This girl can do it all, but balance is important. Nina shared her daily routine.“ I love to explore and travel, so I’ m often on the road or abroad, but I when I am in LA I try to balance being a productive adult and enjoying myself. I meditate daily, integrate physical activity whether it be teaching or taking a yoga class. I go to castings, try to write, and work one of the many projects I’ m balancing at that time. I’ m a huge beach baby too, so if there’ s sun I’ m sitting on the sand playing bongos or surfing.”
Having a passion for health and fitness, Nina practices yoga regularly and adopted a vegan lifestyle. She shared some advice and tips.“ When living a vegan lifestyle, being conscious of what you consume is key. Do your research! One misconception about being a vegan is that this lifestyle lacks the necessary nutrients, but I find that as a vegan it’ s easy to get all of your nutrients and protein in when you know which foods to eat. When going vegan, people get so caught up in rules; they become anxious and overwhelmed. I always suggest going vegan in steps, removing one animal product at a time from your diet.
“ I love being active. I try to work out 4-5 times a week for at least an hour a day. I either do yoga, pilates, surf, hike, cycle or kickboxing. I’ m also a huge fan of incorporating intervals into every workout I do. Interval training helps you give maximum intensity while maintaining your exercise form. The magic of HIIT training is that it keeps your body burning fat even after you leave the gym. To relieve inflammation and soreness after a workout, I drink an Ayurvedic remedy called‘ Golden Milk,’ it’ s sunshine in a cup!”
Why are some people so driven to follow a healthy lifestyle, when it can be so difficult for others? What is their motivation? It is important to Nina to be able to share how she achieves her happy, healthy and inspirational attitude. Her family had a big part in how she lives her life today. She says,“ My upbringing definitely sparked and shaped my path to a healthy vegan lifestyle. My parents always modeled the importance of being physically active and integrating fitness into your day. Before my mom had my siblings, she taught fitness classes, and since I could remember my father has always started his day with morning yoga. My parents really fostered a nonjudgmental household filled with encouragement to always follow my heart, and to be kind to others and the world around us. We always had lots of pets; we were known around the neighborhood as the rescue animal house. My first dog was a wolf my mother rescued, and he was like another member of the family. Building the bonds I had with all my pets, I couldn’ t imagine eating a living thing. I’ m vegan because I strive to live a peaceful and healthy life. I believe we take on the energy from the food we eat, the products we put on our skin and the clothes we wear. I consciously make peaceful and loving choices every day. It’ s pretty amazing to wake up every morning knowing that every decision I make is to cause as little harm as possible.”
With a huge love of animals, it’ s no surprise that Kirstina is active with several animal rights groups.“ There are so many, but a few that I am most passionate about include The Dolphin Project, CAFT, League Against Cruel Sports, Animal Aid, Cruelty Free International( CFI), Rainforest-Rescue and The Movement for Compassionate Living.”
You can read more about Kirstina at her websites:
Twitter: @ KirstinaColonna Instagram: @ KirstinaColonna SnapChat: @ KirstinaColonna YouTube: NamasteNinasway Website: NamasteNinasWay. com photograph by @ justinPrice
44 SUMMER Fall 2016 2016 coachandplayer. com
This would be the place holder for the caption. photograph by @ justinPrice