Kristin McGee: This Daily Ritual Reverses Aging More Than Any Cream

Summary

Biohacking Beauty: The Anti-Aging Skincare Podcast
Episode: Kristin McGee: This Daily Ritual Reverses Aging More Than Any Cream
Host: Amitai Young Goose
Release Date: May 28, 2025

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Introduction: Welcoming a Wellness Icon

In this enlightening episode of Biohacking Beauty, host Amitai Young Goose welcomes Kristin McGee, a luminary in the wellness and fitness industry. Known for her pioneering role as one of the original yoga instructors at Peloton and founder of the Kristen McGee Movement, Kristin brings over three decades of expertise in integrating mindful movement into daily life.

Amitai: “[02:19] Kristen, welcome to the Biohacking Beauty podcast.”

Kristin: “[02:19] Thank you so much for having me.”

Evolving Philosophy: Movement as a Lifelong Commitment

Kristin delves into her evolving philosophy around movement and aging, emphasizing the critical importance of maintaining physical activity as one grows older. At 51, Kristin believes firmly in the adage "move it or lose it," highlighting how early and consistent movement sets the foundation for long-term health and youthful skin.

Kristin: “[03:38] 'Move it or lose it. I really do think that the things that you do in your 20s and even younger, really, if we can get kids moving at a young age and keep that integrated into their life forever, it's so important.'”

She underscores that neglecting movement in one's youth makes it increasingly difficult to reverse physiological aging, much like skincare practices where early intervention yields better results.

Yoga as a Biohacking Tool: Enhancing Skin Health and Longevity

A significant portion of the conversation centers on yoga’s profound impact on skin health and overall longevity. Kristin explains how yoga, as a form of somatic exercise, not only fortifies the body but also nurtures the mind, leading to reduced stress—a major factor in skin aging.

Kristin: “[08:54] 'I think there's two things because one is the stress relieving benefits of any type of exercise... and the more stressed we are, the more prone we are to either breakouts or dry spots, whatever it is.'”

Through practices like yoga, Kristin highlights the enhancement of the lymphatic system and increased oxygenation of skin cells, which contribute to healthier, more vibrant skin. Additionally, she advises on the importance of protecting skin from environmental stressors when engaging in outdoor activities.

Practical Movement Tips for the Busy Lifestyle

Addressing the challenge of maintaining a movement routine amidst a packed schedule, Kristin offers actionable strategies for busy individuals. She advocates for integrating movement seamlessly into daily activities, such as hiking with family or conducting walking meetings.

Kristin: “[36:47] 'If you are a parent, we have this little mountain that we love to hike and the boys and I will do it all the time... It's built in because we go over, we take a hike and then there's an entire jungle gym area.'”

For those without children, Kristin suggests creative alternatives like bowling or pickleball to make exercise enjoyable and less of a chore. She also emphasizes the concept of "movement snacks"—short, intentional breaks during work hours to perform simple exercises or stretches.

Kristin: “[39:22] 'Build in these little breaks, like put a timer on your computer and after every 50 minutes of work, you get up and you take a lap around your office or you walk.'”

Upcoming Book and Expanding the Movement Brand

Kristin announces her upcoming book, Somatic Movement for Dummies, set to release on May 6th. Published by Wiley, the book serves as a comprehensive guide to reconnecting with one's body through various somatic practices, including yoga, Tai Chi, and the Feldenkrais method. She emphasizes the book’s focus on internal motivation and the intrinsic benefits of movement beyond mere physical appearance.

Kristin: “[43:55] 'The book is released on May 6th... It's about connecting with your body, slowing down enough to pay attention to what your body is telling you, and more about working in as opposed to working out.'”

Additionally, Kristin discusses the rebranding of her website and the introduction of the Kristen McGee Movement, which categorizes her practices into three main buckets: Flow (mobility and yoga), Sculpt (strength training and Pilates), and Connect (mind-body connection through meditation).

Dispelling Myths: The True Intensity of Yoga

Kristin passionately addresses common misconceptions about yoga being a gentle or passive form of exercise. She reveals the intense physical and mental challenges embedded in various yoga styles, such as Shtanga and Bikram, which demand significant strength, endurance, and mental fortitude.

Kristin: “[31:08] 'It is so incredibly taxing and hard and taxing in a good way... there's just so many different styles and levels.'”

By sharing her personal experiences, including the rigorous demands of advanced yoga postures, Kristin demonstrates that yoga can be as physically demanding and transformative as any high-intensity workout.

Favorite Yoga Poses: Shoulder Stand and Pigeon Pose

When asked about her favorite yoga poses, Kristin highlights the Shoulder Stand and Pigeon Pose for their comprehensive benefits. The Shoulder Stand, an inversion, promotes blood flow reversal, enhancing thyroid function and posture, while engaging the entire body for stability and strength.

Kristin: “[56:23] 'Shoulder stand is one of my favorite postures because it's putting our feet up above us, so it's an inversion... It stimulates the thyroid.'”

Pigeon Pose, another favorite, serves as an effective hip opener, essential for maintaining flexibility and reducing tension, which are crucial for overall mobility and skin health.

Advice on Aging Gracefully: The Underappreciated Essentials

Towards the end of the episode, Kristin shares her insights on often-overlooked factors that contribute to graceful aging. She emphasizes the importance of sleep, consistent hydration, stress management, and meaningful connections.

Kristin: “[34:20] 'First and foremost, I would always say sleep. I really do think sleep is so important... and hydration.'”

She also touches on the significance of maintaining a youthful mindset and energy, encouraging listeners to embrace their evolving selves rather than succumbing to societal pressures about aging.

Kristin: “[58:12] 'Recently, someone told me that I'm aging in, not aging out. So I think that keeping a youthful energy, a youthful approach, a youthful mindset.'”

Closing Remarks: Embracing a Movement for Longevity and Beauty

As the conversation concludes, Kristin reiterates her commitment to fostering a community centered around holistic health and longevity through mindful movement. She invites listeners to explore her book and join the Kristen McGee Movement, aiming to inspire and support individuals in their journey towards vibrant, youthful living.

Kristin: “[55:12] 'Movement doesn't discriminate... I just kind of feel like everyone can move in some way in some capacity.'”

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Notable Quotes

• Kristin on Early Movement:
  “[03:38] 'Move it or lose it. I really do think that the things that you do in your 20s and even younger, really, if we can get kids moving at a young age and keep that integrated into their life forever, it's so important.'”

• On Yoga’s Physical Benefits:
  “[31:08] 'It is so incredibly taxing and hard and taxing in a good way... there's just so many different styles and levels.'”

