Inspiration is endless from this amazing Broadway beauty! This week, Analisa not only steps into the role of Anna in The King And I but has also launched her new podcast that dives deep into the spiritual side of being an artist! I'm so excited to be celebrating her on the blog today as she proves that finding the balance really is the key to being Fit for Broadway!

BIO: My name is Analisa Leaming and I am so excited to have just taken over the role of Anna in The King and I at Lincoln Center between Kelli O'Hara's departure and the arrival of Marin Mazzie. I come from Tennessee and went to school in Rochester at the Eastman school of Music. I booked my first Broadway show in 2011 and it was cancelled the night before rehearsal started (Rebecca.) That experience forced me to find happiness within myself rather than looking externally for fulfillment. Thus the birth of A Balancing Act and the podcast I've just released!

INTERVIEW

Q: Analisa! You are a gal after my own heart and connecting with you sparked so much inspiration for me! Thank you for sharing your amazing story and now sharing your podcast with the FFB readers! I know they will love tuning in but more on that soon! First, we have to start at the beginning.. When did you start performing? What was your journey to Broadway?

A: I'm one of those people who has always been performing. In fact I remember my favorite teacher in 8th grade signed my yearbook "Can't wait to see you in Hollywood" and I went back and asked him to add "Or on Broadway." Headstrong, I was. As I mentioned in my bio, my first broadway show was a bust, it totally broke me open. Before that I did a couple tours, regional gigs and shows at Encores! After that a bit more of the same - I got to play Mabel in Pirates! at the MUNY, originate a role out in San Fran, as well as gigs at North Shore Music Theatre, KC Starlight, and the York Theatre. In 2014, I was married (best thing ever) and a month later was cast in On the 20th Century with Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher. It was the most incredible time - that cast! Made friends for life. Then a month after that closed I auditioned to be the replacement Anna Standby at The King and I. Needless to say, I'm so glad I didn't throw in the towel after Rebecca was cancelled...I almost did.

Q: How has health and fitness been a part of your performance journey?

A: I became an avid yogi in 2010 when I found Ishta Yoga in the west village (thanks, Groupon!) It changed my life and was a beautiful compliment to my mediation practice. This led to me becoming a vegetarian for 2 years. Fast forward to 2014 when I decided for my wedding I wanted to be in the best shape of my life and feel amazing in a little bikini on my honeymoon. I worked with my brother, a personal trainer, for 8 months and totally changed my body. I found my 6-pack, got muscle definition I never knew I could, and had all the protein in the land. After the wedding, without a goal in sight, I found maintaining this lifestyle to be quite challenging. I watched my body slowly get softer, began to eat whatever I wanted again and after getting a puppy had way less time to go to the gym.

I've always struggled with loving and accepting my body, as many women do, I have done the diet yo-yo many times. Last year I found Beth Clayton at Soul Body Life, she's a health/life coach, and I invested in myself and worked with her for 3 months. She's helped me find the balance of not defining myself by what I eat and learning to really listen to my body. Intuitive eating is a process, but our bodies are incredibly intelligent and know what they need to carry us through life. So that's where I am now and it's a daily practice - tuning in and listening to that small voice.

Q: You mentioned recently completing The Whole30... I've heard amazing stories of transformation (inside and out!) from people who've completed it. How was your experience? What made it different from other "cleanses", "diets", "reset programs"?

A: Whole30 was amazing. I did it under the guidance of Beth in my last month working with her. When you take out all of the foods that a) many people have sensitivities to and b) are the cause of the cravings we have, there is a wealth of insight and knowledge. I began to sleep like a baby, my chronic neck pain was gone (due to inflammation going away), and I had so much energy. The other huge side of it is the mental component. Eating emotionally isn't really an option - snacking on whole30 is a no-no...so you are forced to get to the root of the issue. Am I really hungry? If yes, then eat a whole30 compliant meal. If no, which is usually the answer, what do I really want in this moment? Usually, I was tired, so I started taking more naps or meditating more frequently. Am I bored? I picked up a good book. Am I lonely? I visited castmates in their dressing rooms. So yeah, Whole30 is eye-opening and enlightening. If you're interested, get the book or read all the materials online first.

Q: Any favorite recipes from TheWhole30 you can share with FFB? We love yummy ideas!

