Sabotage your way to success.

We often default into a donut 🍩 after declaring, “I’m going gluten & sugar free!” Why do we give into temptation? Well, it’s because we forgot to sabotage our way into wellness. Why should you do this? Okay the simple version is that food packaging, ingredients and processing has changed so much.

I would default into Cheetos when pressed for time. So I decided to meal prep. My biggest failure comes when I fail to plan, sounds like a success quote.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. ~B.Franklin

I use to think that people who practiced Meal-prep Sunday were extreme but then I realized that they learned a valuable trait. They sabotage their way into wellness.

As a foodie I completely up cycled the meal-prep idea.

First of all I refuse to eat five bland meals in a row. I’ll prep three at the most.
Color and flavor are super important to me. Sometimes I feel like Ego from Ratatouille, “If I don’t like it I won’t swallow!”
Try recipes from other countries. I enjoy soba noodle bowls with a Korean twist. It’s vegetarian without even trying to be.

Remembering my first experience with meal-prep helped me create a program for my fitness members. Many of them are just like me, food is memories. I try to introduce meal planning with foods that they’re familiar with and then branch out.

All of the pictures link to where I first shared them and the ingredients. Information about my my fitness program click here. PEACE Be the Journey.

I’m back… Paleo inspired lunch.

It’s Valentines Day in New Zealand 🇳🇿 and it will be tomorrow here in the USA. This is a beef inspired dish plated with a lovely organic tomato for all of you fit-foodies. Showing love ❤️ to your body by taking time to eat beautifully. I read a post by Dr. Mark Hyman, “You are what your food ate.”

I’m not a regular beef connoisseur but when I do eat it I prefer locally raised & grass fed. Since my last post I’ve been in training and the extra workout has me eating more protein.

DETAILS: Fit-Foodie Inspiration: Bulgogi beef cuts with shredded ginger, carrots & purple cabbage. On a spinach nest topped with a juicy tomato. Seasoned with crushed pepper & Yakima smoked salt. [My fave sea salt smoked with apple wood.] Beef 🥩 is grass feed organic & my butcher knows how to make bulgogi slices.

More fit-foodie inspiration & smoothies on my Instagram.

WholelisticFit Blog: “The art of self-care.” I started writing more holistic lifestyle post on a Members only blog, but don’t worry it’s easy to join. In fact it’s free. I’ll post the link below.

The goal is to live in BALANCE while getting fit. Paying attention to the mind, body & Soul. If you’re already a Mermaid then use this link to read the post.

To join the Mermaid pod click here, it’s free and you get access to the WholelisticFit blog, monthly newsletter & occasional printable.

Calendula salve I made & wrote about on the holistic blog. What’s your self care routine?

Don’t forget to spoil yourself.

September’s fitness challenge.

Aloha, It’s September?!

Where has time gone? I’ll tell you where it went… it’s in the sunsets that we hiked under, the streams where we collected stones and the fitness challenges we completed! Speaking of challenges I forgot to post about September’s fitness challenge. This one is a little different because I involved my daughters.

September is HABIT-TRACKING month!!!

Pick a current habit to track or track a new habit. So track your squat, core, ab or any challenge you want. Below are examples to get your creative side involved. I made a simple printable that you can use based off a powerful thought…

She said that she could and she did it

Each letter represents one day so this simple quote is a 30-day habit-tracker. [HT] The idea is to decorate it by creating a border or art then coloring each letter one day at a time.

Why use a HT and the benefits, read more here.

How to use a HT and decorate it, learn more here.

Example #1 Core Strength HT

It’s a collage of images glued on and I’m using watercolor pencils to track my habit. I suggest using premium paper or matted photo paper. Experiment to find one that works for the medium you’re using. Just remember that glue and paint can warp the paper, that’s what happen to me. I’m tracking 30 days of core strength using yoga poses or Asana.

Example #2 Water HT

This one was a mess but we had fun. If you decide to paint over your printable make sure to use light colors so you can see the letters. The glitter was crazy but my youngest wanted to make sure that the mermaid had a happy place to swim. I showed her how to do a simple Zentangle and she took off with it.

Example #3 Self-Care HT

This is definitely the teenage version. Spray inks a stencil and a little bit of glitter. The letters are watercolor pencils and they really stand out. Going through adolescence is such a challenge but so is the acne. [I’m so glad those days are over!] My oldest daughter is tracking her skin-care routine, reading and water intake. Which is why there’s three colors. So far so good.

Example #4 Meditation HT

I’m also tracking my daily meditation and used watercolor to paint my version of the tree of life. Each letter is a doodle of random designs. I don’t mediate regularly so I’m using this to revitalize an old habit.

