When I was asked to give the keynote speech at Green Festival – America’s largest and longest-running sustainability and green living event – I was sooooo stoked. The fact that this particular Green Festival was in Portland, Oregon had me even more excited! I have been wanting to visit Portland forever!! It was on my list of places I thought about moving when I first road tripped from NYC 4 years ago.
The Portland Green Festival took place at the Oregon Convention Center December 11-13th. The expo featured hundreds of green exhibitors, sponsors, partners and nonprofit allies showcasing sustainable products as well as new innovative ways to save money and protect natural resources.
Not only am I a huuuuge Portlandia fan, one of my very besties from college just moved there and I promised her I’d visit! So this all seemed so meant to be!
I packed up 2 nights worth of clothes with my speech in hand and headed out!
Portland was pretty rainy and grey, but really cool and beautiful. I’m used to this kind of weather as a native New Yorker, and I absolutely loved the atmosphere, the culture, the friendly people and of course the incredible food! It was fun to be there during a weekend.
I really couldn’t get enough of this wonderful, quirky city and I really wish I was able to stay for more than one full day. I’ll definitely be back in the summer!
I was so excited to deliver my speech at Green Festival because the venue is so receptive to the message of it. The hour long speech on How to Heal from the Inside, Out is based on my book Cured by Nature (did you get your freebies yet, by the way? Get on that whiz!)
There’s a little video of my speech highlights if you fancy some motivation today:
The response after my speech was amazing! Many people came up to me after – some from different countries around the world – to tell me how much my story and message meant to them and changed their lives. Even a woman in her 60’s with cancer told me with tears that I had changed her life and reminded her that her journey was significant. I asked her name (Ann – my mother’s name!) and gave her the biggest hugs, thanking her right back.
I am so excited to be able to do this with my life and so happy that others find it helpful and meaningful. I loved the expo, really enjoyed the interesting venue and it was Portland’s first ever Green Festival event, which was exciting to be a part of! I loved meeting and being introduced to so many healthy people and brands and I’m excited to speak again soon. 🙂 I also got to visit my college bestie which was an amazing bonus!
It was a great trip and I feel so lucky to do this work!
See you next time, Green Festival! Thanks again for having me!❤️
Time to pinch myself! My new book, Cured by Nature, is available for pre-order at Barnes and Noble and Amazon! (cue happy dance!)
It will be published in February 2016. Yes, you will be able to buy it in bookstores (ahhhhh!) and there will be digital versions available as well!
Get it today and receive a mega discount. February is right around the corner and this book is a true gift to yourself for the new year! I just went to New York City to do some press for Cured by Nature… It was a dream come true! I met with the amazing folks at Good Housekeeping, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar to discuss the book! You can check it out on instagram here, here and here.
Also, I hope you’ll join me December 12th in Portland for Green Festival! I will be giving the keynote speech at 2 pm and I could not be more happy or excited to share this message with you!❤Green Festival is the largest and longest-running sustainability event in the United States, now in their 14th year. Join the Green Festival Marketplace by exploring over 250 exhibitors, learning from over 50 inspirational speakers, and enjoying Portland’s incredible scenery and atmosphere!
The connection that I have with my yoga mat is so important to me. It’s completely shaped my practice. Your mat is a sacred space. A meditation stage to set your day, explore your body and find your center. I think this rings true for many yogis. So why have I completely fallen in love with my mat fromYoga Design Lab?
Flexibility
My back looks like thisdue to scoliosis and arthritis. Not pretty, I know. But there have been some positive aspects to it. My back is actually why I started my yoga practice to begin with! So definitely – sometimes more than most – I need a sturdy, comfortable yoga mat to perform my daily yoga exercises. Yoga Design Lab is perfect for this purpose!
Something For Everyone
I consider myself pretty new to yoga (about 3 years). I know people who have been practicing literally since they were in the womb. Their mommy’s did yoga the entire time they were pregnant with them. I’m certainly not there. I’m not an instructor, and I’m still learning every day. I adapt depending on my pain level, my flexility and even something like the weather will determine where I’m at in my practice. The inspiring designs on Yoga Design Lab mat’s are absolutely perfect for the beginner or even the everyday, super practiced yogi who just needs a little inspiration while she gets involved in her practices.
Finding Beauty
I’m an artist. And I’m a girl. I like things to be beautiful. At the very least, aesthetically pleasing. I was so excited when YDL reached out to me, because I was instantly struck by how different and gorgeous their mats are! I have never seen anything like these! Talk about a yoga mat that will stand out in class! When I stretch my hands or my body out on this dazzling mat, I can’t help but feel an entirely new sense of inner peace.
Perfect for Travel
I love doing my yoga outside. In fact, I straight up prefer it. With this perfect travel pick-up-and-go style mat, you an take it anywhere! It’s really super convenient because it rolls up easily and comes equipped with a portable strap. Just wrap, strap and go!
A Good Cause
Yoga Design Lab just donated a few hundred mats to NYC and DC public schools as part of their “$1 per purchase” program, which supports urban youth yoga programs. I just love them!
When The Great Beyond reached out to me on instagram, I was totally thrilled. Bamboo clothing is the ultimate in luxury and style, comfort and eco-pride, and The Great Beyond does it right.
The Great Beyond creates bamboo clothing for the stylish and confident woman. Designed in Queensland, Australia referencing the classic styles you know and love to fit into your everyday lifestyle. Their vision is to create eco-friendly fashion through luxury fabrics and staple pieces that complement the modern woman and the environment.
WHY CHOOSE BAMBOO?
Clothing made of bamboo is extremely soft, durable and luxuriously comfortable. As a textile, bamboo is renowned for it’s many unique features and impressive environmental benefits.
Breathable and thermo-regulating: Feels great to wear in every season. Keeping you cool in summer and warm in winter.
Moisture Wicking: High moisture absorption and evaporation keeps you dry and comfortable when you are active or when the weather gets hot and humid.
Kind to sensitive skin: Because of the smooth and round structure of its fibers, bamboo clothing is soft and non-irritating, even to sensitive skin.
Easy Care: Crease resistant, colour fast and low shrinkage. Gentle warm wash and cool iron if needed will ensure long term colour clarity and perfect fit.
Sustainable: Bamboo is naturally prolific and resilient. It grows to maturity in 3-4 years and once harvested, can replenish itself within a year. It does not require intensive irrigation and thrives without need of pesticides or fertilisers.
Eco Restorative: Growing Bamboo improves soil quality and helps rebuild eroded soil. It’s extensive root system prevents erosion, and retains water in the watershed.
100% biodegradable: Ultimately bamboo clothing will simply return to the earth, with minimal environmental impact.
Hi, I'm Tara! A bestselling self-help author, singer and speaker. The Organic Life is a place where I share my healthy life hacks - so we can all become our best selves!