• Aging Mindset:
  “[58:12] 'Recently, someone told me that I'm aging in, not aging out. So I think that keeping a youthful energy, a youthful approach, a youthful mindset.'”

• On Universal Movement:
  “[55:03] 'I think movement doesn't discriminate... everyone can move in some way in some capacity.'”

Conclusion

This episode of Biohacking Beauty with Kristin McGee offers a holistic perspective on anti-aging, intertwining the benefits of mindful movement, particularly yoga, with skincare and overall vitality. Kristin’s insights provide listeners with practical strategies to incorporate movement into their busy lives, emphasizing the profound impact of stress management and a positive mindset on skin health and longevity. Her upcoming book and movement initiatives promise to be valuable resources for anyone seeking to age gracefully and embrace a vibrant, youthful existence.

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Connect with Kristin McGee:

• Website: KristinMcGee.com
• Instagram: @KristinMcGee
• Substack: Kristin McGee on Substack

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Kristin McGee]

Foreign.

[Amitai]

Hi there and welcome to Biohacking Beauty, the show where we decode the science of aging beautifully and give you a real, actionable tools kit to optimize your skin, your body, and your overall vitality. CEO of Young Goose, the biohacking skincare brand designed to rejuvenate your skin at the same cellular level. If you're obsessed with longevity, glowing skin and staying strong from the inside out, you're in the right place. Today's guest is someone who truly embodies the connection between movement, mindfulness and longevity. It's Kristin McGee. You probably know her as one of the original yoga instructors at Peloton, but Christmas Kristin has been a leader in the wellness space for over 30 years. She's a yoga and fitness icon, a mom of three, and the founder of Kristen McGee Movement, where she helps people of all backgrounds integrate mindful movement into their daily lives. In this episode, we explore how movement impacts skin, health and aging. The connection between the body, mind and beauty, and how to build a movement practice that supports energy, confidence and longevity, even with a packed schedule. Plus, Kristen has a brand new book coming out May 6th. It's called Somatic Movement for Dummies and it's a powerful guide to reconnecting with your body, relieving stress and moving in a way that supports lifelong well being. You definitely want to check that out. And don't forget, if you love what we're doing here and want to upgrade your skincare game, head to yongoose.com and use code podcast10 at checkout for 10% off your first order. Alright, let's jump in with Chris and McGee. All right, Kristen, welcome to the Biohacking Beauty podcast.

[Kristin McGee]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Amitai]

Yeah, so I told you off air that first of all, you are an extremely cool person. And the minute we met each other at Eudaimonia, which is a newer conference that's coming to the scene, I'm like, everyone, everyone, probably, probably more people know you than they know us. But everyone in our sphere needs to experience the beautiful soul that is you. So you immediately got an invite to the podcast. So, first of all, welcome.

[Kristin McGee]

Thank you so much. I felt the same way the second I met you and your wife. I was like, oh, you just have an energy that. It's super contagious and I love it.

[Amitai]

That is crack. We spray it at the booth and you are immediately, but, but listen, so let's jump like into the fact that you don't look it, but you've been, you know, moving, teaching and Inspiring, you know, people for over 30 years.

[Kristin McGee]

Yes.

[Amitai]

So I think the first what, what I'm interested in is like, how. How has your philosophy around movement evolved with age especially? You are. You're a mom of three, right?

[Kristin McGee]

Three. I have an 11 year old and 8 year old twins. And my kids are younger, especially as an older mom. I'm 51 now and I feel like it's that silly old adage though, like, move it or lose it. I really do think that the things that you do in your 20s and even younger, really, if we can get kids moving at a young age and keep that integrated into their life forever, it's so important. But what you do in your twenties sets you up for your thirties and your thirties for your forties. Like with skin care, even if you don't start really working on keeping your skin healthy at a younger age, it's really hard to then reverse the damage or go back in time, especially with like sunspots and sunscreen and aging in that way. And I feel like it's a similar thing with movement that if you aren't really taking care of your heart, your lungs, your bones, your muscles from an early, early age, it's. It's not impossible. I think it's never too late to start. And I love it when people make these dramatic turnarounds or these comebacks. Maybe they were athletes when they were kids and kind of gave it up and then come back into it. For me, it's just always been a part of my life. I personally feel that if I'm not moving, I just don't feel good. And for me, it's a very intrinsic thing. Less so an external looking at myself from the outside and what I have to do, it's more how I feel on the inside. That is why I wrote the book Somatic Exercises for Gummies that comes out in May. And yoga is a very somatic exercise as well. It's all about, how do you feel? What are you feeling from the inside? How does this movement make you feel? How does it energize you throughout your day? How does it set you up for success in so many other areas of your life?

[Amitai]

Wow.

[Kristin McGee]

It's more like working in as opposed to working out almost.

[Amitai]

You know, it's crazy because sometimes, by the way, I get comments that are, hey, this guy is wearing the same shirt over and over again. So the reason I'm saying that is because this is my second podcast today. Okay. And the first podcast I recorded today was with a gut microbiome specialist.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, Cool.

[Amitai]

And he was saying that our microbiome is a reflection of what we do, or it's a kind of a log of what we do in our lives. And a microbiome of a person that is active reflects that and vice versa. So it is, it is actually working in quite literally, you know. Yes, that's, that's, it's awesome. That. Yeah, exactly. And so within that, and within the context of somatic exercise, does it match or do you need to match your type of movement to compensate for other things that happen in, in, in your life? I'll give you like a. So I think it was probably 15 years ago that you were, you were acting, right? I don't know how long ago you stopped acting, but I know that you were in 30 Roth, I believe, so that's 15 years ago. And I'm just like, assuming, because I'm really uneducated on that subject, that you were in trailers, like, a lot. You probably were in confined spaces. Do you change your movement because of that, or do you try and keep. You're saying, hey, no, that's what I want my body to do. And I'm hammering at it. How does it. How do you.

[Kristin McGee]

Well, I think that's really interesting and I love that you brought that up because I, in a roundabout way, ended up landing this role of Caitlin, the yoga aerobics instructor on 30 Rock. Because I had been working with Tina Fey when she was filming Date Night, and she was in the same it's funny blue dress the entire time. It was strapless. And the director, producer said, you know, she really wants her upper body to look great. I think yoga would be awesome for her. And we, I would go to Tina's trailer and we would literally find space in her trailer to do sun salutations and yoga postures and really concentrate on just getting her strong and feeling good and confident for her part. And I do think that that's what's beautiful about yoga, is that it's a very portable exercise and it's body weight, so you can do a lot of that movement, whether you're right next to your trailer, whether you're, you know, on the lawn and in the grass, if you're like, wherever your shooting location is or even inside the trailer, there's lots of cool ways that you can make it work. And so I think that it's. That's been such a great mainstay for me. I also strength train and I also do Pilates and I also love to get out and hike and run and ski and play tennis. But yoga is my main form of exercise that I've always enjoyed. And I do love the fact that it can really be done pretty much anywhere, anytime.

