Episode 007
mental nyc
on starting a side hustle from scratch, balancing your sanity and social calendar in NYC + how these two make living and working together look easy
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““Failure could only be not trying, not starting, not even attempting.””
in this episode, we discuss:
The origins behind Mental NYC
Combining mindfulness practice with the endorphin release of HIIT
Entering into the fitness industry through a side-hustle
Weaving healing practices into a career in tech
The ease of connecting at a retreat
Working with the moon cycles
Being open to new information about yourself through astrology
Going through funding for a physical space
The importance of connecting IRL
Using mindfulness to practice staying present
Feeling like a part of something within a group
Staying social in NYC in your early 20’s
Viewing fitness as “recovery” from alcohol consumption
Identifying the ego + recognizing the level of impact it has on your life
The affects of alcohol on the system + the mind
How to fully commit to your vision
Reaching out to venues and brands to collaborate
Defining failure
Approaching connection with authenticity
Working as business partners with your life partner
Seeing fitness and exercise as a reward for your body and mind
Knowing your “why” when it comes to working out
using therapy as a means of self-care
about Mental NYC:
Mental NYC was founded by Sarah O’Shea + Brendan Murphy as a wellness practice that focuses on the mental benefits of physical fitness. Their core offering, Mental Movement, is a bodyweight, high intensity interval workout that weaves in presence techniques and ends with a centering, guided meditation.
They host events and retreats at venues like North Brooklyn Farms in Williamsburg, Dumbo House, Hero Beach Club out in Montauk and Camp Here Here in Upstate, NY.
Stay updated on future events on their site —
for Pop-Ups: mentalnyc.com/popups
for Retreats: mentalnyc.com/retreat
And stay tuned for their space in Summer 2020!
““This can only be as big as we allow it to be. And I think that’s true for anything — that if you want something, you have to believe in it fully.””
Q+A:
How Do You Prioritize Self-Care?
Sarah: I will literally schedule it in — an appointment with yourself is just as important as an appointment with anyone else. If I need to take a whole day I'll do that too.
Brendan: Being active physically, but calming my mind when it gets too overactive. In this way, caring for the body and the mind is my goal for true self care.
What Are You Currently in the Process of Learning?
Mental is constant learning process since we are making everything up as we go. The biggest lesson so far has been knowing when to shift our strategy and when to stick to our guns
HOW Did you get your start in the fitness industry?
We came up with the idea for Mental when we were on our own mental health journeys. One thing that we always connected on during both our journeys was that exercise and meditation was absolutely crucial to our mental health, but we struggled to find a workout that consistently combined high intensity movement and guided meditation- so we created it ourselves. Our mission through mental is to create space for mental health conversation through mindful movement and meditation. We are very focused on the language we use during the workout. We make sure not to reference any type of body goals and weave in reminders to keep you focused on the here and now, or what we like to call presence techniques. We also look to partners with others in the mental health space to bring the practice and community full circle.
Why Do You Choose to Spend Your Time Sharing Your Passion with Others?:
We think sharing our passion with others is one of the most rewarding things about Mental. It is so great to meet people in this space that share the same values, goals, and overall presence!