Hand Balancing Pressure Diagram

For my yoga students, and anyone who is using their hands to ground themselves and invert the body :)

When I started to practice handstands and arm balances, I enjoyed and appreciated all the verbal cues and instruction from other teachers and students. I am lucky to live in a city where you can learn ANYTHING you want. For the sake of this post, when I wanted to learn handstands, I attended every class, workshop, online event I could (and still do!). I repeated what I learned over and over again, in a deliberate practice. 

This began a intense study of body mechanics, and how the body moves with power and grace anatomically. Eventually my eyes glanced at a handstand diagram on a google search, and that was the key to unlocking new progress within my inversion practice. 

I put together what I learned from a few diagrams. Feel free to reach out with any questions!




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Preparation & The Upcoming Opportunity

Preparation & The Upcoming Opportunity


The Upcoming Opportunity is an important event that has not happened just yet; however, you know, or have a feeling (intuition), that opportunity is on its way to you! This may trigger excitement, fear, or maybe both - a nice cocktail of adrenaline that will keep you up all hours of the night! Just kidding…but it may!

In most cases, you have little choice (or control) over how this opportunity is presented to you. A new career opportunity may find you while you are in the midst of settling a deal at the close of the market, planning your next day’s organizational meetings, or while you are having a personal conversation with a friend or client. It can find you when you are not PREPARED to work with it.

What you do have choice (or control) over is how you prepare to manage yourSELF when the Upcoming Opportunity is realized in that very present moment. When it is no longer the Upcoming Opportunity, but the Opportunity In Your Face!

When the Opportunity is In Your Face, there is no time for self analyzation. Rather, all of your energy is focused outside of yourSELF, outside of your own head, on what is presenting itself to you. You are reacting based upon prior life experience, and predominantly INTUTION, TALENTS, and HABITS. 

To prepare for the Upcoming Opportunity, get reacquainted with your intuition, talents, and habits! 


Intuition is your own personal insight, or a sense. One of the definitions of intuition is:


Your intuition can be generated rapidly without thinking about what it is exactly. Your body and mind perceive what is happening around you, even when you are not consciously aware. Your intuition informs and points you towards a direction or path based on what it perceives.

If you are unsure whether you are listening to your intuition versus your ego, do not worry! The ability to discern between the two is a mental muscle, that we must train just like a body builder trains his or her muscles in the gym. Below are a few modalities in which the awareness of your intuition can be harnessed and expressed:

    1) Meditation (consistently over both short and long periods of time)

    2) Coaching Sessions (with a legitimate coach certified by the ICF)

    3) Consistent Physical Practice or Exercise (ideally 4-6 days a week)


Talent is an ability unique to you. The definition of Talent is:

“a special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude”

“general intelligence or mental power : ability"

Your talents distinguish you from a group. It is important to emphasize that talents are learned and nurtured as well. If public speaking is your “natural born” talent, and you stop speaking in public, your talent will erode. Talents must be cultivated and nurtured through deliberate practice (see one of my previous posts on deliberate practice, or pick up Stephen Cope’s novel The Great Work of Your Life for an in-depth, yet easy read on the subject).

Are you unsure of your talents, or if you are aware of them all? I recommend creating your own “Board of Directors”. You will be assembling this group of trusted advisors based on integrity and honesty. These people are going to give you feedback on yourself as a person and as a leader. They are going to provide valuable guidance, and dare I say advice, while holding the development of yourself and your professional aspirations as the highest priorities. They will tell you what you excel at, your talents, and where you lack the experience and/or resources. 


A Habit is a learned behavior. The definition of a habit is:


Luckily for us, our choice weighs heavily in the decision to engage with our habits! Positive habits, or rituals, must be developed to immerse and ground ourselves into mindfulness and authenticity. Preferably, these rituals are to be done in the morning. You want to feel grounded, or practice feeling grounded, before the opportunities of the day consume your attention. You want to prepare mentally and physically for what is to come.

