Hidden Beach Yoga Benefit

If you're reading this blog, you're probably aware of yoga's myriad benefits.  
Some of the most highly touted perks include stress reduction, increased 
flexibility, and improved strength. However, there are many more fringe 
benefits as well, such as one that may come in handy at the 
beach this summer. (See video).

Are you better able to bend over and tie your shoes now that you practice 
yoga?  Possess a new found focus that makes you a Jenga champion?  
Sleep sounder at night?  What are the unexpected ways in which yoga 
makes your life easier, happier, more fun, or, even, less sunburned . . .

Quote: Laughing at Yourself

"You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself."

-Ethel Barrymore

Yoga at the Great Lawn: The World's Largest Yoga Class

At 4:45 p.m. on June 22, 2010, Central Park’s Great Lawn is meditating on the evening ahead. Mostly, it’s quiet, even with sound-checks happening onstage and hundreds of volunteers convening at scheduled rendezvous points across the massive swath of green. The event’s featured yoga teacher, Elena Brower, needs to keep speaking so that the audio/visual team can adjust her mic. She talks to those around her, giving occasional shout-outs to nearby friends. She discusses logistics with a member of the event staff, “I won’t be doing the OMs. I’m going to introduce Dharma Mittra, and he’s going to do the OMs.” Then, she experiments with the verbiage of how she’ll announce Mittra, a yoga pioneer who’s been teaching in New York City since 1966. Even in rehearsal mode, she’s succinct, gracious, and real.

Photo: Sound-check with Elena Brower, Wah!, and others.

But, she’s a little nervous too. Understandably so. She’s preparing to teach the world’s largest yoga class, with more than 12,000 yogis registered to attend. To keep herself anchored and appease the guys in the sound booth, she continues her banter. She begins to recite a mantra—om namah shivaya—saying it repeatedly with various inflections and at different volumes. She’s not chanting but, rather, substituting the sacred syllables for standard sound-check lingo. She could say “testing 1-2-3” or recite her ABCs, but one gets the impression that Brower doesn’t care much for throwaway words.

The cavalry of yoga assistants arrives at the Great Lawn.

It’s clear that things are going well as the event nears. By 5:30 p.m., the weather is cooling down (ominously so, we would soon discover). Volunteers, staff, sponsors, security, and media all seem to be coordinating nicely. I’m roaming between my posts as a member of the media, for OmGal.com, and an assistant teacher. I bounce happily from the press tent where I am offered interviews with a “celebrity yoga guru” per an earlier press release from her people (I have never heard of her) and obliged by Dharma Mittra for an impromptu photo, to the lawn to watch thousands of yogis take their places, unroll their mats, and prepare to make history. I tell Mittra he is free to sit or stand as he pleases for the photo, so the septuagenarian jokingly gives me a muscle-flexing move (a la the Governator). It’s so unexpected for a man of his stature that I’m not quick enough to capture it with my humble digital camera. My brain captures it indefinitely. Below, he strikes a more traditional pose.

Sri Dharma Mittra

All around me, thousands of others are capturing the experience in their own ways. Some are dancing to the musical performances, while others limber up with a few asanas. Many take photos and talk with their friends—some they’ve just met while standing in line for the event. One woman wears a multi-color leopard-print body blanket of sorts and paints people’s faces, including my friend Daisy.

Yup, there's a person in there.

Daisy, who gave Om Gal a plug on NBC (I didn't even pay her).

Reggie Watts, who’s equal parts musician, beat-boxer, comedian, and emcee, adds a party atmosphere, partially because he thinks he’s been asked to host the MTV Video Music Awards.

Buddy Wakefield, a slam poetry champion admits to being a little overwhelmed by the size of his audience. Presumably, he’s used to smaller venues (aren’t we all?), and now, he’s shining on stage beneath a news helicopter and before an audience that makes him feel “like Bon Jovi,” New Jersey’s chosen son. Wakefield dedicates one poem to “anyone’s who’s in it—the sticky tar pit of it,” which jars me from being a yoga teacher/blogger/media gal bouncing to and fro, to being an anonymous yogi among thousands, thinking to myself, “Yeah, who doesn’t know that sticky tar pit?”

