Wanderlust NYC

This past weekend John and I took a trip to Hudson River Park (NYC) for a one day yoga in the city festival put on by Wanderlust. I have been dying to go to a Wanderlust festival since I found out about it a few years back from a fellow yogi! The regular events are four days long, and feature yoga classes by some of the most renowned teachers, live music, speakers, vendors, and more.

Even though this particular session only spanned an afternoon, they managed to pack a lot in. Three classes were offered, and John and I signed up for the middle class, with Schuyler Grant and Dana Slamp. The first half hour of the class taught by Schuyler, was accompanied by Hannah Thiem, a violinist/vocalist of Copal and violinist of Nyxyss. Her dark, yet spiritual melodies made pushing through some of the more challenging poses easier. My muscles were definitely trembling by the end of this one, but I was still able to focus on my breath.

The second session with Dana Slamp was more relaxed, and went through a series of restorative poses, which felt wonderful after the first session. Dana's class was accompanied by a harpist and guitar player, which matched the serene mood of the class.

White baloons decorated the tents, health food piled into the hands of toned people in spandex, and it was just a wonderful environment to be in! I can't wait to attend a four day festival. All of the longer events take place in gorgeous remote locations, so your down time is truly down time.

To learn more about Wanderlust Festival click here. 

Yoga and Fighting The Brain Bats

      It's midterm week. My eyes feel like they are going to fall out of their sockets from the time spent studying under the florescent lights of the library. I'm stressed out and upset, and as my friend Chelsea would say, I've got "brain bats". So today as I sat on my couch on the verge of tears, I picked myself up, rolled out my yoga mat and did about twenty minutes worth of poses. Slow, calming poses.

      I can't even tell you the difference I felt. My bones sounded like the maracas of a mariachi band (which I'm going to take as some releasing of built-up tension). I smiled a big toothy smile when I was done, feeling purged of all the negativity I felt earlier today. The best part? The time went by so quickly, and after only twenty minutes I feel ready to start a whole new chapter of my day. 

      It really is no surprise. According to Harvard Health Publications, "Yoga appears to blunt the harmful effects of heightened stress by influencing the body's response to stress. This is reflected in slower heart and breathing rates and lower blood pressure, all of which are good for the body. There is also evidence that yoga helps increase heart rate variability, an indicator of the body’s flexibility in responding to stress." (source)

     So if you find yourself swamped with work, depressed, anxious or just plain sad, try out a few basic yoga poses. Your body will feel better, and hopefully it will help keep the "brain bats" at bay.