BELLAVITA: FITNESS & WELLNESS

Falling into Fun!

10/7/2022

Did you know that BellaVita specializes in building communities? BellaVita has been buzzing with plenty of events and activities. Here are a few fall highlights with corporations, residential and member events so far...

1. CORPORATE WELLNESS: BellaVita + Bumble! Bumble was founded on empowering connections in love, life, and work. With similar values of empowerment and promoting self love - it was a match made in heaven! The amazing view of the Empire State Building, along with our guided practice, left us feeling grateful!

2. RESIDENTIAL WELLNESS: BellaVita + Maxwell Kates! We also hosted a fun “FallFest” event Maxwell Kates and celebrated the Fall equinox- the one of two times of the year when daylight and nighttime are just about equal! We toasted to the beginning of this cozy season with yummy food, good music, and vibrant company.

3. MEMBER WELLNESS: BellaVita + Nomadworks! As per usual, BellaVita and Nomadworks provided a sanctuary to still our members’ endless mind chatter through yoga. This month BellaVita will be hosting more member yoga classes! Bring your yoga mats, positive energy, and most importantly, yourself! On October 12th and October 26th at 6:00pm, BellaVita is inviting our community to unwind and relax through a yoga practice. We hope to see you there!

Summer Event Highlights

8/25/2022

It’s been a fun summer at BellaVita! Along with our regular programming at corporations, schools & residential communities, here’s a glimpse of two community highlight events:

Photos by the incredible Evan Shi

BellaVita honored World Nature Conservation Day, through a rooftop yoga event titled “Go With the FLOWer”. This event was filled with relaxation, mindfulness, and kombucha! Our talented Manager Pierce Dennis played the Sax during class and our members enjoyed flowing with Rima!

The Summer Soiree Event took place just for our team with a relaxing summer send-off! Led by BellaVita long-time instructor Estefany Plaza, our team journeyed inward through yoga at the comfort of our own office! Located at the convenient midtown location, 1216 Broadway, Nomadworks is the perfect setting to get grounded after work.

If you’d like to join our community or team shoot us an email: info@bellavitaworld.com

Wellness in Mentorship

1/11/2022

On Thursday, January 27th at 6:30pm EST, BellaVita in partnership with ANY (America Needs You), is celebrating “Thank Your Mentor Day” with a virtual yoga and meditation event.

Carla Minaya, co-founder of BellaVita and Dr. Patricia Auvet on the right

BellaVita co-Founder Carla Minaya with Dr. Patricia Auvet at the ANY 2021 Annual Benefit Dinner

As a wellness focused company, BellaVita is enthusiastic to be partnering with ANY. ANY offers one-on-one mentorships, professional networks, internship guidance and career development support to first-generation college students. Their mission is to help students thrive in today’s competitive workplace regardless of their socio-economic status. Securing a career is the main goal of these students. Along with that, they also gain paramount wellness from going through the program.

Yohand Minaya on the left and Jose Minaya on the right

Yohan Minaya with ANY honoree Jose Minaya at the ANY 2021 Annual Benefit Dinner

Wellness is all about practicing healthy habits to be able to balance different components of your life. For low-income students who are the first in their families to go to college, navigating career development can be overwhelming. ANY strives to serve as a support system for students that may not have it. Mentors empower students to succeed in any aspect of their life. When students are able to effectively communicate their aspirations and fears, they are capable of understanding their potential.

As mentoring enables personal growth, it improves students' confidence in themselves. BellaVita and ANY speak the same language in wellness. BellaVita is a NYC WBE (Women Business Enterprise) certified award-winning full service wellness company with customized services that include amenity management and wellness programming for all ages in schools, corporations, and residential buildings. BellaVita offers fitness classes such as Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, HIIT, Meditation, health coaching sessions, events, seminars, and workshops. BellaVita’s purpose is to inspire wellness through services, similar to ANY. BellaVita uplifts all of their members and provides a welcoming community regardless of their background.

Both companies aim to provide all the tools necessary for their students' success. Whether it be mentorship or meditation, both companies deeply understand the importance of recognizing one’s needs and goals to thrive.

We hope you can join us in support of promoting equal opportunity for all students!

RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/ANYJan27
Inquiries: info@bellavitaworld.com

Written by Mitra Varjavand

BellaVita's "Festival of Lights" Yoga Event

11/17/2021

This is what BellaVita is about! Every time we host an event, our team is excited about bringing smiles to our member’s faces by showing appreciation for our incredible community.