[Amitai]

Yeah. And by anyone. Like, I suck at yoga and I still do yoga. I try to do it every day. Although I. Every day. I seem to suck every day.

[Kristin McGee]

There is no good or bad with yoga. I feel like it's. Right.

[Amitai]

Fantastic. That's exactly what I tell myself every time. There is no handstand in sight. But within the confines of skin health, like how do you feel that movement and mindfulness, which I. That that's part of why I love yoga, influence how our skin looks, especially as we age. Right. Like how does it kind of correspond with that?

[Kristin McGee]

I think there's. There's two things because one is the stress relieving benefits of any type of exercise. I think people who just can get out there and move their bodies. You're doing so much for your mental state. You're really helping with stress relief and stress management and anxiety. And all of that can really manifest in on our skin. Right. And the more stressed we are, the more prone we are to either breakouts or dry spots, whatever it is. I'm sure you know more about this than I do. But our skin is our largest organ. And so what we are also doing is when we're doing practices like yoga that are great for the lymphatic system and for oxygenating our entire body, all of our cells and our skin, or when we're even sweating and moving and kind of getting rid of some of the toxins and stuff, it's just super healthy for our skin health as well. So the one thing where I would say the caveat is for those who love to run outside and cycle outside and ski outside, you just have to be very mindful of also protecting your skin from the outside. So you're making sure you're wearing high quality sunscreen and. Or a cap, a baseball cap, you know, just being mindful of protecting your skin as well. But I do think the benefits of exercise are so important for skin health.

[Amitai]

Yes. And I would even add to that because a lot of people don't realize that within cities, as long as we're talking the studies have been done in urban areas, we are even more aging even faster due to things like pollution or other types of environmental stressors than we are even from the sun. And most people don't know that inadvertently. Sunscreens, like higher end sunscreens also protect against that to some extent. Because most sunscreens reinforce the SPF with antioxidants.

[Kristin McGee]

Okay.

[Amitai]

It's price dependent, but. But at the end of the day, sun creates free radicals. So for a long time we've known that, that if you add antioxidants to, to the spf, you're kind of increasing the ability of the SPF to kind of mitigate damage. So inadvertently, you know, you know, heavy metals, glyphosates, exhaust, all of those things. What they do in the skin is also create free radicals. So obviously you could go to the like the biohacking space where company like ourselves or one skin or other companies, they have ingredients that even go a little bit more, you know, kind of anal around that. That subject. But any. Most sunscreens today would have a polyphenol antioxidants with which would help with that. So even if it's a gloomy day, I'd still do it. Or even if you have a hat on. Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

Yes, I agree. And even I had a makeup artist recently, I did this photo shoot and she said even if you're inside for majority of the day because you're also getting the pollutants from. Well, this. She said something about the screens, your screens that you're looking at and, and the lighting. Some I never realized.

[Amitai]

But yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

So it's just important to put it on every day.

[Amitai]

Yes, yes. Especially if you are screens are. I mean, that is extremely true. And there are ways. So you know, obviously at the end of the day this podcast helps us sell product, but I actually cringe a little bit if I take low hanging fruits like opportunities.

[Kristin McGee]

Yes.

[Amitai]

So I like to give more general, broader strokes. But tinted sunscreens, normally mineral sunscreens, but the ones that have a iron oxides that make give them a tint would protect against blue light as well. Artificial light as well.

[Kristin McGee]

Cool. Okay.

[Amitai]

And the best ingredient, if people want to go crazy is to look for an ingredient called ectoin.

[Kristin McGee]

Okay.

[Amitai]

Which is from your neck of the woods, if you would. Because if you see the colorful colors around the pools at Yellowstone, what that is, these are extremophiles or extrema lights. These are like little bacteria that likes extreme climates and that's what protects them against those extreme climates. And that also is good against blue light and stuff like that. Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

So have a sunscreen. I know I use your. Okay. That's amazing.

[Amitai]

Yeah. So we have one that the idea when we kind of got into the lab was actually the idea was a discussion around people are aging. About 60% of white people are aging in The Western world does has nothing to do with UV. Oh, interesting. Well, 20% is your biology or things that you're doing internally. And then 80%, 75. 80% is your exposure to the environment.

[Kristin McGee]

Okay.

[Amitai]

And within that, now the majority shifts around. 60% of that is anything from. Yeah. Pollution indoors to everything that we said until now. Right. And we're saying also 60% of protection is at least if it's addressed, it's by mistake. So we want to kind of make sure that this is something we treat as seriously. So we have like a, like a, like a, you know, few complexes that make sure we're protecting anything against anything from like you like UV radiation to emf.

[Kristin McGee]

Yeah.

[Amitai]

And then everything in between. EMF is something a little tricky to defend without putting like a Faraday cage on your skin. But we found a way to do it with herbs. So that's the idea. But in a broader stroke, a tint in sunscreen actually really helps against artificial blue light. But I agree with that makeup artist.

[Kristin McGee]

And that's good to know because a tinted sunscreen is so easy for women to use and it's one step. You don't need to buy an extra cover up or concealer or. You know, I've never liked wearing foundation because I always feel like it just, it looks too heavy and it makes me feel like I'm wearing makeup, which I don't like to wear makeup. Tinted sunscreen is ideal.

[Amitai]

Correct. I would say so that's a detriment to our sunscreen. It's not real tint. It's literally to serve the purpose of anti bloom.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, okay. So there's a tint in there that it looks tinted.

[Amitai]

Yeah, it looks tinted. But when you apply it on the skin, it doesn't. It gives you like a nice. No, it doesn't really. It's not really. I mean there are like Ulta MD has a good one also plug other. I mean. Yeah. And. And ours is $125. So I will be kind of a jerk if I didn't say, yeah, you could. You know, there are other things.

[Kristin McGee]

Yours sounds worth it. So with yours I would use yours and then. But it doesn't leave like a white sheen.

[Amitai]

No. So actually that's something I've never spoken about before. But you could see us pre other brands, the way that they use the zinc oxide, the physical sunblock is they mush it or we do it as well. We literally smell sun. Physical sunblock, zinc oxide. They look like golf balls.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, interesting.

[Amitai]

So they take a lot of so they. The sun hits them at many angles which propagates that white color. It's just like statistically more bounces off of that in a specific angle. So when you flatten it like a pizza, you get the same coverage. Actually you get better coverage because they can tile on top of each other.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh cool.

