The class + the heart + the relief event with Lululemon & Wholefoods

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When three healthy foodies who love sweating and giving back unite on Instagram, magic happens. That’s how “the class + the heart + the relief” event at the Conrad Hotel came together. I met up with Katelyn from lululemon Brookfield and “the class” instructor Natalie Kuhn at Grey Dog on a hot summer day to brainstorm ideas of an event that we can do together, and we all agreed that it had to involve superfood breakfasts, “the class” workout, and giving back. The result?

“The class + the heart + the relief” rooftop event with matcha chia pudding, “the class”, and $1250 raised for building Citta’s all-girls school in Nepal. It was a blast! Plus, all attendees got a heart bowl and a lulu mat (score!). After a powerfully grounding and clearing class, I gave a little talk on how broken heart can lead to finding your mission in life, after which the attendees got to connect and bask in the sun (with Statue of Liberty as our view).

But wait, what is “the class” and why am I so obsessed with it? Here’s some background you should know.

I’ve tried it all: different styles of yoga, chanting, meditation, dance workouts, barre, spiritual cycling, and TRX, but nothing has an effect as powerful as “the class”, a mind, body and soul workout that has a cult-like following in New York city. What I love about it is that it kicks your butt and brings internal peace at the same time. Combining bootcamp-style cardio intervals, yoga stretches, meditation, and sound (yes, you get to release it all!) it seriously works your body–plus, your mind and your spirit.

As Natalie Kuhn, made it clear during our rooftop class, “It’s not about the beach body. We’re here to move the emotional wall that you hit when you tell yourself that ‘you can’t,’ ‘you won’t,’ ‘you’re not good/strong/fill-in-the-blank enough”.

Bingo, girl!

The basis of “the class” is working one muscle group at a time for a full song (think Whitney Houston and Miley Cyrus mixed in with tribal music) to the point where you go past physical pain and straight into the emotions. That’s where the shift really happens.

Letting out loud sighs and even screams is encouraged and in fact, incorporated into this 65-minute workout, and I have to say, it might be my favorite part (besides the rewarding final meditation.) There’s something powerfully wild, if I may, in connecting to your own voice in the warmed up, totally sweaty, vulnerable, and determined condition that “the class” takes you into.

Oh, and I have a not-so-secret woman crush on all three instructors of “the class”: Taryn Toomey (its rockstar founder), Jaycee Gossett (who’s leading a goddess dance and superfoods retreat in Brazil in March 2015 with me), and Natalie Kuhn (she makes gluten free banana bread so delicious that I asked her if we can move in after the first bite).

It’s an experience that you have to try. Oh, and just so you know–you might end up neighboring mats with Naomi Watts, who is a devotee of the method.

Find “the class” schedule on www.theclasswithtt.com.

Here are some photos from the event! Make sure you follow @breakfastcriminals on Instagram for more upcoming events and get our matcha chia pudding recipe.