By Bonnie Siegler
“I saw a beautiful quote the other day from the Dalai Lama,” says Elisabeth Rohm in her Southern California beachside home which reveals her laidback, bohemian style. “’There are only two times in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow. Today is the right day to love, believe, do, and mostly live.’ That sums it up.”
Rohm is back in California after a very hectic summer and fall with back-to-back projects filming The Oath in Puerto Rico, Will Gardner and The Magnificent Room . From the looks of things, the actress’s mind is at least as much on single motherhood to 10-year-old daughter Easton as it is on her pending 5 AM work call.
STRONG SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION
Consider the books on the living room coffee table: Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now and Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet . Although Elisabeth’s career is busy, it’s she who makes dinners at night, takes Easton to school and picks her up, and attends the usual endless birthday parties a pre-teen attends. Yet, Elisabeth’s own childhood was amidst an unconventional atmosphere.
Born in Dusseldorf, Germany, Rohm moved with her American-born parents to New York City before her first birthday. “Both my parents had European backgrounds and became meditators and yogis, which is how they met. That is where I get my spirituality background and strong mind/body connection,” states Rohm.
Yoga and meditation are still the cornerstones of Rohm’s peace and creativity. “I’m not a gym person at all. What I love about yoga is that it’s actually just like anything that promotes stillness but also exhilaration, which is applicable to business, parenting or even a romantic relationship,” says the actress still recognized for her roles as ADA Serena Southerlyn on Law & Order , and Dolly in the hit film American Hustle . “Maybe I’m lucky in that I have a natural built-in inclination to doing things that are mind/body/spirit.”
TAKING IT ALL IN STRIDE
Rohm at 44, looks every inch— well maybe every other inch—y our average young mom who loves to bike ride along the beach, blonde hair blowing in the wind, or walk barefoot in the sand. Then again, she has eyes of blue like the ocean waves, a sensual mouth that is quick to smile, and her skin could be confused with satin.
Still, Rohm insists she’s a character actress, not a Hollywood star and is quite happy in her lot in life. “You can find balance and inspiration in everything really. The only way to sustain a happy life and not age quickly and lose the light in your eyes is to find balance. I don’t think we need to possess every material item or overdo in being a martyr. I show gratitude on a regular basis.”
She recalls a perfect day recently with Easton. “We rode horses, got a sandwich and came home. That was a great day for me! And I come back to yoga which helps me in this experience of finding perfect days like this.”
Active in charity work, Rohm recalls her recent catwalk for The Red Dress fashion show and none other than supermodel Christie Brinkley preceded her stroll. “Can you imagine being more intimidated— here’s a professional model and here’s me!” Her deep, hearty laugh fills the room.
“I thought of one of Eckhart Tolle’s books and thought of what he said, that we should always put an inch between us and our experience. My mother introduced me to Tolle and maybe having lost her, I realize every moment— this moment—i s the best moment of my life right now. If you feel that way genuinely there’s a lot of gratitude of being in the here and now.”
STARTING FRESH EACH MORNING
Discipline and being conscious of her surroundings is how the 5’8” Rohm keeps herself healthy and strong in both body and mind. Starting out her days with a nutritional smoothie mak es with everything from berries to mango to raw coconut blended with coconut water (“I love the hydration stuff”), Rohm doesn’t consume many vitamins, opting to get them through her fresh fruits and vegetables. She does take a fish oil supplement though.
“I still have a shot of lemon, ginger and cayenne drink in the morning. It’s a great “Roto-Rooter” for your system. I even add a little to tuna fish that I’ve made with dill, mayonnaise, fresh herbs…I think herbs are great because they’re flavorful but not fattening.” On any given day, you’d find cilantro, dill, basil, mint, Himalayan pink salt and black pepper in her spice drawer. “I tend to eat green foods rather than ones which require a huge carbon footprint. And ones that give me energy.”
FOCUS—AND REMEMBER TO RELAX
She certainly needs that energy source today. Here is her to-do list written out on a notepad: read 2 scripts, take Easton to cooking camp, lunch with a friend, buy light bulbs and ink cartridges, get the dog a new dog tag. “I’m the queen of the lists. I think organizing your thoughts, being clear on your goals and writing things down helps to not only conceive of something, but to achieve it. That’s concentration, ” Rohm states.
“Memory is another thing. I don’t struggle with memory. Panic and white-knuckling your way through just creates resistance, and you never get good results. You have to figure out how to relax and let things absorb. That’s the trick of life. Another is having a strong identit y that starts at a young age and I thank my parents for that. Life itself can make your identity very shaky at times.”
Does Rohm do all this for the sake of her longevity and peace of mind? “There’s a beautiful quote in Letters t o A Young Poet where he talks about living the question. We’re not living the answer, we’re living the question and the question is in the sunset, in the not- knowing, in the knowing what you can know and being comfortable with what you can’t know.
I know I appreciate acting because that’s where I can put my crazy or the vulnerable side, but ultimately it’s the peace and steadiness I find as a woman that gives me the feeling of being grounded, being loved and being balanced.” When asked her description of love, Rohm sits back and contemplates for a moment.
“Love is renewal. True love always renews every morning, every night, every moment when you falter and don’t do your best self—i t renews, it flows, it’s like water. It fills back up again without too much effort.”
