Spa it Girl caught up exclusively with Fern Olivia creator of Thyroid Yoga® to find out what her Inner Beauty Tips are:
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? I am a former Finance professional and Biomedical Engineer, now an internationally recognized teacher, speaker and influencer on the power of integrative medicine, yoga, and holistic lifestyle practices. In addition to teaching, retreats, events, and speaking on the topics of holistic health and self-expression, my course is a best-seller on MindBodyGreen and I train wellness leaders and practitioners in my Thyroid Yoga® training, now available internationally.
Inspired by my own journey with Hashimoto’s Hypothyroid disease and love of botanicals, I founded my own beauty company, Ajai Alchemy, an all organic essential oil fragrance brand specifically formulated with synergistic hormone balancing and aphrodisiac benefits.
photo credit: Fern Olivia Yogatoday
Through authentic storytelling, media platforms, and contributions in publications including Well and Good NYC, MyDomaine, Beauty & Well Being Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Mindbodygreen, Medium, and The Huffington Post, I have inspired a mass movement of conscious self-expression and holistic health. I currently live in Los Angeles, travelling frequently between New York and other destinations to speak and teach, with Australia coming up in June 2017.
Can you tell us what Thyroid Yoga really is? Thyroid Yoga® artfully infuses wisdom from western and eastern medical perspectives to create a total healing approach. Essentially, it is the hybrid baby of yoga and integrative medicine.
Thyroid Yoga® is a unique method designed to empower those under a medical diagnosis to say goodbye to survival mode and embody their highest potential with luxurious care and conscious confidence. I blended my education in integrative nutrition, functional medicine, yoga, meditation, essential oils, and self-care to provide specialized one-on-one coaching and guidance to those who feel like they are at the mercy of prescription medicine.
My method includes teachings of Kundalini and Katonah Yoga™, Integrative Medicine, Ayurveda, Anatomy and Circadian Biology, among other powerful practices for total body health. We have been endorsed by leading medical doctors such as Gabrielle Lyon DO and Dr. Anthony Lyon MD of The Ash Center for Comprehensive Medicine, Dr. Robin Berzin MD and Dr. Jeffrey Egler of Parsley Health, Drew Ramsey MD, and Dana James, as a proven way to help restore and realign the energetic and biochemical mechanisms that influence thyroid functioning.
I have empowered a massive movement of using conscious self-expression and intuitive wisdom to heal physical and emotional blockages, ultimately bringing forth a state of hormonal balance and sustained well-being.
My practitioner training program kicked off a successful inaugural session in November 2016 and is coming next to NYC and Australia in Spring/Summer 2017. The training is also available virtually, globally as an online video course.
My vision for the Thyroid Yoga® certified practitioners is for each to first and foremost, understand how to utilize the practices to balance their own glandular system for sustained health, and then have the confidence to share these practices with the world as they develop their own signature offerings. I aim to empower each person who takes this training to create their own ripple effect of health and healing in our global community. This could be in the form of retreats, speaking engagements, personal and group healing work, yoga, meditation, functional medicine – truly the possibilities are infinite and this is what makes this so exciting for me.
What Inspired you to create Thyroid Yoga®? Inspired by the practices of my teachers, my studies in functional medicine, yoga, and holistic health, and most importantly, my own healing journey from Hashimoto’s, I have woven together what I found to be the most beneficial, most powerful poses and techniques to nourish and support your thyroid.
When practiced consistently, these specific yoga poses and breathing techniques work by clearing the stagnation around our organs, resetting the balance of our endocrine and lymphatic system, which ultimately supports overall endocrine and glandular health—regardless of whether the practitioner is experiencing overactive or underactive thyroid symptoms or had the thyroid removed.
Aside from Practicing and Teaching Thyroid Yoga®, how else do you like to Keep Healthy & Fit? I am obsessed with Taryn Toomey’s “The Class,” a blend of cardio and strengthening moves with a dose of mindfulness and spirituality – “a spiritual somatic” experience also cherished by Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore. Cardio exercises like running and jumping jacks to bootcamp-style squats and down-dog push-ups will help you sweat off the sweet potatoes and pie – plus a calming seated meditation to ease you out the sweat session and into zen mode, while feeling incredibly confident and secure about your powerful body.
Do you have any Favourite Wellness Spots that you love and we should know about?
Renew Juicery – Culver City – and while you’re there, say hello to my girl Brooke Rewa, the founder of Renew, and sip on the Balance Juice we created together.
Erewhon Market – It’s the mecca of grocery stores. Everything is organic and many of the superfoods, fresh produce, and beauty alchemies you’ll find here are made locally, including my brand, Ajai Alchemy.
When do you like to practice yoga and where is your favourite place to practice Yoga? Sadhana, or daily practice, is a must for me, first thing in the morning. It’s a pillar that I talk about in my Thyroid Yoga course on MindBodyGreen. It’s a nonnegotiable holy practice that reminds me that I am worthy before I go out into the world — and yes, that means before I turn on my phone and check email or my Instagram feed. My room, the beach, or one of my favorite yoga studios are all chosen places for me – it really depends on my schedule and how I’m feeling, but wherever I choose, I am present and dedicated to my daily ritual.
What is one thing we can do to feel more Spiritual within? To me, spirituality is conscious choices and awareness of everything I am doing and how I am taking care of the beautiful soul that lives within my body. As a spiritual being, I believe in taking care of myself in the most loving and kind hearted way which starts with the healing foods I nourish myself with, the sensual alchemy that kisses my skin, the gorgeous friends I choose to enjoy time with, the sacred home I have created, and the healing experiences I treat myself with lavishly every day… I have a big purpose on this planet, and I need to feel my best to give my best – I know I have to keep that up!
