Time Out NY Shout Out!

I was pretty psyched to get a shout out in Time Out NY's list of 52 cheap things to do...

Yoga has become so popular that it's tough to find a drop-in class for less than 17 bucks a pop, which can alienate people from trying out new studios or taking up a regular practice...And that my friends, is a shame (not to mention a deviation from what yoga stands for to begin with).

Part of the reason I decided to teach in Central Park was so I could expose people to yoga that may not otherwise try it. That said, as an instructor I understand the business side of things, and realize how hard it would be to make a living off teaching alone. At this point in my life, I'm thankful to be able to offer classes (that are practically free) and share something I love with others.

One studio in the city that shares this philosophy is Yoga To the People; they have several studios in NY and SF Bay area...check them out!

Becoming Clear

I've mentioned before that this blog is a journey to wholeness. But after one too many glasses of wine enabled me to try every cookie, truffle and cake on the dessert platter, I woke up at 3am unable to sleep. This is not the first time.

More than despising my lack of willpower with food and drink (especially because I know better), this habit of over-indulging is compromising the way I live my life. It makes me lazy, anxious, irritable. It makes me, well, not me.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life--living in NYC is the best gift a single girl in her mid-twenties could have. There are limitless opportunities, activities and adventures to be had, yet I believe drinking alcohol at times holds me back from doing the things I really want to do. It's a vicious cycle: I have a few drinks, over-indulge, feel guilty, hit the snooze, miss yoga or my morning run, feel guilty, eat poorly to counter-act feeling bad, feel guilty, and pledge to do better tomorrow. Repeat. (Wow. That really made me sound like a raging alcoholic.)

Approaching another birthday, I've realized New York is a place where I should be pursuing all my goals and passions, yet waking up foggy after a few drinks a few days a week sets me up to follow my old routine, doing the same things I did before. In this state I'm not clear on what I want to pursue; I want to write, meditate, do yoga, run, eat whole, take an improv class, try standup, cook, start a business, read, make jewelery...but doing any of these buzzed or hung over is not easy. I've put off taking a dance class or an improv class or a weekend trip because of cost, yet I don't bat an eyelash at a $14 Gin 'n Tonic. It adds up--my guesstimate is that I spend around $3,200/year on alcohol (That also makes me sound like an alcoholic). That's equivalent to another yoga training course, a couple international weekend trips, or at least a year of improv class.

I want to become clear, whole, conscious and more deliberate with my choices and my time in NYC, so I'm considering taking a year off of alcohol...But I'm scared as hell. Scared I will be shunned by my friends and family. Scared I will be single the entire year. Scared it will be too hard. Scared I will be judged. Scared I won't be able to do it.

However, I think I'm more afraid to squander goals and dreams with a foggy head, when a wealth of opportunity lies right at my fingertips, and that is the worst fear of all.

Yoga Playlist 6.14.10

• Be Here Now, Ray LaMontagne
• 1st of Tha Month, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
• Easy Love, MSTRKRFT
• Just Like Heaven, The Cure
• Hurt So Good, John Cougar Mellencamp
• Good, Better Than Ezra
• Tell Me Something Good, Chaka Khan and Rufus
• Where Does the Good Go, Tegan and Sarah
• Here I Am (Come and Take Me), UB40
• Satellite, Dave Matthews Band
  
• Who Says, John Mayer
• My Sweet Lord, George Harrison
• Wild World, Cat Stevens
• I'd Rather Be With You, Joshua Radin
• Final Relaxation

"Your journey has molded you for good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don't think that you've lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time." -Asha Tyson

Heirloom Watermelon Salad

I had not passed more than two market stalls and...tractor beam....my eyes fixated, my heart started to race. Heirlooms came early! So plump and handsome, I fawned over them checking for color and ripeness. Without any idea of what I was going to do with them, I made my choice based solely on aesthetics--one green with yellowish streaks, the other a deep pink with orangy stripes.
Walking home from the farmers market on a muggy, sweaty Saturday I decided I needed something light and refreshing and what better for that than some juicy watermelon. With whatever else I had on hand, I came up with Heirloom Watermelon Salad. Not only are watermelon and tomatoes high in water content and excellent for re-hydrating and quenching your thirst on a warm summer day, but both are also great sources of lycopene, an antioxidant praised for its cancer-preventing properties as well as its ability to neutralize free radicals. Bonus!

Pair it with a chilly glass of Riesling and a roof deck. Summer's here.

You'll Need:

• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cubed
  
• 1 1/2 cups watermelon, cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Dressing:

• 2tbs olive oil
• 2tbs balsamic vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• sea salt and pepper
• Riesling or your favorite white (optional, but highly recommended)

Yoga Playlist 6.7.2010

• Let Go, Frou Frou
  
• Let Your Love Grow Tall, Passion Pit
• Make Her Say (Feat. Kanye West and Common), Kid Cudi
• Tennessee, Arrested Development
• Under Pressure, David Bowie
• Could You Be Loved, Bob Marley
• Doo Wop, Lauryn Hill
• Love Me Two Times, The Doors
• Lovely Day, Bill Withers
• Gravity Rides Everything, Modest Mouse
• Fast Car, Tracey Chapman
• Crazy Love, Van Morrison
• Beautiful Boy, Ben Harper
• Falling Awake, Gary Jules
• Final Relaxation

"You are always already happy. The reason you don't experience it is that it's covered up by layers of supressed emotions and negative thoughts. Shift your attention and your inherent happiness flashes forth." - Steve Ross

Relax the Back: Poses to Ease Low Back Pain

Once word got out around the office that I taught yoga, I became the resident fitness guru of sorts. I get asked about everything from inner foot stretches to loosening up tight hips, but most frequently people are interested in ways to ameliorate back pain and stiffness.

While I'm no doctor and these poses are certainly not the end-all-be-all for back issues, I am certain that sitting hunched over a desk for eight plus hours can cause a host of tightness and pain in the low back. Since everything in the body is interconnected, back pain can also be caused by a tightness in the hip flexors (or psoas), causing a swayback.

Here are two poses, Modified Locust Pose and Bridge Pose that stretch both the low back and the hip flexors. Hold each pose roughly 20 seconds and repeat 3-4 times keeping the breath steady. End with the counter-stretch. For maximum benefit, repeat daily.