EP35: "Once You Know Better..." Lara Pitkowsky

One of the many things I admire about Lara Pitkowsky is her presence, this woman always shows up... while leading one the most challenging of workouts she presents herself fully, uplifting even the grumpiest of students. Her smile is like sunshine, she commands the room and infuses it with cheer, and once you know her story it makes her delivery even more admirable. And what does “showing up” mean? To me it’s doing what I promised to do for myself and others with integrity and in congruity with the responsibility I signed up for. Let’s face it, sometimes I don’t feel like doing something I signed up for… but I remind myself of why I did and how I will feel once I reach that goal - and that in itself is my motivation. Choosing the right foods for my body, committing to daily movement, my meditation practice, having structure in my sleep routine, relying on stress management techniques like journaling… these have all been the “long road” in my healing journey - but it’s been more than worth it. I took the easy way out for decades and it always landed me back in the same stale place. They key for me is consistency, creating habits one baby step at a time, and letting them stick and continue to add until I have a robust self-care toolbox I can rely on. Like Maya Angelou said “once you know better, you do better”. LARA’S FAVORITES Favorite Ritual: Rolling my feet out. I keep a yoga ball on my bathroom floor and every morning (even those 4am days) I roll my feet out as I brush my teeth to unleash a sense of groundedness as I begin the day. Non-negotiable self care: One day a week where I do not set an alarm. As a super type-A personality I can, and have, run myself into burn out if I do not consciously take moments to actively do nothing and purposely sleep-in. Some weeks this is easier than others, and sometimes I still get up at 6am, but it’s natural not abrupt. Lara recently transitioned from a professional dancer in Los Angeles to a New York City based Integrated Wellness Coach, and strong advocate for holistic healing. She launched exhiLARAted wellness as a result of personal health (Auto Immune/Thyroid) complications and her triumph over them. While Lara loved dancing for artists like Demi Lovato, Paula Abdul, Panic! At The Disco, and Gryffin, the fulfillment of facilitating exuberant vitality in clients far surpasses the later. When Lara is not coaching clients, writing for her blog exhiLARAtedwellness.com, or running around the city to discover new wellness spots, you can find her every morning teaching at the Tracy Anderson Method. With a burning aspiration for connection and positive energy exchange, Lara is enthusiastic about sharing her story and holding the space for others to communicate openly about women’s health, hormone balance, autoimmunity, sexual wellness and everything in between. Follow Lara’s journey on instagram @heylarajaye & @exhilaratedwellness