I did the Urdhva Dhanurasana!! The what??

I had a pose breakthrough in my Vinyasa class on Thursday and it was quite fitting that it was during the class of my fave instructor. (I've blogged about Sonia before as she is the cat's meooow of yoga instructors.)

So, I have always had serious issue with this backbend move. Oh, the endless amounts of classes over the years where I made little progress as I strained, sweated and struggled and the furthest I ever got was the faux version, which was only being able to balance on my head and yet never able to get my arms fully extended and body in the full, glorious half moon shape! Until Thursday night and magic happened.

I did the Urdhva Dhanurasana!! The what?? I did the wheeeel!!! The moments leading up to it, as my lower body was in bridge pose, I was like F** it, I am tired of feeling weak and pressuring myself, I’m just gonna try it with no “mind baggage.” And lo and behold, I DID it. Twas like angels lifting me up. Giggle. I was soo surprised that my friggin head was off the ground and because I hadn't taken her class/attempted the move in months!! Getting out of the pose, I was SUPER anxious because this being the first time I successfully did the pose, I was fearful that my arms would give out on me which would have led to true blue DIS-aster. But, I successfully eased myself out of it with a snails pace.

I was delirious and so full of adrenaline that the restorative parts of the class were lost on me and the mind buzzed with my accomplishment!

So let this be a lesson to all of you THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!! Now, if only I can figure out how to master crow and the headstand…

Free Community Pilates Mat classes

Hey all,

With money being a lil tight with most people these days, I wanted to draw your attention to two studios in Manhattan that offer free one hour Community Pilates mat classes weekly taught by Teachers in Training.

Movements Afoot
Wednesday at 6:30 pm and Fridays at 4:00 pm
Reg class prices are $18.00
Visit Movementsafoot.com or call (212) 904-1399 for details

Kane School of Core Integration
Tuesdays at 1:00 pm and Thursdays 5:30 pm
Reg class prices are $18.00
Visit Kane School or call (212) 463-8308 for details

Forget the Giants vs Redskins Kick off. Have your own Fitness Kickoff

Ok, the title of this entry was inspired by my viewing my first EVER football kickoff game when my gym buddy Amanda asked me if I wanted see the game with her at a sports bar. It was my first ever football game ever in its entirety. (I know the occasional glancing at the screen while munching on Super bowl nibbles doesn't count.)

Anyways, while riding out the wave of summer guests, I clung to the notions that once the waters had stilled, I would definitely need to do something special to get my booty back in gear with working out AND, I would make sure that I took some time away,

I looked at fitness retreats/spas and couldn't justify spending the money. SO, I decided to have my own Fall Fitness kickoff and design my own retreat!! After some deliberations, I decided to hit the very cosmopolitan and international Montreal. (I wanted to feel like I was in Europe and had already been to Quebec City, so I knew the province of Quebec would not let me down!) I booked my hotel in Old Montreal where historical landmarks, sublime architecture and cobbled stoned streets abound!

My next step was to find a workout studiot. I was open to either yoga and/or pilates classes. After much research, I happened upon Spa Zazen, a wellness center located within a 10 minute walk from my hotel. Even better they offered New Client Starter Package and I got 3 private machine classes for only 120 CAD!! You would NEVER find that rate in New York. I also booked an affordable (65 CAD) one hour massage. The owner Jennifer was a gem in helping me make coordinate my appointments.

Upon entering Spa Zazen, I knew I made the right choice. The exposed bricks, wooden floors and abundance of light lent the center a wonderful, tranquil energy. My trainer Natalie Fitzpatrick was awesome and delightful. And she's actually the ONLY certified Yamuna Body Rolling practioner in Montreal! (Ya'll may recall that I had Yamuna sessions in the Spring that I really enjoyed.) I was soo happy to have Natalie kick my butt as I woke up my muscles which had been on snooze. Even as the muscles ached, I remembered why the pilates reformer is one of my favorite fitness apparatuses.

The day of my final session, I had a swedish massage that was the cherry on top of the sundae and walked out feeling so light on my feet. During my "retreat", I also made sure to eat well and "detoxed". I also did sooo much walking and sitting around and people watched.

