More Than Ever, The World Needs Yoga

At this time in our history when it seems that the world is in turmoil, I believe it is imperative that we focus on the positive and peace inside ourselves. My yoga practice has taught me to always see the best in things.

Yoga is not just a class you go to now and then, or a form of exercise. To me, yoga is a deeply personal and spiritual practice that teaches us peace, meditation, and gratitude. I used to feel a lot of pressure from the weight of the world, and other people’s problems I could not solve and it would cause me a lot of personal unhappiness and stress in my daily life. I had done yoga off and on at my University’s group classes and at studios in Orlando, but it never really clicked for me as more than a workout class. However, a change in mindset and finding the most incredible studio in my neighborhood, Yoga Agora, honestly changed me as a person.

That may seem like a huge exaggeration to say that yoga has changed my life, but it completely has. Yoga is an ancient practice that began in Indian and has roots in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It originated around the time of the Buddha and from his teachings, and was first a mental practice before it had transformed into a well known and popular form of exercise all over the world. It is a deeply personal practice equally about giving your best physically to the practice, but also mentally. Yoga is a practice meant to prepare your body and mind for meditation, or shavasana (an Asana pose where you lie on the floor and openly breathe in meditation.)  

Yoga has brought me immense peace with myself and in dealing with the external factors of life; work stress, my relationships, being comfortable with who I am, and even the political climate of the world. I learned from the confines of the four corners of my mat, that I am only in control of my own thoughts and my own life, and to simply deal with what is dealt at me to the best of my ability. To be easier on myself; like at the end of a Vinyasa flow you lay down and meditate on what you have done and have peace that is was all you can do. So rather than nit pick at what I could/should have done and replay situations over and over in my mind until I make myself sick, I choose to live presently and realize what is done is done, and to only focus on what I presently have control over. 

The world desperately needs yoga. The world needs peace, the prominent theme of yoga, and to stop lashing out in negativity and violence as a first reaction. My favorite mantra chanted in practice is this, 

"Om śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ," translated meaning 

May there be well-being for all,

May there be peace for all.

May there be wholeness for all,

May there be happiness for all.

This is the dream, isn't it? What peace is about? How can we really create "World Peace" when our first reaction to political news is to spread our own negative feelings? A pillar of Buddhism tells us that we are in control of removing suffering from the world. I believe by removing negativity that this is the first step. Let's keep our negative thoughts to ourselves and instead provide positive alternate options to what we don't agree with. This will also give our loved ones, friends, even world leaders the reinforcement to make the right choices out of compassion.

This following chant is very important to our world at this time:

"Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu"

May the rulers of the earth protect the well-being of the people,

With justice, by means of the right path.

May there always be good fortune for all living beings.

May all the inhabitants of the world be full of happiness.

If only the world could feel the peace and ease of mind one receives at the end of a blissful yoga session. Peace in the body, peace in the mind, and peace in the heart.

Hate takes energy. Love just is.

5 Things I Have Learned & Hope to Grow into in my 25th Year

January 25th I woke up the ripe old age of 25, which also happens to be my Golden Year! 24 taught me more than most years in the relationships I had, moving to NYC, and with my career. I have grown into myself a lot over the past few years and wanted to share a few things I have learned, and am working towards implementing more into my life.

1.     Success is measured by your happiness. I am happy when I am doing what I love; my new job planning weddings at my dream venue, running, doing yoga, being with those I love, and in nature.

2.     Be true to yourself. Always do what feeds your soul and not to satisfy others. It is really important to me to always be authentically myself, and to embrace all my quirks.

3.     Don’t give all of yourself. I am a giver; I give and give and am always there for my friends no matter what they need. However, that has not always been reciprocated. After much hurt, I have learned that I cannot always care for others more than myself, especially when they do not return the favor. Keep your good friends close, and always keep a special place in your heart and your day for yourself.

4.      Find an outlet. Life can be hard sometimes. I find that having an outlet to de-stress and refocus on something you care about really helps me. Running and yoga are that for me. The physical burn and the clarity I get through meditation in both are not paralleled by anything else to me, and I am obsessed with both!   

5.     Your body is your vessel, take care of it. You were given this one, precious, human body to carry you through life. Life is the most incredible gift we can have and I believe in wellness and longevity for that life. So I choose to eat real, nutritious, healthy food and move my body in ways that feel good to me (even what that means running a marathon.)

All in all, I learned after years of working to please others, or to “fit in”, that the most important thing we can have in this life is satisfaction with ourselves. I find that I am happiest when I am doing exactly what feeds my soul: spending a quiet night at home with Charlie and a book, going on a long run with friends, yoga and meditation, a hot bath, trying new restaurants, discovering new places, and a hearty glass of red wine. 

