Yoga for Foodies with Dave Romanelli
Wednesday evening, June 22nd, NYC
A group of 5 of us went to the Culinary Loft in Soho to experience Dave's 'Yoga for Foodies' event. Vinyasa flow yoga by Dave, followed by a delicious vegetarian feast by chef Andrea Beaman.
It was an amazing evening... so much fun.
And a perfect combination of the things we all love: yoga, food & wine!
Heidi Donner, Steph DeSantis, Dave Romanelli, Kathy Nolan,
Kerry Couture, Christina Stefanik at 'Yoga for Foodies', NYC
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World Peace & Yoga Jubilee!!
Last October, I spent four perfect, inspiring days in Loveland, Ohio at the
World Peace & Yoga Jubilee,
a gathering of (mostly) Jivamukti yoga students and senior instructors from around the world, including the founders of the Jivamukti method,
David Life and Sharon Gannon.
Aside from the amazing yoga instruction,
the conference also focused on ethical veganism
and the World Peace Diet.
Every moment of the weekend was beautiful and uplifting, from the many inspiring speakers to the amazingly delicious vegan food (all included),
to the concerts by MC Yogi and Trevor Hall (!!!)
Please watch this video of the 2010 Jubilee and maybe you will be inspired to join me in October for this year's event.
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WEEKLY YOGA EXCURSION
Every Thursday, I take a trip to NYC to explore the many different styles of yoga at studios all around the city.
Please join me if you are free and would like to try some amazing yoga outside your normal practice. I would love to share the experience with you!
Om Yoga Center
Om Yoga Center, at Broadway & 12th Street, was the very first NYC yoga studio I ever practiced at, many years ago. I haven't been back in a long time, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the place is still what I remember... a very friendly studio, with several large, well-lit class rooms, excellent instruction and a happy, pure yogic vibe. Om's owner, Cyndi Lee, is a world reknowned teacher of vinyasa style yoga as well as Buddhist mindfulness and meditation. There is a LOT going on at Om Yoga Center... trainings and workshops and a very full schedule of classes. I took Frank's Intermediate/Advanced class and it was so good. Beautifully sequenced and super challenging, Frank asked each of the students in class our names. He made a connection with each and every student and spoke to us all by name throughout the class, offering lots of variations to deepen our practice. I loved it. Om Yoga Center felt like home. Click here to find out more about Om Yoga.
Sonic Yoga
At Sonic Yoga in Hell's Kitchen, NYC, the vinyasa-style classes flow gracefully, inspired by world-reknowned Prana Flow teacher, Shiva Rea. My instructor, Keira, taught at a very calm, relaxing pace, yet she managed to insert variation after variation on her vinyasa sequence, which ended up feeling like a perfectly orchestrated, well-rounded class. Sonic Yoga has expanded recently to 2 floors on 9th Avenue and 51st Street. Check out this great video, produced by the yogis at Sonic, in the style of the Cell Block Tango from the movie musical, Chicago!
Jivamukti
First stop: Jivamukti Yoga Center, downtown. After having spent 4 intense days practicing mostly Jivamukti Yoga at the World Peace and Yoga Jubilee, I was anxious to be at the source of it all again. Jivamutki is one of the world's largest yoga schools. It has several large studios, a shop with LOTS of desirable retail: yoga clothes, jewelry, mats, aromatherapy products, etc., plus the JivamukTEA Cafe! I took a beautifully sequenced and powerful hamstring-focused class. It is always a pleasure to be at Jivamukti, no matter the instructor. Jivamukti teacher training is of the highest quality, so you know whatever instructor you practice with, he or she will be top-notch! Please think about joining me sometime for a class at Jivamukti.
Practice Yoga
Second stop today: Practice Yoga, West 83rd Street. One of the amazing instructors I met at the 'Julilee' told me she loves practicing at Practice! So I made my way to my old neighborhood, the Upper West Side! (If I had been a practicing yogi in those days, I might not have wanted to leave the city!) Practice Yoga is a neighborhood yoga studio; small and intimate, it is a pre-war studio apartment, converted into an exposed brick-walled yoga space with sliding doors opening to a small interior courtyard. I took a one-hour vinyasa-flow class. Short, but sweet.
Yoga Vida
I headed downtown again, this time to Yoga Vida, just South of Union Square. I love this open and bright studio space. The class I took was absolutely beautiful... a seamless flow and just the perfect way to start my day! The instructor, Hilaria, played unique and peaceful music: a blend of Spanish and classical music. The emphasis today was on the core. She ended class with about 3 minutes of intense core strengthening exercises, and many of the students were moaning! It made me feel so proud of my Friday morning students and the intensity you all bring to the core strengthening we do!! Classes at Yoga Vida are only 65 minutes, so I was glad that i had planned to take another class later on.
