Actress Rosario Dawson covers March issue of Women’s Health Magazine (Photos)

American actress, Rosario Dawson is the cover star on the latest issue of Women’s Health Magazine.

In the photos captured by Dana Scruggs, the 40-year-old mother of one was pictured posing in a printed Iceberg top with matching shorts and form-fitting bodysuits as well as colorful separates.

Speaking with the Magazine, Rosario spoke about her family and some of the challenges she went through.

On learning to appreciate where she is in life: “I have that East Coast energy of just go, go, go. But it really is beautiful when you take your time.”

On crediting her laid-back attitude to her father, who underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer late last year: “So much of life has gone by so fast. But moments with my dad – just, like a meal – are the most amazing thing. I want to be present. It’s waking me up to really loving my life and therefore being okay with the good, bad, and ugly.”

On how “being in her gratitude” has helped her become a better mom: “Kids don’t listen to you; they emulate you. I was always looking around the corner, wondering when my life was going to properly start. I’m in a different space to enjoy it now. I need to model that.”

On forging a relationship with 17-year-old adopted daughter Isabella, who came home with Rosario when she was 11 in 2014: “She was a very whole person. We’re building up trust even still.”

On waiting to get Isabella a cell phone and keeping her off social media: “I think it would have been difficult to bond so late in her life, and in our lives together, if we’d had technology between us. My daughter looks me in the eye, and we talk to each other. I think that’s important.”

On how joint therapy sessions with her daughter have helped her address her past – including her being molested and raped as a child: “I’ve learned so much about trauma, and I’ve started looking at my own. My go-to place was being angry. I want to stop that.”

On taking a closer look at selfcare: “I will take a bath or do a face mask or read something poetic that’s just for me. It’s only been in recent years where I’m like, ‘Let me get a massage.’ It’s actually necessary. If I don’t prioritize mindfulness, I am not going to be there for everybody in the way I need to be.”

On moving her body and how a regular gym routine isn’t really for her: “I’ll dance in my house for hours to Afrobeat, ‘80s music, or house music and break a sweat. Going for a long hike and talking with someone – I can do that any day of the week.”

On the simple pleasures she fits into her health-conscious, meat-free, and dairy-free diet: “The joys of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

On cutting alcohol and marijuana out of her life: “I feel so contaminated by the planet, and seeing my dad going through this journey, I want to cleanse my body. I want to have as much clarity as possible and be very intentional about every day.”

On dating politician and former presidential candidate Cory Booker: “I could be asked to serve my country, and that’s scary to me because I’m a wild person.”

On her future with Booker: “We are excited about what we can create together…I feel a lot of life ahead of us. It’s been beautiful feeling nurtured and taken care of. I’ve never been this close to someone. We make sure we connect. That’s something I’ve taken for granted in the past.”

On being in a relationship with someone who truly has her back: “Every morning that we don’t wake up together, he sends me a song, which means every morning he holds our relationship in his mind and heart for a few minutes before he goes off into his big day.”

On growing her platform and career: “This job [on new USA crime mystery Briarpatch] was the first time I was number one on the call sheet. The responsibility and excitement of that are powerful. I’ve put in the time, and I’m still raising the bar.”