This feeling of being swallowed by a beautiful and powerful collective rises up again, when, under the threat of thunderstorms, Elena Brower welcomes Dharma Mittra to the stage around 7:15 p.m. to chant the OMs as planned. “Speak loudly, and do one OM because that’s all we have," I overhear her kindly say to him from my perch below the stage. At the sound of this one unified OM, rising up from the lawn, toward the steamy, gray, ready-to-open sky, I can’t jot another note or snap another photo. I shrink down to the grass, amidst the real camera crews and journalists, join my hands in prayer, and, through a quivering chin and vibrating chest, I OM with everyone else.

It doesn’t matter than Brower makes it through only a few sun salutations before Mother Nature closes the curtain on the night’s yoga history making. It doesn’t matter that 13,000 people scurried home sheltering themselves from the downpour with their newly gifted yoga mats. It’s irrelevant that I went to dinner in pajamas because my clothes were drenched. And, nobody cares all that much about whether a world record stands or not.

It matters only that it can be done: a collective realization among a mass of modern yogis that no experience, event, song, sun salutation, mantra, or moment is ever a throwaway, and it takes far more than a thunder shower to dampen the yogi spirit.

To see more pictures of the event, visit facebook.com/omgalblog.

Yoga at the Great Lawn: Reggie Watts Welcomes Crowd of 13,000

In my lifetime, I will never be as cool as Seattle based entertainer Reggie Watts. I can only wish to be half as cool as his hair alone. Here, he welcomes 13,000 yogis to yesterday's Yoga at the Great Lawn, the world's largest registered yoga class, led by new found om gal-pal Elena Brower, with musical performances by Watts and others.

Thunderstorms abbreviated the event, but it was still a sight to behold. I have plenty of pictures and stories to share, so please check back later.

Summer Yoga Events & Escapes

Some people like to laze away the summer months at barbecues and baseball games, while others prefer to run, bike, swim, surf, and soak up every extra hour of daylight in more physical pursuits. Of course, most of us enjoy a combination of the two, happy languishing in a hammock or hanging off a rock face, reading a book by the shore or practicing sun salutations on a sunny porch.

To help yogis maximize their leisure time during the summer months, many event organizers and yoga teachers offer unique, yoga-inspired experiences. These events range in size and vibe, from intimate island retreats to high-profile festivals featuring celebrity musicians and yoga teachers.

Here's a cursory list of key yoga events this summer. I plan to participate in many of them and wish event organizers and presenters (many of whom are readers, supporters, and friends) much luck as they entertain and inspire yogis around the country.

June 22, Yoga at the Great Lawn: The World's Largest Yoga Event

Event organizers, Flavorpill, anticipate 10,000 yogi attendees to take class taught by Elena Brower in New York City's Central Park. I'll be there: representing OmGal.com in the press tent, assisting class, taking in musical performances by Buddy Wakefield, Grammy nominee Dalien, WAH!, and others, and catching up with NYC Gal over Pinkberry afterward . . . Don't be silly; she won't be at the event. It's during happy hour, people. My ode to Pinkberry, below.

June 26-July 2, Urban Yoga Retreat

Conceptualized by my friend and fellow Boston-based yoga teacher, Chanel Luck, the Urban Yoga Retreat allows busy yogis to go on a retreat but save their vacation days. Classes occur in the early morning and evening each day, with a more intensive workshop on the weekend. I'll be guest teaching on Wednesday, June 30. The program is hosted by the swish Sports Club/LA. Check out the clip below, featuring Chanel and me playing with our food-- an obvious sign you'll have fun in our yoga classes, too.

July 8-11, Telluride Yoga Festival

Packed with veterans to the yoga conference teaching circuit, such as Richard Freeman and Tias Little, and new faces like Alanna Kaivalya and Scott Blossom, this weekend features topnotch yoga classes, music, and unbeatable scenery.

July 16-19, Yoga Rocks the Mountain

With most concerts and many yoga classes held outside against a picturesque Colorado backdrop, it's easy to imagine reaching elevated states of consciousness at this Aspen event. Featured teachers include fellow Intent voice and blogger David Romanelli, known for his wine, chocolate, and yoga workshops, and Lisa Black, a Baptiste alum like myself and the owner of Shakti Vinyasa Yoga in Seattle, WA, along with many other talented teachers.

