Ainslie McLean has been through it all, to say the least. While she grew up super active, doing everything from playing soccer to running, in her late 30s while working as a beverage salesperson for Starbucks, she started suffering from...
Ever wonder why everyone ends up in the kitchen at a party—even when there’s a huge living room and house to prance in? Or why the waft of garlic from roasting veggies makes your lips turn up in a smile?...
Veena Goel Crownholm just happened to be a world champion baton twirler and Miss California all before she became a lifestyle influencer and Hollywood red-carpet staple. Talk about an all-American all-star! As if that wasn’t enough, since becoming a mother,...
When LA-based meditation expert Amanda Gilbert looks back at her childhood, she realizes mindfulness always played a large role in her life. Growing up in middle-of-nowhere Ohio, Gilbert loved being outside in nature and reading books. That’s where she first...
New York native Lisa Hirsch always used fitness as a stress release. Growing up, she tagged along when her mother did Jane Fonda workouts (leg warmers included!), as well as yoga. Later she added horseback riding, swimming, and cheerleading. When...
Abby Cannon loved dancing and yoga growing up, but once she reached college, she left the ballet barre and looked toward the law bar instead. While studying, she switched from a super active lifestyle to one that was anything but....
Though Lubna Kamal was pointed toward a career as a lawyer, she always loved fitness. Pushing herself to her limits was always her approach, and after passing the bar exam, the energetic powerhouse realized law wasn’t for her. When she...
Los Angeles pilates favorite Ashlee Carignan is giving the City of Angels something new to get excited about: more room in her studio for small group classes! Up until recently, she only held exclusive privates in her bespoke and stylish...
In a sea of imposters, energetic healer Alessandro Giannetti is the real thing. When he speaks about intuition, instinct, and your path (interjecting jokes and asides in that super chill Cali way) it’s clear: He says what he means, and...
Lauren Chiarello is a true triple threat. She not only leads a healthy, active life as an athlete and fitness instructor at Exhale, Flex Studio and beyond. She also plans events surrounding wellness causes and companies, and she has a...
Janie Wood has led an international and cosmopolitan life to say the least. Growing up in England and then Switzerland, she eventually lived all over the world, working in fashion, wellness, and the intersection of the two. As the daughter...
Digging into the integrity of the word "authenticity" got top billing when last we chatted with yoga and lifestyle guru, Jordan Younger. Don’t worry, it's still super important to her! But now, along with authentic living, #TheBalancedBlonde is focusing on,...
Today, there are plenty of yoga options. From restorative and Yin yoga to Bikram and power flow classes, there seems to be something for everyone—and every mood. Fern Olivia discovered an essential and missing link through personal trials: At 22,...
Colorado native Nadia Walker grew up a dancer and gymnast. Even though she always loved movement, professionally, her life veered in another direction and she worked as a hair stylist for 14 years. But when a friend finally dragged her...
Walking into one of Ambyr D’Amato’s yoga classes, you can hear a communal sigh of relief. That joyful and calm feeling only increases as the class goes on…as does giggling, release, healing and, of course, stretching. And that’s just as...
Amy Jarosky lived an intense Manhattan life working at a hedge fund for over 10 years. While tackling the daily grind, the New Jersey native developed a vague interest in health and wellness while dealing with the pressure and responsibility...
The words magic and transformation might sound scary or odd when that nasty inner cynic has the floor. But when our awesomely loving cheerleader (or higher self, maybe?) grabs the mind mic, they sound like, well, exactly what we all...
Amanda Lippman has been a vegetarian since age six. She wondered: If she really wanted to hold every animal she met, how could she eat any of them? So she made a commitment and kept to it… Though having struggled with image...
Gliding, floating and twirling ballerinas carve delicate shapes in the air, creating magical characters or rich abstract visions with their grace. But all dancers—and dance lovers—know, it’s unbelievable strength that underpins that elegance. Kelsey O’Connell loves this exact combination,...
We’ve all suffered through it: Sitting on another cramped flight, recycled air blasting overhead and only salty chips and greasy cookies available. Perhaps your face feels itchy and tight from the dry air and your head hurts from dehydration and...
Leggy, sassy, and ridiculously talented Sarrah Strimel made her mark on Broadway in shows from The Producers (at age 20 with esteemed choreographer Susan Stroman, no less), Young Frankenstein, to the gorgeous and ballet-tinged An American in Paris. The epitome...
