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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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ashleyd /

Running in New York City

A few times per week, I get an email like the one below from a reader, co-worker, friend, or Twitter follower.

Hi Ashley!

I a new follower of your blog, I found you through Monica’s Run Eat and Repeat blog from Reach the Beach race! Nice Job!

I am coming to New York in July, and would love suggestions for running in the city. I really want to take a run through Central Park. I’m from San Diego and we have so many safe and gorgeous places to run here. ANY advice is welcome! Its also my first time in the Big City!!

Thanks!

I love these emails and often respond to them one off, suggesting different routes based on where they are staying. But, I figure in addition to responding to the emails, it’d be helpful if I create an ongoing library of my favorite routes as I discover new ones.

Therefore, this post will also become one of my pages which will hopefully serve as a great point of reference for those of you traveling to New York City in the near future for work or pleasure. In addition, if you live in New York City, maybe I’m sharing a new route that will help you shake things up.

Two Bridges Run If you’re visiting New York or looking for a couple of challenging bridges then this is the route for you! You’ll have the chance to run through parts of Brooklyn, see the city from the other side, explore multiple neighborhoods, and get some quality bridge running in as well. This one includes a few more twists and turns through the neighborhoods but there are always signs you can follow for the bridges!image

Upper West Side Route: This route is one that I’ve done multiple times during marathon training and includes a scenic, flat path along the Hudson River via the West Side Highway, comes back downtown through the scenic Riverside Park and finally loops into Central Park for a rolling last few miles. Perfect for anyone staying at a hotel on the UWS or starting from Columbus Circle area.

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My Favorite Central Park Route Sure this route doesn’t include the famed Harlem Hills which will leave you huffing and puffing, but it includes amazing views of the city from the Resevoir, takes you up Cat Hill, and allows you to people watch as you wind in and out of the paths in Central Park! Its a great way to see the park in under an hour, depending your speed as it’s a 5 mile route. The park is highly populated so this is a very safe route for anyone who is from out of town and worried about dealing with the traffic, city streets or getting lost.

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Questions? Comments? Coming to New York City and want a suggested route from the neighborhood near your hotel? Shoot me an email or reach out to be on Twitter at anytime!

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Solstice in Times Square: Athleta Mind Over Madness Yoga

There are those moments when I am still in disbelief that I live in New York City and have the opportunity to experience, it in all it’s wonder on a daily basis.

Last night was one of those moments.

 

Thanks to Nature’s Made vitamins, I was able to experience an hour and a half yoga class, led by the hilarious and inspiring Dana Flynn, in a group of thousands of other New Yorkers hoping to find their center in Times Square.

IMG_3050 Much to my surprise, the media pass which they procured for us included second row mats which meant we were able to be front and center for the action during last night’s Solstice in Times Square: Athleta Mind over Madness Yoga event.

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Maybe it was the heat, or the fact that I was practicing yoga in Times Square with thousands of other people, but I really got into the event last night. When she asked us to dance with happiness and find our center, I was right there. Even though this often meant that my swaying hips were being broadcast to the entire group via the Toshiba Vision Screens in Times Square!

IMG_3060 While I’m sure there are some people out there who wish this class had been more challenging or more like a typical studio 1.5 hour class, I loved every single minute of the experience. Dana Flynn, the co-founder of the event and co-founder of Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in NYC, did a wonderful job inspiring us as we moved through twists, wheels, and sun salutation series. She introduced me to some new moves I’ve never tried and there was even an awesome moment when the whole group did tree pose, while pushing against the hands of the people next to us. I can’t wait to see some of the photographs captured by the professionals as I can only imagine!

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Who would have thought I could find some balance and calm in the middle of Times Square, an area of the city I normally avoid like the plague. But last night, surrounded by my sister-in-law and my best friend, I did.

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Through chants, breaths, singing, dancing, and a little bit of booty shaking I smiled my way towards a happy and utter calm that I haven’t felt in ages.

IMG_3061 Thank you again to Athleta and all the sponsors for helping make this event possible!

Question: What is your favorite yoga pose that helps you find your calm?

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