So, if any of you fell off the fitness bandwagon, I encourage you to have your own Fall Fitness Kickoff. You don't necessarily have to leave the city, but the weather is cooler now and is prime for outdoor activities. Gyms and studios to revamp the fitness schedules, so look and see if any new classes have been added on to pique your interest.

NYSC Soho has a new Tuesday Zumba class that I am VERY curious about...

NOW is the time to try Gyrotonics

Ok, if any of you have ever thought about trying Gyrotonics, now's is your chance!

Fluid Fitness in Midtown is offering a sweet deal for New Clients. You get TWO Private Training sessions (1 hour each) and ONE Migun Massage (15 minutes) all for only $80. The value of this is $180.

Man, it's too bad I already work out here. I have visions of going into the studio in disguise and using an alias just so I can take advantage of this offer. (Giggle)

And where did I leave off... Oh yes, my unexpected discovery Part 2

Well! With everyone visiting me this summer, it forced me to change my fitness schedule to free up my evenings. Therefore, I decided to work out on Tuesdays at lunch time and putting rebounding after work on hold. Ya HUH, I gave up my glorious class... So my gym buddy Kiki and I decided to give the 12:15 Spin class a try at NYSC on 38th street.

Well, I must say that the instructor well..... he turned out to be an unexpected discovery. I've taken many spin classes with instructors who all had one thing in common and that was to make you ride as hard as possible and/or push you as hard as possible. (There's even an instructor that Kiki and I take once in a blue that is downright cranky and we take the class whenever we want a giggle.) As a result eventually, the class would start to wear on me and I would give it up.

Well NOT Kevin, his mantra is that you should walk out of the class feeling like you can take another class!! How freaking refreshing is that??? I loved it. A gentle, effective, sweaty workout with a trainer whose got a fanstastic sense of humor and reminds us that we are all just trying to work off the Ben and Jerry's and who actually walks around the studio checking on people's form and making sure their bikes are adjusted properly. A super spin instructor I say!

Though I am back to rebounding after work. He is my permanant Tuesday backup!

Boy did I take a summer vacation

My summer exploded with out of town family and friends visiting and the hurricane did not stop until early September, but now I am baaaaaccckkkk and looking forward to keeping ya'll updated on the cool happenings.

Two unexpected discoveries, Part One

Well, my first week of regular activity has ended and I am thrilled to say that the body did not lose its fitness memory after having been deprived of regular activity.

But, one of the highlights of the week was the unexprected discovery of a new activity and it happens to be a fusion of two of my favorite workouts, which are Yoga and Pilates.

I was all prepared to take my first Pilates classes in eons and selected one at NYSC with an instructor that was new to me. Early on I thought to myself, hmmm this ain't your mama's pilates class as it had a bit of Yoga seasoning to it. HUH?? Then I heard the instructor use the word Yogalates and a light bulb went off as I thought, I am NOT going crazy. Ha!

Yogalates or Yogilates mixes Hatha Yoga and Pilates to create an extremely enjoyable workout. It was effective at targeting many areas like the abs, booty and arms and moved at a quick and challenging pace that did not allow one to get bored.

I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of fusion exercises as I think original activities should be left alone, but I if you ever see this class advertised I recommend that you give it a whirl!

Stay tuned for the Second unexpected discovery...

I've been given the GO!

Ya'll may be wondering why all has been quiet on the bloggy front. Well I have family visiting in from Asia and they are staying with me. And, it is alllll about my kewtie pie niece. So I rush home after work to see her. Also, a few months ago I hurt my wrist, so a lot of my fave activities were off limits as I could not put stress on my wrist.

But guess what??? My physical therapist said that I can resume normal activities and we will monitor how my wrist reacts. And boy has this come at the right time. I just spent a looong weekend in DC indulging on divine cuisine and my two workouts did little to offset the yummy food!

Yoga, Pilates I am baaacccckkk!

Ya'll better go to this!!

I discovered Osho Kundalini Meditation last year on my Costa Rican mediation retreat and have been jonesing to go to another one ever since......

