Written by Anna Choi, Energy Master
Anna Choi is an Energy Master, Qigong Tai Chi Instructor, and Taekwondo Black Belt. After burning out from her wealth management and event consulting business, she hit rock bottom. She met her two enlightened energy masters transforming her life into a singer songwriter performance artist, 2x TEDx speaker, & Amazon No.1 International Best Selling Author as Founder of SolJoy with Anna Choi SPC.
What has been your journey of health? Do you think youthing as you age is possible? I’m here to share, yes it is. I’m more healthy now at 41 years old than in my early 20’s! (No, it’s not just the Asian genes!) Granted, I eat a plant based, gluten free, organic whole foods, intermittent fast, avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugars, and processed foods, and prioritize moving my body with daily Qigong classes, 103 bows/day, 1 hour meditation, and training 3x/week in taekwondo as a black belt with young teens.
It took years to build up these disciplined habits. It wasn’t always that way.
I collapsed from physical exhaustion in my early twenties overworking in my first business as a financial planner. I had severe IBS from negative thinking and rarely worked out or had a social life focused on my business. I went to the doctor thinking I had torn an ACL only to learn my knee muscles were simply weak and had atrophied.
After water birthing my son, I let my body go, giving up it could be any other way. My abs had split apart in birth and not quite come back together making it difficult to do even 1 sit up. Everything got loose and flabby down there. What a surprise to jump on a trampoline at a kid's birthday, to pee in my pants and have to change myself in the bathroom. Embarrassing!
After 30, no more a weekend warrior—I’d get injured. Severe allergies kicked in with constant itching, eyes tearing and running nose impossible to do anything but grab another tissue.
Then after 35, suddenly I had what felt like uncontrollable sugar cravings. I wouldn’t be hungry, eat anyway for comfort, to appease boredom. Processed carbs like chips and crackers were my Achilles heel. I was addicted to snacking every time I was bored or needed comfort. I soothed myself as my tummy hurt telling myself “It’s ok. Mom loved us through food.” Enter another chip into my mouth.It wasn’t until 3 years ago that I got serious about holistic health in treating my body as a temple and regularly working out. A large part of that was doing Somatic Mindful exercises like Qigong. The result has been remarkable at the level of energy I’m able to have now than when I was a youth. It’s never too late to start! (See below for true stories of 85 year old's starting yoga or 105 year old's winning bike races with the body of a 50 year old)
That’s been my health journey, how about you? When I hear “Wow you look so young—it must be the Asian genes.” That is NOT the case and being healthier after 40 than in my 20’s has been a labor of love.
Health is a choice you make each moment. Each time you don’t eat the cookie, drink the glass of wine, or watch netflix. Or each time you choose to workout when you’re tired, you don’t eat that sugary thing, and you pass on the beer-–your cells respond and reward you with more vitality.
Knowing what’s possible for your health, now it’s your turn
What is your personal definition of health?
What does vibrant health look like for you? How do you define health?
Here are some examples of more holistic definitions of health
Complete well-being of one’s mind, body, heart, and spirit
Body’s cells are in harmony
You live to 120 years old with a high quality of life and healthspan
Just like each person will have their own metric of success, same for your and your definition of health. These are just ideas, and what’s important is to make your definition of health your own.
Inquiries for your health journey
Where do you see the healthiest version of yourself in 50 years? (this timeline really stretches the mind)
10 years? 1 year? 6 months? 30 days?
Take out some soothing music, shut your door, and allow yourself to journal or share with someone you love what vibrant health looks like for you. No editing. Just allow yourself to free flow a stream of consciousness. You can use just 1 or more of those timeframes. Allow yourself to brainstorm.
Use all 5 senses of what you see, hear, taste, sense, and smell so that you can embody the FEELING of the future feeling. The less thinking or analyzing the better.
Perhaps you see a vision of yourself. More importantly, how do you feel?
Create this future vision now by fully embodying that feeling of vitality, vibrancy or [insert your feeling here].
To bring your vision more to reality, share with a loved one. As you speak, add, edit, or take parts and allow a continuous inquiry of what a healthy you looks and feels like.
Then find one word, sound, and/or creative movement to represent that state of health you see yourself as to remind yourself moving forward.
Why is staying healthy so hard?
Most of us know what to do, but don’t do it consistently over time. It never quite becomes an unconscious habit.
Over 100 years ago, EO Wilson began a conversation:
“The real problem of humanity is the following: We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology.” – EO Wilson
While technology’s god like powers have accelerated exponentially, our ancient brain impulses have barely evolved from survival. What’s changed since then?
We live in an age of brain overload and attention deficit economy where the new resource extraction isn’t water, or air, it’s our brain’s attention.
How does this relate to your health as a mindful entrepreneur?
Burnout has become a new normal. High stress “hustle” environments have become the status quo. Many high achieving clients fail to recognize they’re even in burnout.
Until a crisis forces you to pay attention. Perhaps it’s being rushed to the ER for high blood pressure. Or you receive an unexpected diagnosis with a life threatening tumor or disease. Perhaps someone close passes away that has you stop and question the meaning of your life.
Rather than wait for a crisis to give you a message to wake up, you can redefine what health looks like to you. Then commit to actions that will create that level of health you desire.
Create your own definition of health?
The dictionary states how health is “the state of being free from illness or injury.” It goes further to say it’s “a person’s mental or physical condition.”
Yet, this definition hardly accounts for aging. Or recovery from unexpected injuries or accidents. Or being able to play with your kids or grandkids.
You can be sick or injury free, yet 20 pounds overweight not fitting in your workout. You might look healthy but drained by the end of each day unable to get a deep sleep.
Here are some examples of more holistic definitions of health
Complete well being of one’s mind, body, heart, and spirit
Your body’s cells are in harmony
You live to 120 years old with a high quality of life and healthspan
Just as each person has their own metrics for success, the same is true for your definition of health. What is your unique definition?
I define health as wellbeing, full power, and energy vitality of your body, mind, heart, and soul. Where you “youth” instead of “age” as you get older.
Here are a few real life examples of youthing “seniors” to inspire you
A 96 year old yoga instructor who began yoga for her first time in her 80’s more flexible than even many children
A 105 year old cyclist wins a race, can touch his toes, with the body of someone in their 50’
A woman in her late 80’s had a stroke. She recovers in 3 weeks from no drugs but yoga Qigong based exercises, good diet, and is able to drive again
What would you do with this kind of energy? What would be possible?
Read more from Anna Choi
Anna Choi, Energy Master
Anna Choi is an Energy Master, Qigong Tai Chi Instructor, and Taekwondo Black Belt. After burning out from her wealth management and event consulting business, she hit rock bottom. She met her two enlightened energy masters transforming her life into a singer songwriter performance artist, 2x TEDx speaker, & Amazon No.1 International Best Selling Author as Founder of SolJoy with Anna Choi SPC.
SolJoy serves high-achieving, impact-driven, mindful community leaders, entrepreneurs and executives to shift from burnout to brilliance, unleashing their soul's joy. Serving thousands of students, SolJoy specializes in somatic mindfulness, moving meditations, and healing martial arts to tap into boundless energy for more health, happiness, and peace.