I personally find my yoga practice as the ultimate grounding tool. My complete practice consists of breathing techniques, sequencing of dynamic movements and postures, and a seated meditation. However, there are various methods of grounding that you can explore! Ensure that the grounding method you utilize:

    1) is readily accessible

    2) can be implemented into your daily routine


Know that while The Upcoming Opportunity is existing in the near future, the time to prepare and train for it is now. The intent of this post is to raise the awareness of your upcoming opportunity, and how to prepare yourself for action. There is a time To Be, and there is a time To Take Action. 

Check in where you are presently.

Let’s open up the conversation, I would love to hear from you!

Best Always,





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The Optimal Experience

The Optimal Experience is accessed when you are aware of the different aspects of your life experience and make choices in alignment with your personal and professional values.

What Degrades the Optimal Experience? (What are you Tolerating?)

Here is what I know-

In our lives, we tend to get and experience what we tolerate. What we tolerate is often daily, or repeated over and over again for a specific, and sometimes extended, period of time. When we are not experiencing the full potential of a certain aspect of our existence, we are tolerating circumstances that are counter-productive to our personal fulfillment. 

"Great, so I am tolerating a job, people, financial, and family stress. What do I do about it?”

To start off, play with me here, I believe we are always performing in a number of aspects, or arenas, in our lives. We are always at choice as to how we show up in these arenas. Yes, sometimes we may be thrown off by an unexpected event or circumstance; however, we as humans are quite resilient, and in the moments of vulnerability, we are still at choice.

The very first step is clearly identifying all the different “arenas” that make up your life experience. I tend to break them down into the arenas below:

  1. Career
  2. Financial Well Being
  3. Intimacy
  4. Romance
  5. Health
  6. Physical Environment
  7. Leadership
  8. Family/Friends
  9. Adventure/Travel/Recreational Activities

Answer these questions to start getting traction on what is impeding on your unique Optimal Experience. 

  1. What are you tolerating in your career?
  2. What are you tolerating in the financial aspect of your life?
  3. What are you tolerating with regards to your intimate relationships (not romantic relationships, see the following question for that one)?
  4. What are you tolerating in your romantic life?
  5. What are you tolerating regarding your health?
  6. What are you tolerating in your physical environment/place of dwelling?
  7. What are you tolerating regarding your own personal growth as a leader?
  8. What are you tolerating in your family/social life?
  9. What are you tolerating regarding the Travel, Adventure, Recreational Activities in your life?

Once identified, you have already begun to disempower what you are tolerating. You are now at choice as to how you want to show up and approach the changes you can foresee yourself executing in your personal and professional life - which will Enhance Your Optimal Experience!

For any comments or questions, please reach out to me! I would love to hear from you!

Best Always,



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Creating Change & Procrastination

Why haven’t I just completed this already? Why do I keep pushing the inevitable away, further down my “To-Do” list?

Procrastination is one of the obstacles we experience when we choose to lead the life we want to live, and when we work to execute the goals we set achieve. 

Procrastination occurs when we feel the value of doing something else, or nothing at all, is more valuable than executing the task or decision at hand. Procrastination may also be a sign that its partner-in-crime, Perfectionism, is lurking behind the scenes.

In my opinion, aside from simply avoiding doing the dishes or daily chores, what is most valuable about understanding procrastination is that it is a mismanagement of our emotions as human beings. When we are presented with a difficult or important decision/action, the fear of not knowing EXACTLY what is going to happen creates anxiety or a negative emotion to the present task at hand - often keeping a person stuck right where he or she is currently unfulfilled, and leaving the task unfulfilled or incomplete. In the moment, that energy is being focused on the immediate future; eliminating the positive emotions a person will attain along the way of CREATING CHANGE and achieving their personal/professional milestones.

Creating change is effortful, yes, and it is exhilarating! Creating change challenges you to step beyond what you already know in pursuit of new learning and fulfillment - and that feels amazing! Creating change keeps that fire inside burning. Possibilities and opportunities are endless when we decide to take action move forward with our intention.

