in a fixed position, make sure you go down just as slowly as you go up. You don’t want to go up and jam your way up either. So when you go up, it’s a slow and controlled motion up. Then after you hold it, roll down and then pause for a second. Some people may even need to roll around a little bit just because their low back has been used for that 30 seconds. And then if you want to add your inner thighs to this move, you can grab a ball, a block, or anything, you just squeeze your knees together. You’re bringing in your adductors, or your inner thigh muscles, which are also part of your core. I usually like to hold the bridge for anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute. And I always have my clients do pulses with their knees toward the block or the ball just to get the inner thighs to fire up a little bit. And then when you come down, remove the block first, and then roll down one vertebrae at a time.

And then because you were able to address your glutes, your hamstrings and your inner thigh, I think a really fun one to do would be going into a bird dog. If you want to do a modified version of a bird dog, you can do it against the wall, or you can do it flat on the ground. You don’t have to be in an elevated tabletop position like Carrie Ann. We’re going to start with one foot, and then we’re going to add the opposite limb. So she has her left leg up and her right arm extended. You want to think about one line of energy coming through your fingertips, through the tip of your toes, as you squeeze your abs, lower back, and glutes. You’re already strengthening your core so much in this position. From here, contract your right elbow to your left knee, pulling your bellybutton up into your spine.

To engage the proper muscles, you want to make sure that your hips are level. And as she does this, I should be able to balance a teacup on her back while she’s extending. If she isn’t extending or she’s in a twisted position, the tea cup would fall. And then you want to switch sides. Sometimes these challenge your balance a little bit but if you fall you won’t go very far. So embrace the wobble. Remember everybody is where they are fitness wise until they’re not. It takes a few seconds to just get going and start the journey.

Carrie Ann: Okay, now we’re going to do my favorite exercise. If you guys have a band that you can attach somewhere, you can do this. What are these called, Michelle?

Michelle Lovitt: These are the “whittle the middles”! But first, make sure your band is secure! Carrie Ann is twisting against a band with quite a bit of tension. She’s leading with her hips and following with her arms which engages her lower abdominal muscles, her triceps, and we’re trying to get into the obliques so that we create that hourglass shape where you have that nice little whittled middle.

Carrie Ann: What about this option?

Michelle Lovitt: That’s a great one. To engage that lower part of her abs, Carrie Ann is going to grab the band, and push and pull outwards, starting from the center of her torso. We are creating core stability with this band.

And there you have it! As you can see, even the simplest of moves can help to strengthen and stabilize your core. Core strength is associated with better posture, balance, flexibility, and helps to eliminate back pain. All of these moves can be done at home – no personal trainer needed! If you’re interested in hearing more from Michelle, you can check out articles she has contributed to here. Our full Instagram Live video is up on my instagram pages, @carrieanninaba @carrieannconversations, if you would like to see our full conversation and live demonstration. Be kind and stay well!

For more information on Michelle and her training techniques, follow the links below:

michellelovitt.com

Instagram Accounts:

@mllovitt

@lovitfitness

Her book – Exercise Your Muscle Type

October 14, 2021October 14, 2021

10 Books For When You’re Feeling Lost

All of us face times in life where we feel a little lost, where we lose our footing or forget parts of ourself. In these times, it’s important to gather the things that remind us of who we are and provide us with perspective and grounding. Books have always been a source of support for me. They are like the friend you are never without and can always turn to.

10 books in particular have become favorites of mine, always giving me something new when I’m trying to find my next step forward. They are like the medicine cabinet for my soul. I return to them often; their pages are worn, there are notes in the margins and each of them have a deep, personal attachment for me. I’d like to share them with you in hopes that if you need them, you will find them there for you, always willing to help, always able to sit quietly with you and bring you gifts to help you on your journey.

1. . DailyOM: Inspirational Thoughts for a Happy, Healthy, and Fulfilling Day by Madisyn Taylor

This is my favorite book. Every day, I open it and read one of the short, inspirational essays inside. Madisyn Taylor has a way of lifting my spirits every time I read her words. Even when she’s discussing challenging things and suggesting ways to move through a challenge or discomfort, I always feel uplifted. DailyOM has become a valuable tool in my arsenal of wisdom. Her reminders feel like you are having a morning conversation with a close friend who always tries to lift you up. You can read it cover to cover, or you can open it up in a random place and see what speaks to you. Each entry is no longer than two pages long and the joy and inspiration held within each entry is like sunshine on your shoulders.

