WIN a session with me at the Equality Now Party!!!

On Wednesday, September 30th, come out and enjoy an evening of fun at Jimmy's 43. Kim Braun and Christine Elmo are hosting a party for Equality Now. ALL money collected at this event will go towards transporting people from NYC to DC for the National Equality March on October 11th, 2009.

With cheap beer, fun performances and an amazing line-up of raffles, you are bound to have an incredible night. We have a grand list of prizes to win, all which have been donated by local NYC body practitioners, hair artist and photographers. A live auction as well!


Jimmy's 43
43 E 7th St.
By Subway: Take the 6 to Astor Place Take the R/W to 8th Street Take the F train to 2nd Avenue

Performances by:

Kara M. Tyler aka Red Sonja (Burlesque)
Shani E. Manor (Musican)
Siobhan O’Malley (Musician)
Ben Carroll (Musician)
Jay Paranada, Laura Nell Dubuisson, Megan Buzzard, Calvin Thompson and Roderick Borden with accompanist: Rachel Kaufman (Cabaret)

Raffles donated by: (1 for $5 or 3 for $13)

Esther Ahn
G. Oscar Anderson
Charlotte Blake
Michelle Boule
Paige Martin
Katy Pyle
Antonio Ramos
Elyse Sparkes
Colin Stilwell
girlscenenyc.com

Dance Theater Workshop

treats from BABELAND and more!!!!!

Live Auction donated by:

Chef Joe Aponte - picnic for you plus two



Tony award winner Sutton Foster sponsered a bus for the march. Watch her video HERE

Points being addressed at the march are the following:

**The repeal of the defense of marriage act so that every marriage in every state has the same federal rights.

**Repeal of the don't ask don't tell so that lgbt persons may serve in the military openly with the same rights as straight people.

**End to workplace discrimination for everyone with the employment non discrimination act.

**Right to adopt children.

**Hate crimes legislation that include lgbt people and protects them like other targeted groups.

**Immigration reform that recognizes same sex couples and ends the needless seperation of families.

**Anti-bullying policy in our schools via the safe schools improvement act.

Further information about the march can be found here http://www.broadwayimpact.com/.

If you are unable to attend the party, but are still interested in making a contribution to the cause, click on the link below and scroll halfway down the page to find instructions for how to make a donation.

Find Facebook Invite HERE

RunAmuck is in one week!!!

I'm so excited for this next Saturday...working out AND playing in mud?! hells yeah.


"This is the New York RunAmuck Mud Run! The Mud Run is a challenging 5K run with hills, beach crossings, water, walls, inflatables, and MUD. Finish it all up by jumping into our 90' mud pit as you cross the finish line. This will be the most fun you'll ever have!" -RunAmuck Festival



The registration is still open HERE

Approaching 30?...Hydrate your Spine!

Are you approaching 30 and all of a sudden starting to feel stiff and achy?

Well, there's a valid reason for that. According to Judith Hanson Lasater PhD., PT, after 30 years of life your spine stops receiving a direct supply of blood, the disc dries out, and creates problems in your body.

In her book Yoga Body, Lasater says, "The nucleus pulposus [substance that is the weight bearing axis for all spinal movement] has no direct blood supply after the third decade of life. Yet it is made up of 80% water. So what keeps the disc plump and full of water?"

Yikes. Sounds scary, but don't give up hope just yet. There's an answer, and thankfully it doesn't involve popping pills or invasive surgery.

So... What does keep the disc plump and full of water? (Drum roll please...)

MOVEMENT!

"Movement is what causes the disc to take up fluids. By bending forward, bending backward, and twisting, pressure on one side of the disc causes the other side of the disc to take up fluids passively, which helps them stay plump and healthy."

Phew.

Here's a simple warm up/cool down stretch that moves the spine in all possible ranges of motion. For best results match the movement with the breath.
This can be done from pre-teens to age 100, so there are no excuses!

How to Hydrate your Spine:

Stand up with your feet touching, arms by your sides, shoulders rolled back and down
-Inhale, your arms out to the side and up overhead
-Exhale, interlace your fingers, face the palms up to the ceiling
-Inhale, side bend to the right
-Exhale, back to center
-Inhale, side bend to the left
-Exhale, back to center, arms down by your side
-Inhale, interlace fingers behind your back, lift sternum up to ceiling
-Exhale, fold forward over your legs, release your hands to the ground
-Inhale, reach right arm up to the ceiling, allowing your gaze to follow the right hand creating a small spinal twist
-Exhale, release the right arm, fold forward over legs
-Inhale, left arm up to ceiling, twisting to left
-Exhale, fold forward over legs
-Inhale, roll up to neutral standing position

Repeat 3-4 times for a happy, healthy, hydrated spine at any age!

parkWORKOUT in Prospect Park

Wednesday September 16, 2009 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Prospect Park (meet @ Grand Army Plaza entrance)

It's September and time to fall back into shape! Get strong, get buff, get sweaty...all outdoors in the beautiful autumn weather. Be prepared for a smorgasbord of squats, lunges, pushups, and everything else hardcore.
This is not for the faint of heart (ie: your butt will be kicked).

*Suggested $5 donation. RSVP to esparkes@gmail.com by Sept. 14th


Bring a towel, water, and wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty (you will be touching the ground...think Plank!!).

We'll meet at Grand Army Plaza @6pm and settle on the Great Lawn.

Rain Date TBA.


All attendees will receive a pass for 2 personal training sessions for $100 (normally $160...wow, now that's a deal!)

Bring your friends!

Returning to September

Oh, *sigh*, it's September.

Even though autumn is my favorite season, it still brings so much along with it...the feeling of starting anew, winter looming ahead, the end of beach weekends. I certainly have felt these shifts during this past week.

I received this article from my longtime mentor and friend, Judith Indira Parsons. She is the author of The Clear and Simple Way and has elegantly reminded me of the cycle of the seasons and how that correlates with the cycles within myself.

Read on for some autumn inspiration...



RETURNING TO SEPTEMBER
RETURNING TO YOURSELF

It is September once again, time for students and teachers to return to school, time for summer to return to autumn, and time for me to return to Europe for my annual tour where I will be giving seminars, talks, and readings.

Returning to September can remind us that there is a cycle to everything.

Sometimes you feel energetic, sometimes less so. Try not to judge yourself too strongly for your different moods. There is an ebb and flow to all of life. See if you can just sit back and notice yourself feeling energetic or unenergetic, feeling creative or uncreative, without putting negative labels on your experience. Trust that your ebb will lead to a flow.

Notice when your mind is harshly judging the ebbs in your life . . . telling you that you should be more productive, you should be doing something. Nevermind the mind! Go deeper than the mind can go. Get to know the ebbs and flows of your life. Trust that just as the earth has its cycles, so do you. Breathe. Relax. Enter into the natural flow of life, which always knows the way to go, even when your mind does not.

Enjoy autumn to the fullest, wherever you are. It comes only once a year.