We requested Petra Kolber, VP of Personal Development and Mindset at BODi, to reply 10 questions that will help you get to know her higher.
She’s a dancer, choreographer, author, writer of The Perfection Detox, world workshop chief, keynote speaker, and a Positive Psychology Performance Coach.
Find out how Petra began her profession, her Health Esteem routine, what she’s most pleased with, and far more.
1. What are you most enthusiastic about launching Mindset on BODi?
Everything — from a clean slate to co-creating one thing significant and magical. Every morning I get up and I pinch myself. If I needed to write my excellent job description, a job of my goals, this may be it.
The undeniable fact that I can create work I’ve believed in for over a decade and is now being embraced by BODi in such a giant means, is each inspiring and thrilling.
The thought of Health Esteem is so lengthy overdue. I’m simply grateful to have the flexibility to work with such an unimaginable firm alongside so many impactful and highly effective leaders who really need the perfect expertise and end result for our prospects.
To be part of one thing that I genuinely consider will assist folks really feel empowered to rejoice who they’re and make this journey of health, diet, and wellness joy-filled is a present.
BODi brings a realness to this excellent and typically difficult journey referred to as “living.” We rejoice the wins, and we additionally rejoice the messy.
This is a job that I’ll by no means take with no consideration. It is one thing very, very particular that I maintain in my fingers with such integrity, empathy, and gratitude.
I’m so blessed. To be on this second at this second in time.
2. What was your introduction to the health business?
My introduction to the health business started on cruise ships! I used to be a dancer, however on the first rehearsal, we had been informed we additionally wanted to do crew employees duties.
Part of the duties was to show poolside aerobics to assist offset all of the midnight buffets the passengers had been consuming.
I knew nothing about health at the moment. But I did have a Jane Fonda VHS tape, which I principally copied and taught as soon as per week.
After that, I labored as a dancer in Miami, Florida. I started to listen to extra about this factor referred to as “aerobics.” I took my first aerobics class with one of many dancers who occurred to have received “Star Search” that 12 months and I fell in love with it.
I quickly received my ACE certification (American Council of Exercise), and I took the first-ever Reebok Step workshop with Gin Miller, a legend within the business and now additionally an awesome good friend.
From there, I moved to New York City. I began educating a step class with stay drums referred to as “London Beat,” which put me on the map — each class was like a stay rock live performance! It was some of the enjoyable courses I ever created and taught.
Through that class, Reebok received wind of what I used to be doing. I received a job to be one of many model’s new faces after sending in an audition tape.
I labored with Nancy Kerrigan and several other different Olympic athletes. And that was the start of my true health profession.
3. Why shift from health to constructive psychology?
After about 30 years on the health circuit, all the things modified and developed — because it ought to. HIIT exercises and boot-camp fashion courses grew to become the exercise of selection; step aerobics and dance had been not in demand.
At the identical time, I felt this huge disconnect. I assumed that there needed to be extra to motion than simply your physique. That’s after I turned to constructive psychology, though I didn’t understand it was referred to as that on the time.
I needed to grasp what it meant when folks got here as much as me after class and mentioned, “I feel so inspired and empowered by working out with you.”
But what did that imply? What was the science behind that?
Or when folks got here to me and identified what they didn’t like about themselves, with questions like, “How do I tighten up my triceps?” or “How do I do away with my stomach fats?“
All they might see was their perceived imperfections and so they couldn’t see all of the greatness inside them. I knew one thing needed to change.
I Googled “positive thoughts” and “mindset,” and I got here throughout constructive psychology. I discovered a year-long certification program by way of the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health.
It was led by high Happiness researcher Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar and another thought leaders within the area, and I signed up. It was actually intense and life-changing for me.
4. What does Health Esteem imply to you?
Health Esteem means being joyful and content material in my physique. Embracing the place I’m immediately with a way of peace, and taking good care of myself so I’m prepared and excited for all the things I’ve nonetheless but to do. I’m simply getting began.
5. What is your Health Esteem routine?
My primary routine is ensuring I discover my ideas. I consider the great ones, and I handle the not-so-good ones.
There’s a lot analysis in regards to the energy of our thoughts and the way it impacts our physique, our immune system, and the way our mindset contributes to our stress stage.
I’ve a heightened consciousness of my stress stage nowadays. In the previous, I’ve seen how my excessive stress ranges impacted my well being in a unfavourable means.
Sleep is quantity two. My Oura ring tells me I sleep like a rock star!
I additionally transfer my physique every day, use a standing desk, and hike a few times a month. I encompass myself with good buddies and eat properly 85% of the time.
Last, however not least, I’ve an unimaginable work life that I think about my ardour.
6. Why is your first Mindset Master Class on BODi referred to as “Happiness Habits“?
While happiness means various things to all of us, the one factor that’s true for everybody is that our mindset is rather like a muscle.
You could make it stronger and extra versatile with the precise coaching. This class provides us a stable basis from which we will construct a life through which we will flourish and thrive.
Happiness is now a science. My purpose is to share it in a means that’s each relatable and relevant to our viewers.
It’s solely once we perceive “the why” behind the alternatives we make, that we will affect our Health Esteem journey so we will discover extra pleasure within the course of. We name it “evidence-based inspiration.”
7. What has had the largest impression in your life?
My most cancers journey. I had a melanoma faraway from my foot in 1997, and two years later, I used to be identified with most cancers.
There was an area of a month the place we weren’t positive if it was lymphoma (that might have been “good news”) or melanoma that had unfold. For weeks, my mind ping-ponged from worst-case to best-case state of affairs.
It turned out to be Hodgkin’s lymphoma. When I misplaced my hair, I gained a way of fearlessness that I by no means skilled earlier than. I had already confronted my worst fears; what did I’ve to lose?
As unusual because it sounds, I did a few of my greatest residing throughout my most cancers remedy. Nothing will make you admire the reward of excellent well being greater than when it’s taken from you.
The one factor that stored me mentally secure was motion. I had chemotherapy on Monday and taught a step class on Tuesday. Obviously, that’s not for everybody, but it surely was simply the medication I wanted.
8. What are you most pleased with and why?
Two huge moments for me: One was studying to DJ at 55.
My first DJ gig was for a VIP celebration at a widely known health convention for 500 folks.
Two weeks earlier than the occasion, I wasn’t positive if I used to be going to have the ability to do it. I had a last-minute observe session with my mentor, and he informed me I had practiced the proper playlist — however left no room to be spontaneous and react to the dance ground.
Thank goodness for his sincere and constructive suggestions.
I discovered to belief myself and be within the second in order that I used to be capable of placed on the tracks the dance ground needed, not those that I had rehearsed.
We closed the celebration properly previous midnight, and that dance ground was rocking!
My different proud second is after I went to Europe with a one-way ticket and traveled by myself for 10 months. And I truthfully suppose that journey led me to this second with BODi.
9. What is a quote or motto you reside by?
“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” ― Lao Tzu
And be good to everybody — the identical folks you meet on the best way up are the identical folks you’ll meet on the best way down.
10. If you had a theme track, what would it not be?
If I had a theme track, it must be “Happy” by Pharrell.