There are two experiences I always finish and say “I really need to do this more!” …that I can write about here.

One is yoga, and the other is meditation.

There are so many gorgeous places to meditate in NYC these days. You don’t *need* that to meditate, but, it doesn’t hurt!

My coworker Mallory and I checked out Inscape, which recently opened in my ‘hood, Flatiron. The space is expansive and peaceful, and once I walked in, I never wanted to leave again. (Random trivia: it was opened by the founder of the store Intermix.)

The really cool thing about Inscape is that they have a space anyone can use for free to meditate or just sit and escape from their busy day. (Hello, Inscape, we may be seeing a lot of each other.) If you’re not in NYC, they also have an app you can download. 

The “guided” sessions they offer include both a seated one and a laying-down one. I say “guided” because there is a “facilitator” in the room, but you’re listening to a recording. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that when I walked in, but with the combination of the space + recording, it worked.

We took their Focus 33 class? session?, which is meant to “train your brain to concentrate past the noise into deep calm.” It started with a few minutes of mindful movement (gentle twists and stretches), before a guided meditation followed by several minutes of completely silent meditation.

Like, by silent, I mean Mallory and I were about 5-6 feet away from each other and could hear each other’s stomachs gurgling from the smoothies we’d just finished.

When the session was over, we looked at each other and simultaneously said “can we just nap in here?”

They also have visualization, mantra, mindfulness and “deep sound” style meditations. The concept of “sound bath” is definitely becoming more popular, and it’s something I’d love to try.

The 33 minute sessions are $18, which feels worth it to me, at least in this crazy NYC fitness market I’m used to. 

This was such a great way to start the day — although…when I tried Mndfl (may I buy a vowel?!), I found it an amazing way to unwind from my day. OK, fine, there’s no bad time to meditate, except maybe when you’re a little over caffeinated.

10/10, would zen again.

What helps you really get into a meditation/meditative state? (Decorating Christmas trees is an acceptable answer.)

DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT TODAY IS?

Other than a day where I’ve had too much coffee? It’s the kickoff to the holiday season! Basically this is going to become a blog where I profess my undying love for the joy of this season for the next month. Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Major props to those of you who head out for Black Friday sales, but I am very happy shopping on the couch in lobster jammies. 

First, I have a few deals directly from me to you:

Beautycounter. After attending an event at Uplift last month, I was really convinced to be much more careful about what I put on my body in addition to what I put into it. Over the past two decades, the EU has banned more than 1,500 potentially harmful chemicals from beauty products; the US has banned eleven. I tried out some Beautycounter products and was really impressed, so I’ve signed on to be a consultant with them. 

I’ll do a full post on this soon, but I wanted to share some deals going on today!

Spend $125, get a free lip sheer. Plus, if you join the Band of Beauty (a $29 membership that gets you 15% in product credit from every order + free shipping over $100), that $29 will be counted towards the $125 and you’ll get a Nourishing Rosewater Mist (usually a $35 value.) My favorite products so far have been the Nourishing Night Cream and the Tint Skin Foundation, which is really lightweight but still full coverage. 

NASM — I’ve had “study to become a personal trainer” on my bucket list for a while, and I’ve even had the materials for…oh, far too long, but I really want to learn more and help people, whether it’s through this site, work or maybe even doing some instructing on the side.

A coworker and I have committed to studying and taking the exam by end of Q1 2017. I’m getting the materials free in exchange for blogging (but am paying the test fee because I scheduled it in the past and wasn’t ready), and that means I can pass on a Black Friday promotion from my contact there. You can get 30% off any program and put no money down, no interest until January by contacting Ben Hessel at 602-383-1208 or ben.hessel@nasm.org. Any NYC readers want to be study buddies? 🙂

Let’s talk about some more Black Friday deals you can get in your PJs:

Kate Spade: 30% off with code THANKFUL. I’m not shopping for myself, I’m not shopping for myself… but if I were? I’d be all about this sequined dress.

J. Crew: They’re still doing 40% off with code HOLIDAY. Dear Mom, please consider New Balance x J. Crew my Christmas list, thank you.

Lilly Pulitzer: My beloved Lilly, still not doing Black Friday sales, BUT some pretty gifts with purchase. This dress for Australia, methinks?

Nike: Extra 25% off clearance with code EXTRA25. There are some pretty FlyKnits included, which I’ve been using as cross-training/gym shoes as of late.

Gap: 50% off EVERYTHING with code TGIF50. Last year I used this deal to get me and my mom sweater leggings, one of my smartest purchases in my 33 years on this planet.

Neiman Marcus Last Call: 40-80% off everything! True story: last weekend a friend called and said she’d found my perfect black tie dress for me. (I have long been on the hunt for a perfect emerald green dress.) She put it on hold and I got my lazy ass out to BK to try it on. It didn’t fit…but I may have come home with a great dress for my work holiday party.

Old Navy: 50% off everything, including their already affordable leggings.

Bandier: 25% off everything black with code BF25

Athleta: 20% off with code BOOST

West Elm: 30% off with code MOREISMORE (I know this is a kind of random one, but I just went on a huge shopping binge there recently so thought of it!)

Victoria’s Secret: All sports bras and pants, 50% off! I bought this one as part of a campaign last year, and it’s now one of my most frequently-worn sports bras. D-cup runner approved! 

Target: Nothing stewed but some good individual deals, like an Apple Watch (1st gen) for less than $200!

Amazon: $49 Kindle? Yes please! I’ve been eyeing mirrorless cameras for Australia, and there’s some epic deals here.