The Killer XX

On Monday I sort of had the feeling that I was going to catch a cold: tired, slightly higher temperature, feeling funny at the nose. So after the morning practice, I picked up this in a juice place in East Village:

It was the last bottle on the shelf, so I decided to give it a try even though it was rather pricey for a bottle of juice. At first it tasted apple- and lemon-like, but soon after I swallowed the juice the ginger and cayenne kicked in and it was really spicy. I only had half of the bottle on Monday, and the next morning not only I found myself haven’t caught a cold yet, I was also very energetic and towards the end of my practice I got into Dwi Pada Sirsasana I finished the second half of the bottle on Tuesday afternoon, and felt as good as new on Wednesday.

The special ingredients in “the killer xx”:

ginger

Cayenne

Echinacea

Osha

Suma

Indigo

Goldenseal roots

Sources of pictures: Wikipedia and Herbs List

How do you boost your immunity system and prevent a cold? Share with us!

x Tracy

Macy’s Parade

On Thanksgiving day, we arrived at 6th Ave and 46th St around 8.15 am and waited until 9.45 am when we finally saw something… look at the cartoon characters, need I say more?

We enjoyed watching the giant balloons and floats. There were also many orchestras formed by high school students from all over the United States, basket ball players, the female gymnastic champions of Olympic 2012, celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg, etc. The parade started at Central Park, mainly took place at the 6th Ave, and finished at the Macy’s at the corner of Broadway and 34th St. Overall it took about two hours, and it was almost noon when this grand, beautiful and fun parade finished at where we were.

If you haven’t watched Macy’s Parade before, I definitely recommend it if you happen to be in NYC on Thanksgiving next year!

x Tracy

Stained Glass Nativity

I’ve seen the characters of the Nativity made in wood, porcelain, glass, and even crocheted — but not these:

 

These artistic abstract figures are made with stained glass and framed in metal. They look very handmade and delicate, one can clearly see that the head and body of the individuals were created separately and were then welded together to form a complete figure.

 

 

This stained glass Nativity set seems quite rare, I’m so glad that I had some cash when I happened to see them in a thrift shop.

For now, only Maria, Joseph, the two shepherds and their sheep go to my window sill, the others will be kept until the time is right.

Have you started counting down for Christmas?

x Tracy

Red-tailed Hawks (and Eagle)

See another one on the tree?

Photo taken on Oct 7 at 8:49 am in Tompkin Square Park, NYC.

I was trying to get closer to the birds, hoping to get a clearer picture of them both, but someone warned me that they could be aggressive. It seems that they come to the park (where big fat squirrels scatter all over the place…) and nest their babies during autumn every year (smart choice!).

I’ve never seen them afterwards though. I wonder how  the birds are doing after the hurricane and snow…?

Up north in the Central Park, there’s another Red-tailed Hawk, Pale Male, the most well-known urban hawk of his own species. He has made NYC his home since early 1990s.

Pale Male???

Garudasana, Eagle Pose, by Dharma Mittra

Etymology

In Hindu mythology Garuda is known as the king of birds. He transports the God Vishnu and is eager to help humanity fight against demons. The word is usually rendered into English as “eagle,” though according to one dictionary the name literally means “devourer,” because Garuda was originally identified with the “all-consuming fire of the sun’s rays”.  – Wikipedia, “Garudasana”

Garudasana is a great shoulder opener, hip opener and balancing pose. You may find it a bit elusive if you are new to this pose. If you are relatively comfortable in holding this position, see if you can keep the forearms perpendicular to the upper arms and keep the shoulder blades down at the same time.

Modifications

Beginning with crossed arms –

Crossing the right arm over left… perhaps working on the arms and shoulders alone is enough already?

Beginning to introduce a little balancing by lifting the left leg…

Or maybe you’d like to cross the legs and tuck the toes on the floor.

Beginning with crossed legs –

Crossing the left leg over the right, the bent knees helps secure the top foot wrapping around the calf, and also facilitates balancing.

Either keeping the hands in prayer or extending the arms towards the sky is good.

Getting deeper into the full pose –

Or try interlacing the fingers.

Variations

Eagle arms in a seated position:

I find it a great warm up at the beginning of a practice. Or you may want to get a little stretch while commuting, or after sitting in front of the computer all morning?

Eagle arms in a high lunge:

Opening the heart!

…or you prefer folding forward?

Eagle arms in Warrior C:

Fancy a little more fun and challenges in Warrior C?

Or continue folding forward into a Garudasana split!

What are other variations of Garudasana that you enjoy? Send me your photos and share with us!

x Tracy

Please Join Us!

Dear friends,

There will be two donation classes tomorrow (Nov 4) at 4 pm at Riverstone Yoga:

Beginner Hot Yoga
Open Level Hatha Yoga

Suggested donation is $20. The studio also collects clothes between 4-6pm. All proceed to Sandy Disaster Relief Breezy Point.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

x Tracy

***Below is the warm letter that Eddie Stern has sent out to his students:

“On Monday we will be going out to Far Rockaway, which has been ravaged by the Hurricane, with my friend Erica Ford from Peace Is A Lifestyle. There are about 1000 + people in one of the shelters out there, who have lost everything and have nothing – they need coats, shoes, toiletries for men and women, and blankets. There is tremendous loss just a few miles outside of Manhattan, and we can provide some simple help, friendship, and some neighborly support. Please feel free to bring any donations Sunday and Monday morning to AYNY. New items would be better, or at the least, items that are in very good condition. If there are any acupuncturists or massage therapists that would like to join, please let me know. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. If you don’t live in NY and would still like to donate, please send me an email. “

Contact: http://ayny.org/contact