Rise and shine, it’s time for yoga with Martha Stewart!
My day started bright and early at Theodora‘s apartment. We were both invited to a yoga event with Martha Stewart this morning, so I spent the night on her couch (Theodora‘s not Martha’s) last night.
At 6:30 AM, we hopped in a cab to Grand Central Station for the event.
Before the yoga class started, Martha came out and started snapping pictures of the event with her camera. She was standing literally 5 feet from Theodora and me, so we happen to notice her camera, which was the same one that we both own. Cool! Actually, Martha’s camera is the newer version of ours (Canon S100 versus S95), but it was still kind of neat to see. (Um, ok, we’re nerds.)
The hour-long yoga class was part of a larger two-day Martha Stewart event held today and tomorrow at Grand Central Station called “American Made,” which “honors and celebrates the crafters, makers and entrepreneurs whose work reflects their dedication to quality, inspiration, creativity and sense of possibility embodied by the Martha Stewart brand.” You can read more about the event and details here.
The yoga class was taught by James Murphy, instructor of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of New York.
He was an awesome instructor””personable, positive, and very clear with his instruction.
In case you’re wondering what Martha is like in person, she was friendly (not as cold as I expected) and seemed really sweet. At one point during the class, I made eye contact with her and she smiled at me! It actually kind of surprised me (I totally wasn’t expecting it), but I managed to smile back. Martha was also shorter and more petite than I expected. I guess she just seems a lot taller on TV””maybe because she’s typically wearing heels?
\
The class incorporated lots of fundamental yoga poses with a focus on technique and form. The instructor used Martha as his model to demonstrate a number of poses.
Martha was a pro! You could tell she regularly practices yoga.
Overall, it was a great class and it left my tight legs (from yesterday’s run) feeling a million times better.
I thought I’d have trouble relaxing in Grand Central Station with all kinds of commotion going on around me, but I was able to tune it out and clear my mind for a bit. It was a nice way to start the day. Om.
Breakfast was provided after the yoga class.
It was a tiny breakfast with just a couple of pastries and some pears, so Theodora and I went in search of something more substantial.
Breakfast
Theodora suggested Penelope, which sounded delicious, so we walked there for breakfast.
I started with a decaf latte.
And, to eat, I ordered an omelet with spinach, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and a side of pesto. Eggs + pesto = holy yum! On the side: homefries.
After breakfast, I said goodbye to Theodora and then walked to the Bolt Bus to head back to Boston. It was a quick trip, but totally worth it to do yoga with Martha Stewart! Seriously, what a cool opportunity!
Question of the Day
If you could pick any celebrity and any workout to do with them, who and what would it be?
115 Comments
I’ve always wanted to do yoga with Bob Harper!
What a cool opportunity! I’ve always wanted to join in on the yoga in Times Square but haven’t had the opportunity since I left the area. One of these years, I’ll have to time a trip just right because I can imagine it’s one of the hardest places to concentrate and therefore so beneficial when you can.
So cool! I always thought Martha was tall too like 5’10”. How tall is she really approx?
I guess this is the easy answer, but it would have to be Bob from BL. I love his style! He pushes you but is also encouraging and motivating! And I would like to do a ‘last chance’ workout! I don’t watch BL much but I love the Last Chance workout! So intense looking! =)
I’m so jealous that you had the opportunity to do yoga with Martha! I would love to go on a run with Emma Watson – she just seems so chill.
This is awesome! I notice that whenever I have seen a celebrity in person, he or she is always much smaller than I thought! I would love to go on a run with Heidi Klum since I always see pictures of her running and she seems so genuinely nice and beautiful
Does Rich Froning and Annie Thorsdottir count? 😉
YES!!! 🙂
I would love to train Jillian Michaels..love how bad ass she is!
I would love to go on a run with Dean Karnazes or do some kickboxing with Jillian Michaels.
I also LOVE penelope – I’ve done brunch there with my sister 🙂
That breakfast looks amazing! And my friend’s parents have worked with Martha before and said she wasn’t very pleasant… maybe it depends on her circumstances, I’m sure I’m more pleasant at yoga than a stressful day of work!
Ha! Totally! She seemed pretty relaxed today.
I love Penelope! It’s right by my boyfriend’s old apartment! Such a cool experience! I would love to work out with Annie Thorsdottir! I think I would have to do a pull up with her sitting next to me 🙂
That is SO cool! I wish you had been sleeping on Martha’s couch though – would have made for a better story 🙂
If I had to pick a celeb to workout with, I think I’d choose some muscle-y action hero. Both to ogle, and because they are always in such great shape!!
Haha! That would have made a great story!
How fun!!! I think I’d have to pick Jason Statham. He is pretty much a badass so I can’t imagine his workouts!
Oh- How fun! I would totally want to work out with Ryan Gosling… Just so I could look at him… He’s beautiful…
I would totally pick Iceland Annie and the workout would involve kettlebells. Basically doing any lifting movement with her would be awesome, she’s totally my CrossFit hero!
Too much fun! If I could workout with any celebrity, I think I’d go old-school and say I’d love to be on the set of a Tae-Bo video! 🙂
my sister works for martha and is running the event!
I am glad to hear she sounds like a nice lady. I used to work in the same office building as her and although I never saw her a few of my co-workers had run ins with her and she was not very nice or friendly to them!