[Amitai]

But you don't get the sheen without sacrificing anything. As opposed to older companies, what they would do is they would nano size it, but then it just absorbs into your skin which doesn't do anything.

[Kristin McGee]

So okay, yeah, yours is better then because I don't want. What I was worried about was the.

[Amitai]

White like that, that it's white but it's also actually ends up being very heavy on the skin.

[Kristin McGee]

True, true.

[Amitai]

So that doesn't do any of it. What I would use white though, if, if you were to have a medication or. I'll give an example. So rosacea, one of the things to first try first for rosacea is to go to like your local pharmacy and buy 0.5% ivermectin cream. Oh, for 35 bucks. Okay. And then putting actually zinc ox like that type of like a really whitey whitish color thing. It's going to kind of push it in. It's going to make sure it doesn't get wiped off and stuff. That's fine, that's good. But in general you don't. In air quotes, I'm saying like you don't have to suffer anymore. Like technology has advanced.

[Kristin McGee]

Yes.

[Amitai]

Okay, cool. I did want to ask you about something that I think is a hot topic, at least for us right now. We have. I would not exaggerate if I said like over 5,000 people that said I love the facial products. What about a body product and what I think the opportunity that you have with with body care is that you can really support it by having thicker muscles or maintaining muscle tone, etc. And even bone structure. So let's talk how. How does like moving your body contribute to long term beauty and skin vitality as far as the body is concerned or whatever you say? Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, I think it's so important for elastin collagen strength training. I've really been doing so much research on how important strength training is and especially especially for women and men. But as we age we lose like 0.8% muscle mass, I don't know over a certain amount of years. But every year, similar to collagen, similar to certain things that our body stops nad that stops producing after a certain point. And so there's ways that you can add supplements, but I always feel like it's a two prong approach. Like you can't just take something and think it's going to be a quick fix. Same with skin care. You can't just put something on your skin and that's it. Like you want to do something inside out and outside in. And I think that's always when things work the best, when you're thinking about your body from the inside out but then also helping it from the outside in. And strength training is so key and so beneficial because we don't, we want to maintain that muscle mass or even still build muscle mass. It's kind of exciting. Even though they say as you age you start to lose muscle mass. They've also done a lot of studies where women in their like perimenopausal post menopausal years, if they start strength training, they also have this capacity eating more protein and strength training at the same time to build muscle. So I think that's really exciting. And for us to know that we can do it if we, you know, give ourselves that progressive overload. It's hard because you have to be pretty good about pushing yourself hard enough, right and testing your body so that you can build muscle. But it's very, very important. And that plus I think mobility, that's why I always love flow, sculpt and connect is what I talk about the buckets on my website. But the flow and the mobility work keeping your joints mobile and then the sculpt, that whole like strengthening component and then the connection, that's just the mind body connection because the more we're aware of what's going on with ourselves, the better we are, the better able we are to treat ourselves well and to listen to our bodies and, and as it's kind of a really nice roller coaster effect or a snowball effect. If you're doing things that feel good and set yourself up for success, your body starts to actually like recover faster and rejuvenate better. And then you start to notice those benefits. Oh, my skin is looking better, I'm feeling healthier. I'm more energized.

[Amitai]

Yeah, a million percent. I would even say even the opposite is like, even the, if, even if looking at. So for me, the biggest benefit meditation ever gave me because I'm a very, unfortunately I'm a very not sensitive guy towards my own thoughts or things like that.

[Kristin McGee]

You're hard on yourself.

[Amitai]

That's actually probably Anastasia is harder on me. No, I'm kidding. No but what I want to say is the best gift I ever received, I would go through meditation, you know, guidance, go, go to, like, retreats, whatever. But there was never the eureka moment of, oh, I've climbed the stage in my whatever. But the one thing that I've. That, that really changed things for me was that someone said, I think it was Sam Harris, by the way, that said, it's not the ability to be, you know, thoughtless or to view your own thoughts. It's the, it's like reps where you get into a certain space, you get off of that space, you catch yourself, you get back on that space. This is the mindful that like, literally these are the reps, like lifting weights or whatever. And I think to connect to what you're saying about that mind, body, connection, and that within the practice, yes, it's true that we're building something and that it is the day after day of grind that provides the, the results that we see. But the same practice also teaches us to pick ourselves up from wherever we are, catch ourselves wherever we are, and to understand that part of the process. By the way, even applying skincare. Okay, Even applying the sunscreen. Anything else?

[Kristin McGee]

Yes.

[Amitai]

Taking the supplements, whatever that is. It is the picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and doing whatever is, you know, is the correct thing to do. Again, that is the journey. Like, that's the goal.

[Kristin McGee]

That's so true. One of my favorite yoga teachers used to always say, the goal of the yoga practice isn't to prevent the fall. We're all going to fall, and we're going to fall over and over and over again. The goal is to bounce back to your point. The goal is to build the resiliency and that muscle, you know, response. So the goal of my meditation practice is to. Every time I start to judge or think or whatever, I come back to my breath, I come back to my mantra, and then I notice if I'm reactive in my life as opposed to then taking it out on someone I love. I can come back to my breath and then I can respond with a great loving way as a mom or as a friend or as a, you know, it's like all of, like you were saying, it's all. And it's not like I'm always going to be able to do it, but then when I don't react in a way I want to again, it's that practice of like, okay, that time I messed up, but I'm going to do it again and I'm going to do it better. And I'm going to get, you know, every day in every way, I'm getting better and better. And that's. You're right. That meditation practice, like Light Watkins said, it's okay to get lit or lost in thought because that's actually part of the process too. And you don't really even, you don't even know that you're in that really meditative state until a thought comes up and takes you out of it. So to your point, you're like, you know, it's kind of like that back and forth ping pong game. And then it just kind of keeps on. You just keep doing it, but you'll notice, like through the repetition, the magic comes. And I think I notice it even more. Kind of like skincare, though. Like, I notice more when I miss a meditation than when I'm being consistent with it. Like the day I miss it is when I'm like, oh, I can see why I'm so much more reactive. The day you forget, the night you forget or you don't wash your face and moisture before you go to bed, it's the next morning that you're like, now I see why it's so important.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

With the consistency.

[Amitai]

Yes, yes. I think it's also easier for us as human beings to notice lack rather than incremental gain. You know, incremental gain is. We're just not built both, both positive and negative. I mean, if we, if we were great at noticing that, McDonald's would be out of business within a year of its inception. Actually, I watched the, the Founder movie, so maybe a bit longer, but anyway, but we were not. So I think a part of like good mindfulness is to almost like make sure we notice that the lack. Right. Make sure we understand the difference between a good habit and one that's broken. Because the other part of it, even if we notice one day that we have achieved something, it's very hard to hold on to that feeling or to experience the good. Right. The incremental change, the benefits of that.

