A Pleasure to Meet You

Dear friends,

It is a pleasure to meet you! I’m so glad we’ve found each other and can start building a community together. But first things first, who am I, what is the purpose of this space and how can we grow together?

For starters — I am a native Nebraskan who found her way to New York via Los Angeles over 15 years ago. I am a mama, a yogi, a kale lover and a devoted wife to the most awesome man. I’m an avid reader and a passionate coffee drinker. I’m on a spiritual journey and I love traveling the physical world to see it through the eyes of my 8-year old son. I’m passionate about making a difference – I’ve been in the non-profit space for more than 17-years, and now I want to make a difference on a more personal level starting with YOU. 

I firmly believe your level of joy is intrinsically linked to your health.  Hello mindbody connection! If you want to experience bliss and unbounded happiness – it starts with your health and cultivating your consciousness. And your health entails so much more than what you eat. Yes, I fully endorse kale every day (at every meal even!) but if you are miserable at your job, suffering through sleepless nights and dealing with a tough relationship – no amount of kale will heal you. 

We are the sum of all our parts. Beginning to understand on a deeper level the story behind our health challenges (whether that challenge is losing a few pounds, gaining more energy or clearing your skin) helps to inform the shifts that you need to make (drinking more water, eating more greens, meditating, making peace with the past, learning to love yourself) that will upgrade your life towards a more joyful and fulfilled existence. It is not a quick fix, but an evolution and process of discovery that will help you to create a long-lasting and eternal state of contentment, bliss and health. 

But why am I so passionate about this? As a self-described health nut I thought I was doing all of the right things (lots of running  — 5 marathons worth — and yoga while eating a diet consisting of cereal for breakfast, a green salad for lunch and dinner, copious amounts of coffee and wine…hmm??) until I enrolled in Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and  quickly realized that I was eating light but not nourishing foods. And all that running? Turns out, upon deeper inspection, I was running away from my problems vs. creating peace and wellness (but more on that in another post). Bottom line; most of my life I had equated being slender with being healthy and had prioritized being skinny rather than being nourished and balanced. 

Over the course of my studies at IIN I saw how this mindset permeates our society and most people, through no fault of their own, have no clue what wellness looks like. This is why the “land of the free,” a.k.a. the good old U.S. of A. has abysmal health statistics and skyrocketing healthcare costs. Even if we fix the healthcare system, we still aren’t addressing the root cause, which is the true story behind our ill health and the resultant habits — eating too much low-quality food, experiencing too much stress, connecting too little with our loved ones and sitting on our bums too much.

I truly believe it is my calling to help YOU and our community live your best life. Thanks to Google we have the information at our fingertips (even my son is convinced that Google has all of the answers…) on how to be healthy i.e. eat fruits and veggies, don’t smoke, sleep more, stress less and move your body – but we aren’t doing anything with this information. 

This is where I come in, we are each a unique and beautiful individual. Certain foods or habits may work for your best friend but not you – Atkins worked for your friend, but you gained 10 pounds – why?!? As a health coach I am your guide to help you uncover your true story so that you can upgrade your habits and, consequently, change your life. 

I’m honored to be on this journey with you. Whether we work together 1:1 or you join as a member of this community – I welcome you and look forward to growing together. After all — as the founder of IIN Joshua Rosenthal says, “The journey is about progress and not perfection.” Each day is an opportunity to learn, grow and be inspired — and it is much more fun when we do it together. 

I look forward to sharing this journey, together.

With love and infinite respect,

Mandy 

P.S. To get you started on your journey to wellness, I wanted to offer you one tip to get you feeling better right now! How often do you think about your breath? Your breath provides you energy, power and clarity. One of my clients was dealing with anxiety and wanted a tool right now to help her calm her mind and re-focus. What is that tool? Your breath. You can do this anywhere – on the subway, at your desk or in the quiet of your own home. Here’s how…

1. Sit upright. Either on a chair with your back straight, feet on the floor or on the floor in a cross-legged position.
2. Place your hands on your thighs, facing up 
3. Close your eyes (if you are on the subway, you can rest your eyes on a neutral point)
4. Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth (if at home, make an audible noise. If on the subway go ahead and make a noise and be ok with any stares)
5. Now, breathe in for four counts through the nose
6. Pause at the top of your breath for one count
7. Breath out for six counts through the nose
8. Continue for at least five rounds, or until you feel calm 
9. Notice the calm and peace of mind you instantly experience and keep this in your toolbox for anytime you experience stress, anxiety or just want to down-shift (right before bed is also great!)
10. Enjoy the calm and peace of mind and share this technique with your friends!