Here are the deets:
Osho Kundalini Meditation with the Energy of Breath Institute
Date: June 25
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm
Address: 1026 Avenue of the Americas, 5th floor (38th and 39th)
Phone: 212-278-8330 (registration preferred)
Website: http://www.fluidfitnessny.com/
Cost: $30.00

Description from their website:
Osho Kundalini Mediation is one of the most popular Osho Active Meditations designed to be experienced at Sundown where you literally shake away the day by clearing your body and mind of your day's work. The guided meditative movement is done with our eyes closed so that our bodies' energy stays within us. Afterwards, we will sit together and share our experiences. You will leave feeling refreshed and mellow

The Indian Mystic Osho introduced a revolutionary and integrative life-affirmative approach to meditation and personal growth. This approach, called Osho Active Meditations, suggests that enlightenment is a natural state, not something to be attained; and the most beautiful and powerful way to live and grow is through love, celebration and deep self-acceptance.
Rohi Custage and Giten Tonkov, co founders of the Energy of Breath Institute will teach the workshop.

Day 13 is here!!!!

Hiya kiddies,

Day 13 is all about the liquids: smoothies, green veggie juices and pureed green leafy vegetable soups

It's like the Miss America pagent when all the rounds have built up to this moment.

Can we do it? Have the past 12 days been for naught as we trained our bodies and minds to prepare for these last 2 days of NO solid food...?? YES WE ARE GOING TO DO IT!!!

I am all armed with a batch pf banana and strawberry smoothie with some secret ingredients and just enjoyed a bowl of pureed soup chock full of kale, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, cauliflower with a little bit of sauteed onions, garlic, ginger and some Bragg's Liquid Aminos.

It turns out my original batch of soup tasted McNasty!!! I had too much water in it and it tasted like swamp water. One of my wonderful fellow detox ladies showed led me to the light. She told me to start pureeing the veggies ONLY then add ladlefulls of water, that I boiled the veggies in, until the desired consistency. And that was what I did this morning and Volia, palatable soup.

I am off to a 2 hour meeting this evening with the group which I am most looking forward to!

Day 10....

Ladies and Gents, I have reached Day 10. What is Day 10 you may wonder..........

First a little backstory. Ten days ago, I began a 14 day detox/cleanse at the tri mur ti yoga studio in Soho led by Amanda Young of Young Wellness and a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

I had been looking to do a detox/cleanse for some time now and most of the ones that I had come across were either too pricey, too unrealistic (Oh I was sooo not going to have a colonic everyday) or structured unappealingly. When I came across this Spring Detox, I was deeeeelighted.

It includes free yoga classes during the detox, 2 meetings with the detox group and a buddy! So ten days ago, 8 participants embarked on a journey together.

The first ten days I coped very well, but most profound was that it taught me that, when I am not spending quality time with cheese fries, I actually know how to eat pretty healthfully, thanks to work that I have done with a prior nutritionist. But I have learned so many new and better things.

But all this is at a SCREECHING halt now. After ten days of slowly giving things up to eat and drink, Day 10 has arrived.....

Day 10 begins: no more nuts, no more fish, no more whole grains.... In its place is just fruits and veggies and veggies and fruits only......

What's in store you may ask? Well:

I made a vegetable soup last night (Day 9) and because I am spastic in the kitchen and a mishap with the blender, the result was pureed green soup all over my kitchen ceiling, floors walls and lets not forget lil ole moi.

Today, I had to enter my credit card info for an online purchase at work, BUT I accidently began entering the card numbers on my TELEPHONE key pad... Giggle.

Anyways, my friends and co workers have been forwarned that I may be extra cranky/moody. so stay tuned because Day 13 is fast approaching....

Newsweek article

In light of my blog post "Manifesto on proper work out attire" on May 27th, I thought this Newsweek article titled "The Nine Most Oboxious Habits of Gym Rats " was hysterical!

Yoga Works Semi Annual Sale

Ok if you're looking for a reason to commit to a Yoga Practice, head on over to Yoga Work for their semi-annual sale, which started May 31st.

It's the best deal they offer. If you sign up before June 30th you’ll receive 2 months free with a 10 month membership and you don't even have to commit to a full year. You can also get 1 month free with a 5 month membership!

Hey Mo, have you seen Jo?

Sadly for the past month or so, my Mo and Jo have been going through a separation.

