Welcome to The Manifestation Q&A Series.
I am Jennifer Pastiloff and this series is designed to introduce the world to someone I find incredible. Someone who is manifesting their dreams on a daily basis.
Sarah DeAnna stumbled into my yoga class like she was always meant to be in my life, the way many of my tribe have done before her. Some might call it an accident.
I know better.
When you get to her last question in this interview you will see the serendipity involved in her being in my class that day. The power behind the intentions she set in that very first class she ever took with me.
Sarah is a high fashion SkealthyModel (skinny healthy), writer, and health enthusiast. Overcoming childhood poverty and tragedies, Sarah DeAnna graduated high school with honors, then put herself through college finishing ahead of schedule and went on to become an international high fashion model who’s worked for Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Vogue, and countless others. Her upcoming book SuperModel You is being published by the esteemed Hay House.
What I love most about Sarah is her inner beauty. It’s always a treat to meet someone who makes their living off what they look like and to discover that is the thing you notice last about them. The first thing that pops into my mind when I think of Sarah is her kindness. Sure, she is stunning. That’s not why I asked her to do this q&a though. She is a living example of what it means to be self-actualized. She is beautiful, yet humble. She is powerful, yet gentle. She is willing to be silly and not take herself too seriously (one of my favorite qualities in a person.)
She is someone I would want as a role model for my daughter (no, I am not expecting.)
Not yet anyway. 🙂
It is a great honor to introduce you to Sarah DeAnna.
Jennifer Pastiloff: What are you most proud to have manifested in your life?
Sarah DeAnna: I am most proud of what I’ve manifested in terms of my future life and where I’m going. I am not lost in the overgrown jungle of life. I am on the clear and open road of my dreams. A lot of times, when people think of manifestations, they think of the physical things; the things they can see, touch, taste, and hold in their hand. But for me, knowing that I am on the right path to fulfilling all of my dreams is what’s allowing me to live in the NOW as they say we should, enjoying the journey and not the destination or in this case, the manifestation. 🙂
Jennifer Pastiloff: What is the greatest lesson that you have learned from being a model? From your own personal yoga practice? From being a writer?
Sarah DeAnna:
From Modeling:
That we really are ALL beautiful! We should not compare ourselves or judge ourselves against another. It would be better to use those feelings of “jealousy and envy” as inspiration to inspire us to the action that will lead us manifest whatever we find ourselves coveting in another. For example, if we find ourselves jealous of another person’s body, let that inspire us to work out more, or eat healthier, take better care of ourselves, or realize how beautiful our body really is.
From Yoga:
OMG! OM with a G! 🙂 It is endless! Yoga’s great lessons never stop! The beauty of yoga is that it’s a life long practice and something you can do forever. One can never master yoga. Yoga is the physical and mental practice of living, breathing, and being. I’ve learned something in every yoga class and from every yoga instructor. Even if for example I dislike a class and find it not challenging enough or too slow, I am able to practice patience and the art of finding something good in everything. I’m really athletic so I thought yoga was boring and easy and never wanted to try it. I will be eternally grateful to all my yoga instructors and especially to, Keith Levin, my 1st yoga instructor, for challenging me to try his class and humbling me beyond words.
From Writing:
I don’t actually consider myself a writer, even though I write everyday. I prefer to be called an author. Writing is an art and that’s why NY Times Bestselling writer, Eve Adamson, will be making sure my book, Model Skinny, is in tip top shape. (Pun intended). On the contrary, I believe that we are all writers, singers, dancers and artists. Each and every one of us has something to share, express, and contribute in the lives of others.
Jennifer Pastiloff: I have a list of “rules”. See below. What would some of Sarah DeAnna’s “rules” be?
Sarah DeAnna: Rules…? I have so many rules. Too many rules. And, too many expectations. Mostly of myself that I have in the past projected onto others. Now, my only rule is to break those rules! Have fun. Live free. Trust yourself. Go with the Flow. Let Go. Expect nothing and expect everything at the same time. And, laugh and smile as much as humanly possible. Even if you’re faking it, a fake smile still releases serotonin making you feel better, can light up a room, and can improve even a stranger’s day. 🙂
Jennifer Pastiloff: Who/what inspires you the most?
Sarah DeAnna: The people who challenge the socially unaccepted norms and beliefs and who have changed the world as we know it will forever be an inspiration to me to NEVER give up and to challenge your beliefs. Most of the time, the only thing that’s holding us back from realizing our dreams are the very beliefs we harbor against them. Inspiration is everywhere and in everything, what’s truly inspiring, is finding inspiration in the mundane, the ugly, the uncommon, and in things generally disregarded.
Jennifer Pastiloff: I teach many of my classes to the theme of gratitude. If you could say thank you right now to one person who would it be?
Sarah DeAnna: I am thankful to so many people that I could go on an endless rampage of appreciation: for my friends, my family, my teachers, my agents, my publishing company, my clients, etc. I am even thankful to the people who I have perceived have done me wrong and who have hurt me. From those people there has always been a lesson learned and I have grown insurmountably because of it. If I had to chose one person to give the most gratitude to, it probably would be to the person who has hurt me the most, who has broken my heart, and who has caused me to question myself and everything around me. It was in the dark of that pain that led me to the light that shines on me today.
Jennifer Pastiloff: What is one message you would pass on right now to someone looking to manifest their best selves?
Sarah DeAnna: Whoever your best self is, whatever they look like, dress like, act like… etc.. try your best everyday to emulate and be that person. Your best self is the person you really are, minus all the baggage, biases, stereotypes, negativity, and everything else that’s keeping you from living your true potential. Your BEST SELF=YOUR TRUE SELF!