All of our HT’s are on the fridge, the most prominent place in my house [Lol], so we can grab and use them on a regular basis. The overall goal is to pay attention to our habits. The benefit is that we’re left with a reminder of our AWESOMENESS.

I’ve also included a link for you to get the free printable and start using the QUOTE + 30DAY HT. Of course this comes with my ultra-exclusive newsletter which you can opt-out at any time. But if you choose to stay know that you’ll be part of the MERMAID pod. You can read more about that here.

Join the newsletter & start using this quote-able habit-tracker. Click on the images below to grab your HT. Psst… We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

August’s Fitness Challenge

The inspiration behind this challenge came from an info-graphic on my Pinterest board. I tried to find where it originated to give them credit. But every time I found that image and clicked, it lead me to a different blog or website. It was so confusing.

Nevertheless I chose to name my version ✨”ABracadabra” because it sounded cooler than ab-challenge. Imagine melting away flabbiness and embracing a toned tummy. 🙌🏽 I’m down with that.

So my workout crew is waking up at 5:30am to join me on Facebook Livestream to do this together. We just completed ✅ last months 5min Plank challenge below. 👇🏽

So we’re at it again.

I normally don’t post back to back so if you’re reading this and wanted to read my other post: The Fit Side of HULA -or- HULA FITNESS click here. Or the image below.

PS: If you’re wondering here’s this month’s Zumba with Ho’o fitness schedule. 😉 If you were wondering. 💋

5 Reasons to loosen up! As in drink loose leaf teas :)

Fitness is one side to a multifacited life and surrounding yourself with quality products is just as important. I’m sharing a few of my favorite black teas and by a few I mean nine, Lol. I shop local whenever possible and have been fortunate to friend local store owner Robyn Liss of Ubiquitous Journey or Ubi’s Tacoma off the historic 6th Ave area. (You have to visit 6th Ave. businesses in Tacoma but start with Ubi’s.)

Her tea blends inspire me and if you like these just wait until you see all the other varieties in her store. This is just a small example of the organic loose leaf tea selection she carries and we are extremely fortunate to have her in Tacoma. If you’ve never tried loose leaf tea then you’re missing out on some amazing flavor. Oh and the aroma! #huginamug

I could probably fill my blog with images that I capture at her store but they can never do it justice, you simply have to go in and see for yourself. So let me get down to my five reasons to LOOSEN UP!

5 Reasons to Loosen Up!

1. Yummy-ness. That alone should make you run out and buy some. Your tastebuds will fall in love.

2. Quality. Have you ever noticed that tea bags might seem convenient but they lack the fullness. With loose leaf teas you can refill your mug (cup) several times and still taste the full bodied flavor.

3. Healthy. I could spend all day jabbering about the health benefits but you have better things to do with your time.

4. Fit Choice. I’ve come across several teas that are extremely beneficial during recovery periods between workouts.

5. Peace. If the first four didn’t encourage you then think about living a life worthy of reflective moments. There’s something spiritual about tea, almost a zen like feeling that allows you to breathe deep and hā (the resounding exhale at the end of a well lived day).

Well there you have it my 5 reasons to loosen up. I’ve also added images from #UbisTacoma that I thought you might find interesting. Like the DIY section for beauty products or the ah-mazing selection of organic seasonings. Have a prosperous 2017 and PEACE Be the Journey.

Want more holistic lifestyle tips? Click on the images below. It’s an entire blogpost dedicated to the science of, “Sticking to your plans.” It’s a two part blog.

Fave apps for fliers.

Design is everything. It can attract, inform and entertain. One of my favorite things to do is create fliers and post it on my social media accounts. You can be the best teacher around but without effective advertising no one will know.

I really feel for my fellow fitness instructor who isn’t tied to a gym or community center. That individual is a solo-prenuer (solo entrepreneur) and has to…

Find a venue
Book the venue
Advertise classes
Enroll students
Teach the class
Get more students
Advertise again

I want to help you with 3 & 7 because I believe that we need more people serving the community in wellness. We need fitness instructors who live in the community, holistic practitioners that laugh with their patients, but most of all we need a

MESSAGE OF HOPE.

If I can help one person create a great digital flier with an effective message of hope… then awesome! So let’s get started. Throughout this post you saw several simple examples and now I want to share my 5 go-to secrets when creating an ad.

My 5 Tips

Less is more. Always. Don’t crowd their visual space.
Choose based on a theme or season. (We are well trained to notice certain colors at a particular time of the year.)
Don’t offend them. Design with care.
Use images that can deliver the message for you. Be memorable.
Try to get all the basic info on the flier. Save the wordiness for the website or blog post.