You see, every so often I lose the desire to work out. AGHAST, I should probably not admit this on a fitness blog. But alas I am human. The usual me likes to work out about 5 times a week with a few double doses (2 workouts in one day, such as cardio at lunch and Pilates after work) thrown in there. I feel my happiest and most fit when doing that.

But, my Workout Mojo has the NERVE to take a vacation once in a while and I am left wondering what happened. Did I burn out? Why am I being so lazy? Blah, blah. And when that happens, I just ride it out waiting for Mo and Jo to find each other again. Though this results in a loss of muscle tone and tighter clothes, on the plus side often what results is a stab at something new.

The last time I lost passion for the pursuit of the almighty sweat and conditioning high was about 6 months ago. That was when I found my way to Joel Harper, fitness contributor to Dr. Mehmet Oz's bestseller You: On A Diet and creator of the Fit Pack workout, a DVD of 9 equipment free workouts. Working with him for a few months definitely helped get the motor running again and reunite MoJo.

I NEED to get the booty to the gym at lunchtime as it will free me up after work and help in the double dose dept. And was thinking about hiring a trainer at the gym. This time around, I have resorted to bribery. My target is my pal Kiki who works near me and was gym membershipless. So, I came up with the idea to pay for a monthly NYSC gym membership for her with the agreement that we work out twice a week together during lunchtime…. Soooo much cheaper then a personal trainer. Am I brilliant or what!? A lunchtime Gym Buddy.

I have had great success with Gym Buddies. I also have a Gym Buddy named Amanda whom I try to meet a few times a month to work out on weekends and evenings. She's been missing her Mojo too so I am trying to help her find it again.

So if you ever find your Mojo missing, just give it some time to come back to you, but be active about it too. Check in with yourself to see if you need to change the ingredients to your workout routine, whether it is trying a new activity, changing instructors, hiring a trainer or just find yourself a gym buddy or two!

FREE Yoga Event: Solstice in Times Square June 21st

Man am I bummed that I won't be in town on June 21st. The Times Square Alliance is having an all day Yoga feast in Times Square on the Summer Solstice in celebration of the longest day of the year.

How cool is it to find your Zen in the middle of one of the craziest/busiests places on Earth?

WHEN: Saturday, June 21, 2008

WHERE: In Times Square, on Duffy Square at the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue between 46th and 47th Streets

ADMISSION: Free

CLASS SCHEDULE:
8AM - 9:15AM
10AM - 11:15AM (Beginners)
NOON - 1:30PM (Bikram)
7:30PM - 8:45PM

To preregister and for more info, visit:
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/about_us/events_solstice.html

Manifesto on proper work out attire

Ok so I have to vent. I was in rebounding class recently and what do I see??? A thong peeping out of a girl’s workout pants. Every time I had to face left on my rebounder there was her @#$%^& thong in my line of vision. I wanted to go over to her so badly and tell her to pull her damn pants up!

One of my BIGGEST pet peeves is people who don’t know how to dress appropriately for working out.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that one should be all glam and sparkly when working out, but I would like to toss out this brief manifesto on how one should NOT appear in public:

- Thou shall not wear clothes that are 2-3 sizes too big with big a$$ holes in them and looked like they rolled out of bed.

- Thou shall not wear pants that expose crack (and I don’t mean the stuff you snort.)

- Thou shall wear the proper sports bra. It ain’t pretty when your bosom is flapping about, no matter how big or small your cup size is.

- Thou should make sure that if they are wearing roomy shorts, they are wearing underwear. You may think that there is no way we can know you aren’t wearing anything, oh but we know….

- Thou should check ones appearance in the mirror to make sure that their underwear is tucked in. Because things like thongs peeping out is just down right trashy.

And finally, my all time biggest gym fashion faux paux.....

- Thou shall make sure that their lycra bottoms are not so old and worn thin that one can see the individual's bits and pieces. (This is especially painful to observe when one is stretching in front of you.)

So readers, I would LOVE to hear if you have anything to add to this list....

Yay it is officially SPRING!

Aw right peoples, Spring is officially here.

I have emptied my gym gear from my patent black fall/winter gym bag and safely tucked it away.

So for the spring and summer months, this lass will be sportin her hot pink lululemon gym bag.

You decided to do WHAT?

