The Comeback Coaches Helping Us Prepare for Post-Pandemic Life
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As we begin—at last!—to make our way back out into the world, we may all need a little re-tuning. These are the must-know wellness gurus whose wisdom we will be tapping into for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual realignment, so that we can jump back into IRL interactions looking and feeling our very best.
The Body Re-Tuners
Meet the diet and exercise pros who will get you back on track.
The Silhouette Refiner: Melissa Wood (above)
Melissa Wood’s time-sensitive workouts are essential for over-scheduled women who pine for long, lean lines.
The Method: More than 200 live-streaming and app-based workouts that touch on yoga, Pilates, meditation, and dance, Wood’s doable daily fitness regimens are supplemented on social media with light takes on balancing self-care and motherhood, beauty routines, and family life. Guiding Principle: “Our habits shape our health. The more I commit to my habits, the more grounded I feel in every way.” How We Emerge: “If we don’t have our health, we have nothing. The MWH Method is about showing up for yourself and witnessing the shift internally as much as externally.” The Takeaway: “Consistency is the key ingredient to experiencing lasting results.” melissawoodhealth.com,
@melissawoodhealth
The Equilibrium Advisor: Dr. Taz Bhatia
Dr. Taz Bhatia’s Super Woman Rx book and podcast make finding balance easy.
The Method: Integrative wellness physician Taz Bhatia has devised a methodology that uses your “power type” (Are you a Nightingale or an Earth Mama?) to determine the nutrition, fitness, and overall better-living plan that will bring healthy harmony. Guiding Principle: At Dr. Taz’s CentreSpring MD practice in Atlanta, every patient is unique. “Strategically thinking through a treatment plan and selecting the right diet and regimens for patients is more cost effective for them than assuming one modality will work.” How We Emerge: There is a positive path ahead. “People understand that their whole health matters. Words like inflammation, oxidative stress, vitamin levels (C, D, zinc) were showcased through the pandemic, and now people are curious where they stand.” The Takeaway: “Health is actionable, not an assumed right. And it is a journey that needs constant evolution and attention.” Doctortaz.com, @drtazmd
The Positive Aging Sage: Karen Cummings-Palmer
London-based health coach Karen Cummings-Palmer creates bespoke wellness packages for weight management and healthy aging.
The Method: Palmer offers virtual and in-person consultation packages, with additional sessions for kitchen edits, skincare edits, and cooking classes. Guiding Principle: “My most powerful tool isn’t the latest superfood or adaptogen but rather the mind, which is where I start—helping clients change the way they think about how they inhabit their body and life.” How We Emerge: Palmer designs her strategies to be attainable and sustainable (“Health should not be hostage to gyms or access to exotic ingredients”) and believes that the flexibility forced upon us by the pandemic will benefit us in the long run. The Takeaway: “Youth is currency—but so is age. Grace, wisdom, and humility are beautiful and must be celebrated.” Karencummingspalmer.com, @79luxskincare
The Torch'd Trainer: Isaac Calpito
Broadway dancer Isaac Calpito turned 11 a.m. into a totally free and hard-as-hell pandemic fitness moment.
The Method: A 45-minute body toning and endurance workout Calpito created called Torch’d, taught to one person or a thousand over Instagram and Zoom. Lizzie Tisch, Christy Turlington, Kelly Ripa, and Lisa Rinna have all tuned in. Guiding Principle: His workouts have raised more than $1.1 million for No Kid Hungry. “We all have a platform and a mouthpiece. If you can’t use it to help others, why are you here?” How We Emerge: “Overcrowded gyms stuffed with sweaty, huffing, and grunting people are going to be a hard sell going forward. People are going to realign how they stay fit.” The Takeaway: “Most people take better care of their cars than they do their bodies. If you give your body love, it will love you back.” isaacboots.com, @isaacboots
The Skin Refreshers
How to look as if you took the vacation you skipped.
The Elegant Updater: Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton
Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton is well-rested-looking New Yorkers’ secret weapon.
