Women In Wellness: Kira Reed Lorsch On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Wanda Malhotra
Make self-care a priority.
It’s not selfish to put your oxygen mask on first and take care of your own needs. When planning travel with others be sure you are doing things you want to do — not just what everybody else wants.
The pandemic has shaped the way we travel and live, with a growing trend leaning towards health, wellness, and a holistic lifestyle. More than ever, individuals are seeking not just getaways, but immersive wellness retreats that help rejuvenate the body, mind, and soul. Destinations that provide a serene environment, unique wellness offerings, and an unparalleled experience are in great demand. In this interview series, we are talking to property owners and hospitality companies who are at the helm of these wellness havens. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kira Reed Lorsch.
Kira Reed Lorsch is an actress, Emmy® winning PGA producer and wellness blogger who has worked in front of and behind the camera for over twenty-five years. Kira starred on The Bay as vixen “Jo Connors” for which she received a Daytime Emmy acting nomination and just joined the cast of Odd Man Out season 3. Kira is also featured in the 2023 film We Kill for Love — but it is her love of luxury health resorts that led her to writing a travel blog on her website.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I always wanted to be an actress. Growing up in Northern California my mom helped me follow my dream “to be on TV”. I did whatever was available to me: commercials, modeling, even the children’s show Romper Room. When we moved to Louisville, Kentucky where my stepdad was from, I auditioned and was accepted into the Youth Performing Arts High School. From there I got the lead in a play that was showcased to college programs. I chose UCLA where I graduated and continued to pursue my Hollywood career with a degree in Theatre, Film and Television.
What or who inspired you to pursue your career? We’d love to hear the story.
My mom was my biggest cheerleader. She said: “God gave me a beautiful, smart, healthy daughter.” She encouraged me to use my gifts to be whoever I wanted to be.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
My acting coach Andrew Benne allowed me to trust my instincts and steered me toward my strengths. My first agent Erika Wain said that she wasn’t sure what category I fit into when she first met me but that it didn’t matter what “type” I was because I had “star charisma”. She encouraged me to let my unique talents shine.
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or takeaway did you learn from that?
We live and we learn but I don’t like calling things mistakes. Unless of course they are actual “mis-takes”. I was once doing a movie with not-so-stellar writing. It was a night shoot, and I was cold and annoyed they were adding unnecessary dialogue because the other actor felt he needed more lines or some such nonsense. I begrudgingly did several “takes” of the scene as recently re-written. However, I was happy with the final cut. They axed the extra talking and simply ended the scene, as I had hoped, on just my originally scripted mischievous smirk. The superfluous chatter was not missed. There are no accidents. What is meant to be will be.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
“Everything happens at the perfect time.” I tried for most of my life to control circumstances and people to get what I wanted when I wanted it. I’ve learned through experience to just let everything happen. There is no need to force my will or try to run the show. Now, I simply do my part and leave the outcome to God or the Universe or Fate or whatever you want to call it. It usually turns out even better than what my masterminding could have mustered.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
I just finished promoting We Kill for Love, an epic erotic thriller documentary, now VOD and available as a collector DVD. I am currently in Atlanta, post SAG/AFTRA strike, wrapping up my season long guest-star stint on Ronnel Ricardo Parham’s drama series Odd Man Out — streaming 2024 on Peacock. What I am looking forward to most however is not the next production but the next relaxation vacation: Sensei Porcupine Creek — Rancho Mirage, California.
OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview about wellness destinations. Let’s dive deeper into these together. Based on your research or personal experience, why do you think travel can lead to better wellness? Can you share a story?
Being on a film set acting or producing, then running around promoting the project with red carpet events and award shows, is a lot of go, go, go. So, when I seek recovery from the exhaustion of making a movie, I tend to want to downshift into slow motion. I crave a detox retreat or a blissful spa vacation as a counterbalance. I think wellness travel is all about shifting perspective and getting quiet, mind, body, and spirit, to reflect on past experiences and prepare for another chapter. Sometimes that peace comes in the form of more active adventures like hiking in exquisite nature or horseback riding at a Dude Ranch. Other times I simply want to walk on the beach or lay by the pool. No matter what I do I find that mindful downtime is essential to be at my best.
As a luxury health & wellness travel blogger, what are your Top 5 Wellness Destination Resorts and why?
I’ve written all about my favorite luxury wellness destinations resorts on my website and for spa and leisure magazines. It’s hard to pick a Top 5 since each have their own specializations and unique character. Below are a handful.
Cal-a-Vie Health Spa — Most luxurious all-inclusive 5-star health spa resort.
Civana — Great structured retreats or choose your own wellness journeys.
The Maybourne Beverly Hills — Try the new Rest & Retreat package for a decadent long weekend.
The Pearl Laguna — Intimate setting perfect for the yogi/hiker.
The Resort at Paws Up — Glamping adventure in a mountain wonderland with something for the whole family.
Do you think travel enhances our mindfulness, optimism, or sense of gratitude? How? Can you please explain with an example or story?
I think anytime we get the opportunity to travel we open ourselves to a new experience that helps shift our outlook on life. That can be feeling grateful for all the conveniences of the modern world after going on a digital-detox yoga retreat. Or the sense that anything is possible after scaling a mountain on a trek through a National Park. Or, simply feeling rested and recuperated enough, from a luxury spa vacation in a spiritual mecca, to handle with ease anything that comes our way.
Thank you for that. Now for our main question; What are your “5 Habits You Should Develop In Order Make Travel Into An Opportunity For Wellness & Personal Growth?”
1. Choose travel that feeds your soul.
Avoid experiences that make you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation.
2. Be grateful for your health.
Health is not something to take for granted. Take care of your body, calm your mind, and keep your spirit fit.
3. Make self-care a priority.
It’s not selfish to put your oxygen mask on first and take care of your own needs. When planning travel with others be sure you are doing things you want to do — not just what everybody else wants.
4. Indulge in downtime guilt free.
There’s so much negativity in the U.S. surrounding taking time off work. That’s ridiculous. Learn from Spain to take a “siesta”. Normalize encouraging longer vacation time like Australia. Life is more than what we do for a living.
5. Say yes to the adventure!
Try new things. Go new places. Embrace the world and all its beauty and diversity.
Based on your experience, where do you see the future of wellness travel heading in the next 5–10 years?
I think wellness resorts will become less fringe and more mainstream. As more people partake in mind-body-spirit experiences there will be a demand for more destinations. Ultimately there will be more options, including affordable choices, so more people can enjoy wellness travel as part of a healthy lifestyle. I also see the growth of private social clubs offering exclusive health a wellness retreats for their members.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)
Oprah of course. She’s Oprah!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can follow me on the socials @kirareedlorsch and my Luxury Wellness Travel Blog is available on my website https://kirareedlorsch.com/
Photos by Bella Saville
Thank you for these really excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. We wish you continued success.
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com .