[Kristin McGee]

Very true.

[Amitai]

Yeah. So I want to talk a little bit about yoga and longevity. You helped launch yoga classes at Peloton. Actually, the reason I found out about it is that when, when we were at our booth at the, at the conference, you know, you had a few people like that told me, like how. Watched her own Peloton girl. So do you see yoga as like a biohacking tool or, or is it more of a, of a workout to you? How do you rope people in?

[Kristin McGee]

I. Well, I see yoga as a Practice and because there's so. It's steeped in so many years of tradition and philosophy and, you know, 5,000 years of practice. And I think the ancient yogis were almost way ahead of their time because they were fascinated with longevity.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

And practices both physical and spiritual and mental, that they could do to understand the body. And, you know, it's almost like they have these rituals too, where, like they die to understand what it's like to live, or they go inward to understand what it's like to come outward. And there's the yin and the yang and the sun and the moon, and hatha yoga is all about connecting and uniting the mind and the body. And so I think that less the, the asana part is, yes, definitely the physical part of yoga, but there's this whole eight limb path of yoga where we have the yamas and the niyamas, the observances and the restraints, and then the physical practice and then the breath work and then the sense withdrawal and then the concentration and then the meditation, and then eventually you get to samadhi or bliss. And so I think that we're so lucky to have bodies and to have these physical vessels that we can experience our spirit, our soul inside of us. However, whatever your religious beliefs are, but just to have a vessel that we should really be taking care of because we're so fortunate that we were given this opportunity. And so I think it's really cool to even look at some of the kriya, the cleansing exercises that ancient yogis used to do with like the neti pot or, you know, the rope down the throat and back up. So I think yoga, if people just start doing it, it's such a practice that speaks for itself, but you just have to experience it.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

So I think sometimes the hardest part is just getting people in through the door and making it very accessible so they don't, you know, they'll be, I can't do yoga because I'm not flexible. I'm like, well, that's like saying you can't brush your teeth because they're dirty. You know, like, you do yoga because you're not flexible. To gain more flexibility, you brush your teeth because, you know, so I feel like just making it very welcoming and getting people in the door and meeting them where they're at and letting them experience it for themselves. And they can then decide to take it however they want, wherever they want to. If they want to get more into the philosophy, great. If they want to just keep it a physical practice, great. But I do Think once you start connecting your mind and your body with your breath, it changes so many things on a physiological level. So I think that's where yoga can really. And where it can. Can be a longevity tool.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

Because again, the whole stress being one of the most impactful things in aging or one of the main reasons why we age faster than we should because of stressors, whether they're mental or physical or environmental. Right. So the. The more we can re. Eliminate those, the better we are.

[Amitai]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. A hundred percent. And I would say, you know, that for me especially, I remember the first couple years with Young Goose, it was so stressful, I bet with COVID and everything. And really pivoting to a online model, we actually thought we're going to only sell to practitioners because, you know, no one knew what nad was back then. And that was the whole business plan. And then, you know, seemingly overnight, practitioners weren't even open for a while.

[Kristin McGee]

Yeah.

[Amitai]

Especially not worldwide. In America, it even released it a bit sooner. And for me, definitely, you know, jiu jitsu, which is extremely taxing, was the number one way to relieve stress. But there is a very finite limit to how much you can do that.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, true.

[Amitai]

So yoga definitely is another way to move energy around your body and kind of, you know, break it down from its kind of negative impact.

[Kristin McGee]

Yes.

[Amitai]

And there is a there, by the way, there is a direct link between stress and skin. Obviously. That's kind of. I mean, any US President before and after photo will tell you that. But that is. These are called mmps and they're triggered.

[Kristin McGee]

By cortisol US President before and after photos.

[Amitai]

Listen, that is insane. Like, if you see Obama, like, before and after, that's like, he looks like his dad.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, isn't that. It's too bad.

[Amitai]

Yeah. I mean. I mean, that's the most stressful job in the world. Out the world.

[Kristin McGee]

You're right.

[Amitai]

But what would you say to people who are more. More like, maybe like me, before I needed yoga. People that say that it's too gentle to make a difference. What would you say?

[Kristin McGee]

Well, that's the thing, is that it is so, I think, incredibly taxing and hard and taxing in a good way. It gets your body and your muscles. Like, there'll be a pose that you'll hold, and you're just like, wow, this is so intense. It's working every single part of my body. And that's what I love too, about the yogis is like, we never leave anything out. We're thinking about our big toe where our pinky toe is, where our hands are in space, where our hips are, what's going on with our core pelvic floor. They have this word mulabanda, which is your root lock, what's going on with your breathing and then where is your mind? And so I think that that was maybe the biggest misconception. And when I took my first yoga class, I was like, whoa, that was tough. I had no idea it was going to be so hard. And that's what's nice too about the yoga practice is there's just so many different styles and levels. So for someone who needs a much gentler form to start with, there's even chair yoga. And you can make your practice very gentle, but you can also make it quite rigorous. And the Shtanga yoga practice, I mean, you know, that was like Patabi Joyce made that for young boys to, to have something to do after school and to get them off the streets and keep them from running around and creating, you know, havoc. And it's a very, very hard practice. It's intense. So yeah, the one thing too is when I was strength training a lot more, I had this wonderful strength training coach and she said the stronger you get in your strength training practice, the more you can make your yoga practice a spiritual practice. Because now it's less physically hard. Now you can actually just be in the movements and be with your breath and really be in the flow, which I love because the stronger you get, the, the less, you know, the more you can just make your practice and moving meditation.

[Amitai]

I would say it's still hard actually. Still hard. I remember again, first class that I, that I took, I was like, you know, beforehand I was like, I don't know if it's going to be hard enough. Maybe I should do Bikram yogi. Like, oh no. For my first class. And after the first fast, which was not Bikram yoga, I told myself I'm never going to do Bikram. So it's like that is that I cannot imagine this in a, in a room that I also have a hard time breathing.

[Kristin McGee]

The 110 degree, 120 degrees yoga almost breaks you down to build you back up in a way too. It really, it really, you know, it really gets you like in, in a way that nothing else does, I think.

[Amitai]

I agree.

[Kristin McGee]

Even some of those really intense hip openers, it just challenges you in a way that's like, yeah, you know, you, you got this. But there's moments when you want to give up and that's why it helped me. Even when I ran my first marathon last year, I'm not a runner at all and I relied on my yoga practice in between to keep me safe and mobile and. But I would rely on those meditations when I was running and the mantras and yeah. Reminder that look at, I can do hard things. So one foot in front of another.