I recommend a similar mindset for you if you’d like to live a more spiritual life. Realize that we are all connected, and our choices affect not only our tiny vessel, but our entire planet.
Do you have any Go-To Healthy Meals you like to make when you are pushed for time? Yes! I absolutely love my go-to breakfast recipe that is packed with protein. Eating a protein-rich breakfast can energize you, reduce food cravings, and prevent overeating and binge eating, conditions I’ve finally broken up with after years of self-sabotaging patterns.
This green protein smoothie and chia pudding are very nourishing and easy to whip up too. You can find gorgeous recipe inspiration in my new Thyroid Yoga Recipe Book: You Nourish You, which has over 30 pages of nourishing, gluten-free, dairy-free meals.
Those busy days where I don’t have time to put on my chef hat, I opt for the delicious and purely plant-based Sakara Life meal delivery in NYC and LA.
Can you share some of your Favourite Spas with us?
LA: Pause Float Studio – infrared sauna and floating – I’m obsessed!
NY: Great Jones Spa & Higher Dose – saunas, soaks, steam, it’s everything I need when I need an urban retreat in NYC.
What do you love most about being part of the Yoga and Wellness Community? I love that I get to work with amazing and inspirational innovators everyday who support and lift each other up! I love how collaborative and open we are in this space. It truly is a gift to be among the world’s leading yoga masters, healers and visionaries.
Can you tell us what your Skincare Routine Looks like, or what products you personally like to use? I start my morning yoga and meditation practice by applying Grace Alchemy, my best-selling essential oil, to my thyroid gland, tracing the infinity sign horizontally and massaging my lymph nodes — it serves as a luxurious reminder that I am a radiant, beautiful woman and that treating myself with love is very important! I roll it on all day and I’ve been told I “smell like love.”
After I shower, I moisturize with Solar Sun Protect, made from all organic essential oils in a base of carrot oil and coconut oil to protect my skin. It also adds a natural, dewy bronze glow and is an aphrodisiac too!
I also use Radiance Oil in my hair for gorgeous beach waves and on my body for silky smooth legs.
You are clearly living your dreams, can you share your own words or wisdom for others wanting to live their own dreams? You have the power to carve a new way of life where you are in charge and you focus your precious energy on what truly matters to you. This is what I am here to see for you, and serving as your guide and accountability partner, we will craft tangible goals that align with your unique truth and gifts. I’ve recently created a mentorship program for those looking to be part of a greater mission to bring awareness of true inner beauty through essential oils and luxurious self-care while earning an extra source of revenue, and I invite you to apply here if this resonates with you.
What’s Your Favourite Yoga Studio or Studios in New York City and Los Angeles? When I’m in NYC, you’ll find me with my mentors at Katonah Yoga or getting sweaty at Pure Yoga, where I am teaching my next Thyroid Yoga® practitioner training. In LA, I find my flow at Love Yoga and Kundalini at RA MA in Venice.
Do you have any Favourite Yogawear you love to practice yoga in? I’m always wearing yoga wear…. every day. More than ever, I’m drawn to billowy white linens and soft pastels, so you’ll likely spot me in something flowing and free.
What things do you like to do when you are not running your successful business or working? Spa time, of course. Infrared sauna and massages are my weekly ritual. I run on the beach every morning when I’m in LA and I love taking solo hikes, too. Being alone in nature soothes my soul and gives me a much needed break from always being “on my game” as a successful solopreneur.
Can you suggest something anyone could do or try if they wanted to feel good from the inside? How about a massage? I know. I feel you. While achieving the time to go and treat yourself to a massage, let alone regular massages, is a luxury for most; the ancient ritual of Abhyanga is a self-massage technique for treating your body as temple…all in the comfort of your own home. This Ayurvedic healing practice is the process of anointing yourself with oil and massaging it into the entire body before bathing. Its benefits go far beyond the usual paradigm of simply relieving tension and “chilling out,” extending to both mind and spirit, as well as the body.
Simply receiving the love you are giving yourself via the ritual of self-care is also where the magic lies. I also like to take this self-care practice up a level and add in my body oils. Essential oils can be utilized to enhance each and every moment and are a powerful and direct way to regulate our stress or calming responses. Within a minute our skin absorbs whatever we put on it directly into the bloodstream, and so using an infused oil also adds all the healing wisdom of the plants and botanicals from which the essential oils are derived too. Essential oils are a powerful tool in my well-being kit, and adding them into the ritual of abhyanga potentiates the healing effects of this practice. Use this self-care practice to relax, uplift, soothe, and relieve.
What’s next for you? To become a Thyroid Yoga® certified instructor, join me April 28-30 in New York at Pure Yoga West and in Bondi, Australia in June! I’ll also be leading a super-decadent Retreat at Gurney’s Resort & Spa in Montauk, New York on May 5-7. Learn more: www.consciouscityguide.com/fernoliviaevents
How can we stay connected with you? Whether you’d like to learn more about my offerings and how we may work together, would like to book me for a speaking or teaching opportunity, or just would like to say hello…I’d LOVE to hear from you! I am committed to reading every message that comes flying in, promise! However, I cannot offer health advice via email. If you would like to work with me or with one of our certified practitioners in a customized program for your health and lifestyle goals, please schedule a live or virtual Activation Session.
My passion, desire and experience has provided me with the knowledge to write for individuals, online publications, companies and organizations. I also serve as a spokesperson and ambassador for products and brands that align with my commitment to conscious lifestyle, organic beauty and luxury travel experiences.
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/YogaWithFern/
Instagram: @fernolivia
Web: www.fernolivia.com
Email: fernolivia@gmail.com