Houston Yoga Experience

Thanks in part to the group coupons out in the cyber world, I have had the chance to try a few yoga spaces. I must say that I have really enjoyed the yoga studios. I stated previously that I was so not feeling the space I previously wrote about. In May, I had the chance to experience Cura Yoga in River Oaks. I loved this place! The instructors were amazing and the location was great. The studio had a policy of not allowing air conditioning during the classes. Some instructors would have the a/c going before class and would have the ceiling fans on during the practice. Some instructors would not allow any air to flow at all and in the afternoon in the Houston summer...it was hot. The warmest class was 92 degrees. At first, I thought that there was no way I could practice yoga in a room that warm, but after about 15 minutes, I was amazed at how well my poses were working for me...including my mermaid pose ( which I can do now!)

My month is now finished with cura, but I am now onto another online coupon studio in Midtown that is also fantastic. I also was almost able to do the crow pose yesterday for 5 full inhales (picture above)

Another 30 days of yoga...happiness.

New Yoga Studio

I have started a new yoga challenge. I am going to do a yoga class 4 times a week in addition to boot camp classes 3 times a week..Groupon made me tackle this crazy challenge. Boot camp will not begin for a few weeks, so I am going to shoot for 5 to 6 yoga classes a week. My new studio so far is great. The studio has an interesting policy of not allowing air conditioning while a class in session. My first class was intense. During 1st 20 minutes, I thought it wasn't for me, until I realized how well I was doing with my poses. I have heard about Bikram Yoga working for so many people, but I don't do well with extreme heat (except for the sauna). I think I will be able to handle this month with no ac and yoga. I also really like the studio and the instructors. I have been doing yoga for a few years now and can do most poses, except for this one:

The Mermaid pose, it's difficult, but not too difficult. My challenge is to be able to do this pose by the end of my month of yoga.

New Purchase

The weather in Houston at the moment is fantastic ( apart from the drought). Tomorrow, sadly..that will all change and will return to the usual swamp weather. I like spending evenings in my patio with Lola when the weather permits. I found this amazing azalea plant.

It's flowering more and more everyday.

Houston Nights

I went out last night with my dear friend, Ryan. We started out at Cafe Boheme....I didn't realize they had moved location. The weather is amazing at the moment. Zero humidity, sunshine and cool breezes, so we opted to have a drink outside. After that we proceeded to check out different places in the area. The Houston sky line looked amazing.

My picture didn't come out very well, but I took it with my camera phone. Then we went into a bar where the lighting was really interesting so I took a self portrait. I couldn't resist.

Sometimes, I forget how much fun a relaxed night on the town in Houston can be. If weather permits, strolling from place to place is rather a pleasant experience.

John Carpenter's "The Thing"

I finally got around to watching The Thing last night and I must say that I really enjoyed it. I love movies in general and I also love science fiction. Science fiction with a cult following, however, I truly enjoy. The stranger the better. My favorite cult Sci Fi movies are The Fly, Scanners, Black Hole, 2oo1 Space Odyssey and now I am adding the The Thing to my list. I also think Kurt Russell is brilliant in any of John Carpenter's films ..(and Overboard)

The special effects in The Thing are great even 30 years later. I read that the film's reception commercially was not a success, but film critics agreed that the effects were stomach churning in parts. People's faces stretch to inhuman dimensions, and all sorts of bloody mayhem ensues, while the members of the research crew stand around covered in the bleakness of Antarctic ice. I knew something was up when the "friendly" doggie was wandering around the camp and giving certain crew members stare downs. Actually, I knew something was wrong with the dog at the very beginning, but I don't want this post to a be a spoiler post.

Going Veggie For the Week

I grew up in Texas, I love steak. I love a Sunday roast on a cold day and hamburgers make me happy. Lately though, I have really been considering my carbon foot print. A carnivorous (human) diet takes its toll on the environment and I feel bad for the animals. I read somewhere to produce one calorie of beef, we must expend 78 calories of fossil fuel. The list goes on for pork and chicken. I drive my car more often than I should, I love the sauna at the gym..in essence I use and enjoy the energy resources that are bad for the environment. I am no eco warrior, but I feel that if I go veggie for a week, I will be helping mother earth in my own way. Plus, it's healthy. I will start my veggie voyage this week and after that I will start meatless Monday, and possibly try out a vegan day, as well.

