Sah

Sassy Spiritual | Transformational Teacher | Former Party Animal

Photographed by José A. Alvarado Jr. / @josealvarado

“You know, one in five New Yorkers are experiencing mental health disorders in any given year. One in five. My work in New York is to help people to really take care of their mental health. The whole foundation of my work is rooted in energizing the body, clearing the mind, and opening the heart.”

@sahdsimone

“ I started Bullett Magazine with two friends when I was 23, in my one-bedroom apartment in East Village. We grew really quickly, and suddenly we were part of the celebrity culture, and going to all these events in New York. You know the world I mean? I was living this lifestyle like something out of a movie, something that I had dreamed of.”

“I found out that my business partners wanted to buy me out. It felt like betrayal. I left New York immediately and went to Europe. And it was only when I left the constant high of this city that I started to see things a little differently. I went to Zurich and saw a friend of mine. She was walking barefoot, eating tofu, talking about being vegan, playing music, hiking. And I thought, wow, there is something about this that I like. She made me feel at ease. I was like, I don’t know what the fuck you’ve got going on, but I feel good around you. I didn’t have the perspective, or even the vocabulary, to know what that feeling was.”

“I got rid of New York and moved to Florida. I was starting to see how much internal chaos I had going on in New York. I was living this life, smoking pot, doing coke pretty regularly, drinking every night. No one ever said, hey, maybe you have a problem. The fast-paced lifestyle and all the stimuli here in New York made me ignore my suffering. I went into anxiety and depression. 2013 and 2014 were really dark. It was a constant state of anxiety thinking about the future, and depression thinking about the past. I renounced mainstream society for two and a half years to go on my pilgrimage. I spent time in India and Nepal going on retreats, living with, and learning from, teachers and masters.”

“When I first lived here, I had a comparing and competing mindset, walking down the street, I would compare myself with everybody, unconsciously. It was constant. ‘Oh, I don’t like him. I don’t like her. I want this. I don’t want that.’ But now I am able to see so much beauty in everything and everyone. There is a real sense of awe; a dream-like quality and constant state of gratitude. And I now I have something to offer those people who are feeling how I used to feel. I see them on the subway, they’re in a state of stress and anxiety. That used to be me.”

“I decided to come back to New York because I see myself in everyone here. People of every skin color, every culture, making their own choices, and just living out the fullest expression of themselves. And to me that’s the highest form of spirituality, to fully express your true self. Few other cities in the world really give you the space and freedom to do that.”

“I want people to apply the same discipline they have to achieve external success, to achieve internal freedom. For New Yorkers especially, as soon as they understand the discipline aspect, they’re like, ‘Oh, shit, yeah I can do that.’ New York requires a certain caliber, a lot of effort, and discipline.”

“I think one thing every human being can do is just have a daily practice to cleanse their mind. A concentrated mind is a happy mind.”

Q&A

What neighborhood do you live in? The East Village.

Best thing about living there? I love the combination of all the different worlds coming together; different socioeconomic statuses, sexual preferences, gender identities, ethnicities. I see all parts of myself in the neighborhood.

Favorite neighborhood? The East Village.

Favorite street to stroll? East 7th Street.

Why? The first thing I see when I walk outside are the beautiful trees and townhouses; a rarity in a big city like New York!

Favorite restaurant? JaJaJa.

Favorite bar? Listen Bar (it’s a sober bar!).

Hidden gem? Orchard Grocer.

How to be(come) a New Yorker? Being a New Yorker takes discipline! It’s all about self-expression. New Yorkers are fierce, funny, creative, and driven.

Your New York soundtrack? Wig In A Box by Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Visit Sah at home in a 3-minute video: quotedmagazine.com/sah

“ People I work with from New York are so anxious. They are afraid of not having money, of not keeping up with a certain lifestyle. There’s anxiety around wanting to fit in, and also about relationships and family. So many people who’ve come to New York have come here to be like, fuck my family. I’m going to New York City to start my new life. This was true for me, too, when I first came here. People come to redesign who, or what, they are. And it can be a struggle.”