Everyone should have a copy of this book somewhere in their home. And maybe you should have three… just in case you want to give your friend one. If you don’t have a copy on hand, though, Madisyn Taylor’s words are never far— there’s also a DailyOM website, filled with wonderful entries that just feel good to read.

2. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

This book is not easy to describe. The best place to start is that it is not just a game changer, but a life changer. I’ve read it a few times now; often I’ve come to it in times when I’ve felt broken, with no one to turn to. By turning to Michael Singer’s words, usually in a bath with lavender oil and candles burning to calm my senses, I’ve often been able to remember who I am and find my way back to myself.

This book helps you to start to understand the difference between your thoughts and you. This is such a powerful tool. We often get confused with the voices we hear: what should I listen to, which one is truth, which one is God? With so many thoughts rushing through our heads, it can be hard to make sense of each one. And when we are uncertain of things, the voices get louder and our peace gets weaker. This book has helped me in so many ways. My own personal copy is beat up and has notes all over it. Singer gives you tools to practice and help distinguish between the voices to find your own truth, beyond the noise. He introduces you to your “inner roommate,” a concept that will make you laugh and cry, but once you learn how to recognize the different voices, you will feel free and truly untethered.

This is a book you can return to over and over again, and it’s one that needs to be read from cover to cover. For some, you may want to read it every few years to check in with yourself. But it’s always worth the investment of time; I never feel like I’ve wasted a moment when I spend my time within these pages.

3. Feng Shui: The Book of Cures by Nancilee Wydra

Sometimes, life needs a different kind of cure. I am a big fan of feng shui principals in interior decorating and design. One of the major lessons it’s taught me is that changing your surroundings can have a huge impact on the way you feel. Our homes are where we recharge, rejuvenate, heal, nurture ourselves and raise our families, and it’s important to recognize the power that holds. This book has been a go-to when I feel the energy around me getting stagnant. My favorite chapter that I often return to is Chapter 7, The Sense: Sight, Sound, Smell and Touch, which shows how certain colors and shapes can affect us. It’s always fun to be reminded of these things.

I love to change my environment, but I don’t always want to purchase new things. As this book teaches, sometimes it is just a matter of moving things around. The placement of furniture is very important to how you feel in the room. The principles of feng shui make a lot of sense when you really look at them; to me, many of them are based in very practical thinking, and that’s always appealing. This book is a wonderful tool when you’ve done too much reading and too much thinking and you just want to move things around.

So open this book, put on some good music and let the games begin! I do suggest having a friend over when moving furniture — otherwise you will scratch your floors. ( You should see my floors.)

4. It’s Never Too Late: 172 Simple Acts to Change Your Life by Patrick Lindsay

This book has such sentimental value to me. The copy I have is the copy I had given to my dad while he was undergoing cancer treatments. Sadly, he passed away in 2013. When my brother Craig and I were cleaning out his place, I found it and brought it back to LA with me. It’s a very special book for that reason, but what makes it so precious is that it is a book filled with inspiration. Each page has a different gentle reminder that it’s “never to late to… “ It’s one of those books that I can open to any page and the words will usually find their way to the core of whatever I’m going through, touching my heart and inspiring me to do something. I just opened it up… here is what was on the page:

It’s never too late….to be kind
Most of us rush through life
And miss many of its greatest rewards.
Take a gentler road,
Where you have time to talk to people.
Learn about their lives, and their loved ones.
It will broaden your life.
It will give you compassion.
Accept their kindnesses.
Be kind in return.
-Patrick Lindsay

It’s a great book to keep in your purse or on your nightstand, always nearby to provide comfort and fresh inspiration. This book is like a best friend who’s always there to remind you that it’s never too late to be all that you want to be. Thank you, Patrick Lindsay.

5. Bag of Jewels by Susan Hayward

I keep this book in my bathroom, which is my favorite place to read. (#TRUTH. ) I’ve had this book since 1988 — it’s a go-to book of inspiration filled with thought-provoking quotes by some really incredible thinkers, some famous, some not. ( I love that.) The quotes always challenge me, excite me, or give me peace. It encourages movement and thought and energy when I may feel stuck. Sometimes, pages from the book are just for fun and make me smile. Some of the quotes are designed to make us laugh at ourselves, and some are designed to catapult us into a new chapter of life. Either way, this has been one of my “ride or die” companions for years, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share it with you all today. Check it out; it also makes a great gift.