So my buddy Lindsey has decided to do something BRAVE, ADMIRABLE and some may say a little looney and that is to train for her first Marathon. She is working with Team in Training for the San Francisco Marathon and will be raising money for cancer research.

Lindsay is detailing her training in her blog http://www.lazylindsay.com/ which is the biggest hoot. Each of her entries is a real gem.

I admire her for it, wish I had the discipline to do it, but alas all I can say is, those who can't do, well um they help fundraise.

Please support if you can and remember no amount is too little as a lot of lil donations add up to A LOT!

Darkness Meditation: Sometimes being in the complete dark is a good thing.

Last month I attended my first Darkness Meditation given by Meditation from the Source, a Brooklyn based meditation company founded by two absolutely lovely people, Prem Neerajan and Sunder Ashni. Their company specializes in OSHO meditations held in NY and Brooklyn.

I had heard about Darkness Meditation last year and was extremely eager to try it out and was so happy to hear that they had started offering it as a monthly event.

The meditation begins with an intro and then the room is blanketed in COMPLETE darkness. I must admit that I think I may have dozed off, but am not sure because I have been able to go deep into myself during meditations.

But mostly I was in deep awe that my eyes were wide open, but I was staring into complete and utter darkness...... Ashni would occasionally repeat a mantra which would serve to draw me back into the moment as my mind does tend to wander. (I mean whose mind doesn't?) It was sublime and magical.

It's going to be a regular part of my meditation practice and I hope that you can join them on:

Saturday, May 24th from 6:00-8:00 pm
New York Core Center, 115 E.23rd St, 12th floor
Fee: $15.00

A cornicopia of FREE events at the New York Open Center. Go NUTS!

The New York Open Center's Spring/Summer season kicks off with an Open House on Tuesday, May 13 from 6 to 9:45pm with Free intros to classes like Mantra and Meditation and The Healing Power of Breath.

This is a stellar opportunity to do some sampling before buying. You'll enrich your life by exposing your mind and body to new experiences. As an added bonus, attendees of the Open House receive discounts on classes that they sign up for that evening

The "Free for All" continues over the next couple of months and includes oodles of Yoga classes

Dynamic Mindfulness Meditation Monday, May 12 at 6pm

African Yoga Thursday, May 15 at 6pm

Healing Yoga Thursday, May 22 at 6pm

Prana Yoga Teacher Training Sunday, June 29, 6pm

Beginner’s Yoga Monday, July 14 at 6pm

A full menu of free intro classes can be found on the New York Open Center site.

May Yoga Special at Om Yoga!

Om Yoga impresses me for always offering monthly specials in the hopes of enticing people to their studio. I get their monthly newsletters and enjoy reading the contributions that owner Cyndi Lee makes. I've never met her, but even though she runs one of the top yoga studios in NY, she seems super down to earth. (And, how cute is it that they have an ongoing Knit and Sit class!)

This month there is a 20 classes for $220, which is 11 bux a class. How cool is that?? There is a 2 month expiration though. But, they have a really nice space and a jam packed schedule with offerings of classes at all levels, so finding a convenient class should be a breeeeeze

My alarm clock didn't go off...

Ok, I know weekends are supposed to be for chilling, but I had every intention of hitting a 9:45 spin class, doing Pilates and heading to a meditation.

So, what happened? I forgot to set my alarm! I thought I did. Did I turn it off, go back to bed and forget?? Alas, I wound up getting up at 10:30 which sux because it means that I am NEVER gonna be able to fall asleep at a decent time tonight. Le Sigh.

At least I had my meditation to look forward to. I started my meditation "practice" last year with Energy of Breath Institute and today’s event was Chakra Loop Breath with Live Drumming at the pretty attune wellness and yoga in Soho. It's one of my favorite meditations because the sounds of the LIVE drums are so powerful and really enhance the experience.

Very often when I speak with people about meditation, they say it's not for them because their mind is too busy to stop, they can't be quiet/sit still for that long. And I tell them my prior understanding of meditation was blown out of the water when I went on a meditation retreat, where I discovered dynamic meditations. I mean wasn’t meditation what one did in Yoga?

