As I mentioned, I’ve been taking bikram yoga classes. As a result, I am frequently running around NYC with a yoga mat in tow (mat rental is $5 at the studio, no way I’m not bringing my own mat!). It’s come with me to all sorts of places since my schedule, even on weekends, is such that I’m always running from one activity straight to the other. Oftentimes this activity is work, which is gross. But whatever.
On Friday, I went to work, and then went from work to yoga. And then I went from yoga to Irish Exit, where I am proud to say that I have officially started a long chain of friends and friends-of-friends all having discounted happy hours on Thursday and Friday nights (I had the first happy hour, and everyone at my happy hour signed up to “win” – everyone wins at some point – another happy hour. And so the chain continues, especially because you can sign up as many times as you want and keep having happy hours). Irish Exit is slowly becoming my third home.
Anyway, I walked in to happy hour about an hour late. My friend asked if I had ended up going to yoga, and I showed him my yoga mat happily slung over my shoulder.
“Look at you, you’re so New York.”
For some reason that I can’t really articulate, I feel like this IS so New York. It’s not that people don’t do yoga or go to happy hour other places, but somehow walking into a bar with a yoga mat and promptly downing some shots of Jameson just seems like a really New York thing to do.
Unrelated – I learned from the bartender on Friday that if you take a shot of Jameson (or..anything) and then follow it up with a shot of pickle juice, it will completely neutralize the shot and leave you without any burning in the throat or other unpleasantness. I know, it sounds disgusting but TRY THIS SHIT IT IS AMAZING.
My new subway love
Monday, March 7, 2011
Labels:
Arielle's favorite things,
I love New York
If you are not familiar with, or otherwise do not care about the New York subway system, stop reading because this post will bore you. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Every New Yorker has their favorite and least favorite subway lines. Some lines are wonderfully consistent. Some of them go right where you need them to go. Some of them are terrible, never running frequently enough.
Long before I even went to college I have shed my praises upon the 2/3 line. I’ve been making the trip from Penn Station to 96th Street for years and the 2/3 trains FLY there. When I used to live on 98th Street people would always come up to pregame at my apartment and they’d be amazed at how quickly the train got them there. The 2/3 will always be my first and main love of the MTA.
Recently, however, I’ve been spending more time on the 4/5 and I think I’ve found my very close second. Friends, the 4/5 goes from Fulton Street to 86th Street in like, 15 minutes. No joke. Every time I take this train I am in AWE. It’s like I may as well have teleported there because it is (almost) THAT fast. And there are always trains coming! Like some kind of awesome caravan. One after another.
Let’s not confuse this with the 6 train though. The 6 train is slow and HOLY HELL is it crowded. Always. Doesn’t matter what time of day it is, the 6 train will have way too many people on it.
But 4/5 (and 2/3 of course), you’re good peoples.
Every New Yorker has their favorite and least favorite subway lines. Some lines are wonderfully consistent. Some of them go right where you need them to go. Some of them are terrible, never running frequently enough.
Long before I even went to college I have shed my praises upon the 2/3 line. I’ve been making the trip from Penn Station to 96th Street for years and the 2/3 trains FLY there. When I used to live on 98th Street people would always come up to pregame at my apartment and they’d be amazed at how quickly the train got them there. The 2/3 will always be my first and main love of the MTA.
Recently, however, I’ve been spending more time on the 4/5 and I think I’ve found my very close second. Friends, the 4/5 goes from Fulton Street to 86th Street in like, 15 minutes. No joke. Every time I take this train I am in AWE. It’s like I may as well have teleported there because it is (almost) THAT fast. And there are always trains coming! Like some kind of awesome caravan. One after another.
Let’s not confuse this with the 6 train though. The 6 train is slow and HOLY HELL is it crowded. Always. Doesn’t matter what time of day it is, the 6 train will have way too many people on it.
But 4/5 (and 2/3 of course), you’re good peoples.
A newbie's thoughts on bikram yoga
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Labels:
Gym time
I've wanted to try bikram yoga for a really long time and for one reason or another never did. Until now! Dun dun DUN!
I'm currently a few days into a 30 day unlimited pass, and I'm trying to go as often as possible to get the most of my money. I've taken 5 classes in 5 days, and let me tell you something:
Bikram is no fucking joke.
Leading up to starting my 30 day pass I took a few regular yoga classes to get back into the swing of things, and even went to a regular hot yoga class with Lacey. I emerged from hot yoga sweaty (of course) but feeling good. I went into my first bikram class armed with a full nalgene and some words of advice from Heather, who has been doing bikram for years and recently completed teacher training. But nothing could have prepared me for those 90 minutes in 105 degree heat.
I made sure to take a first-timers only class because I wanted to be around people who were going to struggle as much as I was. During my first class I had to sit down on probably 5 different occasions because I was dizzy (but so did everyone else, so I wasn’t alone. The sweat was dripping down my arms and legs while we were still in the first posture, and by the end of the class I had sweat so much that I wondered whether or not it was possible for your internal organs to seep out your pores.