My challenge to you is to acknowledge when you created change in your past when the stakes were high and you felt the pressure of the impending decision that needed to be made. There was growth in that period of your life, and your lifestyle and situation evolved during that transformation. Is it time for the next transformation in your career and professional life? Is it time to acknowledge how you are evolving personally and shift your energy towards what brings you fulfillment, happiness, and success?

I am looking forward to hearing from you! Let us get to it!

Best Always,


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EVENT: Achieve Your Goals! with John Fitzpatrick & Tammy Swed

On Saturday Nov 11th, I will be co-leading a workshop centered on how to Create, Establish, Execute & Achieve goals and milestones - Achieve Your Goals!. Whether you have a specific goal you want to realize, or have had an idea bouncing around your head and want to begin creating and manifesting your achievement, this workshop is for you (link below)!

What to expect:

  • An opportunity to network and make connections with other like-minded people
  • Self Assessment
  • Identifying S.M.A.R.T. Goals
  • Practical & action-oriented tools to identify your S.M.A.R.T. goals
  • A discussion on the Four Characteristics of an Effective Leader
  • Authenticity in your Actions
  • Achievement & action plan to execute your goals

Tammy and I met a few years ago when I took her yoga class. Since then, Tammy has attained her masters in Industrial Organizational Psychology and created opportunities for Women’s Leadership programs in her field. I have dived into a new career as a Certified Professional CoActive Coach and graduated from the 2017 Leadership Program, leading individuals and groups towards creating positive change and generating the tangible results they desire to impact the people within their professional and personal lives. 

Our desire is to bring a powerful conversation to the “table” to create the foundation for the execution of your dreams, goals and milestones. Let’s begin! See you there!

Best Always,


Link for Achieve Your Goals: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=3189&stype=-8&sTG=11&sVT=104&sView=day&sLoc=1&sTrn=100000139&date=11/11/17


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Stepping Into Your Purpose

There comes a point when you decide you are ready - when you decide you have arrived! There is a sense of grounding confidence in the air, you know this is meant to be. There is no second-guessing in this moment. You know it to be true!

This is the point where you no longer play small. It is the point of no return. You have realized your potential in a way that you feel it sizzling underneath your skin - there is no turning back. Well, that is not entirely true. You can choose to ignore it, and consequently live the rest of your life wondering "What If?". However, if you are working with me, you know that is not a viable option. 

Your Body and Mind have now become the catalyst for your Purpose! It is now time to prepare for a sequence of events that will define your initial "jump-off", or execution of your Purpose.

Many set up pre-requisites for themselves before they can accept this invitation from the universe. This is when FEAR manifests itself in "Task Killing" - which we have earned a Ph.D in within our society. It is a specific type of procrastination I like to call Active Procrastination. These pre-requisites are often tangible achievable goals that may very well be needed; however, are not required to Step into Your Purpose. Some of these achievable goals are represented through degrees, certifications, or losing 20 pounds of body weight.

What I want to convey here is that you can choose NOT TO WAIT! You can choose to Step Into Your Purpose NOW, and achieve those goals along the way; rather than deciding you will Step Into Your Purpose after you achieve goal number one, two, three, etc.

If this post resonates with you, feel free to contact me and let us have the conversation!

Best Always,




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Deliberate Practice

The concept of Deliberate Practice was first defined for me by Stephen Cope in his book The Great Work of Your Life. To those of you who seek that level of peak performance, I highly recommend it. 

"Deliberate Practice is not just a laborious repetition of the tasks of artistry. It is, rather, a kind of sustained engagement in the work that is aimed specifically at understanding and improving the work. It is an intentional breaking down of the tasks of any domain into smaller and smaller components to see precisely how they work. And it results in steady and incremental improvements in performance."

What is your practice? A baseball player's practice is precision when the player steps up to the plate to bat. The practice of the swing of the bat has morphed over the career of the player, the sustained engagement within those hundreds of thousands of hours in batting practice. What once was a hope and prayer that the bat will connect with the baseball, has now become a deliberate placement of the bat, in anticipation of where the ball will travel over the plate.