Today’s pull:

Whenever we communicate with each other correctly there is an exchange of energy.
— Reshad Feild.

6. A Guide for the Advanced Soul: A Book of Insight by Susan Hayward

This book is my little treasure and by the same author. It’s a red hardback little pocket-sized book of quotes and thoughts by a variety of thinkers. What I love about my copy of this book is that it’s written in beautiful calligraphy by Susan Hayward herself. The handwriting adds such unique flavor. It makes me feel like I’m holding an ancient text in my hands. She says in the preface that she wanted to “create a handbook of positive and uplifting thoughts that would inspire anyone in need of guidance.” This book teaches you how to listen to your own intuition. Reading a quote from someone else can help your mind open up to other ways of thinking beyond our own. But the real gift is that when you read a quote, as you are reaching for some help from the universe, you must use your own guidance, and listen to your own heart as you interpret it. As you do this more and more, you will learn who you are and come face to face with your own special and unique soul.

Another fascinating fact about this book is that it was rejected by every publisher, so the author ended up self publishing. Her determination and continued commitment to her vision created something that has touched my life and that is what I wish for all of you and always for my own self as well.

Today’s quote:

Ideas by themselves cannot produce change of being. Your effort must go in the right direction, and one must correspond with the other.
— P.D Ouspensky.

I just pulled that quote. Isn’t it quite perfect? You see, it really does work… I hope you will try it and find the same resonance that I do.

7. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

I use this book when I judge. Wait, that doesn’t sound right. What I meant is that I wrote the “Four Agreements” into the front page of my book when I first started out as a judge on Dancing with the Stars. Being a “judge” was challenging for me at first, because I struggled with that word. For me it brought about connotations of having to be perfect, of being the ultimate dance expert. It made me feel that I was then going to be judged in return. It was just scary. I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings, and I didn’t want to act like I know it all, because who does? I loved being a dancer and a choreographer, but the idea of being a judge felt like it lacked a certain creativity and expression that I had always had in my life. But, being a judge was the path that the universe had laid in front of me, and I needed to find a way to embrace it. It seemed like something that, deep down, I needed to learn ( and there have been many things I learned from being a judge).

I remember when I first started, chatrooms were popular, and it was a new phenomenon to hear the feedback from everyone. When you are a dancer, usually feedback is positive. Suddenly, because I was a “judge,” I had all sorts of feedback. It was a newer type of position in television. Really, before Len, Bruno and I, there was only Paula, Randy and Simon from American Idol. At first, people also didn’t quite know how to respond to us. The fact that we were judging people ( the stars) that they already loved only added fire to their reactions to us. So, I learned how to face negative feedback at the same time I was learning how to give feedback that wasn’t always positive. This was a struggle for me, and I ended up talking to someone about it. She asked me to sum up what I stand for. The answer was quick and easy: “I believe in honesty and integrity.” She responded: “Well, that sounds like a perfect judge.” Soon after, I came across this book, The Four Agreements. And not only did I love the book, I found the principles to be perfectly in alignment with how I wanted to approach my position.

These four principles have enriched my life in many more ways than just helping me find my path as a judge. They have helped me in my relationships with people in all facets of life. I sometimes forget the principles but that is why I have more than one copy of the book throughout my home. It’s a great gift as well.

8. Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change by Maggie Smith

This book is an easy way to find a little motivation when you need it. It’s filled with reminders that keep you on track to creating your own brilliant life. It’s playful and heartfelt and tremendously motivating. You can read a page or two a day and you will live a life infused with a very special kind of wisdom.

9. Your Brain Is Always Listening: Tame the Hidden Dragons That Control Your Happiness, Habits, and Hang-Ups by Dr. Daniel G. Amen

Dr. Amen has helped me in my own personal journey towards wellness. He offers simple solutions to complex problems and helps you understand the way your thoughts affect and shape your life. This book has been very helpful for me and I’ve given it to many people since I came across it. One life-changing concept he addresses in the book is ANTS, or “automatic negative thoughts,” and ways to recognize and combat them.

I have had the good fortune to work with Dr. Amen over the past six months and he has helped me so much on my journey towards wellness. Any book of his is full of useful, practical ways to find a new approach to shifting your perspective and tackling obstacles. But this book is the one I’d recommend the most to my friends and family, so I’m recommending it to you as well.