[Amitai]

Yeah, I completely agree. Within your experience, obviously you've seen many transformations. What are the underrated anti aging benefits that most people miss?

[Kristin McGee]

First and foremost, I would always say sleep. I really do think sleep is so important and more so than even the amount of hours which I do think is important. I think it needs to be like a good amount. But it's like that sleep schedule, schedule the same way we were talking about scheduling things, keeping consistency, you know, kind, kind of always going to bed around the same time and trying to wake up around the same time. I find that that really gets me in a good rhythm. And so I think sleep, sleep is underrated and people do need to try. As stressful as it can be, even when you're running your own business and trying to start it. I'm sure you had many sleepless nights or when you're a new parent and there's lots of times when it's hard. But I do think sleep is important.

[Amitai]

I agree.

[Kristin McGee]

And hydration. Yeah, another easy one that you can just make sure you're staying hydrated, drinking enough water throughout the day, the stress relief like we were talking about and people who are afraid to meditate. Even if you just stay, you know, wake up and do five minutes in the morning of some breath, work and, and focus and you know, it doesn't have, you can just do it against your bed, wake up, go to the bathroom if you need to sit at your bed and give yourself a few moments to, to relax, look inward, do some breathing. Maybe at night you do it before you go to bed. I think all those three things are very easy and they don't, you know, you don't really have to do much or change much about your lifestyle.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

And then I think connection is something we're missing a bit, especially now and maybe more so in this culture. I noticed, I just led a retreat to Bordeaux in France and I did notice something about the way people connect more in person.

[Amitai]

Yeah. Because they're drunk, it's Bordeaux, they're drinking wine.

[Kristin McGee]

But they meet up, they sit, sit down for a meal, they take their time, they connect. There's less cell phone usage it seems. You know, I just feel like there's something to be said about making some good connections and seeing people in, in person.

[Amitai]

I couldn't agree more. Would with that was you did give some great tips around like not changing your schedule but getting some mindfulness in. However, you are a mom of three running your own brand. So what are some of your movement tips that you have for like super busy people who you know in air quotes like don't have the time to take care of themselves.

[Kristin McGee]

I'm super lucky that I have active boys. I think as parents we forget that movement doesn't have to be formal and it can be built in with your kids because if you are a parent, we have this little mountain that we love to hike and the boys and I will do it all the time. They love it. And so for me on those days that I'm like, oh, I didn't really get a lot of steps in, I didn't really get a lot of workout in. It's built in because we go over, we take a hike and then there's an entire jungle gym area and I'll grab the bars and work on pull ups and you know, I can do like little squats on the park benches when they're doing the swings and doing whatever they want to. So I feel like if you find the fun in exercise as well, it's more likely that you're going to do it. But it's fun when we all jump on bikes and go for a bike ride together. It's really fun when you meet up for with a friend if you have a business meeting. I had a meeting the other day and I actually asked the person, hey, do you mind if I walk and talk because. Because I would rather have. I knew I wanted to, I needed to do the meeting, but I was one of those where I was back to back all day and they were like, yeah, great, that sounds awesome. You know, and then they were like, wow, it's so beautiful where you are, you know, So I felt like it's. Sometimes we think we overthink it and it's really not as hard as it should be because it feels so good. And I think people understand and it starts to rub off on people as well. Like if I was to just sit at home and stay on my computer and do work, my boys would just sit at home and be on their iPads. Right? It's not good. But if I was to say, hey, let's go for a walk now, none of us have, you know, done anything today or let's go ride our bikes I think it's a way to just get the family out. And if you don't have kids, then that's when you can like make it more creative with friends. Like, why always go and meet for a drink at the end of the week? Why not even do something as silly as bowling? But bowling's more exercise than drinking or pickleball.

[Amitai]

So pick up, pick up like a really heavy ball.

[Kristin McGee]

Heavy ball. And pickleball. So popular right now. And going for a run with someone to. For a conference or a meeting is so cool. If you could be like, hey, let's take our conference call. You know, especially if it's.

[Amitai]

Especially if, you know, you're in better shape than the other guy and it's a negotiation thing. No, if there is negotiation, I'm just going to run. So do you have any opinion around people who are more in an office setting or more, you know, less. Less mobile, no pun intended setting? Is there a way to that, you know, that you could kind of chunk in like mini. I know people call like movement snacks.

[Kristin McGee]

Or whatever because they talk about that. Neat. The non exercise activity thermogenesis where those little movements add up. So if you build in these little breaks, like put a timer on your computer and after every 50 minutes of work, you get up and you take a lap around your office or you walk, you know, whatever it is, or you go, maybe there's some stairs in your office building. You just run up and down the stairs. A few seconds like that will get your heart rate up right away. Stairs in New York City was like the best way to stay in shape every time I had to take the subway. And Today I had 1012 minutes to do a strength workout and I just lifted heavy and I did an upper body workout and it was 10 minutes, you know, and I felt I got a pretty good ex workout in, in that amount of time. So I don't think it's. I mean, it might be unrealistic to tell that person at work to like keep a theraband in your drawer and do some like exercises with the theraband or do a little bit of chair yoga when you can. Or at the very least just get up and do those. Just get out of your seat every 45 to 50 minutes.

[Amitai]

I agree. And I think that is a good way, like a minimal effective dose as well. As far as both mood and skin, I think adding those in are ways that I especially. I think they're both connected. You know, your skin needs blood flow, your brain needs blood flow, but I think the mood is a big part like that doesn't matter what happens during the day. I actually almost think drinking water is the same. I think there is something around connection. There is a connection between water getting into our body and some kind of reset. But these things, especially if they're a have a religious habit that you don't, to quote the great late, great Kobe Bryant, that you don't negotiate yourself with yourself on, you've built in reset points that are devoid of what's happening in your day. And I think it is most important for people who have a structured, busy day rather than someone that can say, you know what? The last meeting annoyed me. I'm going to hike my favorite mountain.

[Kristin McGee]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amitai]

Hey there.

[C]

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[Amitai]

I do want to talk about a couple things, which is your book and the Kristin McGee movement.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, thank you. Okay.

[Amitai]

Yeah, so your book is coming up. It hasn't been released yet. Right.