Below is an example of a simple rebrand I did because my message has evolved over time. I’m now offering more then just fitness classes and I want my social media to reflect that.

My favorite app is A+ Signature because it’s so versatile. I use it to water-mark everything.

My second favorite app is LiveCollage and that does everything else for me. It allows me to add a logo or cool background.

I hope you all have fun with these and comment below to tell me which apps you use. Or if you tried these two. Also, you can send me an example of your flier @hoomalamalama on Twitter & Instagram. PEACE Be the Journey.

Did you check out my other site? WholelisticFit It’s still in the works 😉😊 but full of potential.

What is WholisticFit?

Have you ever experienced something that completely changed your perspective? I’m sure you have and will probably go through many more shifts in your lifetime. That’s what 2015 was for me… a total shift. Then came 2016, a year of learning. I took classes, eCourses, read a ton of books, watched a load of YouTube videos and magazine articles about holistic living. Finally 2017 came around and PAUSE!!!!

Information can turn into junk if not used or shared with others and I was in over-load. Too much stuff in my head and now comes the fun part… organizing that knowledge into useful segments and categories. Sounds ubiquitous (sigh) but it can be a tiny bit overwhelming. So I’m starting simple.

WholisticFit: The idea that one should practice many forms of fitness to benefit the whole being. Fitness for the MIND, BODY & SOUL.

I strongly believe that we spend a lot time connecting fitness to our bodies and neglect the rest of our being. Too often we view ourselves in one dimension but we are so much more. I once read a description of a diamond and how every facet is unique. It’s one gem with many significant angles. In our case we are one body with many different layers. [Shrek was right about layers.]

We all need to live holistic in a way that will bring harmony to ourselves and surroundings. This will take practice, lots and lots of practice. In my personal experience I’ve noticed that it will blossom from [fairy dust sound effect] having a PLAN.

Which is why I created a one hour online workshop with printable to make sure you have the right plan working with you. It’s a free session that is followed by easy to understand prompts. You’ll uncover your Food, Fit & Fun emoji. Seriously. And you should be able to create an outline for future Food, Fit & Fun schedules in your planner. I also take time to share with you ideas to boost your Self-Care regime. Yes, spending quality self-care time is so important but often overlooked.

If you don’t like where you are, make a PLAN to change it, one task at a time. Then stick to it! Believe in the process and invest in YOU.

PLAN for YOU.

Want to take the workshop? Luckily I have the link: http://www.wholelisticfit.com and you’ll also see my new website. It’s still in creation mode but I like how it’s turning out. In fact I’m creating a blog post called: 5 Benefits of living holistic – Mom, Dad and Child Edition on WholisticFit.com and I’m opening a NEW fitness class just for Moms at a dance studio. I’ll be running a full program which is food & fitness coaching, so excited!

If you want to see what my Zumba life looks like, here’s a snippet from #zincon 2016.

I mentioned earlier that I’m breaking it down to three segmented list; mom, dad and child. However that will be on WholelisticFit.com but I want to share my top 5 general benefits.

MIND – A strong mind is 80% of the work. Exercise with reading or projects that are positive. Daily affirmations or scripture reading is super beneficial.
BODY – A healthy body will out perform everyone else. While promoting oxygen and circulation to the brain. Not to mention that this prevents a ton of poor life-style diseases.
SOUL – A nurtured soul is able to handle all the twist and turns that life may throw at you. Exercise through meditation, music, art journaling or basically any creative activity.
NATURE – A well kept environment rewards you with fresh air, and that’s pretty much a major incentive. Make time to give some TLC, tender loving care, to nature in the form of picking up random trash or recycling. There isn’t a physical reward for this one, its more intrinsic.
ETERNAL – A happy connection to your idea of eternity will dictate how you value life. Exercising your eternal muscles looks a little like this: Giving to others without expecting anything in return. Your gift is a seed, perhaps one you might not harvest but can become beneficial for generations to come. Think about inventions someone gave to humanity which we benefit from today. A positive outlook made that gift possible and their Eternal Muscle stronger.

Don’t forget to start your WholelisticFit plan. I’ll include the link on the image below.

CHANGE from pain to prosperous.

The day I took these pictures was a catalyst in my life. That was the day I almost lost my sister because three hours after this was taken I was in an ambulance with her. Read about that here. Change is a funny thing because it happens quicker then a second and can drastically adjust your perspective.