10. Medical Medium Revised and Expanded Edition: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal by Anthony William

Working on the mental and emotional sides of feeling stuck are always important, but it’s just as crucial to make sure you’re looking after your physical health as well. As someone who has struggled with autoimmune conditions, maintaining a healthy equilibrium is very important to me, and Anthony William’s books have become a big part of that process. Anthony William is an incredible human being and has a gift for healing people. I began drinking celery juice after hearing about him speak about its health benefits, and I’ve had the incredible opportunity to speak to him and work with him on a regimen that helped me so much. This book not only comes stocked with loads of easy recipes, but it can also help you look at the way your diet impacts your overall health and consider how we can use foods to help heal ourselves.

June 11, 2021June 11, 2021

Carrie Ann Inaba’s 6 Favorite Guided Meditation Leaders

Guided Meditation Leaders | CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS

If you’ve been feeling worn out, anxious, or just unbalanced, a great place to turn is the ancient practice of meditation. Meditation can help instill more mindfulness, patience, thoughtfulness and joy into our lives, but if you’re unfamiliar with it it can be hard to know where to dive in. This is why guided meditation can be such a great resource, whether you’re just starting out or looking for something new to add to your mindfulness practice. I love turning to apps like Insight Timer to find a moment of peace, a fresh outlook, and a reminder to stay present, whether I’m just starting out my day or trying to fall into restful sleep. Here are a few of my favorite guided meditation leaders that can help you keep awareness, positivity and balance throughout your day.

1. Donna D’Cruz

Whether you need help clearing an emotional block, a reminder to feel more present, or even help falling asleep, Donna D’Cruz is a great guided meditation leader to start with. Her soft, peaceful voice will lead you to a more peaceful place, quietly reminding you to make a peaceful space for yourself.

2. Mooji

Mooji is such so wise and such a great resource for guided meditations. He really makes you think deeply about life and the vastness of it all and his sessions can give us a real perspective of how we fit into the universe. He helps me to let go of the need to try to control my environment and puts the emphasis on just being present.

3. Sarah Blondin

If you have insight timer or are curious about developing a routine around meditation, Sarah Blondin is one of my all-time favorite guided meditation leaders. My favorite meditation of hers is Making Your Life Sacred on Insight Timer; it’s a simple twelve minute reminder to hold your life as precious and appreciate every aspect of life, from each breath you take to each new day you see. It’s an amazing meditation to start the day with, accompanied by beautiful, calming music.

4. Wake Me Up

Wake Me Up is a podcast designed to help you start your day on the right foot, giving you energy and positivity when you get up. In each episode, the host Tyler Brown provides a guided meditation centered around a different piece of advice for beginning your day. How you get up in the morning truly has a lasting impact on the course of the rest of your day; if you find that you have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning or feel groggy and unfocused for hours after you get up, Waking Up might be the perfect tool to change your routine for the better.

5. Meditation Minis Podcast

If you find that you don’t have a lot of time in the mornings or get stressed out thinking about trying to fit in a half hour or more for meditation, the Meditation Minis podcast has the perfect solution. Meditation Minis features small bites of mindfulness, some as short as six minutes, to get your day started on the right foot without having to worry about losing time.

6. Kelly Howell

If you have trouble sleeping, a meditation aid can really help you settle into a comfortable bedtime routine. Although it doesn’t contain any speaking, Kelly Howell’s Deep Sleep track can help reign your restless thoughts in and help you feel calmer. Her use of binaural beats can help to guide your brain activity into relaxation or meditative states, meaning that her work is scientifically designed to help you rest.

Whether you’ve been meditating for a while or this world is brand new to you, guided meditation offers such a range of experiences and helpful tools to help us be more resilient and peaceful in our daily lives. I hope at least a few of these leaders helps you unlock a new way of experiencing the world, embracing gratitude, and making space for your own needs and peace.

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021

A Conversation With Sana Health’s Richard Hanbury

For me, the Sana Health device was truly a gift from the universe. I’ve been very open about my struggles with pain stemming from my autoimmune disorders and I was extremely grateful when representatives at Sana connected with me and offered to send me a device to help with my healing. I’m always deeply touched when people reach out to me about my health journey and this product is incredible.

When you live with conditions like fibromyalgia, lupus and Sjogren’s syndrome or struggle with the pain of rheumatoid arthritis or spinal stenosis like I do, the pain can often be accompanied by brain fog, blurry vision, frustration, depression and anxiety. In my experience this can all contribute to a feeling of deep disorientation and disconnection inside your body. Throughout this past year, the stressful conditions of the pandemic translated to a surge in my pain levels which even forced me to take off time from work. During that period I incorporated the Sana device into my healing routine and I found that it had the ability to bring my body down from its heightened fight-or-flight state. When I’m getting ready to use the device I’ll find a comfy place to lie down and go through some meditations. Sometimes I’ll even pull out my BEMER Pad, but that’s a story for a different day.