Jennifer Pastiloff: What brings you the most joy? Your joy list, as it were.
Sarah DeAnna:
JOY!?
I get the most joy out of being healthy fit, active, and following my passions and dreams. I love knowing that I made a difference in someone’s day or life no matter how small. Especially to the strangers and people I’ve never met on Facebook, Twitter, and other places, they bring me so much joy and assure me that I am doing what I was meant to do.
Jennifer Pastiloff: What is Sarah DeAnna to manifesting in 2012?
Sarah DeAnna: Expect Everything and Expect Nothing at the Same Time! (See my No Rules, Rules). I expect an amazing, abundant, and joyful journey. I hope you’re joining me!
Jennifer Pastiloff: Can you tell us a little about your journey. Tell us about ModelSkinny?
Sarah DeAnna: My personal journey has been and continues to be amazing. It has been crazy and tragic and awesome and just incredible in every way. Model Skinny, was/is my physical body’s journey. I have always been on the journey to Model Skinny, my dream body. Model Skinny is how I defined the body I always wanted to have. The body I have now. My best self I suppose in terms of my physical, visible, outer body.
Model Skinny is a book I began writing, when I first starting modeling and saw the overwhelming need for people, models and everyone else, to know that they can have the body they want and still be healthy. Model Skinny is a book about how to get the body of your dreams, which might not actually be a skinny one! And why should it be? Curves are so sexy and guys prefer that to skinny! But if it’s a skinny body you desire, it’s important to know that not all models are anorexic, bulimic, or have an eating disorder. And my book, Model Skinny, will give you the keys you need to manifest your dream body in whatever shape or size that may be.
Jennifer Pastiloff: How did Hay House find out about you? When is the book out?
Sarah DeAnna: The better question is how was I so lucky to find out about Hay House!? Most people my age have never heard of Hay House, Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer or any of the other amazing Hay House authors. While shopping my book with other publisher’s, something felt wrong. I didn’t know what it was, but something wasn’t right. I decided to walk away from the offers and my literary agent and within a few months, I discovered Hay House. In fact, it was the authors at Hay House and what Hay House stands for that inspired me most. Many of the Hay House authors and the people who buy the books and materials they produce are older, so I knew the odds were stacked against me. But I was determine to show Hay House that I could be a Hay House author and hopefully help inspire a younger generation to all the incredible things they do. Imagine my surprise that inspiring a younger generation was exactly the vision of Louise Hay and the Hay House team and is the objective of the Hay House Ignite Event in March. (See link for information).
The publishing date is TBD, but the “Model Skealthy Dream is Alive” as I wrote on the piece of paper in my 1st yoga class with you. Skealthy means skinny/healthy. You can look it up. 🙂
Jennifer Pastiloff: When was the last time you laughed at yourself?
Sarah DeAnna: The other night! And I really want to tell you about it because it was absolutely hilarious! But it’s going to be an anecdote in my next book. Let’s just say, I did something really stupid that hurt really bad, but ended up inspiring me. I don’t believe in accidents or mistakes, I believe everything occurs for a reason and when you start to see the world that way, it’s amazing how seemingly really tragic events or things can change your life and become some of your greatest blessings in disguise!
Jennifer Pastiloff: Can you share the story again of the first time you came to my class… the note I had you write and how you found it later because I think you are a walking example of someone who is manifesting their dreams by first imagining them. You are creating the life of your dreams!
Sarah DeAnna:
Dear Jennifer,
So this is the paper from my 1st class EVER with you! I walked in, I was late… (kinda a problem I’ve been working on…) You said, “Here’s a piece of paper, write down what you’re manifesting right now in your life. Whatever that is. The first thing that comes to your mind”. I was late, so I just scribbled this down in 2 seconds.
The Hay House
Sarah DeAnna Supermodel
Model Skealthy Man of my
Dreams Dream Life Spirituality
Family Friends Money
Love Dream is
*ALIVE*
Then you told us to fold it up put it under or next to our mat and think of it every time our hands came together. I never felt so alive in that class! So connected to my dream and everything I wanted. Then class ended and I took that piece of paper and put it in my backpack only to find it months later. And when I unfolded it, it put the biggest, happiest, and most authentic smile on my face.
The truth is I’ve been chasing these dreams for sometime now and I have only recently began to manifest them in the most amazing and incredible ways. As for did I manifest everything in that class before or after I signed my dream book deal with my dream publishing house and my dream writer, I can NOT recall precisely. But the timing of both definitely coincided and definitely influenced one another. Now this piece of paper is tacked on my wall as a reminder about the power of manifestation and the invaluable impact that one class, one person, and or one moment in time can have on your life! I really do feel like I am living my dream life and the words on this piece of paper from your class can NOT feel more active in my vibration than if I was hit on the head with a gong!
Jennifer, you are an incredible person and a wonderful teacher! My wish is that all your dreams come to fruition and that you live your life to it’s fullest manifestation possible!
With Love and Gratitude, SarahDeAnna
You Tube Link for event: http://youtu.be/IVImrDhiIp4
1. Be Kind.
2. Have a sense of humor especially when it comes to yourself
3. Write poems, even if only in your head
4. Sing out loud, even if badly
5. Dance
6. If you don’t have anything nice to say… you know the deal
7. Find things to be in awe of
8. Be grateful for what you have right now .
9. Watch Modern Family, read Wayne Dyer, and end every complaint with “But I’m so blessed!”
10. Duh, do yoga
11. Don’t worry. Everyone on Facebook seems like they have happier and funner lives. They don’t.
12. Tell someone you love that you love them. Right now.
13.. Take more pictures.
14. Forgive yourself for not being perfect. No such thing.
15. Thank the Universe in advance.