Yogis doing a Half Forward Fold in yoga studio at the Olivia

The Festival of Lights was full of Yoga, laughter and apple cider to cap it off with lots of mingling! Held at the perfect location The Olivia on 315 West 33rd Street, class was instructed by our very own Estefany Plaza which made it an unforgettable night.

Carla Minaya on the left and Estefan Plaza on the right

Estefany on the left and Liz from Well-Choices on the right

We gave a huge welcome to our new partner Well-Choices Health Coaching who specialize in nutrition, providing support & guidance with making positive lifestyle changes.

Published by Pierce Dennis & Lucas Pucci

"Fall Into Toning & Yoga"

10/12/2021

Yogis are lying down on mats on rooftop yoga event

“Be Like A Tree, And Let The Dead Leaves Drop”

As the fall season begins, leaves start to fall, the weather gets chilled and outdoor activities start to get limited in New York City. Our BellaVita team decided to throw a special “Fall Into Toning and Yoga Event” to allow our friends and family to have a chance to relax and meditate after a long week of constant work.

The Event Theme:
Time is a construct. The BellaVita team wants you to know it's ok to slow down. Especially as New Yorker's there is this sense of urgency in all of us, but not every single thing that is happening in your life right now is of utmost importance, in this case let some leaves drop. If we can't complete the entire list on our agenda it'll be fine. Instead of trying to do everything all at once, focus on one thing at a time.
Summary:
This outstanding BellaVita Fitness & Wellness event was taught by our instructor Emi Asano at The Nomadworks rooftop location in New York. Our class began with some stretching, with a follow up of Toning exercises while including some Zumba rhythms and finished up with a relaxed yoga routine. Our team was proud to have alongside of us SEVN Athletics, an up and coming fitness clothing brand as well as a BellaVita Fam favorite JustSalad, which made this night an incredible one.

We cannot wait for our next BellaVita event!

Event and Blog Produced by Lucas Pucci

Namasté Rosé Rooftop Yoga

8/19/2021

Roll out your yoga mat and join us for a rooftop celebration to close out the summer! While we align our chakras with yoga, we are adding a little something extra to add to the fun. Come catch the sunset with BellaVita at our Namasté Rosé event on August 26th at 30th and Broadway from 6pm-7:30pm. This is our first event since COVID and we are super excited!

High above the bustle of the streets, this exclusive event is the perfect opportunity to relax after work, feel present, and elevate your practice. Infused with music and spiced with rosé, enjoy the NYC sunset skyline view with us. Our yoga instructor, Estefany, will guide us through a journey of vitalizing vinyasas with the aim to energize and enable connections between mind, body and soul.

We have surprises from special guests! Make sure to RSVP by email: info@bellavitaworld.com

Written by Pierce Dennis

#StopAAPIHate

4/16/2021

By: The BellaVita Family

#StopAAPIHate is a movement to amplify AAPI voices and it’s about time.

The threat of violence is the gut feeling worst-case scenario that instinctively makes us move cautiously at all times - to be vocal but not too vocal, to have ideas but not attract too much attention, and to be silently boxed. We are always looking over our shoulders, no matter the day, time, and place. It has gone to an extent in doing whatever we can to cover up who we truly are by wearing masks, sunglasses, and caps.

As a proud Asian-American female owned small business, this deeply impacts our team and community. We stand together, as one, for everyone who has been targeted as victims of injustice and racism. We aim to create a community and environment where racism is completely rejected to uplift and support our diverse identities. For us to make a change, we need to start educating ourselves.

Community
- Check in on all your AAPI friends and family
- Don’t be silent - share posts/stories on social media
- Support local Asian-American owned businesses
- Report if you see something
Education
Donation

The BellaVita Fitness and Wellness “Behind the Scenes” Snapshot - The Idea Implementers

2/5/2021

Check out our exclusive interview with the game-changing ladies behind the BellaVita brand.
By: Jeff Turbett

Everybody who walks this breathtaking, God’s green earth, in one way or another, is searching for something to call their own. We are searching for that connection. Whether that be happiness, materialistic possessions, a significant other, a business, an idea; we are constantly searching. Some know from an early age what that is while others sort of learn as they go. Most of the time, it starts off as an idea. An idea is a powerful thing. One of the best ways to describe the nature of an idea is this:

“An idea is like a virus, resilient, highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere.” -Cobb, Inception

However great or insignificant that idea, it still just remains an idea until it is put into action. Some are lucky enough to be able to take those ideas, and craft them into dreams and then turn them into goals, ultimately enabling them to be put into motion and fulfilling those ideas, and in the process, in finding what they are searching for to call their own.