[Kristin McGee]

The Book is released on May 6th. And Wiley came to me and said, would you write a book on somatic exercises? The Wiley brand started the four dummies way long ago. I think one of the very first ones was like Microsoft or Word for Dummies. Right. Like when people were first learning computer stuff. And because there's been a lot of stuff lately, you'll see on TikTok and social media, and they're kind of trying to sell somatics in a way that's not very, you know, like weight loss or this or that. And really Soma means of the body. And so again, it's about connecting with your body, slowing down enough to pay attention to what your body is telling you, and more about working in as opposed to working out. More about the intentionality of what you're doing. It's not just for a result. We all know that. Especially too when people have these kind of fix, like quick fix ideas or like, oh, I need to get in shape for bikini season. That usually falls.

[Amitai]

I always think that.

[Kristin McGee]

Right. But if you have an intrinsic value, if you have a reason and you value yourself and you are like, I want to be healthy and active so that I can continue to do these things with my kids or to stay, you know, keep up with my kids or to. The longevity thing is such a huge component of it, I think, to have healthy heart, healthy lungs. Like when you start to think about things from an internal point of view and think about your workouts benefiting yourself and your psyche and your mood, and you're listening to what your body is telling you as opposed to like forcing your body to do things or expecting an external result, doing things only for an external reason. So there's so many different categories. Yoga in and of itself is a somatic exercise. So we are connecting our mind and our body. We are listening into our bodies when we're. When we're doing the practice. But there's a lot of other things, like Tai Chi, there's some really cool Feldenkrais method that I talk about Alexander technique that I used to do in school, that there's a lot of really neat somatic type therapies out there. And so I just introduce people to all of the different varieties and give examples and exercises, breathwork examples, meditation examples, all the different physical examples, things people can do.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

So I'm excited about that. And then my website, I just rebranded because I'd been with Peloton for six years and I'm branching out on my own. And the idea that I Liked. The reason why I called it movement as opposed to something like exercise, is that a movement. Like movement. When we have a movement of wanting to, like, make a change or make things better for everyone, it's so cool. Like, enough of us get together even in the skincare, Health, wellness, longevity. And we all are here because we. We have a passion and we want to create change and movement does that. Right. When we create a movement, we change things. And I think when we just. Same thing with our bodies when we are moving, that's how we affect change. That's how we create good habits. That's how we really have this amazing connection to ourselves. So we have the flow bucket. That's your mobility, your yoga, all of that, the sculpt bucket. That's the strength training, any sort of Pilates, yoga, strength, yoga, sculpt. And then the connection is the meditation point or the bringing it all together. So that's my ideal community, I think, or my goal. That's what I like to do personally. So I think it'd be nice to have a movement or a community that was also interested in those things.

[Amitai]

Yeah, definitely. I agree. I think it's the word movement is. Is a. It's also a more. I would call it like upstream.

[Kristin McGee]

Yeah, I like that idea.

[Amitai]

Word. Right. Because. Because it. It, you know, it's positive. Yeah. It begets any other, you know, kind of endeavor you're going to do within. Within that would contribute to health, you know, whether it is a community. And it's funny, like Anastasia made me watch the Blue Zones Netflix series. And I'm sitting there, they've refuted this, they refuted that. But it was a great show. But, you know, what bothered me was the fact that community was not one of the like, wasn't given its. Its due.

[Kristin McGee]

Wasn't enough. Yeah.

[Amitai]

It's that this is the number one cause for. For aging, for death or. Or the opposite. Or people. You know, there are communities thriving when.

[Kristin McGee]

They'Re in a really great community.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

So I saw that happen during COVID how hard it was for people's mental health to not have connection and community.

[Amitai]

I'm wondering what. As someone that really has a problem with. I'm just a contrarian. I would not be able to do what you did within a structure like Peloton. So I wonder what. What inspired you to branch out? What. What was the.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, so. I mean. Yeah, because Peloton was an amazing opportunity and experience and I had reached out to the vice president of instructors and asked her if they were going to start a yoga component. And that's how we got yoga started on the platform. So I kind of feel like I brought my movement to Peloton and then it was a great place for me to build community and continue to do the things I'd already done, because I'd already been teaching yoga, pilates, meditation for 20 plus years at that point. And then I started to notice that there's only so far I could go within that community because. And if you don't have a. If you don't own a bike, a lot of people don't know that Peloton actually has yoga. I think it's very, you know, it's. It's got this incredible bike. And that's what people think about it when they first think of Peloton. And so. And the price point for the bike is expensive. So again, people who don't have that or don't realize that they offer yoga or don't. It just felt like to me, like I'd really. I'd really gotten to this great point with them and kind of then felt like the need to maybe see what else I could do past that, if that makes any sense.

[Amitai]

Which is tough.

[Kristin McGee]

Cause it's tough when you start to outgrow something or you just feel like, oh, maybe it's not the best fit anymore for me. But. So that's when I was like, you know, let's just try. Let's just see what happens. And then also being a single mom of three boys and thinking about where I might want to raise them, what I might want to, How I want to support them ongoing. Because then again, too, you know, with these corporations, you never know. What if Peloton doesn't want to do yoga in a year? Like, maybe the bike is the only thing that's doing their best. Or what if, you know, things change. And so I thought it was. It's kind of nice when you have at least a little bit more ownership.

[Amitai]

Yes, I agree with you. Yeah. So if we are more practical with your. Your practices, your go to practices. We did speak a little bit about it. But I'm wondering what are your go to as far as like, grounding. Energizing.

[Kristin McGee]

Okay.

[Amitai]

And really rejuvenating, maybe. Especially when you're short on time as you are. But also in general.

[Kristin McGee]

Well, this funny thing is there's that quote about meditation that if you don't think you have five minutes to meditate, you should be meditating for an hour. So I. No matter what, two 20 minute meditation practices a day, And I'm a busy mom. I'm a mom of three boys. But I get up early enough to fit in my 20 minute meditation. That's my first thing I do every day. And then I'll start to get myself organized, start to get the boys organized. I always figure out a time, a way to fit in some movement no matter what. And. But I feel like those. I feel like it's the meditation that's made probably the biggest impact in my life. And that second meditation is a reset button for me. And it really does make a difference to get another one in middle of the day before the next, you know, half of your day. So I found that those two things have made. And it's interesting ironically enough, when I do em. When I get those two meditation practices in a day, I'm clearer, I'm more focused, I do end up getting more done. I do have more, you know, calm energy and it just kind of opens up space in my day.

[Amitai]

Love it. Yes.

[Kristin McGee]

It doesn't have to be 20 minutes, but I would recommend if people can try to start implementing that. You know, get a little something in in the morning, another little check in midday and just experiment. Just do it every day, you know, from it. Brushing your teeth in the morning, brushing your teeth at night.

[Amitai]

Yeah. If you brush your teeth for 20 minutes, your teeth are going to be amazing.

[Kristin McGee]

It would be amazing. Could you imagine?

[Amitai]

I would, I would say within the longevity. The scope of longevity.