July 25-28 and July 29-August 1, Yoga on the Vineyard

My first summer job was aboard the Island Queen, a ferry which travels to and from Falmouth, MA and Martha's Vineyard, so my Cape Cod roots and love for the Vineyard run deep. I'll use any excuse to pack up and set sail for the preferred island retreat of the Clintons, the Obamas, Spike Lee, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and others. For yogis, Amy Leydon's retreats, boasting hearty doses of yoga, mindfulness, local cuisine, sun, and sea, provide the perfect opportunity for you and your yoga mat to wash ashore.

July 29-August 1, Wanderlust Yoga & Music Festival

The most high profile yoga event of the summer, this festival in Tahoe, each year, features classes and concerts from big names in yoga and entertainment. This year, headlining yoga teachers include Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Baron Baptiste, and more, along with musical performances by Michael Franti, the Brazilian Girls, Moby, MC Yogi, and oodles of groovin' others.

Please feel free to add your own yoga events and escapes by posting a comment.

Luck of the Irish? Not So Much.

The Celtics weren't so lucky last night, despite a solid outing against the Lakers (until darn Derek Fisher drained a three with about 5 minutes remaining, thus setting off a firestorm of scoring, which the guys in green couldn't overcome).

However, om gal MICHELLE, another Boston gem, lucks out today with free registration to this weekend's Father's Day 10k to benefit the Leukemia and Lyphoma Society and Revere Little League.

Congratulations, Michelle! Please email rebecca@omgal.com to receive your prize. Happy running (or walking) to you and your dad!

Quote: Pray to be Stronger

"Do not pray for easy times,

Pray to be stronger.

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers,

Pray for powers equal to your task."

-John F. Kennedy

Good Day, Sunshine?

This morning I awoke from a quality night's sleep, shuffled around the house getting my bearings, and settled into 15 minutes of meditation before a busy day. When I opened my eyes, a singular life question loomed . . . Did that really happen?

Of course I am referring to the thorough unraveling of my Celtics last night in game 6 of the NBA Finals-- a painful bait-n-switch, wherein a stellar team of basketball's finest eerily transformed into a hapless collection of rattled men scrambling up and down the court like my parents' chickens when the family dog circles their coop.

No synergy. No grace. No swagger. Just lots of running, pecking, and kicking up dirt.

Walking through Back Bay this morning, I saw Bostonians shake their bewildered heads over coffee. (These late-night games have us all a little bleary-eyed). They wondered aloud how it could be. A giant, implied "WTF" has descended upon us.

As any yogi will tell you, there's no better way to shake a giant "WTF" than a few sun salutations, particularly sun salutation B, with the strength and alignment of its Warrior I pose. Performed after sun salutation A (video demonstration here), sun salutation B is a well-rounded series of movements upon which many ashtanga, power, and vinyasa yoga classes are built. Traditionally, they are practiced in the direction of the sun (hence the name, signifying our "saluting" of the sun), as it rises or sets.

Today, yogis on both coasts and around the world, Celtics and Lakers fans, and sensible people who could care less about sports, will dutifully practice their sun salutations. Perhaps at sunrise, sunset, or some time in between, until they can do it all over again tomorrow. Ahhh, tomorrow. A fresh start for all, especially the Celtics.

Free Running, Beers, & Roast Beef

Yesterday, I encouraged you to eat pizza, fried rice, and ice cream (wink, wink). Today, I'm endorsing Free Running, Beers, and Roast Beef, all of which have little to do with yoga, our prevailing theme on OmGal.com.

So, what gives?

A few things, actually. But, first, I should confess my disdain for all three. Yes, even running, a former love of mine. We're on the outs these days. I think we might be headed for a break-up. No, really. I've had it. Today, I traversed the entire Boston metro area in search of magical running shoes to rekindle my old running mojo and failed (no one carries a size "ski"), which brings me to my earlier point: Me + Running = So Over. I mean it this time . . .

Beers have never much been my thing. I'll drink one on a couple occasions: 100 degrees at Fenway Park (the beer must be chillingly cold) and a sunny beach in Mexico (lime, please!). I'm not trying to be a party pooper. I've tried to like beer. It didn't work out. We've both moved on. Everyone is better for it.

Beef and I have been estranged since I was 9. No loss, there.

However, I am a BIG fan of road races to benefit good causes, and I am also a fan of Dads. Perhaps you are too? If so (and you're in the vicinity of my hometown of Boston), you should run or walk the Father's Day 10K this Sunday along Revere Beach Boulevard (accessible via the T). All proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Revere Little League.