For Izabella Steele and Carla Minaya, that was founding the fitness company, BellaVita Fitness and Wellness. BellaVita is a full service wellness company that provides classes (Meditation, Yoga, Pilates, Toning), 1:1’s, workshops, and events with over 10,000+ active clients. Even more than just a wellness company, they are a community that develops and builds relationships, more than just the physical body - the mind and soul as well, for life. It's this community that makes their energetic classes such an up-lifting environment. A supportive, non-judgemental, FUN, community that truly puts the individual first. One could go on and on about how great BellaVita is, but sometimes it's better to hear it directly from the horse’s mouth.

Today I was fortunate enough to be able to ask them a few questions about BellaVita. This, is the “Behind the Scenes” interview of BellaVita Fitness and Wellness.

Let's get started. Bella, when was the exact, light-bulb, moment you knew you wanted to start BellaVita, and Carla, when did you realize you wanted to join this amazing opportunity?

Izabella: Being from Richmond (a suburb of Vancouver, Canada) I had big city dreams of NYC and to own a business. After I got my degree I was in a transition period when anything was possible, so I had an honest convo with myself about what I enjoy most. In 2012, the idea of “BellaVita” was born with our first location in 2013. I love everything BellaVita is. In 2016 Carla helped me take BellaVita to a new level. I am so grateful for our partnership.
Carla: I began teaching yoga at BellaVita and felt so welcome by Izabella and the incredible energy of the community. She and I worked on bigger projects together and found that we have great work synergy. Over four years later, we are still going strong!

How do you feel you distinguish yourself (the BellaVita brand) from other competitors?

I: Our community and the energy is unmatched.
C: We are a judgment-free, safe community that has a variety of wellness services. We promote wellbeing from within and provide a place where people feel genuinely welcome.

What habits helped make BellaVita Successful?

I: Bringing the right people to our team is everything. BellaVita is based on our people and proper screening is key.
C: Being organized - our streamlining processes helps eliminate bottlenecks and directs our goals.

What motivates you each day, BESIDES, the typical I want to help others?

I: I feel like there’s a theme with my answers [laughs]. For me it’s definitely our people. Besides wanting to help others improve, I’m excited to be around our community everyday. I get inspired and motivated to reach my own goals.
C: My passion for BellaVita to have a global reach keeps me going. Anything is possible!

If you could travel back in time to day one of your startup and have fifteen minutes with your former self to communicate any lessons you've acquired with the intention of saving yourself mistakes and heart ache, what would you tell yourself?

I: Have patience! Patience really is a virtue. I learned that business is about planting seeds to build foundation and watching them grow.
C: I would tell myself to be more flexible, being an entrepreneur is a creative process!

What advice would you give to future entrepreneurs looking to start their own dream?

I: Dreams and ideas are great but the key is action and implementation. Just do it! (isn’t that Nike?) [laughs] the key is to move and make it happen.
C: Be open-minded and always be willing to learn new things.

Open-minded and always willing to learn. That is something that can be used in all aspects of life. The world is a never ending timeline of constant change and having this sort of mentality, of being adaptable, is the perfect rebuttal to an ever ongoing world of adversity. But to echo what Izabella ended with, ideas and dreams are great, but one must put them into action. Implementation is key. And that’s exactly what both of these ladies did and continue to do on a daily basis to keep BellaVita alive and thriving.

Their mission is to encourage a healthy lifestyle by providing all the tools necessary for complete wellness from the inside, out. Offering customized programs, they aim to meet their clients’ unique needs and goals for a healthier now. If you have been contemplating making a fitness journey change and want help, or are a fitness pro and just want a fresh perspective, be sure to check out their website at: www.bellavitaworld.com or shoot them an email at: info@bellavitaworld.com

Only time will tell what happens with the rest of the fitness world as we all continue to navigate through these tough and enduring times. Luckily, the team at BellaVita Fitness and Wellness have ideas - ideas that they put into motion.

-Jeff Turbett

5 Tips to Win Your New Year’s Resolutions Fitness Goals

1/4/2021

The majority of people don't accomplish their New Year's fitness goals - Here's how you can crush them!
By: Jeff Turbett

It's a tale as old as time. New year, NEW YOU. It is the start of the New Year and like most individuals, it is the start of New Year's Resolutions. According to Time.com “about 11% of gym memberships are purchased in January, and a recent YouGov poll found that, of the nearly 30% of respondents who said they are making New Year’s resolutions, 50% said their top resolution was to exercise.”