Vira Yoga
I made my way down to Vira Yoga for Anusara yoga with Elena Brower. I walked into the large, open studio and felt, at first, that i might not like it here! I could tell that many of the very young, lithe, beautiful students already on their mats were regulars here, and I felt a little out of my element. Interestingly there were lots of male students taking Elena's class.
I took this as an indication that the class might be heavy on physicality... In any case, more and more and MORE students began to arrive, until our mats were packed tightly into the space, literally, 2 inches apart. Elena arrived, as did the live musicians; a cellist and a drummer. We began the practice with a sanskrit invocation. Once we started Elena's thoughtful flow, i completely forgot about the two people on either side of me and it was like magic. Such a beautiful experience ~ absolute bliss by the end of an intense practice. Click here to learn more about Anusara at Vira Yoga.
Yogamaya
I had a change of plans due to a sick child home from school today... I decided to take just one class in the city instead of the yoga/antigravity combo.
I went to Yogamaya on West 20th Street in Chelsea. A new studio (just opened in June), it feels like a place deeply rooted in yogic tradition. Yogamaya has two beautiful, tranquil yoga rooms. The peaceful atmosphere relaxes you the moment you walk through the door.
I took a wonderful vinyasa flow class from one of the studio owners, Bryn Chrisman. She began the practice playing harmonium, leading a short call and response sanskrit chant, and then moved into a deep slow-flowing vinyasa sequence.
What is a harmonium, you ask? Check out this video of one of my favorites, Donna DeLory, playing harmonium and singing a blend of Let it Be and sanskrit chant:
The 1 1/2 hour class went by so fast! There is a lot going on a Yogamaya; lots of events and workshops. I'll definitely be back. Click here to read more about this vibrant studio.
Laughing Lotus
I was so happy to be at Laughing Lotus Yoga on West 19th Street for Allison's Lotus Flow class. I absolutely LOVE this yoga studio. The Lotus Level 2/3 classes are long (1 hour 35 minutes) and filled with yogic philosophy, beautiful vinyasa-style sequencing, and great music. The level 2 class was challenging and inspiring. I'm so looking forward to practicing there again!
I also recently took a Lotus Hour class at Laughing Lotus. It's the same kind of dynamic, creative flow, but squeezed into a one-hour class. Loved it!! Especially on a 2-class NYC excursion day, this lunch-hour class was a perfect vinyasa flow for me!
Yoga to the People
I took an early train to the city and headed to
Yoga to the People, for a Hot Vinyasa class, in the style of one of my favorite instructors from Santa Monica, California, Bryan Kest. No frills here; just $5.00 for a sweet, sweaty hour-long flow! Click HERE to read about Yoga to the People, a donation-based group of yoga studios, and their mission to make fun, powerful, judgement-free yoga accessible to everyone. After my class at YTTP, I headed back to OM Factory for another dose of AntiGravity. This practice is so much fun! It is a full-body workout, and the total inversions feel so good.
Om Factory
I tried 'AntiGravity Yoga' at Om Factory on West 37th Street. It was an amazing feeling to be suspended by a silk hammock and to experience depth in yoga postures that, normally, I am unable to attain. It was both invigorating and FUN! Can't wait to get back to OM Factory and do it again. Click HERE to see a photo and description of AntiGravity Yoga at Om Factory! Even better... check out this video of AntiGravity yoga at Crunch Fitness, NYC.
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Indu Lotion ~
Nectar of the Moon
Indu Aromatherapy Lotion is here!
Hand-mixed with love by Senior Jivamukti Instructor, Marni Task, this aromatherapy lotion is the stuff I've been rubbing on your tired necks and shoulders recently in savasana. Sample it in the studio before or after class, if you like.
8 oz. bottle ~ $18.00.
(Indu Lotion retails at Jivamukti for $25.00.)
Click HERE for a nice article about Indu from the Downward Dog Yoga blog.
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Passport to Prana
I recently found out about the best deal ever for NYC yoga classes. Passport to Prana is a multi-studio yoga pass. For a one-time fee of $30 you can take afree class at many of the best yoga studios in the city, including Jivamukti, Laughing Lotus, Exhale (many locations), Atmananda, Sankalpah, Yoga Yoga NYC, Pure Yoga (both locations), Integral Yoga, and many others. These studios offer free classes through the Passport to Prana to showcase their unique approach to yoga to students who may not have otherwise tried their studios. Some studios charge $20 for drop-in students. The Passport to Prana pays for itself in 2 classes! Click here to visit their website and get a taste of much of what NYC has to offer yoga students at every level and in many styles.
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The Vegan Table
At the World Peace & Yoga Jubilee, I had the priviledge of spending a lot of quality time with many vegan/vegetarian activists, speakers and authors. I found myself inspired to get back to my 'bootcamp' way of eating!! One of the people I met was cookbook author and 'Compassionate Cook', Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. I purchased her beautiful cookbook, The Vegan Table, and I highly recommend it to those of you looking for unique and healthful, DELICIOUS, plant-based recipe ideas. Click here to search inside the cookbook on Amazon.com.