**Special perk: Post a comment with why you love to run (or walk), and Race Menu, the event organizer, will waive one lucky reader's registration fee. That's right: free running, plus free (optional) beers and roast beef sandwiches after the race. Not to mention all that deliciously good karma on Dad's Day.

Not able to make it to the starting line? Post a comment about why you love to run anyway. Please, I need all the inspiration I can get.

**One winner will be selected at random by noon on Thursday, June 17.

Healthy Eats on the Cheap, Inspired by College Grads

Each summer, a new collection of freshly minted college graduates enters the workforce. They move their futons out of campus housing or coveted off-campus apartments, shed their school-issued I.D. cards, which no longer provide easy access to food, photocopies, and laundry facilities, and experience an about-face with reality. It's an exhilarating transition and a tad shocking-- especially from a financial standpoint.

Of this humble period in our lives, I'll never forget my friend and fellow yoga teacher, Karen, recounting with more than a little nostalgia, "You're so broke, and you don't care! You're sitting on the floor, eating a can of tuna for dinner, and it's awesome because it's your apartment and you bought that can of tuna."

Well said.

Nevertheless, all the independence in the world doesn't negate the fact that being strapped for cash is challenging-- whether you're a recent college grad or anyone else grappling with this rickety economy . . . Show of hands? Tight budgets force us to scrutinize our spending habits and forgo certain things; however, healthy and speedy meals need not be among them.

With the help of OmGal.com's favorite member of the class of 2010, Erin the Intern, I've compiled three quick recipes, inspired by campus favorites including pizza, fried rice, and ice cream, which scrimp on cost and time like their takeout counterparts, but not nutrition.

Original Dish: Pizza

Time: Whenever the delivery guy gets there.

Cost: $13.50 (1 large, thin crust pizza with 1 non-meat topping).

Om Gal Upgrade: Tortilla Pizza with Veggies

Time: Depends how crispy you like it.

Cost: $11.28 (with plenty of leftover ingredients for later).

After college, I went on a pizza hiatus and just regained my appreciation for it last year, while in training for the Boston Marathon. Ask my Thursday night training partners. On certain nights, I was fueled solely by the promise of pizza afterward. We joked that I should have worn a shirt that read: Will Run for Pizza.

This healthier variation comes from Meghan Telpner at Making Love in the Kitchen. Her recipe features many more vegetables, which I highly recommend; yet, for the sake of cost, I chose only a few key ingredients here:

• Organic tortilla ($2.50 for a 10-pack)
• Organic tomato & basil sauce ($3.00 for jar of Newman's Own)
• 1 small jar artichoke hearts ($1.79)
• Organic baby spinach, ($3.99)

Healthy How-To: Assemble the ingredients as shown above. Sprinkle with pepper. Pop in the oven. Cook at 300 degrees, until crisp.

Original Dish: Fried Rice

Time: 20-minutes to an hour for delivery

Cost: $7.70

Om Gal Upgrade: Quinoa Goes to China

Time: 20-25 minutes.

Cost: $3.64 (or $7.28 for double the serving size).

Ingredients:

• Quinoa (2 cups uncooked), $5.29
• 2 organic eggs (scrambled), less than $1.00
• 1 small can water chestnuts, .99
• Soy sauce

Healthy How-To: The most protein-rich grain on the planet, substituting quinoa for rice instantly makes this dish more nutritious. While your quinoa is cooking, lightly scramble two eggs. Add the eggs to the fully-cooked quinoa, along with some water chestnuts (drained). Flavor with soy sauce. Do a victory lap around the kitchen at your new found culinary skills. Next stop: Iron Chef.

Original Dish: Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Rainbow Sprinkles

Time: Depends how long the line & how hot the weather.

Cost: $3.75

Om Gal Upgrade: Yogi Approved Yogurt & Berries

Time: Just long enough to locate a clean spoon.

Cost: $3.25 ($6.50/2 servings, estimate)

Ingredients:

• All Natural Tart Yogurt ($3.50)
• Frozen fruit ($3.00, use the leftovers for a breakfast smoothie!).

Healthy How-To: You don't need a diploma to figure out this one. Buy a tart yogurt with as few ingredients as possible and add some frozen fruit. I dig Haagen Dazs, which isn't cheap; however, it still beats out most to-go counter options. Plus, even the most frugal guys and gals splurge on occasion. Why not make it on a scrumptious, summer dessert?

*Please note: Prices vary depending on grocer, location, season, etc.