288: Pause to Perform: Breath, Stress & Eventpreneur Resilience with Megan Nolan

Today, Eric is excited to welcome Megan Nolan, the founder of Vitality Wellness in Maui. 

With extensive experience in yoga, mental health, and wellbeing, Megan brings powerful tools to support small business owners and professionals within the meetings and events industry.

About Megan Nolan

Megan Nolan is a yoga teacher and personal trainer based in Maui. She combines movement, mindfulness, and strength training to help people improve their posture, energy, and mental focus. Beyond individual sessions, she specializes in bringing wellness into the conference and events industry by leading yoga, breathwork, and “power pauses” that energize participants and boost engagement. Her mission is to make healthy habits accessible, fun, and sustainable, whether for individuals, teams, or large audiences.

Generational Awareness of Health

Younger generations are highly aware of their mental and physical health. They openly communicate about emotions, seek out wellness tools, and tune into their bodies. Older generations, by contrast, often adapt more slowly.

Technology and Posture

Today’s youth are growing up with devices in their hands, and it shows in their posture. Postures previously associated with aging are now common, even in children, driven by extended hours of sitting and screen use.

Preventing and Correcting Rounded Posture

Megan highlights that a rounded posture is preventable and, to some extent, correctable at any age. Even into the 90s, the body is capable of gaining bone density and muscle strength. Through neuroplasticity, the body can adapt when weak muscles are strengthened and tight tissues are stretched. While skeletal issues may limit the degree of improvement, regular movement and targeted exercises can restore alignment and function.

The Toll of Sitting

Sitting for eight to ten hours a day quickly reshapes the body. Extended events or workdays often leave people feeling one with the chair, collapsing into poor posture. That reduces energy, focus, and creativity. Megan recommends taking short breaks to stand up, stretch, or strike a power pose to instantly improve attention, boost creative thinking, and sustain productivity.

Hot Yoga: Trend or Health Tool?

Practiced in rooms heated to about 105°F, hot yoga can help soften tissues and deepen flexibility. However, Megan cautions that most people are dehydrated, and the extreme heat places extra strain on the heart. Without strong body awareness, participants may overstretch tendons and ligaments. For those who are healthy, hydrated, and experienced, hot yoga can be beneficial. For most others, Megan recommends warm yoga as a safer alternative.

Power Pauses and Adult Recess

Megan has developed the concept of power pauses, short, intentional breaks for breathwork, stretching, or light movement. These re-energize participants during long events, especially after meals. She frames them as “adult recess,” making wellness fun, inclusive, and highly effective for engagement and focus.

Wellness at Events

Megan integrates yoga, breathwork, and energizing breaks into conferences and events, both in Maui and virtually. She often starts mornings with grounding practices, weaves in power pauses throughout the agenda, and closes with mindful exercises. Her keynote, Habits of a Happy Human: Small Shifts for a Chaotic World, adds another layer of impact, helping participants stay engaged, energized, and connected.

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