A: Anything on NomNom Paleo - get the app, it's amazing and also they have a podcast!

Q: You playing a role that is very vocally demanding! What's your approach to vocal health?

A: I've actually never been so vocally challenged as with Anna. Crazy, right? I thought it was all "getting to know you!" The biggest things are sleep and water...ALL the sleep and water. To get good sleep, I learned through whole30 that I have to limit my sugar intake. Sugar really messes with your sleep. I also am kind of a hermit when doing something this taxing, it stinks because I miss my friends, but I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. You do build up endurance, but it's still a challenge. Lastly, warming up my entire body and then my voice is my pre-show routine.

Q: Ok, time to intro the podcast! I am so excited to tune in! Can you explain how the idea came about and the mission behind A Balancing Act?

A: So I started ABA as kind of a support group for actors back several years ago - I wanted to created a safe space for our community to, well, commune. We met weekly at Stella Adler and it was an incredible thing. After my Rebecca saga, I saw the need to go within and do some healing for myself so ABA had a long hiatus. I always knew it would be back and trusted I would be inspired when the time was right. Over the summer on a vacation to Hilton Head after OTTC closed, I decided I wanted to write a workbook - kind of my own version of The Artist's Way, I began writing in the mornings...and it was HARD! Like, I didn't enjoy it at all. So I set it aside. Then when I started at the K & I, I found, as a standby, I had a good bit of free time on my hands. At the same time, I had begun diving into podcasts with my health coach, she was recommending different episodes all of the time and I loved soaking up all of the conversations I listened to. And the light bulb went off! A Balancing Act the podcast was born.

Q: You seem similarly interested in wellness but more on the side of spirituality... can you dive into this and explain how it shapes the podcast conversations?

A: Absolutely. I've recently become a facilitator of The Desire Map. In this work, the idea is that we are going about chasing our goals backwards. The reason we want anything is because at the very root we believe it will make us happier. This is not a bad thing, it's wonderful, it's what creates forward motion and evolution. But the problem is that we begin to say, "I'll be happy when I lose 10 pounds, when I get an agent, when I get married." And then we struggle, push, fight, our way to these things. We are exhausted, unhappy and uninspired. What if, instead, we asked ourselves how we want to feel? What lights you up? How do you want to feel when you wake up in the morning? When you leave an audition? When you make love?

Maybe you learn you want to feel bold, wild-hearted, and Joy. Do you have to be on Broadway to feel these things? I believe that inherently, we are our deepest desires. For me, I have found much more inner peace not chasing happiness. I find it within myself as I meditate, but I also find it constantly around me in my family, nature, my friends, my health, singing, writing in my journal. I ask myself how I really want to feel and what I can do to generate those feelings.

Okay, so you got me on a topic I could talk about all day. In my podcast, I ask other wonderful people what keeps THEM sane and happy, amidst this crazy career we've chosen.  When we stop pushing and swimming upstream, the same energy that creates worlds, wants to conspire with us. I've loved learning how this has shown up in their lives and hopefully this will ripple out and help lots of people!

 Q: You are going to be inspiring so many people through this podcast! Who or what inspires you?

A: Oh so many people. My Mom, my husband (who's a yogi). Marianne Williamson, Brené Brown, Oprah, Pema Chödren, Vedic Meditation, Kristin Chenoweth, The Good Life podcast to name a few.

Q: What's your advice for...

1. Aspiring Performers? Passion over perfection. And, don't wait to book that show or win that Tony to live a full, passionate life. If you're unhappy now, it will show up everywhere you go and especially in the work that you do. Get curious, be playful, cultivate rich and meaningful relationships. This will influence what you bring to your art.

2. Anyone interested in starting a podcast? Oh man, I'm still a baby on this topic. I'm learning as I go. I bought a good microphone, listened to podcasts ON podcasting and googled technical problems as they arose. It's a lot more work than I thought it would be, but I'm doing it because I have to and that's all that matters! I hope people really enjoy the podcast and get a lot out of it --- we are starting with one short season and I ask that people like it, subscribe and share it with friends! You can also find the page on Facebook: A Balancing Act. I'm open to questions, comments, and suggestions so that I can make the second season even more tailored to my listeners. THANK YOU!