Cat Scratch and Getting back to practice

So, I took a break yesterday from my regular yoga practice because I was caught up in the Radioshack and I've gotta get back to it today. I've been practicing at Ishta Yoga this year. A totally different change of pace. Really exciting to say the least.

It has a nice dynamic to it of being esoteric without being too serious, there's a fun and playful aspect that's allowed and encouraged, which I appreciate.

Something that I don't appreciate right now is now my cat loves cuddling up to me and getting all lovey only to flash her claws and rip into my flesh. I'm like WTF! I know she doesn't mean to hurt me but she gets like all psycho sometimes, it's insane!

Anyway, gotta get to work!

Summer's almost over, le sigh...

My Brand New Blackberry and Rip Torn in Radio Shack

Ok so this is going to be a rather long blog entry. I've decided that I feel like writing today and since I'm enjoying my sleeping late and staying up late life right now, I'm going to tell you about my adventures at Radioshack yesterday since it's 2:30 am the next day.

Yesterday I finally joined the rest of the human race and got a Blackberry! Yeah, I thought it'd never happen too but Sprint wanted me and so to woo me to their side, they tempted me with a Blackberry and they got me right where they wanted me.

So, I'm waiting at Radioshack to get the phone set up and activated when a guy who says he's Rip Torn walks into the Shack and says that he just bought an ATT Go phone at the store and he left it there. So, he wants to buy another phone and the guy at the front desk is like I'm helping another customer, I'll be with you shortly. Rip is getting impatient and so, he stands real close to me and suddenly I'm gagging because I can smell spoiled milk coming from Rip's direction. I'm looking at this guy and I'm like is this really Rip Torn? I went home and look him up, well he was born in 1931, so he's pretty damn old. Here's a pic:



So, maybe it is Rip. He was showing me pics of him and Will Smith and Will Smith's dad. I'm like, is this like ID for you? He's like well, yeah, I guess it is.

Eventually he got his Go phone and went off on his merry way, I was glad. The spoiled milk smell was really upsetting my olfactory senses. I was doubly glad because my phone finally got activated and I became the proud owner of a Blackberry who's name is Ripley, in honor of my new friend Rip.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the printer I bought a couple days ago from Radioshack, but for now it's time to sleep. So goodnight and god bless us one and all.

Been a long time!

So, I don't think that anyone reads this blog, which is why I'm not so sorry for not posting on it. I've always been busy but it seems that now having a great blog is a hiring point for most employers. Which I find to be hilarious to say the least. Who cares if I have a Masters in Media Studies from the New School. (When it came in the mail I was on my way to the Medicaid office and checking how much I had left in my EBT -foodstamps- account.)

Now it's all about the blog! I shouldn't complain though, I was miserable in the corporate world. Being poor isn't glamorous but not having a 9 to 5 does permit me to do things I love with my time, like YOGA!

Jivamukti and Om Yoga are my new loves. I occasionally practice at Yoga Works but it isn't the same since I haven't been working there.

Maybe if I loose everything it will be easier to become an enunciate and fully enlightened. I'll travel from country to country and meditate and feel free. Ah FREEDOM! How lovely that would be.

Beyond that, it seems the country (U.S) is fucked. In debt and so am I.

Oh well.... AUM.

Favorite Studios

I've been to a lot of yoga studios in nyc and these are the ones that I absolutely love!

1. Yogaworks Soho, lux! sauna, two computers with internet at the upstairs tea bar, downstairs tea bar and lots of towels and showers. State of the art lockers and amazingly polite awesome staff.

2. Greenhouse Holistic, a scaled down version of YW soho, quaint, has a naturo-path store one door down and offers massage and other spa treatments in a back room. Also has sauna but only one shower and the staff is not as polite but the ashtanga class is kickass and will kick your ass.

3. Go Yoga, Very nice and helpful staff. Most of the teachers there are wonderful- almost all taught by Alison West- not alot of changing room space but a relaxing space non-the-less, that is, when the owner isn't humiliating a staff member or dragging her noisy kids in.

4. Yoga to the people, Ok, this is the least expensive yoga option in all of NYC, but probably also the most unsanitary. 60 sweaty students sardined into a room. Fighting for bathroom access and the sequences are always the same. Nothing special about this, except the director is a HUNK! I think he has an ashram of wives and 100 children though.

Top Mat Pick of the Month: Korq Yoga Mats

Hiya! So, you've got the Lululemon pants and tank, you've got the sweat absorbing towel and the green reusable water bottle/thermos that's totally recyclable and safe for the environment, and you're using a PVC MAT?!?! Um, did you know that those mats are NOT recyclable, NOT made from natural materials and definitely NOT cool for the environment? I mean, sure, those mats are cheap, like some going for $10 a pop but they are like totally the equivalent of doing yoga on a styrofoam to go container. They might be affordable but they start to really stink after a year and if you clean them consistently they start to get all shredded.

But don't fret kiddies! There are alternative choices in yoga mats that are better for your practice and the environment.

A few are Rubber Mats, Bamboo mats and my personal favorite: Cork Mats! Here's a site for one that I think is the bees knees: www.korqmats.com

Korq mats is great in so many ways, it's employees are disabled people who want to rejoin the workforce, the cork is harvested from the bark of cork oak trees and is 100% recyclable and renewable material.

Plus, it's so comfortable, you can actually fall asleep on it. I have plenty of times.

So before you buy that PVC plastic mat, check out some of your alternatives, you'll be so glad you did!

Retreat!

Hey yogis and yoginis! check out this new retreat that my teacher is leading.

Living Yoga Retreat in Baja, Mexico Feb 6-12, 2010

With Elizabeth (EJ) Neuse and Erin Teague

In the spirit of sanga, I have invited my friend and amazing fellow yogini, Erin Teague to co-lead a magical 6-day retreat at the Prana del Mar Resort in Baja, Mexico. The resort provides three healthy and delicious meals a day, while Erin and I provide the yoga. The retreat is open to ALL levels of yoga practitioners, especially brand new beginners. What better way to jump into the practice of yoga than at a beautiful seaside resort?

Erin and I have designed the retreat to be a vacation with a purpose. While yoga is our main focus, there will be plenty of time for swimming, snorkeling, surfing and drinking margaritas! The best part is that if you come with a friend you both receive a $200 discount on the price of the retreat.

This yoga retreat will be a fantastic way to create community and deepen your practice, while getting a much needed break from your daily routine. Prana Del Mar Resort only accommodates 20 guests at one time, so get your deposit in soon! $300 due Dec 1, 2009. Full tuition due Jan 15, 2010.

Check out the website at www.ejneuse.com or call 917-776-4067 for more information. Send deposit checks to Elizabeth Neuse at 68 Richardson St, apt 204, Brooklyn, NY 11211 or pay by PayPal to ej_neuse@yahoo.com to reserve your room.

So, I'm doing a show August 14th called Where Aliens Roam with Faux Maux and Valmonte Sprout Starts at 10 pm, $15 at the door, $10 online. Get yer tickets NOW!

Online event registration