Most of my life’s more brilliant moments stem from the soul-stirring, gut-wavering sensations that accompany being outside my comfort zone: losing 60 pounds, dropping out of college and traveling alone at 19 years old, teaching fitness classes in French when I didn’t speak the language, returning to school at 24 and saying “Yes!” to marrying the love of my life, who challenged all my previously conceived notions about a future partner.
Last January, I returned home to the US after two years of living on one of the most magical and inspired beaches I’ve ever experienced: Life in Tulum, Mexico satisfied my wildest dreams. My days were filled with papaya and fresh chaya juice. There was endless time to practice yoga, meditate and discuss the intricacies of The Universe with brilliant characters from around the globe. I felt a connection to my deepest truth, uninterrupted by business and family matters.
I liked how I looked too, tanned and toned against a perfect teal sea and iridescent white sand. I was living in a postcard. Part of me would have been happy to stay still there forever, if my heart had not begun to speak up with urgency.
In Tulum, I started to believe that anything was possible. The thought of returning to traffic, nine-to-five workdays and the more aggressive nature of life in one of the world’s most driven countries felt overwhelming. The problem was that my whole life was theory. But I had gotten what I needed. The time had come to take this gift back to the world and put it into practice.
I knew what I’d learned on the beach would be valuable to the fitness world. The industry relies heavily on the need for products, equipment and profitable commodities that supposedly deliver impossible results to naive consumers, desperate to find happiness and inner peace through weight loss. Often these “tools” add more confusion, frustration and disappointment than anything. And those who seek the truth about lasting weight loss wind up disillusioned and heavier than ever in body and mind.
Did you know that everything you need to sculpt, tone, slim and shape your ultimate physique already exists within you?
Humans are natural innovators and, when I look around the fitness industry, it’s easy to see the power of imagination at work in every gadget, program, diet and gimmick on the market.
By finding the balance between reliance on outside stimulus and a deeper connection to our bodies and beings, we begin the shift toward self-reliance and true confidence. We gain the power to find paradise within, no matter where we may be in the world at a given moment.
If you’re ready to begin the process of moving deeper within, try letting go of the need for the perfect outside solution to your weight loss. You may be surprised by your body’s strength, courage and intelligence when you give it a chance to perform on its own terms.
Here are 3 easy ways to get started on your Weightless weight loss journey:
1. Take five minutes of daily quiet meditation prior to exercise: Sit with your body and tune into the deeper desires which drive your weight loss goals. You will notice a new level of clarity beginning to build, which will bring unexpected insights to your routine.
2. Practice Isometric exercise: “Iso” means “same” and “metric” means “length.” Exercises like plank, tabletop and downward facing dog are examples of this technique. In these moments of working stillness, you will discover a greater level of strength and inspired body awareness.
3. Try high-low breathing: Most of my clients are great chest breathers, meaning that the power to draw breath in and out of their bodies comes primarily from the upper diaphragm, just under the lungs. Experiment with pushing your breath from your lower pelvic diaphragm instead for every other breath you take. Use the upper and lower diaphragms like a pump to push oxygen deeper into your cells. This technique increases the body’s ability to burn fat and exercise for longer periods of time without fatigue.