The S.B. Questionnaire: Nick Ware

The purity and innate joy of life within Nick Ware is down right enviable. He sees the potential in all of us to live healthfully and naturally.

He and his colleague Luther Brian Cowden have been doing resistance stretching on my body for the past two years, and it’s been incredibly transformative. By contracting and resisting your muscles as you’re being stretched, the practice eliminates that scarred, dense fascia that surrounds those muscles. My posture has changed, I’ve regained flexibility, and my overall health has improved. This program was developed by Bob Cooley, the Genius of Flexibility, whose center is right here in Santa Barbara with others in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York.

Nick Ware is the center’s director of research and one of the lead trainers. He also has his own website, HealthSafari.com, which is an incredible source for guidance to maximize your performance, nutrition, and life.

Nick knows what it takes all of us to maximize results, but he does it in a way that makes you feel like it was your idea, not his. He’s tough while being super gentle, and finds laughter and amusement in most things. His sense of wonder is limitless.

This “health hunter” answers the Proust Questionnaire.

What is your motto?

‘Use a Positive Attitude and Follow Nature.’

Nature never idles, but it operates at a slow to medium pace, and then in short bursts of incredible speed. I learned this concept from the Achuar people in the Amazon, and it’s affected how I approach my work, relationships, and life in general.

What is your most treasured possession?

My attention. I think of attention as a real currency. It’s worth treasuring.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Helping someone solve a problem. Right after it gets solved, there’s that moment of perfect happiness.

What do you most value in friends?

How they care about their health. How they allow me to be different every day. How they know they are being different every day.

What is your greatest fear?

Unfiltered tap water. You can’t get healthy drinking that stuff. Someday, I’d like to get all my drinking water from a natural spring.

What do you like most about your job?

The people I work with. Goldenberries. Blissful pandiculation.

Who do you most admire?

Adelia Ware, my late great-grandmother. I will always admire her decency and her sharp sense of humor. She inspired me to learn things and challenge myself.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Superfoods, herbs, and health tech gadgets. As an object, it must be my Sensor V gold pendant, designed by Dr. Patrick Flanagan.

What is your current state of mind?

Energized. This morning I got stretched and drank two green juices from AH Juice. By the way, it’s the best juice in town, if not worldwide.

What is the quality you most like in people?

When someone is free enough to accept herself and smart enough to assess himself. You never know what a person like that might do next, but they are worth spending time with.

What is the quality you most dislike in people?

News worship. When people watch CNN and think they know what’s going on in the world. I’m a big fan of The Yes Men.

What is your most marked characteristic?

My attitude: usually positive and optimistic, but sometimes aggressive like the alternative rock that I grew up listening to. It’s impossible to argue with Gwen Stefani.

Which phrases do you most overuse?

Resist. And strength. Organic. Awesome. Cool. That’s hilarious! It makes no sense. You’re kidding, right?

Which talent would you most like to have?

The talent to create the greatest TV series ever. There are so many incredible shows right now and it’s my favorite art form.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would give myself the ability to bodysnatch anyone for up to 24 hours. It would be cool to experience the world as others do for a day and find out what it’s really like to be Filipino or Chinese or Chadian or….

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Launching my website HealthSafari.com. I learned a ton about business and entrepreneurship in the process of developing the site.

Where would you most like to live?

In a world with an abundance of organic food, pure water, and clean air. That would be nice, especially if we figured out how to distribute the food. And, I think it’s very possible if enough people desire it.

What makes you laugh the most?

YouTube videos. Today: ‘Android Marshmallow Statue Revealed.’ Somehow, Android decided its mascot should hug a massive marshmallow. It makes no sense. I can’t stop laughing.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Shakespeare. I had a fantastic high school English teacher, Lori Merrithew, who got me to read all his plays. Who allows us to feel and think about ourselves like Shakespeare, anyway? Okay, maybe Vince Gilligan. Breaking Bad was awesome!

On what occasion do you lie?

I might say, “Just five more hamstring stretches,” but then, when those five are done, “Nice, now three more!” One of my clients coined this “Nick Math.”