Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Monday-ish

I know I promised to write about Hot Nude Yoga on Monday and it's now Friday but I've been busy. I just bought this book


and this one


and probably this one


and a bunch of yarn (was bought for me). So I'm itching for some knitting. Also, yesterday at the end of a Pilates session I told my client that I really liked his socks. He told me his aunt knit them for him and that she's apparently part of a bunch of knitting guilds in New York. I told him that I knit at which point he offered to give me his aunt's phone number. He said it totally wouldn't be weird for me to call her. So I'm gonna.

So. Hot Nude Yoga is literally the title of the place, not just a description of the classes. And yes, it was nude, it was yoga, but it wasn't all that hot. It definitely wasn't sexy, which isn't the point. The "hot" apparently refers to the temperature in the room and while there were two space heater revolving I wouldn't ever describe the room as hot. It was pleasant but I was ready to sweat. I was expecting some Bikram type heat, I wanted to sweat. But no.

Anyway, I arrived and decided to walk up to the fourth floor to the studio. On the way I kind of started thinking about something else and lost track of what floor I was on. I thought I'd come to the right door but wasn't sure so I went up one more flight of stairs and came upon the roof door. So I went back down and called the elevator, pressed the 4th floor button when I got on and waited. The elevator didn't go anywhere so I figured I must be on the fourth floor so went back out and gingerly tried the door (there's only 1 door per floor). It was locked. Okay. Down I went one flight and tried that door. It opened into the studio. I don't know how I got mixed up. As I walked in there was a wall right in front blocking off the majority of the studio. In front of the wall was a small space with places for shoes and bags (and clothes, of course). I was greeted by a man who asked me my name and if I had ever been there before. I told him no as I pulled out my yoga mat. He remarked that I must have done a lot of yoga though because my mat was so well worn. (My roommate gave it to me a while ago because it was old and she was just going to throw it away, it totally has pressed in dirt from probably years of downward dog.) I laughed and told him that I'd actually never taken an official yoga class but I used the mat for Pilates. As we were speaking a completely naked man walked out from behind the wall, retrieved a water bottle from his bag and returned from whence he came.

So I stripped down, grabbed my water (coconut), towel, crappy mat and walked around the wall. There were five naked men sitting on yoga mats, a couple were talking. I walked over, spread out my mat and sat down. A few minutes later the instructor (who was the same guy who greeted me at the door) came in, also nude, and introduced himself. Then I took class. There's really not that much to tell, even all the stuff before this I've really tried to flesh out and make interesting. I never felt turned on at all and actually quite enjoyed taking class nude. I was slightly self-conscious at first but after a while it just didn't enter my head anymore that I was nekkid. And we even did a lot of partner work. There was even some butts pressing against each other while we did some bent over work. But really, no big deal. I'll say I actually was a little nervous about the possibility of getting hard in class and their website even addresses that but the atmosphere was completely non-sexual (this was also at 7:30AM).

I took another class Wednesday night. This one was for beginners but I didn't enjoy it as much. There were more people and more philosophy was inserted into class. I have a hard time with a lot of yoga philosophy because it often starts to sound like religion and I just can't get behind that. I'd rather use yoga as a way to open up my muscles and body rather than as a way of living. Maybe that will change some day, who can say? For now, if I continue, I'll use the classes as time to apply principles I'm learning in my Alexander Technique lessons.

So that's it. Not too exciting huh? I'm sorry. If anything exciting/crazy happens I'll write about it but I don't know if I'll go back or not. Each class is $20! I don't know if it's worth the extra $5-$8 just to take my clothes off.

Friday, February 15, 2008

hot. nude. yoga.

I think the title says it all. But I'll elaborate on Monday.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

you say love, I say performance art*

I became a member of PS 122 at the Stage Manager level today. I initially went over to their website to buy 2 tickets to this but since those tickets were $20 each and the lowest membership was just $60 which would give me two free tickets and a year subscription to Time Out New York and discounts on other upcoming shows I figured I should just join. Of course, I actually ended up joining at the next highest level so that I could get the member discount on two tickets per show (instead of just 1) and because I like PS 122 even though I've only been to one performance there with my dad, which we thought was terrible and had us both making snarky comments throughout (that's partly where I get it). So I guess what I really mean is that I like the idea of PS 122, so I might as well support them. Plus, I'm hoping that by joining I'll go to more stuff, so as to get the full benefit of my membership. So if you want to go to something there and don't want to pay their outrageous ticket prices ($20 for a ticket?! Unbelievable! I could see 1/17th of a Broadway show for that!) let me know and we can go together with my discount. Woot.

By the by, I bought the tickets as a Valentine's Day surprise for Parfait. Originally I told him the surprise was going to be more funny-awkward than exciting (I almost scored some free tickets to Legally Blonde) but since that fell through I guess I'll just have to settle for disturbing. Dark puppetry screams Valentine's doesn't it? And the performance is in March. Surprise!

And why the fuck hasn't spellcheck worked on blogger for like, a week?

*Please don't misinterpret this. I am not in love. Besides, you're the one saying it.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

sugar rush

New cupcake post here. We've been to 14 places! I have one more post to put up before I'm caught up.

Friday, February 08, 2008

sigh

I think I need to go back into therapy. I know I've said that before and I keep considering it but then life seems to be okay, until I actually start to think about it.

thus:

ipj and Isaac are having an animated discussion about sex, love, intimacy and anything else that pops up.

ipj: I'm never going to love anyone.
Isaac: God. You sound like a 7 year old boy pouting in his room. (arms folded) "I'm nevah gonna wuv anyone!"
ipj: I know!
Isaac: Then grow up!!
ipj: I don't know how!!!