There’s no shortage of talk about mindfulness. In fact, a growing amount of research is exploring the connection between our brains and our bodies. Whether or not Hannah Bronfman knows it, the catchphrase that the HBFIT founder lives by is at the core of this way of thinking.

“My personal mantra would be, ‘Mind right, body tight,’" Bronfman tells Health. "And that is because I think a lot of people lose sight of why they work out, and for me it is more of a mind-body connection. So that kind of reminds me that it’s not just about the physical, it’s about the mental as well.”

Clearly Bronfman’s brain is in alignment with her frame because her workouts—from one-legged deadlifts while balancing on a slam ball to prowler pushes to yoga—have been yielding some pretty awesome results. But she wasn’t always as dialed in as she is now. It was a tragedy in her life that may have launched the change in her perspective.

RELATED: 5 Fitness Influencers Share the Words They Live By

“My grandmother actually became very sick when I was 19 and it was actually because she had battled with anorexia her whole life, and so she basically got to a point in her life where her body could no longer support her,” Bronfman told us at a launch event for her book Do What Feels Good, which hits bookshelves in January. “When she passed away, that was a huge eye-opening experience for me to not only lead my happiest and healthiest version of myself."

She also hopes that other women "realize that these types of issues that I had seen as a little girl—if you don’t get that under control and change that conversation with yourself—these are thoughts and feelings that will stay with you your whole life, and, ultimately, could lead to your demise, like my grandmother.”

Intimate and personal stories like this—along with recipes, DIY beauty, and healthy-living advice—are all things that have helped Bronfman on her overall wellness journey, and she includes them in her book. She also wants to get one more point across. 

“This book is not a how-to, it’s not a diet book, it’s not a manual on how to be like me… This is all the information that has gotten me through. It has changed the way I thought about myself, changed the way I have conversations about myself, and taught me a lot about how I feel, and so this knowledge is to help everyone on their journey of self-discovery.”

Bravo Bronfman. Bravo.