What I've Been Doing Lately

New Year, new me right? Blogging hasn’t been on the tip top of my list of priorities, but it is definitely on my list of resolutions! I would like to realistically do a few posts a month, aka what I have been up to, recipe ideas, running, etc.

So since we’ve last chatted, life has been pretty sweet to me. I spent Thanksgiving with my dear friend Grace at her home in New Hampshire and had such a wonderful time. We went to the beach on Thanksgiving Day (her family tradition), her amazing mother made me a completely vegan meal, and took a drive up to Mount Washington and along the scenic Kancamagus Highway. We didn’t get to hike, but I will definitely be planning a trip to do just that this coming summer! It was bittersweet to be away from my family, but knowing I would see them for Christmas and having such an incredible time with Grace made for a very memorable trip.

My mom came to NYC (quickly becoming her favorite city I do believe) for a Christmas extravaganza! We ate lots of vegan dishes, saw the incredible Rockettes show, ice skated in Bryant Park, and toured the Rolling Stones exhibit in the West Village. We also got to see the film Jackie that I was dying to see, and it proved to be absolutely incredible. Of course we had several AMAZING vegan meals at my favorite spots! Her visits are always a whirlwind of fun, and never last long enough.

Jujube Tree in Astoria

Kimchi at Chelsea Market

As far as running goes, I took on my first (and maybe last) cross country race at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. My enthusiastic teammates talked me into it, and I am very easily influenced into signing up for any and all racing events. My sister, Tara, an avid cross country runner in High School and college gave me some tips, and I strapped on my trail shoes and took the train out to the park on a very chilly and wet morning. Standing at the start I realized “what have I got myself into” as we spread out and headed out quickly into a flooded field. Soaking wet, we turned onto the trail and began a very steep ascent into the hills. My legs burning, I put everything I had in me into finishing as fast as possible and trying to not finish last. As a distance runner, speed isn’t my thing and multiple times as I tried to speed up I told myself I hated running and would never race again. Crossing the finish line was a relief, and about 2 minutes later I decided it was really fun to race such a difficult trail! Runner’s brain for you…

I also ran the Ted Corbitt 15k in Central Park with my team, which was a lot of fun and I set a nice new PR! Other than that, I have been adjusting to winter running in the cold and snow and really enjoying it so far. Other than freezing hands, having no issues and I think that winter really is my favorite season! Another little note: started a new job as a Catering Sales Coordinator planning all weddings at the Plaza.. a real dream come true!

Keep running friends!

Only a Month Late….

The term “the city that never sleeps” should actually be “the people that never sleep.” I feel like I never get a chance to just sit down, write, and relax! But… not complaining at all. Life is wonderful, busy, and full of running! The Brooklyn Rock & Roll Half Marathon was now about a month ago. I trained (kinda), got up at the crack of dawn, and called an Uber to get to the start at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. My Uber driver could not quite wrap his head around the idea of me running in an organized race, and running 13.1 miles for fun. After a quick de-tour into Manhattan, I arrived in plenty of time, dropped my bag, and headed to my corral. 

The sunrise over the Brooklyn Museum was stunning, and we were off! Prior, I had set a goal to run a sub 2 hour, but leading up I decided I just wanted to have fun. I am not good at forcing myself to run fast, do speed workouts, or be uncomfortable. Running for me has always been my time to clear my head. After my first mile at 8:45 pace, I decided to ditch the fun and go all out. The race passed in a total blur; bands at every mile, beautiful fall trees, and the burning of my own legs. At about mile 8 I started hurting as I have not really trained my long runs at a 9 minute pace. I ate my dates I carried with me, grabbed some water at the stations, and charged on. Mile 10 we entered Prospect Park, my first time there, and it was so lovely. The first time I had really seen the coming fall foliage this season! Of course, the park also boasted some decent hills, and I watched my pace slow down (thanks Florida flatness.) I kind of gave up my sub 2 hour at that point, and crossed in 2 hours and 2 minutes, realizing I totally could have done it. I got my medal, teared up as I always do appreciating my body and the spirit of running, and headed home for a bagel. Running races never fails to make me consider the human spirit; how we all line up excited to run miles and miles for no reason and how we cheer and urge each other on. I feel that if everyone ran, the world would be a more peaceful and wholesome place.