During my sister’s treatments I wrote in this blog to encourage and motivate her. We are both Zumba instructors who enjoy what we do and while she was healing I took it upon my self to create challenges to occupy her mind. Ones inability to do what they use to-do can be depressing and that rabbit hole is a dark and endless pit. If you are a care-giver or are dealing with a serious illness I hope you will read some of the past post or maybe embark on one of the challenges. [Find out about the three challenges here. If you choose to do one of them and want accountability just comment after each task.]

Speaking of change my sister is now cancer-free kicking stage 4 and living life to the fullest. She started a blog called Make Mahalo which is her journey and today she encourages others. As her blog takes off I’m at a crossroads with MANA Wahine Fitness because I believe this blog has served its purpose and it was seasonal. I can look back at this blog and see the transition from her first diagnosis to us celebrating her recovery by attending Zumba Convention 2016 in Orlando, FL.

The three challenges I created are Beautiful Mind, Beautiful Body and Beautiful Soul. It was as if we were walking through the shadow of death fearing no evil while maintaining an atmosphere of love and beauty. As a result I began to work on a project called WHOLELISTIC FIT – “Fitness for the whole BEing” and wrote a book which I will be publishing in the near future.

Change is a guarantee and my mantra is all about flow.

In all honest I don’t know what to do with this blog beyond this point and I feel that it has served its purpose. A place for me to flow out my thoughts and promote positivity. Don’t worry I’m still going to write but my primary focus will be in wholelisticfit.com because I’m excited about what I can create there.

MANA: Strength that is ancestral.

WAHINE: Women

Knowing when to CREATE the CHANGE is a huge responsibility because you are pulling it from the universe. My change is publishing my book, creating WholelisticFit, adding YouTube tutorials, podcast, building an organic skin-care line and doing more workshops in 2017. Basically I’m pulling a lot from the heavens and living in faith. I’m sure none of the task I mention will be easy but I am driven to make-it-happen. You are more then welcomed to change with me. Comment below about what changes you will be manifesting in 2017…

What are you going to change?

If you want to know when I publish my book send me your email address and you will be among the first. Take care and I look froward to reading your comments about CHANGE.

Inspiration behind: Fitness Concert “Island Style”

This year I attended Zumba Convention or ZINCON 2016 with my sister & fellow instructor Paish. We vlogged, Snapchat, YouTube our adventures to our friends and families. Nothing impacted me more than the welcome sign,

Master the business of fun!

That was the inspiration I needed to plan, create, host & lead my Zumba classes. It can be challenging to stay motivated while motivating others but that sign said it all! All I have to do is be FUN.

The first event was such a boost and all I could think about was my class. How can I duplicate my experience at #ZINCON to my students & fellow mermaids? What can I offer that would make them excited to dance off those unwanted calories and invite others?

Answer: I need to host a fitness concert, make it fun & make it memorable.

See what we got here.

Check out the #ZINCON lobby here.

Get the dance moves here.

Motivated by #ZINCON and the beautiful ladies in my class I’m hosting a fall kick-off to fitness. My background is Polynesian performing arts and what better way to host a FITNESS CONCERT than “Island Flavor.”

Become a Mermaid & grab the fitness apps resource page, for free. It’s live links that you can use right away with a brief description and cost per app.

How to host a fitness event. Part 1/2

There were two events I participated in last week. One I co-hosted and the other I sponsored. And I’m going to share my take-a-way from both events.

I had the opportunity to co-host a wellness movement. The agenda was simple and the idea was to get the community to try different types of fitness styles.

I’ll be the first to admit that 7am yoga is for the truly dedicated. Personally my favorite time to practice is at 6am but that’s after years of training. Yet this crew was pretty awesome because it was a first attempt for many. Impressive!

This style was completely new to me and it consisted of pow-wow music & movements. The two leading the session are a father & son team who have competed in different pow-wow venues throughout North America. This was intense & motivating.

HIIT felt like a bootcamp session but it had a predetermined list of targeted movements that were on a whiteboard while being timed. I would challenge anyone taking their fitness to the next level to try it.

We also had health and fitness businesses join us such as the local Curves . They donated items for our raffle, connected with attendees, spoke about their services and provided valuable resources.

The highlight was having a representative from a local farmers market share products that are grown & made in Washington state. It was full of delicious berries and so much more.

How to host a Wave Of Wellness or Fitness event in your community.

Gather of team of like minded people who are service driven.
Set up regular meetings and possibly a “private” Facebook page to share any questions, progress or developments.
Pick a place, date, time, budget, teams (set-up, break-down, kitchen, security & registration) and determine resources needed.
Plan your marketing strategy and have everyone share on their social media pages.
Host & have fun. Remember to take lots of pics.

🗻 Pacific Northwest living & Fitness http://www.hoomalamalama.com