I’m so grateful to Sana for this device. Using it always grounds me, calms my system down and gets me back in sync with myself. It also makes me feel so cool and futuristic! I’m very excited to spread the word about devices like Sana’s that can help people live a better life. We had the chance to speak to Richard Hanbury, the founder and CEO of Sana Health about his personal journey in pain management and how he hopes to change lives with Sana’s technology. Get ready to be inspired by his incredible story.

Carrie Ann: Richard, thank you for taking the time to share your story with us and give us more information about this incredible technology. How does the technology in the Sana device work? What’s the science behind it?

Richard: The device uses carefully coordinated pulses of light and sound to produce a deep state of relaxation very quickly. This process works by entrainment. Entrainment is when the brain senses a speed and a pattern in incoming signals and adopts them. This is the same reason that fast paced music wakes you up, and lullabies relax— we take this process to its most precise, to produce the exact patterns in the brain that bring deep relaxation.

Carrie Ann: I think this is why the device appeals to me so much— I have always been deeply affected by music and rhythm, so the concept of entrainment makes a lot of sense to me. May I ask, do you suffer from chronic pain yourself?

Richard: I developed the first prototype to save my own life— I had been given a 5 year life expectancy because of severe nerve damage caused by spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. The device wiped out all of my nerve damage pain, and now I am a health and wellness user. We are carrying out clinical trials in both fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain in pursuit of an FDA approval for these conditions. (Editor’s Note: At the time of publication, Sana has received breakthrough designation for the treatment of fibromyalgia.)

For most people Sana is not a silver bullet like it was for me. We are aiming to be a tool in peoples toolkits, to use as and when works for them, to help manage their condition. At present we are on market for improving sleep and wellness.

Carrie Ann: In my journey with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, lupus and spinal stenosis I have learned that sleep is truly vital to any sort of healing or wellness.

I always believe that people find a life in healing because they have gone through something themselves in their personal life. What inspired this device to be created?

Richard: The above injuries were caused by my having to crash a Jeep off a bridge in the Yemen, near the capital Sanaa— hence the company name. I went 60 feet down into a dry river bed, broke my back, ripped my aorta, and sustained a brain injury. I was clinically dead for eight minutes, in a coma for six weeks, then in hospital for a further year.

In hospital I realized I was in too much pain to learn to meditate. But when a film put me in a flow state, I realized I might be able to create a new type of pain relief. At first this was just for me, but it has become a lifelong mission to get this out to help others.

Carrie Ann: Thank you so much for sharing that. What an incredibly inspiring story; I can truly feel your passion for helping others. Now, what do you say to people who think medication is the only way to deal with pain?

Richard: If you are suffering and you are getting the relief you want from pain meds, and the side effects are not too severe, and you are happy, then congratulations on successful pain management. For everyone else, then medication is likely just part of a solution to get you to your least amount of pain possible.

Carrie Ann: For people who suffer from chronic pain, pain management is truly like the holy grail and finding ways not to have to use medication is such a great gift. I’ve used quantum biofeedback in the past; is the Sana device similar to that?

Richard: The similarity is that both systems aim to correct imbalances. The massive advantage of Sana is that it is done at home whenever someone needs it, and provides instant benefits.

Carrie Ann: I love how accessible the device is and how it’s always at hand when needed. How often can we use the Sana device and what is the best way to use it for pain management?

Richard: I now use it whenever I fly long-haul, whenever I work too late and need to speed-unwind for bed, or middle of the day for a nap if I only have 20 minutes to get some zip back to my day.

For pain management the clinical trials are being run with the instructions to use twice a day and whenever symptoms get too much for you to enjoy what you are doing. Once we have finished the clinical trials, and gained FDA approval, then we will be able to release the results of those studies as to how the device is best used to treat pain.

Carrie Ann: This is exciting as someone who suffers from fibromyalgia. Is there a type of pain that this works better on?

Richard: Our early results suggest any pain that is made worse by stress, anxiety or sleep disruption, we might be able to help with. The clinical trials in fibromyalgia and neuropathic pain are the first two, and many more will follow.

