We're so happy to introduce to you our newest collaborator over here at EAT.PRAY.MOVE! Currently living in the heart of New York City in Soho, Jen Carter teaches yoga and meditation at top New York yoga studios as well as to corporate and private students. She has been practicing yoga since the 90’s, but it wasn’t until 2010 that Jen realized her true calling to teach. After years of working in the corporate world, her life shifted dramatically when she suffered a traumatic head injury during an accidental fall. The fall and subsequent road to full recovery was Jen’s awakening to a deeper journey into yoga and meditation. You can keep up with her at ZenJenYoga.com.
introducing our newest collaborator, Jen Carter "ZenJen"
Jen holds advanced yoga and meditation instructor certifications from New York City yoga studios Pure Yoga, Yoga Vida, and It’s Yoga based in San Francisco. She also maintains a daily meditation practice, and she views her purpose in life is to share the beauty and ease of that practice. Jen’s classes are crafted to challenge her students but also to make it easy for them to incorporate both asana and meditation into their daily lives back at home. She sees EAT.PRAY.MOVE as an amazing opportunity to explore new lands and culture while simultaneously exploring new levels within.
Jen and EPM founder, Erin, at Peacock Pavilions
EPM founder, Erin Lewis, sat down with Jen in NYC this week to do a little Q&A so that you can get to know her more:
Q: What do the words EAT. PRAY. MOVE mean to you?
A: I discovered EAT.PRAY.MOVE when I met Erin at a yoga studio in New York City where she was teaching. However, the actual journey began when I read the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert several years prior to meeting Erin. At the time I read the book, I was going through a transformational point in my life, not too far removed from the transformation Elizabeth Gilbert was experiencing in the story. I remember lying in bed reading her tales and visualizing what it would be like to drop everything, and dedicate a year to traveling the world and truly living in each moment to its fullest potential. Although at that exact point in time I did not drop everything and move to Italy, India, and Bali as Liz Gilbert did, my “daydreaming” was what I would later realize was actually a major leap toward that path. Through deepening my personal yoga and meditation practice, I have realized just how powerful our minds and the power of visualization are to our existence. What we think about truly does come about. Although the journey I will be hosting with EAT. PRAY. MOVE is only one week, my goal is to ensure that the experience is both pleasurable but also transformational for the guests that join. One week of being in a completely different culture far removed from the normal stressors of life eating delicious, healthy food, combined with mindfulness, meditation and yoga is the recipe for a more joyful life that extends way beyond your week-long journey.
Q: What was your experience like in Morocco on this past Marrakesh retreat?
A: In one word - Unexpected. Prior to Morocco, I had never been to North Africa, and had I never travelled in a primarily Islamic country. As a solo female traveler, the introduction through EAT.PRAY.MOVE was the perfect way to ease into that experience. The country was actually much more liberal than I had expected, and the religious culture was truly fascinating. The integration of prayer and devotion into everyday life contrasted with the hustle and bustle of the city, the fragrant smells of the souks, the beauty of the countryside, the mountains, the people, the food, the architecture, the weather, the yoga, the peace I found within myself through all of this…I could go on and on. If you can make this trip, I promise it will change you in ways you would never expect.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do in New York?
A: I love walking my dog, Speedy. He is a five-pound chihuahua with a curiosity and fearlessness in this city that never ceases to amaze me. I’ve heard it said that people tend to choose animals that mirror their own personality, and aside from his interest in sniffing other dogs’ back sides, I would say that the personality mirror is pretty much true for us. We both love exploring new places and meeting new people, and taking him for walks in the chaos of NYC is always filled with fun surprises.
Jen & Speedy
Q: What is your favorite quote?
A: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.” — Gautama Buddha
We're so happy to have Jen on the team and know that she will add amazing things to EPM. She will be leading our newest 'MINDFUL MOVEMENT' Retreat in Marrakesh this Sept 6-12. Sign up just opened, so be sure to grab your spot quickly as it will be a popular one.