The Method: Ingleton is a master at Botox and Fraxel, and at curating skincare regimens that are a mix of drugstore standbys, prescription products, and items from her own Rose Ingleton MD line. Guiding Principle: “I am always happy to share how I traveled the path from immigrant of limited means to accomplished physician and entrepreneur.” How We Emerge: She anticipates that the end of mask-wearing will bring on a big surge in lip fillers. The Takeaway: Take note of her daily routine: meditation, prayer, and exercise, plus at-home sessions with a quartz gua sha tool to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage. ingletonmd.com, @ingletondermatology
The Insta Derm: Dr. Shereen Idriss
Shereene Idriss’s #pillowtalkderm Instagram stories were a lockdown go-to.
The Method: A whiz with fillers, neurotoxins, and lasers, Idriss can erase the imprint that 2020 left on our faces without leaving any trace of intervention. Guiding Principle: “When treating patients in my office, I like to approach them through a holistic lens, rather than picking them apart and dealing with each wrinkle one by one.” How We Emerge: Zoom has made us obsessed with skincare, but “once normalcy resumes, I believe patients will be looking toward body treatments at an increased rate, as they will finally be fully seen again while out and about.” The Takeaway: “I truly believe that evening out of skin tone, particularly pigmentation, gives most people the biggest bang for their buck.” Unionderm.com, @shereeneidriss
The Subtle Scalpel: Dr. Jason Roostaeian
Beverly Hills surgeon Dr. Jason Roostaeian executes undetectable nose jobs and face-lifts.
The Method: “You should be able to cover a before photo and look at the after and say, ‘Would I think this person had surgery already?’ You may not be able to articulate why, but humans know what looks human.” How We Emerge: He’s been having his busiest months ever, which he attributes to disposable income not spent on vacations. “Plus, days-long recovery times used to be a point of contention. Now most people have the time.” The Takeaway: “You get one shot to do a procedure right. Do the research up front.” drjasonplasticsurgery.com
The Glow Up Artist: Dr. Catherine Chang
Visit Dr. Catherine Chang’s all-female Beverly Hills practice for the subtlest nip-tuck.
The Method: Chang has actually trademarked her philosophy, NakedBeauty MD™, which is all about making sure her work is invisible but transformative. Guiding Principle: “I always try to show my patients that it’s not about the outside all the time. Beauty truly comes from within.” How We Emerge: “It has been an unprecedented year of stress, uncertainty, and loss of routine. Many people will notice a lackluster quality to their skin, so they will want to restore their glow.” She also expects to be doing a lot of lower face and neck lifts. “I don’t think masks are going away soon, so now is the perfect time.” The Takeaway" “Botox is my favorite bang-for-your-buck nonsurgical treatment. It helps to soften and prevent fine lines and also decreases the oil production of your skin.” drcatchang.com, @catchangmd
The New Boutique Dermatologist's Office: Paul Jarrod Frank
Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank’s new West Village location is leading the way in mindfully designed medical spaces. The 4,000-square-foot aesthetic healthcare center was imagined in collaboration with Gachot Studios, and the result feels like a private home—or home away from home—with dark wood, comfortable couches, mood lighting, and a gallery-worthy art display. If you’re getting your frown lines relaxed, shouldn’t everything else be relaxed too? pfrankmd.com
The Spirit Guides
Follow these enlightened experts' examples, and feel the good vibrations flow.
The Breathwork Guru: Ashley Neese
Ashley Neese literally wrote the book: How to Breathe. Join the wait list for her San Francisco IRL and online classes.
Guiding Principle: “Daily breathwork is key to staying grounded and reducing anxiety while promoting health and creativity.” The Method: Neese’s book How to Breathe: 25 Simple Practices for Calm, Joy, and Resilience offers practical guidance in how to make breathwork an easy chill-out strategy. She also offers a monthly guided online class that encourages journaling and “somatic inquiry.” How We Emerge: Making mindful breathing a part of our daily rituals—whether upon waking, before bed, or when we start to feel anxious—will make for a more even-keeled reentry into the post-Covid world. ashleyneese.com, @ashley_neese
The Energy Resetter: Valerie Oula
Valerie Oula replenishes the vitality of frazzled urbanites.
The Method: As the director of vibrational energy healing at the Well, Oula customizes experiences including reiki, craniosacral therapy, polarity energy balancing, EFT (also known as tapping), guided visualization, and sound therapy. How We Emerge: “We have been in mental overdrive. Anxiety, fear, and stress are constants in our lives. This means we need to work on downregulating the sympathetic (aka fight-or-flight) nervous system. Through light touch, energy work, and a calming presence, we can help activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which encourages us to ‘rest and digest.’ ” the-well.com, @valerieoula
The Holistic Healer: Juhi Singh
Juhi Singh’s NYC practice is a one-stop shop.
