Heyyy, it's me. I'm writing this half awake, but I'm writing nonetheless! It's been an exhausting week. Cliff Notes: I work for a jewelry brand full-time, and we've had a lot of events this month which required jam-packed days and some late nights. That's my 9-5, but just like any other New Yorker, I work on a bajillion side projects outside of that (blogging is obviously one of them).

There's always something to be done, but it's all things that I love (uuuuusually). I know June/July is going to be a crazy two months with fun blog developments underway, a trip to Florida & Ecuador, and gearing up for the launch of an ethical fashion startup I work on, so I just need to make sure I stay healthy and ON IT. Otherwise, I won't be able to get it all done. That's where meditation comes in...

Be Mindful // Slow Down

This week, I attended an intimate kick off event for MNDFL Meditation's weeklong pop-up at the Park Hyatt's Spa Nalai. It was so lovely to speak with the founders of MNDFL who I've admired for quite some time. It reminded me that I need to schedule time to reflect/meditate - almost as if it's an appointment or a meeting, except it's a meeting with mahselfff. Which is muy importante.

The MNDFL founders, Ellie and Lodro, had such a calm and welcoming aura about them, and it immediately made me think "must be all that meditation". Must be. And the fact, that they are genuinely good humans. For this week's #ThingsILoveThursday, I just wanted to focus on MNDFL, because I think they are doing something very good for the world. New Yorkers especially need more meditation in their lives. We can be impatient. We walk fast, think fast, talk fast, and eat fast. It makes it very difficult for our bodies and minds to digest - There's quite a bit of overstimulation and information overload, amiright?

^ This was the breathtaking view from the Spa Nalai suite. It truly felt like the merging of 'om' & 'the city'. Everything felt as if it was coming full circle. Photo credit goes to my incredible partner Andrew.

... Because juice photos are a must.

So, Why Meditate?

There are several reasons to take on meditation, but here are a few of my favorites:

• Increases self-awareness

• Improves sleep

• Inspires creativity

• Lowers stress

• Helps with breathing, which helps blood pressure and a multitude of other health-related issues.

After attending the event for MNDFL, it hit me that I need to invest more time in my spiritual and mental health. Blogging is one way I express myself, but meditation is something I used to do that made me feel good and it seemed to fall to the wayside as my schedule became fuller. Let's start it up again together! June = Month of Meditation, okay?

If you don't live in NYC, check your local yoga studio for meditation classes. Another resource I love and personally use is the free site DoYogaWithMe.com for guided meditations and online yoga classes. For tips and incredible insight into meditation, read the book Sit Like a Buddha: A Pocket Guide to Meditation written by MNDFL Co-Founder Lodro Rinzler (Photo below of Lodro and I feelin' zen).

Meditation is a simple practice, but it has the power to transform the world. - Lodro Rinzler

Interested in giving this living, breathing art a try at the premier meditation studio? Visit MNDFL Meditation's West Village location at 10 East 8th Street between 5th Avenue and University Place. Check out their schedule here.

You can keep up with MNDFL on INSTA, FB, and TWITTER.

Keep going strong, my loves! It's almost Fri-Yay!