[Kristin McGee]

Any.

[Amitai]

Any marker probably I'm. It's hyperbolic. But really any marker that they have tried to look at, whether meditation or mindfulness. Mindfulness practices, whether they impact it. The answer was a resounding yes. Any. Anything from your.

[Kristin McGee]

So happy to hear.

[Amitai]

Yeah. From your telomere length to age. Like age, which are.

[Kristin McGee]

Wow.

[Amitai]

Sugar molecules that attach to collagen and give you wrinkles to, you know, your brain health and how you learn it and stuff like that. You mentioned midday. So I forget how it's called in yoga, but there is a kind of a. I'm blanking on it. But, but there is a, a way to have kind of a guided meditation like a rest meditation.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, like Yoga Nidra.

[Amitai]

Yoga Nidra. So they actually did very for you? Yeah, they did it on Yoga Nidra. Midday and I think 20 minutes where equal to 90 minutes of more sleep at night. Yeah. Something crazy. Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

I would not be surprised.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

And that's the thing that I like to say about the me like you cannot misprescribe. I don't know if that's a Word, even meditation to people. Because no matter what, you're going to benefit from getting to know yourself, connecting to yourself, the stress release. Right. Like, I could say, oh, eat breakfast every morning. But you know what? Some people that might not fit their.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

Some people might do okay with intermittent fasting. So I hate to say things like, you almost hate to give nutrition advice at a certain point because everybody is so unique and different.

[Amitai]

And you almost religious about it, like.

[Kristin McGee]

And you almost hate to say to someone, you know, this is the one thing that changed my life. You got to do it. Because chances are, who knows? But with meditation, that is the one thing I could say. It's not going to hurt anyone to meditate.

[Amitai]

Yeah, I agree. So maybe to, you know, to finish. I have a few. I think a little bit more, like fun. Yeah. So what do you think? One myth about yoga or movement in general that you wish will disappear forever.

[Kristin McGee]

Ooh, that's a tough one.

[Amitai]

Right.

[Kristin McGee]

You know what I would say? I think the one myth that I would like to disappear is that I do think it's okay for everybody. Shape, size, gender, age. Right. I don't think. I think movement doesn't discriminate.

[Amitai]

Wow.

[Kristin McGee]

For the person can't move because of this, or I can't move because of that. Like, I just kind of feel like everyone can move in some way in some capacity.

[Amitai]

Yeah. It reminds me, do you know there is this WWE wrestler, His name is Diamond Dallas Page.

[Kristin McGee]

Okay.

[Amitai]

He was like. I don't know if he was handicapped or. He was very much on the way there. And he started doing yoga and regained all of his function back. And now. And now, by the way, the guy is. That's what he does. He goes around like.

[Kristin McGee]

That's so cool.

[Amitai]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's so great. Fantastic. I have another question that I have is do you think stillness is as important as movement? For longevity, even for beauty?

[Kristin McGee]

100%. I think there's the balance that we need to find the effort and the ease, the movement and the stillness.

[Amitai]

Okay. And if you could only do one movement or pose every day for beauty, posture, presence, what would it be?

[Kristin McGee]

First, I was about to say headstand, but maybe I'm going to now say shoulder stand. It's one of. It's becoming. Soon becoming one of my favorite postures because it's putting our feet up above us, so it's an inversion. So because so often gravity's pulling us down. So to put the feet up above and let the blood flow in reverse. But then shoulder stand requires A lot of upper body shoulders strength that's not rotated inward, so it's getting that external rotation. It's good for posture.

[Amitai]

Yeah.

[Kristin McGee]

Stimulates the thyroid because the throat comes up against the chin, and you have to use your legs and your core and your entire body to keep your legs straight up above you so that they're not falling towards you. So it's really a full body hard exercise to do. But it's the mother of the asanas, where headstand is the father or the king, and shoulder stand is the queen. So I'm in this phase of, like, mothering ourselves and rejuvenating ourselves. And shoulder stand. If you hold it for a minute, it's tough.

[Amitai]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. 100%, which I cannot. So I agree. Okay, we're on to the last thing, which is kind of a lightning ground, so you don't need to like one we covered, which is. Maybe it's a different one. But what is your favorite yoga pose right now? So would you say it's the shoulder.

[Kristin McGee]

Stand or shoulder stand? I'm also trying to think of my other favorite yoga pose. I mean, I always love a hip opener, so I would say pigeon.

[Amitai]

Nice. I love pigeon movement. You hated, but learned to love.

[Kristin McGee]

That's running.

[Amitai]

Wow.

[Kristin McGee]

Nice.

[Amitai]

Okay. Morning. Must have coffee, breath, work or movement.

[Kristin McGee]

I'd say all three.

[Amitai]

Amen. Best advice you've ever gotten about aging gracefully.

[Kristin McGee]

Recently, someone told me that I'm aging in, not aging out. So I think that keeping a youthful energy, a youthful approach, a youthful mindset. Because people get to this point where they start to think, oh, I'm aging out of this, or, I'm too old for this, or I can't do this. Instead, it's like, no, I'm just coming into myself. No, I'm just finding myself. Oh, no, I'm youthful. I'm young. You know, it's that keeping a youthful energy.

[Amitai]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't know who's. I don't remember who said that, but there's a saying that I think you need to live a little bit with in order to really understand, which is today is the tomorrow I was so afraid of yesterday.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, I like that.

[Amitai]

Yeah. Someone famous said it anyway. But, you know, you are wherever you are right now, that's where this is the same. The same saying goes, you are standing. Your feet are standing where your mind stood beforehand.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, yeah.

[Amitai]

So I think it's like.

[Kristin McGee]

So keeping that youthful energy mindset is going to help you. Exactly. I love that.

[Amitai]

Yeah. You want to be more youthful in the future. Like, you kind of like more.

[Kristin McGee]

Yeah.

[Amitai]

Anyway, you're awesome.

[Kristin McGee]

Thank you so much.

[Amitai]

You are awesome. And hopefully we'll see each other in person soon in May.

[Kristin McGee]

Keep me posted.

[Amitai]

Yes, I will. Thank you very much. Oh, is there any. How can people.

[Kristin McGee]

Oh, I'm KristenMcGee.com K R I, Kristen McGee.com I N McGee.com and Kristin McGee on Instagram. And Kristin McGee on Substack.

[Amitai]

Amazing.

[Kristin McGee]

Yeah.

[Amitai]

All right.

[Kristin McGee]

Okay.

[Amitai]

Thank you very much, so much.

[Kristin McGee]

Good to see you.

[Amitai]

You, too. Bye. Bye.

[Kristin McGee]

Thank.