Stop chatting, stop texting!!!!

Technology is killing us! OK computer freaks and geeks (yeah I am one too), look we spend way too many hours hunched over a keyboard...and the texting has got to be making it all worse. Is your chest all concaved and back all hunch back of Notre Dame? I am constantly hearing more and more from friends and colleagues who have careers in which they are stuck in front of a computer developing serious back injuries. No, not problems, like straight up injuries. Some injuries so bad you might think they got hit by a NYC cab. Instead, its from sitting on their booties typing away as I am right now for maybe 8-14 hrs a day and not taking the time out to get up and take a walk or a quick stretch. Don't get me wrong, technology is awesome and great, but we, as healthy, conscious people must find a way to compensate for the toll its taking on our bodies.

I cannot stress the importance of staying active! Below are some great ideas for maintaining good posture and not allowing the muscles in your body to degenerate.

1. Set a timer on that trusty smartphone or blackberry that goes off every 30min-1hr reminding you to get up and walk a lap around the office or take a down dog or uttanasana.

2. Go outside for lunch and take a short walk. This will also make you a more efficient worker!

3. Do some stretches in our chair.
-Interlace the fingers, press the palms up to the ceiling, pull the shoulders down and away from the ears, relax the neck.
-Drop the head to the right side, place the right hand over the right ear and let gravity stretch the side of your neck. Switch sides.
-Neck and shoulder rolls, easy peasy!
-Chair dips
-I am sure you're capable of coming up with even more chair stretches!

4. Maintain good posture. Roll the shoulders back and down. Keep the shoulders above the hips. When standing shoulders, hips and ankles all in line. Tuck the tailbone under. Feel pressure on the lower back? Try putting something under your seat to raise up the booty an inch or two, taking away the bend in your lower back.

5. Breathing exercises. My favorite breathing exercise to practice in releasing tension is square breathing. Inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4. Repeat. Breathing can do amazing things for the tension you hold in your neck, shoulders and back when feeling stressed.

6. If you already feel like your body is suffering from all this computer time, contact my friend Alex! He's really been a big help to a client of mine who has major back injuries that even Physical Therapy didn't do much for. He's so knowledgeable about the human anatomy and he has reasonable prices!

With that said, I taught a very slow paced and restorative Yoga class today which is a nice switch up from my regular rigorous Vinyasa type of style.

Purple nails did.

I got this idea from a youtube tutorial here.

The Sneak Peakage of Freestyle Cologne

5 Tibetan Rites.

Another cool thing I took away from the Thyroid Workshop...was the 5 Tibetan Rites. It's an exercise program used by Tibetan monks to stay vibrant and youthful. More about the 5 Tibetans here.

True Hip-Hop in Miami

True Hip-Hop book release party in Miami. One of my fav photographers and one of my fav cities. WORD. Or if you just wanna get a signed copy of the fabulous book check it here.

Janet Jackson loves my fav Vegan spot. Red Bamboo, W. 4th St.

http://vegetarianstar.com/2010/11/02/janet-jackson-gives-jay-leno-favorite-non-demonic-vegan-foods-video/

Dancing monks and marathon rehab.

Some cool goings on in the city. Too bad I don't have the time to check it out.

Sutra

Rose Theater (at Frederick P. Rose Hall),

Today - Thu 7:30pm.

Broadway (at 60th St)

(212) 721-6500lincolncenter.org

Subway: A, C, B, D, 1 to 59th St–Columbus CircleGet directions

Lincoln Center presents the White Light Festival, which features the U.S. premiere of Sutra, a dance piece by choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui featuring 17 monks from the Shaolin Temple. British artist Antony Gormley created the set; the score, by Polish composer Szymon Brzóska, is performed live. 

 

 

Free Yoga classes at Lululemon in celebration of the NYC Marathon. Good luck to my people who are running this weekend! If you want to donate money to their causes:

 

Garden of Dreams

 

American Cancer Society

Light show and Architecture.

Funny, this building is located in Chelsea on the west side. I always think it looks pretty ugly because I like the old New York buildings as opposed to the glassy weird shaped new ones. Anyways this is cool despite me not liking how the building looks against our lovely Hudson River.


The LightLine of Gotham from seeper on Vimeo.

Follow up on Yoga for Thyroid

So I posted about this workshop concerning balancing the Thyroid and 5th Chakra. I went to the workshop and disappointingly found it to be not as informative as I wanted it to be. I feel there is so much conflicting information out there and this further confused me! Also, because we ran out of time there was little info on diet and nutrition. So in this post I will go over my own findings and reinforce ideas that I did not find conflicting information on.

Great Yoga poses for balancing the Thyroid hormones. This applies to different thyroid conditions as it is a balancing effect. Shoulderstand, fish pose, camel pose and plow pose.

Now the rest of this is for Hypothyroidism -that's what I have. Slower metabolism -basically. So what sucks is, I gain weight easily. I find that Yoga is great for it. I felt the most balanced during the months in which I did teacher training. That was about 4 months of practicing Yoga 5-8 times a week. Also, it created balance in my appetite. I felt it was the most manageable and also more realistic. Doing any type of weight training makes me ravenously hungry. So overall -more Yin type of exercises -anaerobic, slower paced was helpful. However my personal wants are to do more Yang type activities like Martial Arts, so its a balancing act. I just stay away from weight training. I had to give up kettlebell training a year ago.

As for diet I found all the conflicting info. So the best I can say is, stay away from processed foods. This is hard! But I try to eat lots of raw fruits and veggies. I try to go organic for certain staples like eggs and milk. Also being that I have to take thyroid medications every morning I have to be sure not to take any supplements or soy products until about 4 hours after the medication because they affect the absorption of the meds into the body.

Need to relax?

DE-STRESS - A Complimentary Hour Of Deep Relaxation

AT: Atmananda Yoga

67 Irving Place, 2nd Floor (Between 18th & 19th St)

New York, NY

Take a delightful break mid-week and enjoy an hour of Deep Relaxation.
Renew and Recharge on Wednesday evening.

Sutra Guided Relaxation is a distinct technique that helps you let go of stress and leaves you feeling rested and refreshed. Working from the inside out, it is both healing and energizing.

...This blissful experience promises to take away tension, anxiety, worry, fear, anger and all things negative – and instead, take you on a journey of restfulness & tranquility. It is simple in its essence, deeply beneficial & stabilizing.

A fusion of Hyperbolic & Breath Of Life™ exercises, Sūtra Guided Relaxation melts away the strains of your everyday regime and lightens the burdens that sometimes shadow us. Meant to suit your demanding life, it helps you unwind completely and emerge energized, composed, in-control & empowered with a transformed perspective.

Calm the mind, body and senses.

It's a Gift Of Love for New Yorkers.
Come.
Relax.
Renew.

FREE WORKSHOPS
If you are unable to attend on Nov 9, remain in the know of future FREE WORKSHOPS by signing up ay: http://sutrameditation.com/resources