Yogini in Training

Met up with my friend, Liz, on the Lower East Side in NYC this morning for Bikram Yoga.  The studio is funky and the room was so beyond hot, that we thought we were going to vomit and pass out.  It was so bad that my breakfast was coming up.  It was so intense, but our practice was fantastic - the teacher was really amazing - she used the dialogue, but she tweaked it with a lot of positive thoughts and information about the poses.  I kicked ass - I really had my best practice today so far and I’ve been doing Bikram for almost a year - it’ll be a year in May.  I was proud of myself.  We got a week unlimited, so maybe I’ll go back tomorrow afternoon/night?

On the first Friday night of every month, the studio has “Nite Sweats” that my friends and I are going to try and attend.  90 minutes of hot yoga, music, and candlelight.  Sounds fantastic!

There is a funky bookstore next door to the yoga studio - Bluestockings.  I bought four vegan books: Vegan a Go-Go: A Cookbook & Survival Manual for Vegans on the Road, The Vegan Guide to NYC, How it all Vegan: Irresistible Recipes For An Animal-Free Diet, and La Dolce Vegan: Vegan Livin’ Made Easy.  I need to get The Garden of Vegan: How it All Vegan Again! to complete my collection.  I want to get as much reading done as I can before actually committing to going vegan.  I am doing great at being a vegetarian - have slipped a few times because I honestly forgot - but other than that, I’m not missing meat.  Well, no I lied, I miss buffalo wings.  And chinese food.  And breakfast sausage.  If I’m surrounded by hamburgers, I salivate - I can’t help it.  I’ve only been doing this a month - it’s a process.  I limit my dairy as it is - I use soy milk and creamer, and buy soy yogurt when I come across it.  I will miss my eggs, though… my breakfast sandwiches won’t be the same.

This book was also recommended to me by a vegan lady at the bookstore: Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock.  And this book, Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World, was recommended by Sarah Kramer in Vegan A Go-Go.  I put them both on my wishlist on Amazon.

I got Alicia Silverstone’s book, The Kind Diet, in the mail last week but haven’t started reading it yet.  I am so tempted to try the vegan diet out…. wonder how I’ll feel…. I feel great being a vegetarian… but I feel like I can feel better… not so tired (probably cuz I’m not getting any iron!).

After Bikram, we walked to Think Coffee in Greenwich Village and grabbed iced coffee/tea and a snack.  We hung out and talked - relaxed, breathed, calmed down.  Then we walked to Union Square and bought some goodies at the farmers market.  They have one every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday when the weather is nice.  I really need to go to the flee market in Hell’s Kitchen - I’ve never been.

We walked over 50 blocks today.  And I think 16 city blocks is 1 mile, so we did good!  That being said, I feel the need to mention that I treated myself to some red velvet cake just now with buttercream frosting.  Yum!

All that working out has made me exhausted.  Good night Tumblr land!