Just a few classes later, though, the improvement is noticeable. I haven't needed to sit and rest since class #2 (though I’m sure I will again because everyone has good days and bad days). I'm pushing myself to hold postures longer instead of just going with the urge to fall out of them. I haven't had a repeat of teachers yet, and each one offers something new in terms of instructions that helps me understand, little by little, what the posture is actually supposed to look like.
Of course, there are still some moments where I think to myself, "THIS IS FOR REAL SOMETHING I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DO BECAUSE WHAT THE F AND WHO ARE THESE SUPERHUMAN BEINGS THAT CAN DO THIS?!?"
Here are some things I really like about bikram so far:
1. There are postures for everyone. Some involve an insane amount of strength. Some involve a lot of flexibility (these are my forte, in as much as you can have a forte at something you overall suck at). Some are probably easier if you're flat-chested and you don't have boobs getting in the way of trying to bring your knees to your chest. Some involve lying on the floor (this is enjoyable).
2. The post-bikram shower is the actual best feeling ever. Sort of like the feeling you get right after you vomit. You felt so awful and then all of a sudden it's over and it's like the heavens opened up and angels sprinkled some kind of happy dust on you and all is well with the world and you no longer want to die.
3. As far as I can tell, it's pretty unpretentious once you walk through those doors. No one really cares what anyone else is doing. Sure, some people are lightyears better than others but everyone just focuses on their own practice because when you're in heat like the depths of hell, you're ALL struggling and it's not a competition. Some people in my classes have been doing bikram for years and are on a kiss-on-the-cheek basis with our instructors. Yet even they still need to sit down and take a break sometimes.
So in short, I'm digging it. It’s too bad bikram is so expensive. Once my heavily-discounted 30 day pass is up, I hope to still take occasional classes, but in order to keep it up on a regular basis I would have to shell out a fair amount of money and between my gym membership (which includes volleyball), a separate Sunday volleyball league (which deserves its own post, for another day of course), and dodgeball/kickball, I’m pretty maxed out in my athletics budget.
I'm currently a few days into a 30 day unlimited pass, and I'm trying to go as often as possible to get the most of my money. I've taken 5 classes in 5 days, and let me tell you something:
Bikram is no fucking joke.
Leading up to starting my 30 day pass I took a few regular yoga classes to get back into the swing of things, and even went to a regular hot yoga class with Lacey. I emerged from hot yoga sweaty (of course) but feeling good. I went into my first bikram class armed with a full nalgene and some words of advice from Heather, who has been doing bikram for years and recently completed teacher training. But nothing could have prepared me for those 90 minutes in 105 degree heat.
I made sure to take a first-timers only class because I wanted to be around people who were going to struggle as much as I was. During my first class I had to sit down on probably 5 different occasions because I was dizzy (but so did everyone else, so I wasn’t alone. The sweat was dripping down my arms and legs while we were still in the first posture, and by the end of the class I had sweat so much that I wondered whether or not it was possible for your internal organs to seep out your pores.
Just a few classes later, though, the improvement is noticeable. I haven't needed to sit and rest since class #2 (though I’m sure I will again because everyone has good days and bad days). I'm pushing myself to hold postures longer instead of just going with the urge to fall out of them. I haven't had a repeat of teachers yet, and each one offers something new in terms of instructions that helps me understand, little by little, what the posture is actually supposed to look like.
Of course, there are still some moments where I think to myself, "THIS IS FOR REAL SOMETHING I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DO BECAUSE WHAT THE F AND WHO ARE THESE SUPERHUMAN BEINGS THAT CAN DO THIS?!?"
Here are some things I really like about bikram so far:
1. There are postures for everyone. Some involve an insane amount of strength. Some involve a lot of flexibility (these are my forte, in as much as you can have a forte at something you overall suck at). Some are probably easier if you're flat-chested and you don't have boobs getting in the way of trying to bring your knees to your chest. Some involve lying on the floor (this is enjoyable).
2. The post-bikram shower is the actual best feeling ever. Sort of like the feeling you get right after you vomit. You felt so awful and then all of a sudden it's over and it's like the heavens opened up and angels sprinkled some kind of happy dust on you and all is well with the world and you no longer want to die.
3. As far as I can tell, it's pretty unpretentious once you walk through those doors. No one really cares what anyone else is doing. Sure, some people are lightyears better than others but everyone just focuses on their own practice because when you're in heat like the depths of hell, you're ALL struggling and it's not a competition. Some people in my classes have been doing bikram for years and are on a kiss-on-the-cheek basis with our instructors. Yet even they still need to sit down and take a break sometimes.
So in short, I'm digging it. It’s too bad bikram is so expensive. Once my heavily-discounted 30 day pass is up, I hope to still take occasional classes, but in order to keep it up on a regular basis I would have to shell out a fair amount of money and between my gym membership (which includes volleyball), a separate Sunday volleyball league (which deserves its own post, for another day of course), and dodgeball/kickball, I’m pretty maxed out in my athletics budget.