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Yoga for Runners Workshop with Sarra Morton

I love getting to know other men and women within the New York City health and wellness scene. For this reason, I love hosting events with local studios and gyms where we can connect, workout, relax, network, and maybe meet a new workout partner in the process! I was overwhelmed by the response to the Yoga for Runners workshop held this past Saturday! There were so many friendly faces enjoying the afternoon stretch together!

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Therefore, as promised, On October 20th, I am partnering with Equinox to host the second Yoga for Runners workshop which will help local runners and athletes release tension in their tired muscles and move through restorative poses to heal, stretch, and strengthen the body. These workshop will be perfect for people who are training for Fall races or have just been pushing themselves more in the gym lately. Yoga is a great complement to running, spinning and weight training which can help prevent injury and provide you with mental durability!

This workshop, which will take place on October 20th from 2-3pm, will be led by the lovely Sarra Morton! The class will surely fill quickly so please sign up using the form below ASAP. In addition, if for any reason you need to drop out, I request that you let me know as soon as possible so I let others in off the wait list. Don’t worry if you’re not a member at Equinox. This event is open to all Healthy, Happier Bear readers, regardless of whether you belong to Equinox.

It goes without saying that none of this would be possible without the support of the awesome 19th Street Equinox team (Lauren Greer, Sarra Morton, Justin Foley) and Kristin McGee! Thank you all for your support and partnership!

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The Perfect Recipes for Your Mexican Dinner Party

The weekend has definitely improved since yesterday’s long run.

I spent yesterday cleaning the apartment, relaxing some on the couch, putting my muscles through a much needed deep tissue massage, finally taking allergy medicine, and hosting a dinner party for our friends with Bo and Meg!

Oh yes, in case I forgot to mention it on the blog, Bo’s sister Meg is living with us for the next month. While it took some adjusting during the first 24 hours to figure out where things go and such, I’m sure it will be a lot of fun! She was the chopping guru yesterday, helping in the kitchen, and this afternoon she was a yoga sidekick!

The dinner party was a huge success and while I failed royally at taking pictures, I want to share the items we chose for the party. It was a perfect mix of flavor without a lot of work. Though the chopping and prep work took quite a while, the rest of the process was easier than normal.

Mexican Dinner Party recipes

I pinned the recipes on my Pintrest board yesterday which made it really easy to reference them when we were grocery shopping and cooking.

It was such a fun night complete with some dancing and funfetti birthday cupcakes! I think the bottom picture was during their rap off of Welcome to Atlanta. So fun!

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This morning we slept in and spent the morning organizing, enjoying delicious omelets made from last night’s leftover shrimp and peppers, and watching Friends season 4.

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Around 2, the three of us decided to head out for an easy 3 mile run along the East River. It was definitely hot out and super sunny but it was just wonderful being out there enjoying the views, company, some good music, and running pain free. Yesterday’s massage definitely helped as my lower back and hamstring muscles were way too tight. He thinks that running primarily outside this year versus indoor last year could be one of the contributing factors. In addition, he recommended more yoga which seems to be a common theme I’ve heard from everyone and anyone these days.

Inspired by his suggestion, Meg and I enjoyed an evening vinyasa yoga class at the Meatpacking Equinox (17th and 10th) tonight with Kristin McGee who was substituting for the regular instructor. As normal, she was wonderful. The class was a perfect mix of inspiring, challenging, featured a wonderful playlist including Dave Matthews and Simon & Garfunkel. and the views of the Highline didn’t hurt. I wish she taught more classes at Equinox!! In case you’re not able to enjoy your own dose of Kristin, here is a great yoga for runner video she posted on her blog a few weeks ago.

Question: What is your favorite Mexican recipe?

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Free Yoga in Bryant Park

Tonight, I finally made it to Lululemon’s free yoga in Bryant Park! image

It took me more than a year to make it south 10 blocks from my office to practice yoga under the evening sun and lush trees of Bryant Park. imageLuckily, tonight’s class lived up to the hype. Each Thursday, Lululemon offers a free hour long yoga class on the Bryant Park Lawn from 6-7pm. A different local yoga instructor serves as the guest instructor each week, bringing with them their own unique practice and sharing it with at least 200 people.  imageI was surprised how many people came out in tonight’s heat. Regardless of the 90 degree weather the lawn was packed with people ready to relax and let loose after a long day of work. In order to make it even accessible for people, Lululemon provides complimentary mats for participants and a large cooler of water to keep everyone hydrated. image

Even though tonight’s instructor who was visiting from Pure Yoga, really like his ab sequences as you can tell from the above picture, I loved every moment of the hour long class. The heat helped me move deeper into stretches and the slow flow of the class helped relieve some tension in my hips, lower back and legs. I took it easy tonight since I have my first long run of marathon training tomorrow morning and I want to feel loose, not exhausted.

For more information on this great event which is held weekly through September 27th, check out Bryant Park’s website. In addition, Lululemon also offers a free yoga class on the Bryant Park Upper Terrace at 10am each Tuesday. While I doubt I’ll ever make that class due to my work schedule, I hope to drag a few of my girlfriends and fellow runners to this class this summer while the weather allows!

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