Carrie Ann: I can definitely attest to the fact that pain is made worse by anxiety and sleep disruption, so thank you for putting your efforts into helping people like me to experience more relief. Can you explain the connection between using the mask and better sleep?

Richard: In my early days with the first prototype, I realized that if I received pain as I was going to sleep – it improved my time to sleep and my quality of sleep, and this reduced my pain for all of the following day. Getting to sleep is easier and sleep is better quality, if you are more relaxed as you are going to sleep – the device achieves this.

Carrie Ann: Richard, thank you so much again for sharing all of this knowledge and for dedicating your life to relieving pain. As someone who lives with chronic pain from my autoimmune conditions, I want to thank you for looking for solutions. Not only is the Sana device interesting looking and comfortable to wear, but I’ve felt noticeable results when I’ve used it. Thank you for reaching out to me and thank you for helping people who are working to find solutions for pain relief. I look forward to following this revolutionary device’s journey in the future.

You can learn more about Richard and Sana Health by visiting Sana’s website.

June 2, 2021June 2, 2021

Is Your Life Out Of Balance?

It’s no secret that there are times in everyone’s life when things just feel…off. I think many of us have or will experience periods where we don’t exactly feel like ourselves, or are so stressed that it’s all we can do to keep our head above water. Oftentimes we are so immersed in our daily lives that it can be hard to even step back and recognize the fact that something is wrong. We keep moving, keep trudging along, until it’s painfully obvious that something needs to change. Recognizing and accepting that things are out of balance in your life seems to be half the battle. So how do you recognize when things are off, and more importantly, how do you start to fix it?

Signs That You’re Out of Balance

You know yourself better than anyone else, so sometimes all it takes is pausing to step back and observe your own behavior. And, if you know the right questions to ask yourself, it becomes a lot easier to pinpoint what is throwing your life out of whack.

Have you been fighting with your significant other more often?
Are you more reactive to things that may have not bothered you so much in the past?
Are you feeling sad many days in a row? Are you having more “blah” days than normal?
Do you find it hard to do simple tasks? Are you less motivated than normal?
Are you obsessing over small things?
How often are you doing the things that make you happy? Have you seen friends or picked up your favorite hobby lately?
Is your body trying to tell you something? Are you feeling fatigued or sore and ignoring it?
Are you working long hours, or is your work causing you undue stress?
Have you let your normal routine fall to the wayside?
Are you eating less healthy or not getting any exercise?

What To Do About It

You’ve asked yourself these questions, and you have your answers. Now it’s time to take action! So where do you start? There are so many options out there as far as self-help and self-improvement go, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick one that is best for you. However, there are a few tried and true methods that in my opinion, are a great start for anyone looking to bring balance back into their lives.

1. Hit The Reset Button

Sometimes the first step is to take things back to the basics. This could be in your relationship, home life, work life, or any other sphere. Hitting the reset button means getting rid of the extraneous, non-essential, or potentially stressful parts of your life and taking that time to relax and decide what is actually important to you. Maybe the problem is as simple as being overscheduled. Once you make sure that your basic needs are being met, you can slowly start to add things back in, one at a time. It’s sort of like an elimination diet, but for your life.

2. Talk To Someone

If you are finding it hard to do simple tasks, are having trouble sleeping, and feeling sad more often than not, it might be time to seek professional help. Even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, talking to someone can be extremely beneficial when things are feeling “off”. There’s no shame in getting help from a licensed therapist. If you’re someone that feels hesitant to do this, know that you’re not alone. It might be helpful to look at your session as a “getting to know you” meeting. Remember, if it doesn’t feel like the right fit you can keep trying other therapists until it does.

3. Schedule Fun & Relaxation

Finding Balance | CARRIE ANN CONVERSATIONS

If you’re having trouble finding the joy in every day, or are in a stress cycle you can’t get out of, it might be helpful to actually schedule fun into your day. If something is written down or added into your iCalendar you might be more likely to actually take that moment for yourself. And that could mean anything! Maybe it’s a Facetime call with a friend, a game night with the family, or going to an exercise class. It’s important to not let work or anxiety consume your every thought until your head hits the pillow. That’s not what life is about, and you’ll thank yourself later for prioritizing your happiness.

A simple adjustment is sometimes all it takes to get your life back into balance. It is human and normal to not feel absolutely amazing every single day, but if those feelings become more regular it’s time to take a step back. Evaluate, reassess, and realign. Your future self will thank you for it.