Good morning! I’ve got another guest post from you. It makes me so happy to be able to show off cool ladies doing awesome some, which is why I’m excited today to introduce you to Samantha Roblin. I had the pleasure of meeting her through the Lovely It Girl personal branding course we both took this fall. As we talked over tea, I was so awed by her positive outlook and her enthusiasm for intenSati, the workout class she teaches, that I knew you guys would like to meet her too. She was kind enough to do a little Q & A with me. If you want to try intenSati for yourself, there are details below about how to sign up for her NYC classes this month.
Jess: Maybe you could start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to teach intenSati.
Samantha: Wellness has always played a large role in my life. Born and raised outside of Boston, I grew up dancing and spent a lot of time skiing, hiking and enjoying the outdoors. When I moved to New York City, I realized many of these activities weren’t as accessible, and I also learned the importance of self-care and balance. This city can really take its toll on you if you don’t take care of yourself!
In 2012, I enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to be trained as a holistic health coach. While there, I discovered intenSati – which was the perfect mix of an exhilarating workout and a spiritual practice. After years of taking intenSati at Equinox, I decided to share the practice with others and become a certified instructor.
J: What is intenSati?
S: intenSati is a workout developed by Patricia Moreno, fusing simple and high-energy moves drawn from aerobics, martial arts, dance, yoga, and strength conditioning with spoken positive affirmations.
J: What first drew you to intenSati?
S: I vividly remember my first intenSati class. It was a Sunday morning at Equinox and I wasn’t feeling especially motivated or energized. It was going to be one of those hop on an elliptical, don’t break a sweat, text on my phone type of workouts.
I walked up to the second floor of the gym and noticed a group 40+ people happily waiting for a class. At the time, I had no idea what intenSati was, but I knew I wanted to be a part of this class.
Sure enough, I walked into the class and the energy was palpable. Despite being a few steps behind the rest of the class and feeling silly saying affirmations out loud, I walked out of class feeling like a different person. Not only did I have an amazing workout, I left class feeling energized and on top of the world.
J: What do you hope students will get from the workout and your classes?
S: First and foremost, I want people who come to my class to have an amazing workout! I have naturally curly hair, so I always say if I start a class with straight hair and end with curly hair, it’s a success.
Second, I want people to experience the shift I experienced my first class and continue to feel every time I take [or] teach a class. It can be a small change, but simply noticing how you feel when you walk into class and how you feel when you walk out of class is an amazing experience.
What should you wear to an intenSati class?
Most of the class is a high-intensity workout, so wear sneakers and clothes you can jump, kick, and dance in.
What are your favorite pre/post-workout foods?
I’m a banana and peanut butter type of girl. I like peanut butter on just about anything!
Where do you teach intenSati?
[Throughout] January 2016, I’ll be teaching FREE classes on Wednesdays at Athleta on 18th and 5th. RSVP here