When I found out that there are dynamic, movement based meditations like dancing and breathwork and water meditations, it was a new world opening up. I remember one meditation where I was beating a yoga mat against the floor. How ya like them apples? What happens after these meditations is that you become so exhausted that your mind has nothing to do, but... guess what... be quiet and you just want to chill out. It's great stuff and you should turn your world on its axis by trying one of these meditations.

And if one does not resonate with you, there is one out there that will. Meditating is a profound experience and it's also an imperfect one. (I mean my mind does wander occasionally when say um I am supposed to be focused on breathing in and out of my Chakras.) We owe it to ourselves to carve out some time to have a restorative experience.

Along with Energy of Breath Institute, I also like the quality meditations offered by Meditation from the Source. Many Yoga and Pilates studios have special events and workshops so you can also ask the staff for recommendations.

Ahhhhh, limp noodle

I am sitting here slouched in my chair because I am as loose as a goose. I think it may have had something to do with the YAMUNA BODY ROLLING™ (YBR) session I had last night. I decided a few months ago that it would be nice to learn how I can relax and ease my tight muscles without having to splurge for a massage. So I enlisted Rohi from the Energy of Breath Institute, who is certified in YBR to give me some lessons.

YBR uses balls that you roll over to release tension in your muscles and increase range of motion. I have seen people use the foam rollers to work out their tightness, but the idea of a surface with a little more give appealed to me.

(Last night was our second session.) So for 1.5 hours, Rohi and I literally rolled on the floor, placing the ball on various parts of the body and to enhance the stretch, I was directed to breathe into it the body part I was working on. We started with the IT band, then moved to the quads and then to the tummy (um thankfully I did not have a full belly). We also worked on the sacrum and my neck which I have been feeling a lot of tension in. (DAMN my desk job.) My Gyrotonic trainer says that it's a product of having to work with computers where we have a tendency to jut our chins forward when we work.

In spite of the OUCH moments (when I hit really tight areas), it was most enjoyable and I have some lil balls at home that I got on sale from Gaiam that I think I shall use as I am watching the tube!

Urban Rebounding Glooooryyy

I just got in from an Urban Rebounding class at the NYSC at Mercer Street. There is a gem of an instructor there by the name of Jim Linehan. I discovered him a few years ago, but did not go consistently as it did not fit with my schedule and I was getting my rebounding fix at the 14th street NYSC. Alas, the well of decent instructors has dried up and Ladies and Gents, lemme tell ya Jim is my SALVATION and I now attend his classes religiously.

It's sooo hard for me to find a cardio activity that is enjoyable and this class is bliss. I sweat cats. dogs and elephants, but man what a way to feel FIT AND ALIVE. I used to be in Rebounding heaven when there were 3-4 classes during the week to choose from. But somehow NYSC has managed to let these instructors slip through their fingers $%^&*(!!

Anyways, Jim is DIVINE and it's no surprise that he's actually a performer in "real life." Classes are a work of art in choreography with music that is chosen with meticulous care. His high energy is infectious, whether he is singing to the music or showing off his amazing moves to motivate us as we are working out.

There's an extra special something that I always look forward to 40 minutes into the class... I always look at the awe in newbies faces when they experience it for the first time, but you'll just have to come to a class to see what I am talking about.

NYSC at Mercer Street
6:00 pm Urban Rebounding
Tuesdays

Horton Technique at Alvin Ailey

Ok, you should all know that I have about 8 left feet and one of my many goals when I grow up is to be able to shake my groove thang on the dance floor with confidence.

So enter the Horton technique. After some prodding from my pal Heather who swore that I would like it because it was based on "technique" rather then actual full blown dancing and my Gyrotonics instructor mentioning that the teaser in Pilates looked like a Horton move, off to a 7 pm Monday class at Alvin Ailey I went. Oh, I should also mention that when I grow up, I also want to be a Pilates trainer. Hence why I liked the Horton and Pilates connection.

Heather and another pal Reiko joined me for 90 minutes of pure fun! I loved the live drummer and though the class was packed we managed to not get into any accidents. I would say that I followed about 50% of the moves, but the rest of the time, I was just focusing on enjoying myself. The instructor was way nice and did not make me feel bad about not always being able to follow along.

Will I do it again? I sure would! I just wish it were at an earlier time......