The Method Singh’s center houses specialists in everything from functional medicine to pain management, preventive care, nutrition, and aesthetic services. Clients include Carine Roitfeld, Hannah Bronfman, and BFF Petra Nemcova. How We Emerge The Accu-Facelift is more than a facial: “It’s an acupuncture treatment of the whole body. Imbalances show on your face, like one too many martinis or an all-nighter with a teething baby. Correct the internal flow and you will glow.” The Takeaway “For me, a balanced person looks great in H&M. A Chanel suit, lovely as it is, will not camouflage imbalance.” juhi.center, @juhisays
The Guiding Light: Amanda Kloots
Amanda Kloots is the face—and body—of resilience and positivity.
The Method: AK! fitness is a mix of jumping rope, dance, and full body training available via an app for less than $20 a month. Kloots can customize a regimen based on personality, strength, and fitness level. Whether it’s five or 50 minutes, the goal is to sweat with a smile. Guiding Principle: “Moving your body every day is a gift. Working out boosts my energy and puts me in a good mood.” How We Emerge: Her daily posts, prayers, and dances during and after husband Nick Cordero’s battle with Covid-19 became a beacon for those working through the loss of loved ones. In opening up about her own struggle, she has modeled what it looks like to move through grief to hope. amandakloots.com, @amandakloots
The Wellness Pathfinders
You don't know what you need, but you need something. They can help.
The Earth Mother: Latham Thomas
Brooklyn-based doula and founder of Mama Glow Latham Thomas has worked with Alicia Keys, Anne Hathaway, and Doutzen Kroes.
The Method: Thomas offers bespoke doula services, as well as in-person and virtual training for birth workers. Community doulas within her organization provide services to underserved populations. How We Emerge: “Motherhood can be extremely isolating, which is why we expect to see more folks engaging postpartum doulas,” Thomas says. “As we have all seen during quarantine, we need friends and family to help us navigate new parenthood.” The Takeaway: “Create your support circle and enlist folks to help before your baby arrives.” mamaglow.com, @glowmaven
The Regimen Revamper: Dara Kennedy
Dara Kennedy blends personal guidance with conscious products.
The Method: As the founder of San Francisco’s Ayla Beauty, Kennedy susses out items from around the globe for skin and spirit with a magic ability to find just the right routine for every client. How We Emerge: Schedule an online meeting to make your own Bach Flower Remedy ($97). You’ll dissect the ways you process fear, anxiety, and confidence before Kennedy and her team create a blend of homeopathic essences just for you. The Takeaway: “Our Sea Soak is like a deep tissue massage, a trip to a favorite acupuncturist, and a facial, all in one go” ($59). aylabeauty.com, @aylabeauty
The Crystal Concierge: Rashia Bell
Rashia Bell’s the Cristalline helps us feel safer and more creative in our interior spaces.
The Method: Energy healing, workshops, and wellness retreats, as well as private crystal healing sessions at the Four Seasons New York Downtown and Philadelphia spas. The Cristalline provides energetic clearings for homes and businesses. How We Emerge: “Covid has magnified what is and isn’t working in our lives, whether in our relationships, careers, or home environment,” Bell says. “We are all seeking to go back to basics, starting with a connection to nature.” The Takeaway: The Cristalline’s Illuminate program starts in June: a $2,000 eight-week virtual immersion program “for those who want to harness energy tools for personal growth and success.” thecristalline.com, @rashiabell
The Mind Freer: Sasha Heinz
Psychologist Sasha Heinz makes online group therapy transformational.
The Method: Heinz’s five-month group coaching program, Mind Your Mind, uses positive psychology and other methods to, as she puts it, “help clients close the gap between who they want to be and the person who actually shows up.” Guiding Principle: “I teach my clients to trade noxious thoughts for the self-compassion, self-belief, and self-confidence that come from knowing they can sit with difficult feelings and emotions and accept them.” How We Emerge: “There’s no point trying to change what you do before examining what you think. Nine times out of 10, you know deep down in the pit of your stomach what you should do. The problem is almost always a mindset gap.” drsashaheinz.com, @drsashaheinz
This story appears in the May 2021 issue of Town & Country.
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