While it is an exciting time of year, there gets to be a certain buzz in the gym during this time of year, I’m here to remind you that taking it slower is generally better. Having spent three years in a gym as a well-being specialist, I know just how fast people start to fall off from their goals. On average, 80% of New Year's resolutions related to health and wellness are ditched by January 31st. Good habits, especially ones drastically different from your typical lifestyle, are hard to get started and even harder to keep. Research shows that on average, it takes approximately 66 days for a habit to become automatic. People jump into the deep-end and it’s sink or swim.

All that being said, there is hope. Even if your resolutions didn't go according to plan last year, the New Year still gives us hope moving forward. Here are 5 tips to keep you from becoming another New Year casualty statistic and how to flip the script:

1. Find a Workout Buddy - While 2020 may have made this a bit of a challenge in undertaking, if you can find someone to workout with - do it! Studies show that having someone help hold you accountable to fitness goals increases your likelihood of reaching your goals by 95% compared to doing them solo. If you cant find a buddy and are feeling particularly brave, post your progress online (for virtual workout buddies to see or social media account followers alike). Social media can help people feel like they need to hold themselves accountable to those who follow them. This ultimately ties into my next tip:

2. Selfies for Success - Hear me out. One of the biggest flaws I used to see during this time would be individuals who want to lose “X” amount of weight, or be “X” percent body fat, etc. While this is great in theory, I feel it ultimately may lead to disappointment (I once heard a guy sigh to his wife that he was up 0.5lbs for the second day in a row). Don't get caught up on the numbers! Most people don't know that the average person’s body weight fluctuates by up to 5lbs on an average day. Don't always use the scale to measure success - take pictures instead! This helps you actually see progress instead of worrying about numbers on a chart.

3. Set-Up Mini Goals (within an overall goal) - There's nothing wrong with having huge hopes and dreams. The goal is to make it realistic and then further break down that goal into smaller, achievable, target goals to help you get to the big picture. If your goal is to actually lose 30lbs (refer to tip number 2 about weight goals), break it up! Try and lose 5lbs by the end of January and so on. This helps you celebrate mini achievements and keep motivated on your path towards the overarching goal. Remember the age old adage, you can't eat an elephant in a single sitting.

4. Don't be Afraid to Seek Help - If working out with a buddy isn't an option and you don't know where to begin, try looking for help. When I worked at a gym, that was what I was there for; to be a knowledge source and help those achieve their goals. Try and find a personal trainer or other gym workers. Talk to someone who may look like they know what they're doing. The key thing is don't be afraid to ask. It may feel extremely intimidating and you may feel they don't want to be bothered, which is a big misconception, go ahead and ask away. I have never met a gym goer who didn't want to help another individual on their fitness journey. If you're still on the fence, go online! With the prevalence of social media, there is an endless supply of online knowledge - just look for credibility when doing so.
5. Don’t Beat Yourself up - If you slip up, overindulge on the weekend, miss a workout, fret not; that happens to us all. In fact, slipping up a bit does a person good in my opinion. Going all out in the first three weeks of your fitness journey tends to lead to burn out. The key is to realign and get back on the path. Take it day by day.

Hopefully these fitness hacks will help you create sustainable, long-term goals to help keep you on track even after that first week, New Year honeymoon period. Life happens and when the going gets tough, you'll have a playbook to stay on top of your commitment to making yourself healthier and, most importantly, happier. If you’re ready to take on that challenge, be sure to check out BellaVita’s different offerings: from virtual classes, 1on1 sessions, to meditation and pilates; we offer something everyone is sure to love!

Zumba - Dance it Out - From my Perspective

11/23/2020

November 18, 2020 marked our first live event since March: Zumba - Dance it Out. As a part of the event planning process, it seemed like there were so many external opposing barriers. Delays in utility installations, rainy weather, and site visit postponements had resulted in rescheduling the event. Along with it came a complete remarketing of the event. In the days leading up to November 18th, the challenges made me question whether this event would ever occur. And thankfully, my worries came to pass as the night proved to be amazingly successful.

Despite the cold and windy weather, the BellaVita community showed up for a night of dancing and the chance to connect with one another in a socially distanced rooftop Zumba class. Carmen, our instructor, did an exceptional job motivating everyone to keep up their energy. I watched as everyone immersed themselves in the music; neither the perfection of the moves, nor the dancing skills involved mattered. And as the class came to an end, many stayed behind to catch up with one another, an aspect that I rarely observe in my experiences with other fitness classes.

As a new team member who has only experienced BellaVita’s remote operations, it has been an honor to finally witness firsthand a small microcosm of the community coming together live for the first time in months. As BellaVita adapts to event planning while maintaining COVID safety regulations, I’m so excited for more opportunities to immerse into BellaVita’s world!

Written by Daphne

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