Houston Yoga Experience Thus Far

Since returning from London, yours truly has been on a quest to find a yoga studio. I recently joined a studio for a month of unlimited yoga and I must say that I have mixed feelings about the this place. The only yoga studio that I have attended in Texas was an amazing place in Austin. The center in Austin and my favorite center's in London were challenging, relaxing and most of all serene. The place that I attended here in Houston was challenging, but had more of a fun component to the classes. The main thing that stuck out for me with this particular studio was the people in attendance had a strong affinity for being incredibly corny. How can yoga be corny? My answer: I never knew it until now, but it really can...and the corniness can really be a distraction when you are reaching for deep relaxation.

In my experience with yoga, I have witnessed people showing off or trying to be the best in the class with very challenging poses and from what I hear from instructors that is not uncommon. The thing about this particular studio was the attendee's of the class were show offs, but were so hokie about their abilities. The one instance that really sticks out in my mind was a woman in her late 40's..she was in great shape. It was an afternoon class and the instructor had us doing hand stands against the wall. It's a challenge to maintain the pose for many reasons and a few people were having trouble staying in the position. Said woman was doing so well that she felt inclined to tell people around her ( while upside down) in a hubris tone that "It feeeeeeeels great to get out of the office on a Friday afternoon!!". A few of us managed to control our laughter, but several people around emphatically agreed with her and said things like "Aint that the truth" an "uh huh, sister!"

Maybe I had missed something and these people had all connected on a deep yogic level, but trying to control my eyes rolling or trying not to laugh isn't really my idea of stretching. Instances like this happened constantly and I found it incredibly distracting, while in the middle of a complicated poses someone shouting out "Savasana NOW!!!!" Savasana in Yoga is marked at the end of the class when the body and mind can rest. The person shouting this was not wanting the class to end, but was trying to garner cool points by trying to get cheap laughs from the class. The amazing thing was people did laugh and it just seemed to egg him on.

I am trying out another center soon and will be sure to write about that.

Anthony Bourdain Cooking Course

As many of my friends and family know, I really enjoy cooking and consider myself a foodie. I also watch No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. So, it stands to reason that when I heard that Sur La Table had an Anthony Bourdain cooking course, I signed up. Bourdain was not actually teaching the course. If, Anthony had shown up, I would have had to conceal a girly squeal of delight. The course was a three part series and I even got a signed copy of Bourdain's new book.

The recipes in the course are so innovative and relatively easy to make. I have made a few of the dishes and my guests seemed impressed. Sur La Table offers a variety of courses that I am eager to try out. They even have a sushi class!

Once, I finish Bourdain's new book : Medium Raw, I will be sure to write about it.

Above is a picture of the work station for the students.

New Kitchen Purchase

I attended an Anthony Bourdain cooking course at Sur La Table. Fantastic course that I will write about later. One of the perks about the course was a discount on purchases in Sur La Table. Discount's there is the equivalent to foodie shangri la. I managed to control myself and bought just a few things. Above is new hand mixer..I can now perfect my Senate bean soup recipe and different sauces. Hooray.

Brilliant

Sailor and Lula: The Complete Novels.

It is not unknown to my friends that Wild At Heart is one of my favorite movies. Wild At Heart, like so many works of David Lynch can be a bit confusing. I read that the movie was based on a series of novels by Barry Gifford, so I decided to read the complete set of 7 novels. A good bit of the movie was explained in reading the novels, though scenes in the movie are still perplexing in that Lynch sort of way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novels. They novels chronicle the lives of Sailor and Lula over several decades in a style that is undefined, but some what crime noir. If anyone has seen Wild at Heart or just would like an amusing and captivating read..I suggest ordering the books on Amazon.

Perfect New Purchase

During my most recent shopping trip to Whole Foods, I felt guilty looking around at all the green shoppers and their reusable shopping bags. As my eyes, darted around at all the different bags, I realized that I must join the green revolution. Here's to you, Mother Earth.

No Time for Dancing or Lovie Dovie

I have recently come back from a long stay in Mexico. It was a fantastic trip, filled with research, sun, swimming, eating and reading. One of many books, I read was David Byrne's Bicycle Dairies. Byrne, an avid bike rider writes in great detail about riding his bike in cities all over the world. While reading the book, Byrne sets the tone with his artistic, succinct and laid back manner. At times the book reads like a polemic on American foreign policy ( particularly the Bush Administration), Byrne also goes into a short political history of many of the countries to aid in setting the tone.

Overall, the main feature, for me.. of the book was Byrne's effortless manner of still being so cool without coming off as arrogant. He has not become jaded or complacent. His notes were taken over the span of many years and his perspective never changed. When the Talking Heads were first hitting the charts, one interviewer asked Byrne what he would like his music to do and Byrne said he wanted to make people dance and cry at the same time. Amazing. A truly evocative image.

I am now on a Talking Heads revival, although I have yet to dance and cry at the same time, I am really enjoying the brilliance of David Byrne.