Another huge addition to my life recently, my running group “The Dashing Whippets.” I had done group runs in the past, but never really enjoyed them and always felt very self conscious as I do not deem myself as “speedy.” After a period of feeling alone, I decided to buck up and pay the dues and get myself out there. As soon as I showed up to our meeting spot Monday night, I was immediately welcomed and made to feel at home. The team is so supportive, friendly, and we all share an extreme passion for running. Finally, people I can talk running about 24/7 and they will understand my insanity of running a Marathon and the joy of discussing running shoes! After a few runs, and even cheering on fellow Whippets at the New York City Marathon, I feel like I have my family here in the big scary city. For anyone as meek as I am in joining a running group, do it. It could really change your life.

Cheering on the NYC Marathon from Mile 21 in the Bronx!

Some of the fall beauty I am really loving! Keep running friends.

When Your Race Doesn't Go As Planned

You get upset, and you move on. As a “new runner,” although I have run a bunch of 5ks, 5 half marathons, a full marathon, and regularly run; I would describe myself as a new runner. I have never ran for time, more so to complete the distance and for the mental clarity it brings me. after running regularly for about three years now, I decided to up my game and set new goals for myself and to improve my speed and stamina. One of those goals was to run my 10k race in under 54 minutes, just under an average pace of 9 minutes per mile. No, this isn’t generally fast but for me it was. I trained (maybe not enough speed work), and I was fairly confident I could accomplish it. this goal fed into my next goal, running a sub two hour half marathon on October 8^th.

Waking up for the race at 5am I could already feel my body yelling at me after spending too much time on my feet the previous two days, and taking a very intense yoga class the morning before. I got up, dressed, had coffee and my pre-race rice cake with peanut butter and banana, and headed out the door. I was immediately smacked in the face by the heat and humidity that had been absent for the last few days, not a runners friend. After a train ride, running a mile from my train stop to the start (with a bathroom stop at the McDonald’s Times Square) I had made it to the start. The race was set up to start and end at Pier 84 on the Hudson River. After checking my unnecessary jacket, I headed to the corral to take part in the warm up and we were off at 7am! My body was yelling at me. My leg’s felt like lead and my stomach was a sloshy mess. The first three miles I made in sub 9 minute pace like I was hoping, but then I realized it just wasn’t my day so I pulled back and tried to just enjoy it. My body just did not want to run, so I did my best and crossed the finish in about 57:30, and I moved on.

I headed to the celebration area, got my adorable free t-shirt, some snacks, a bag, and a blender bottle. Exhaustion hit me, and I headed home. Now, this was not at all the race I hoped for. No, I probably was not fully trained to reach my goal time (something I really need to work on- speed training), and I cant help that my body was just not having it. As runners, we have to realize that not everyday is a great day, and we cant perform 100% every day. These races are given to us to appreciate the times that running feels like skipping through a cloud, and be thankful for the amazing feat that we have the gift and ability to run. Maybe I am not a runner; maybe I am meant to be a yogi. However, running makes me very happy. So I will continue to do it for the mental clarity and “runner’s high” rather than specific goals. And when I do not make my goals, I will not be disappointed but blessed that I could even try.

Keep running friends. 

Plant Based NYC Eats

Although I no longer like to label myself as a “vegan” or “vegetarian”, I do consider my diet to be plant based and free of animal products. New York City is a mecca for plant based living; restaurants commonly offer and label their vegan or vegetarian options, there are many vegan and plant based restaurants, and grocery stores even offer more options for veggies! I used to trek far and wide for my favorite dairy free milks, ice creams, cheeses, etc. and was extremely pleased to find that my local store has even more options than before! The nut cheeses I find are mind blowing, and every flavor of cashew milk ice cream! My cow loving heart is very pleased with the assortment of options.

Eating out is easier than ever before and more tantalizing for non-vegans to try! Here is a short list of some of my favorite places so far. Of course, I will continue to update this list in further posts.

Blossom

I had been previously with a meat eater, who was pleasantly surprised and loved it himself! I can’t remember what I had, but the food and experience was amazing.

My vegan mother came and I had to take her; we hit up Blossom on Carmine and enjoyed the Steak and Salmon (all meat free of course!) We still talk about how great it was and how often we crave it.

Seitan cutlet & gravy

Salmon dinner

Blossom Du Jour
Sister to Blossom, this "fast food vegan" offers your favorite comforts in a healthier and kinder manner! I had the BLT wrap.... fantastic. They even offer things like chicken tenders and Bacon Egg & Cheese sandwiches! A new favorite in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan. Perfect lunch spot on the go or before a Broadway show!

