yoga + spicy dinner

one day of work left and then we're off to NZ! :) starting to feel excited ...

tonight we met on the bryant park lawn for our final evening of outdoor vinyasa yoga, but this time, our party size was five! actually it was supposed to be nine, but a few were not able to join and one friend could not find us on the lawn. kevin doesn't look too happy in this photo, but he is smiling inside :D

it was a difficult class for me because we did some strength training (box workout) at the gym and my groin muscles were seriously burning. the weather was truly amazing though ~ cool with a slight breeze. can't believe it's our final outdoor yoga class! it symbolizes the end of summer and warm weather in a way ...

we rewarded ourselves with a spicy sichuan dinner at wu liang ye a few blocks north. everyone has been traveling and doing so much this summer, it was really nice to catch up. the meal was so so delicious thanks to our knowledgeable friends, claire, yvonne, christine, and christen, for ordering!

outdoor yoga together

following a short 4.6 mile run this morning on the west side highway before work, kevin joined me for bryant park's outdoor vinyasa yoga class this evening. the instructor this evening was stefane eris, the U.S. head trainer at exhale spa, and she was awesome.

the weather was cool out somehow and there was a nice breeze, and the sun was already starting to set in the west. stefanie's pace and spirituality was easy enough for us beginners to follow.

after the class, we found ourselves calm and relaxed, and even walking at a slower pace. it's amazing that in the middle of this hectic city, just a block from the madness in times square and across the street from my maniacal office, we can actually find peace and forget our surroundings. just a few more classes left - sad!

 

outdoor yoga: p2

there are so many amazing things to do in nyc, and some of them are good for you and free! you just have to watch out for them :)

tonight the weather cooled down a bit and by 6pm, it was quite nice out with a slight breeze. i changed at the office and walked across the street for my second outdoor yoga class at bryant park (my office is the green building in the background). our instructor this evening, dan nevins, was a former seargeant in the us army and deployed to balad, iraq in 2004. nine months into his deployment, an explosive detonated beneath the vehicle he was riding in and he suffered traumatic brain injuries, as well as the ultimate amputation of both legs following +30 surgeries. he now serves as the director at the wounded warrior project, a yoga instructor, and a living inspiration for all of us.

and btw, it was one of the most vigorous yoga classes i have ever taken! looking forward to the next class and another fun instructor.

soba totto lunch setto

japanese food is known to be relatively expensive compared to other cuisines, however, in japan, lunchtime is a totally different story. special lunch sets, which usually include an appetizer, entree, and side dish, are often offered for just Y800-1300 (the equivalent to $6.50-10.50 based on current rate). in ny, there are a few places with these lunch set specials too. soba totto has an amazing bara chirashi setto, only for the first 20 customers beginning at 11:30am. for $10, you get a large size bowl of diced sashimi (tuna, salmon, mackerel, shrimp, eel, sea urchin, and flying fish roe) over sushi rice, soba, and salad.
 
after a red-eye flight back from the west coast and a morning of vinyasa yoga at bryant park, yvonne, claire, and i hurried over to soba totto for chirashi. it seemed like there were just over twenty people in line ahead of us, but i think we got lucky as not all of them ordered the bara chirashi set. we were able to get in three orders and were pleasantly surprised by the generous portions of sashimi! it was all super delicious and light feeling.

three very happy (though one sick and two jetlagged) girls ~ a nice way to start off the week :)

free friday :D

took today off originally to go to boston to visit jess and ben, but ended up staying in the city for the weekend. friday off turned out to be very productive with runs to the containerstore (2 trips), bed bath & beyond, and the dry cleaners, as well as posting a few items for sale on craiglist, all before noon!

at 12:30pm, i met my friend yvonne for my first hot yoga class at pure yoga in ... 2-3 years i think. haha ... i was unprepared and out of shape, but it felt amazing and the studio is really nice. it would be a dream to be able to practice 45 minutes of yoga each day, ideally, after a daily morning run, but this thing called index research (aka work) seems to get in the way. ha!

after lunch, a little lunch and girl time at the apartment! we finished +30 dumplings i think :D saved ONE for kevin ...