As a yoga practitioner, the postures have been executed time and time again. Each time, when you pay attention, something new is learned within the body and mind. The postures and transitions soon become a moving meditation, rather than being singular points of engagement in your practice. Your physical yoga practice becomes a very deliberate practice each time your step on the mat.

Whether it is in yoga, sports, academia, family or professional career, your deliberate practice becomes the vehicle for your intentions to move forward. What is learned in your practice transcends into, and requires application to your life, outside of the practice. This is where your fullest Self will be realized. Whether it is in your field of expertise, or an entirely new arena of your life, where can you apply the learnings of your practice? Where is the opportunity for your personal and professional growth?

Whether you see the opportunity or not, know it is there. Keep looking for it. If you cannot see it, it may be a time to move deeper into your Deliberate Practice. It may be time for an expansion of learning, for new opportunities to be realized - EXCITING!

Feel free to contact me with any thoughts!

Best Always,




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Harnessing Your Inner Power

Hi Everybody!

This Saturday, on March 11th, I am excited to lead my workshop Harnessing Your Inner Power at BambooMoves Yoga in NYC. It is an idea I have been developing over the last year. In this workshop, you will learn specific tools to navigate your life's path towards what you want to achieve and fulfill. 

No matter where you find yourself in your professional or personal life, these tools will evoke your curiosity and intuition. This workshop will offer an opportunity to zoom out of your everyday life, allowing you to connect and experience your Big Vision. You will also zoom in and explore what creates roadblocks or obstacles in your relationships that limit your creativity, potential, and possibilities. We will take action towards removing those obstacles and improving those relationships that are integral to the fulfillment of your visions!

Below are a few questions I have received that you may be wondering yourself:

What does Harnessing Your Inner Power mean? 

- Harnessing Your Inner Power is identifying and articulating what gives you the strength and the will to persevere. Whether it is taking your career to the next level, your performance, or realizing your dream, etc., it is the ACTION that follows after identifying what provides your strength that allows you to truly Harness Your Inner Power. 

Is this for all people?

- Yes! 

Do I need a yoga mat? 

- No. This event will be an interactive and powerful conversation within the group! I recommend wearing comfortable clothing as well! 

I am looking forward to seeing you there! 

Best Always,




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Expanding Your Comfort Zone

Expanding Your Comfort Zone

While on your journey, when has there been a time when you have wanted to try something new, and take a leap towards something you were not quite sure about? Did you take that leap? Or did you maybe hesitate, and pull back?

Whether you decided to take the leap or not, there was an confrontation with fear along the way. Fear can mask itself behind emotions, anxiety, pain, etc. The key is to acknowledge those emotions, anxiety, pain and ask, "What is causing this sensation?". 

F.E.A.R. - False Evidence Appearing Real

Fear can only live in our thoughts of the future. The past is done, and when engaged with the present moment, there is no space for fear to live, because you are PRESENT! However, we as humans, project our fears into the future and can allow them to manifest into our reality if we leave them unchecked. We do not know what the future holds. Think of all the times you have projected into the future the worst possible scenario. How many times did that worst possible scenario occur? We cannot control the future; therefore, our fears are often baseless and untrue. 

Once we establish our own personal understanding around our fears and how we interact with them, we can begin to use fear as a guide, rather than an immobilizer. We can use fear to EXPAND OUR COMFORT ZONE. 

What do we get when we expand our comfort zone? Well, this can be quite different for each person. Throughout my coaching career, I have witnessed for myself and for others the sense of pride, achievement, growth, and excitement. I have seen people attain superhuman-like powers as they acknowledged the fears of their actions, and did them anyway. 

I am happy to share that I will be traveling to Chicago to co-lead a workshop on February 26th, 2017 centered on acknowledging what gets in your way of achieving what you want, what happens while engaged with those obstacles, and learning tools to help move past them and see the rewards on the other side! 

Please feel free to share your own engagements and stories with me. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Best Always,



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