V Spot

Another of my favorites! I enjoy Latin inspired quinine which is sometimes difficult to find dairy and meat free. This place is off the charts, I’ve had the spinach burrito twice and I recommend upgrading your side salad to a Caesar. The bacon will make your day.

My sister had the Supreme Quesadilla which featured a spicy dip and plantains inside… incredible.

By Chloe

This uber trendy spot is popular among vegans and non-vegans alike. Their menu is all-American featuring sandwiches, burgers, salads, and incredible desserts. I have had the Guac Burger with Sweet Potato fries, and their tofu scramble breakfast platter. I would also recommend picking up a cup of their ice cream for your sweet tooth.

Bareburger

Veggie burgers are my ultimate weakness. I think I could actually eat one every single day. Bareburger has many locations throughout the city and the boroughs (one conveniently around the corner from me) and is my go to with friends. They offer 3 different options for veggie patties, sprouted vegan buns, vegan cheeses, and SO many veggie toppings and pickles! Meat eaters love it, veggies love it, beer drinkers love it. Seriously, something for everyone. And it is organic and cute to boot ;)

Franchia

On a rainy day in the area, I popped in with my friend Brooke to test this one out, and I have been back 4 times since. Wow. Exquisite, the décor is beautiful and well themed, the menu is extensive (all vegan) with appetizers galore, sushi, rice and noodle bowls, cocktails, and desserts! I love the Vegetarian ‘Duck’ Bibimbap (favorite), and I have also had the Javanese Noodles Goreng, and the Tofu and Vegetables Claypot in Spicy Ginger Sauce (pictured.) I could eat here everyday and never get tired of it because of their endless options! Vegs and meat eaters alike have enjoyed it, highly recommended for all!

My final eatery on this particular post:

Candle 79

Numerous times I have walked past Candle 79 and scoured their menu online, finally I had a reason to go! my best friend Allison was coming to visit for her birthday, and picked Candle 79 as her birthday dinner. After a long day of playing tourist, we were escorted through the restaurant to a cozy table upstairs. Deciding what to eat here was one of the hardest of our lives. We split the Empanadas appetizer and were immediately blown away. I can't say I've had many in my life, but these were the best by far. For my meal, I had the Mushroom Crepe with the most amazing sauce drizzled on top and a side Jalapeno salad. Allison chose the pasta special of the day and both were killer. Since it was of course her special day, she chose the Berry Crumble that came with a special candle (which I would expect from a restaurant with the name candle in it!) This was one of the best vegan experiences of my life based on the atmosphere, service, and food quality and options. I would recommend this for anyone, probably the easiest place for a non-vegan to eat because the choices were very similar to that of a standard restaurant. I will definitely be going back soon!

Thanks for reading friends, more restaurant posts to come as I explore the mecca of food here in New York City! 

Fall Race Plans

Ah fall, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin beers, pumpkin candles, sweaters, boots fall leaves, cooler temperatures, and now I get to experience the transition of the season FO REAL! I could not be more excited. I am ticking the days away until the cool temperatures move in and I don't die running in the heat everyday and I can frolic in the park with leaves crunching under my feet!

Fall is also the perfect time for races, especially in New York City. It's been overwhelming trying to pick and choose what races I wanted to run; some weekends have half-marathons on both Saturday and Sunday! Here is what is on the books so far:

Run 10 Feed 10: 10k in Hudson River Park September 18.
My goal for this race is to run fast.... which I don't enjoy. I am a spiritual runner; I run for the enjoyment, the way it eases my mind and brings me peace. But for this race I would like to shoot for 55 minutes or under (fast for me.)

Brooklyn Rock and Roll Half Marathon: October 8
I have ALWAYS wanted to run a Rock & Roll after only hearing the best things about it! So when I found that one was just a quick train ride away I was sold. There are live bands all along the course, and much of it is run in Prospect Park that I am excited to see!

I am hoping for this to cut my PR by 7 minutes and run it in under two hours. Like I've said, I am an endurance runner, not a speed runner so I am hoping by incorporating one speed workout a week and a tempo run that I can accomplish this! A little over a month to go!

After my January marathon, I have been thirsty for another. I went back and forth thinking about the Brooklyn Marathon and Philadelphia Marathon (both in early November) that I would have adequate time training for, but with adjusting to city life, making new friends, I decided to wait to do another marathon. It was a tough decision, but after a little bit more time I think I will be more ready for the next one and the next training cycle. Perhaps I will get into the NYC Marathon next year, or the Marine Corps Marathon instead since it holds a special place in my heart as my dad and sister both ran in. I am also considering an ultra in the near future.... only time will tell!

Keep running friends :)