Okay so I do believe about 10 days ago I told you to check back in ‘tomorrow’ for part 2 of my NYC  tales; however returning home was a tad busier than I anticipated and I headed out for a girls weekend in there too. So….here begins the rest of the tale.

I arrived in NYC Thursday evening, Sadie had a car waiting for me to take her to her house in Brooklyn, he was hilarious! I was so friggin hot from the flight (not a great flyer – but still travel all around) I asked to open the window he looked at me like I was crazy and I proceeded to tell him I had just finished praying to every god that was available and listening for the last hour while I sweat bouncing in the air from Toronto to NYC. He laughed and said, “well I  hope there are still listening because its rush hour and we will be at least one hour to get there…I arrived at Sadie’s door 30 minutes later! He asked to take my picture so he could post it in the car to wish on ME when he hit bad traffic LOL (thank you universal gods:)

She greeted me with a massive hug, gave me a tour of her pad and where I would be staying. We had a glass of vino, chatted and caught up and then headed out for dinner. At dinner we did a lot of brainstorming and chatted about the weekend ahead; yoga, Leslie Kaminoff, her shoot for Gaiam, meeting Ava etc.

A tame but productive night it was and we were off to catch some zzz’s

The next morning we were up bright and early, heading to Laughing Lotus yoga center in Manhattan, to meet with her filming and director team for some final bits on her new DVD with Gaiam to be released soon. It was a blast to watch behind the scenes and then I was asked to do a small interview with Sadie as some PR for our upcoming book; discussing with Sadie why living healthfully and balanced can’t only be about the yoga – great food with solid intentions and thought must be part of it.

Once the video wrapped, Ava came by and I was so pumped to finally meet her after hearing so many amazing things…she lived up to all of them!

First off she is the sweetest, prettiest little bundle of positive energy imaginable; she is like this cute little pixie that dances around EVERYWHERE! Giant hugs from her and a date for lunch after yoga.

So now the yoga class at Laughing Lotus by Dana Flynn begins. While we are waiting in ‘The Dance Hall’, this huge open space studio with floor to ceiling windows and ceilings that were at least 30 feet high with gorgeous vibrant draperies all around, a massive grafitti wall and stunning painting of Ganesh; Ava asks if I want to hit the ‘Glitter Bar’? It is through a wall of beads with a whole bar area set up of shaker bottles filled with glitter, lotion to apply so your glitter sticks better and little bindi’s to apple before your practice. You than walk through the ‘bar’ to the washroom which is painted out in chalkboard black with everyone’s positive intentions written in chalk all over the walls reflecting in the mirror all around as you stare back at yourself – so amazing!

Now Dana walks in as the music is pumping everyone is clapping and hollering away and she walks up to EVERY single student (all 56 of us there for a friday noon class) and hugs them thanking then for ‘showing up’. The class begins and I proceed to have my yogi ass handed to me on a platter! It was intense but so fun all at the same time. Watching these bodies move around me was like watching a choreographed dance – simply beautiful.

After class we – Sadie, Ava and I – headed to lunch. Ava asked me my goals and I wasted no time spelling them out – I truly LIVED in that moment and kept thinking, Jenn “everything you have ever thought about in your head, everything you wished you had said after the fact in this industry, everything you talk to yourself about while you are driving alone thinking things through and everything you wish you could be, create and do…say them all now. So I did.

Ava was focused on me, amazing eye contact and energy while we spoke I knew she could see in me what Sadie saw too and I knew that very moment that things were going to be amazingly different forever!

Sadie and I left lunch with her squeezing my hand as we walked along the streets, saying to me, ” are you ready?” and me thinking Frig YES!

We hit Whole Foods from there where I took Sadie on a ‘field trip’ for all the must haves she needed in order to balance out her insanely busy life. We grabbed groceries and I decided I would make her dinner that evening.

When we returned she had to run out the store so I said you go and I will prep dinner – it’s what I love to do.

I made of a fab meal of baby greens salad, fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic, quinoa pasta topped with sautéed spinach, Portobello mushrooms, garlic, grape tomatoes and shaved parmesan cheese in a ‘secret’ dressing all complete with a delicious italian red wine from Sadie’s Tuscany trip. She returned from the store and walked into the table set and the meal ready to be served, her response was perfect. She actually told me she couldn’t remember coming home to a fresh cooked meal for her; it made my intention of the meal feel that much greater and I am pretty sure helped enhance the taste of the meal too!

That evening we did a ton of brainstorming on future projects, beginning to co-present together at workshops, conference etc…and how amazing the combination of Sadie’s yoga brand and style with my brand and ability to explain food and nutrition to people was going to be!

Stay tuned tomorrow afternoon for Saturday and Sunday in NYC, Leslie Kaminoff’s party, booking my first gig in New Jersey and what the future holds for me working with Sadie and her team!

Posted in Uncategorized