Wow that is pretty wicked to do yoga with Martha…that would like me getting pitching tips from Nolan Ryan…well would of been more valuable when I was young but that is all I could think of at the present moment…
I would workout with Bethenny Frankel if I could. She’s crazy, but she’s hilarious.
And look at you! You’re totally a celebrity. I even saw two seperate girls reading your blog today before my lecture class started!
Martha would never let you sleep on her couch! She’d have a well-equipped guest room with Egyptian cotton sheets. In the morning, she’d wake you with your own French press, a warm vanilla scone and a copy of the New York Times. (A girl can dream, right?)
I can’t imagine doing yoga in Grand Central, what a neat opportunity. Martha reminds me so much of my aunt (looks and personality wise) that I’ve always felt like I would love Martha in person too.
I would love (well fear…and love) to work out with Bob Harper!
That is such a cool event!!
I’m impressed that Martha could relax and be very namaste while people were taking pictures of her doing yoga!!
Fun event!
I would’ve found it hard to tune all the noise out, but that’s such a cool opp! I need more yoga in my life. Maybe this is gonna inspire me? I mean if Martha does it, why not?! Hah
Whoa, how cool. Were there bystanders just watching the group at Grand Central? I don’t know if I could do yoga in such a public place. Kudos to you for maintaining your concentration!
Super awesome! It’s so fun to have healthy fitness experiences that are memorable! When I was younger we were rollerblading on vacation & John Cougar Mellencamp whizzed by on his blades ”” I thought I had seen god. It was the early nineties 🙂
that looks amazing! you get to do the coolest stuff. 🙂 i don’t honestly know which celeb i’d work out with – maybe jackie warner! haha.
Hands down Bob Harper!
So cool that you got to meet Martha Stewart!! I’d want to work out with Jillian Michaels!
OMG…I have SERIOUS Martha Envy!!!! I know lots of people think she’s a cold hag, but I’ve loved her (and all her “good things”) for years. (and I’d sleep on her couch any time) If I could have a fantasy workout with a celebrity? Um….I’d play squash with Anderson Cooper. ‘Cause squash is fun, and I have a mini crush on Anderson.
Martha is all over the blog world as of late! Love that you got to do yoga with her this morning. Such a cool experience!
Boxing with Mark Wahlberg, he was so damn hot in The Fighter.
I would workout with Josh Duhamel and the workout would be swimming because you don’t swim in shirts 😉
Haha!
I’d easily choose running with Kelly Ripa in Central Park! Or just any exercise with her. She’s one of my favorite celebrities and whenever she goes to a workout class for Live with Kelly it just seems like the best time ever.
She looks so ripped!
Sounds like an awesome experience! I’d want to work out with Jen Aniston. We could do whatever her normal routine is to get a body like that! I’m thinking Pilates?
What an experience!! 😀 It’s not every day you can say, “Yeah, this morning I practiced yoga with Martha Stewart and we made eye contact.” Hmmm… if I could choose any celebrity to workout with I think I might go with Ellen DeGeneres because I have a feeling it would be a ton of fun and full of laughter. Who needs crunches when you’re laughing your butt off during your workout? 🙂
I know, right?! That’s part of the reason I hopped on a bus down to NYC. Such a neat experience!
I’d want to workout with Ellen too! Push-up contest, Michelle Obama-style! Haha!
HOW do you look so good at 6:30 in the morning?! 😀 Seriously though, you look wonderfully healthy. That sounds like a great experience with martha! I love her recipes. Everything I try from her website turns out really well.
yoga with martha stewart?! crazy. i wonder why she was wearing a jacket the whole time. i’m also a fan of running + yoga. it’s a great combo.
Wow, what a cool opportunity!
I’d love to do exercise with Jennifer Aniston. Can you imagine how awesome her trainers must be??
That is so awesome!! I personally would love to workout with Kelly Ripa, she seems intense with her workouts haha
I would love to workout with Bob Harper from the BL…I like his coaching style, and he’s the kind of coach that you just wouldn’t want to disappoint.
She is 71 years old. She is SEVENTY ONE years old. And looks amazing!
Yes! She really does! 🙂
How awesome is that?! Jealous of your experience! I’d love to take a dance class with Beyonce and Michelle Obama. 🙂
This is such a cool event, how awesome you got to have that experience!
I think if I could choose one I’d go with Shaun T! He is insane, hence insanity, but I know it’d be such a good workout, plus he’s not too bad on the eyes either 😉
What a fun event! I would love if a celebrity came to Idaho! I would definitely travel miles for that!
Cameron Diaz or Jessica Alba…they’re both so fit!
@Krystina: **I meant Jessica Biel
Haha, that’s so random because I happened to be passing through Grand Central this morning and was wondering what the heck was going on with all that American Made stuff, and turns out you were there. Sounds like an interesting event.
What a fun event! Poor Martha gets such a bad wrap, lol. I am quite scared of her! Nice to hear that she seemed polite and open. I give her credit though, she is a crazy smart business woman!
If I had it my way, I want to work out with Jessica Biel. She’s my girl crush and lifting weights with her would rock!
I know! She always seemed so intimidating to me, but she was pretty friendly this morning.
How cool!!! It’s always funny to see a celeb in real life (especially if they are much taller/shorter/prettier/more plain than on TV).
BTW, AWESOME QUESTIONS. I think I would want to do an Insanity workout (or one of his dance workouts) with Shaun-T, hehe.