"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it". So true, Ferris Bueller, so true. And you know you ought to slow down, stop and smell the roses and all that, but it's just not your style. You're used to doing everything fast and furious. You scramble every morning to get the kids out the door and sprint to the gym - just so you're in shape to then sprint  to catch the train. Heck, you even microwave your "slow-cooked" brown rice. Like skipped commercials on your DVR, your life is speeding by.

If you are looking for a way to slow down, de-stress and get centered, retreat to Bedford Yoga. Located off the beaten path in Bedford, the warm and inviting studio adjoins the home of yoga master Cynthia Worby Nero, author of The Everything Yoga Book and Yoga On the Go: Poses to Shift Your State of Mind. Students practice Iyengar style yoga, which focuses on proper alignment, breath work and conscious relaxation.

A second instructor is Judi Friedman, a former corporate attorney who came to yoga as a way to cope with her hectic life in the fast lane. Friedman says: "Practicing law was financially rewarding but highly stressful and left me an overworked and overtired mom. Practicing and teaching yoga allows me to give others a glimpse into a way of being, both on and off the mat, that is physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually empowering. I wake up every day looking forward to sharing the joy of yoga with my students, and knowing that because I have yoga in my life, I have evolved as a mother and a person."

Friedman will be offering a special hip-opening workshop (for women only, but all levels are welcome) and spa lunch this coming Saturday, April 18th at the Yoga loft at Bedford Post Inn, owned by Richard Gere. "Hip openers are an opportunity for transformation; as the hips open, we cultivate receptivity to the possibilities of freedom in our bodies, mind and hearts," says Friedman.

Who knows -- those possibilities might even include performing "Twist and Shout" on a parade float.

Bedford Yoga
($20 for drop-in, $18 per class with 10-class series)
55 Olivier Road, Bedford
914.234.6224
www.bedfordyoga.com

Women's Workshop & Spa Lunch
at Yoga Loft at the Bedford Post Inn
Saturday, April 18th at 10am
$85 plus tax and gratuity
Reservations are required: yoga@bedfordpostinn.com

Posted by plumberry at 06:49 PM | Permalink

For weeks now, your husband has been trying to keep it together, but those gray hairs and perma-furrowed brow don't lie: he's stressed. Though you too feel the pain (and have the under-eye bags to prove it), you decide, in a moment of compassion, to give him Saturday morning off and send him out to the local golf course for 18 holes with an equally unglued buddy.

While you are double timing it back and forth from soccer practice to birthday party number two, you think to yourself how happy he will be when he walks through the door after an above par morning in the fresh air -- and, perhaps more importantly, how you plan to spend the rest of your day once you've completed the kid hand-off. But when he throws his clubs down on the kitchen floor a few hours later muttering something about giving up the game and e-Bay, you know his spirits have hardly been lifted. Now what?

Send him to Borders in Mount Kisco to meet Jimmy Roberts, author of Breaking the Slump: How Great Players Survived Their Darkest Moments in Golf and What You Can Learn from Them. In the new book, the Emmy-award winning NBC golf commentator and Westchester native shares advice from all the golf greats and some golf-addicted celebrities on how to recover from playing that inevitable stretch of absolutely wretched golf. Davis Love III, for example, remembers his late father's essential advice when he's frustrated: Try less hard.

Though Breaking the Slump speaks to golf enthusiasts (or former fans as the case may be), the lessons learned on how to get from bunker to fairway apply to life off the course too. As George Bush Sr. once remarked, "The way we handle adversities in golf can provide a template for how to handle the challenges in life: Golf lessons can sometimes be life lessons too. There may not be a universal cure-all, but there are many ways to recover from a debilitating slump."

Meet the author of Breaking the Slump, Jimmy Roberts
Tuesday, March 31st at 7pm
Borders
162 East Main Street, Mount Kisco

Posted by plumberry at 12:48 PM | Permalink

The madness of March is two-fold, as the entire metropolitan area (and even country) is gripped by the twin fevers of NCAA championships and St. Patrick’s Day revelry.  Suddenly, everyone is a basketball fan, and everyone is Irish. (Including, apparently, our president.)

Over where everyone is actually Irish, there’s a set of visionaries using basketball to decrease the madness: Full Court Peace, a non-profit organization founded by Connecticut native Michael Evans and Belfast native and ESPN ESPY Award-winner Dave Cullen, strives to use the game to quell the Protestant-Catholic tensions of the city. The organization brings together boys and girls from the different sections of the city to play basketball together.  Through forging a shared team identity, the organization helps participants see past each other’s background, and learn to work together.

With recent headlines about renewed violence in Northern Ireland, Full Court Peace’s work is more relevant and needed than ever. Many had hoped that the Good Friday peace accords of 1998 might signal the start of the end of other ethnic and sectarian strife in the world. But reality is showing that, when dealing with groups with a centuries-long history of conflict, signing a peace agreement is not the end, but really only the beginning of learning to live together.  “Full Court Peace offers an extended period of healing,” says Evans. “We put our kids together for months and years, creating a family with an understanding of the other side. Quick fixes don’t work.”

Notably, several of the staff members of Full Court Peace hail from Westchester. TJ Reynolds, who grew up in Yonkers, attributes his childhood sports experience with shaping his character. “I think my mom and dad both saw how much of an effect sports had on shaping the person I was becoming as I grew up,” he says.  “Many of life's most important lessons can be found on the playing field.  That was something that I learned through the victories and losses of my career and something that we hope to instill in our players as well.”

So the next time your budding point guard talks about playing for the NBA, these guys might present an example of something else to do with that love of the game.

 

To find out more about Full Court Peace, please visit www.fullcourtpeace.org

Posted by plumberry at 01:06 PM | Permalink

With restaurant week coming up and lots of talk about cupcakes, you certainly haven't been left hungry lately. So if you’ve indulged one too many times, it might be time to get back in the gym. But you know yourself: you’ll go full throttle for about a week and a half before getting bored. You wouldn’t mind taking your cause to the streets by jogging or hiking in the Rockefeller Preserve trails, except that’s still too cold for that. So until the spring weather stays once and for all (and not just a tease like last weekend), you’ll want to find a workout routine that will motivate you to stick with it ‘til bikini season and beyond.

Centerpeace exercise studio in Chappaqua offers classes based on the Lotte Burk method.  This star-abulous fitness program attracts such participants Kelly Ripa and first gained popularity in such out-of-the-way places as NYC, LA and the Hamptons. In this neck of the woods, locals swear by instructor Stephanie Spiegal to strengthen and stretch muscles -- with special emphasis on the core -- both on the floor mat and at the ballet barre. Spiegel literally keeps participants on their toes (it tones one’s calves) for one non-stop, no-downtime, high-energy, music-filled, exhausting hour.

If all that leaves you feeling as if you need to get in great shape prior to enrolling in class (you clean your house before the housekeeper comes, don’t you?), don’t worry. Spiegel tailors the exercises to suit your individual ability. (In other words, eyes on your own paper.) “The most important thing for me is that a person feels comfortable and safe coming here regardless of her fitness level,” says Spiegal. “I know what my clients’ strengths and weaknesses are, who has tight necks or needs to deepen core muscles. I want you to only pay attention to yourself, and not what your neighbor is doing.” To make that happen, the instructor will offer hands-on assistance and call out your name with instructions and encouragement during the class - really great for those who take to external motivation, not so much for back-row slackers.

As your abs get tighter and your butt gets smaller (and your mind gets clearer), don’t be surprised if you find yourself addicted to Centerpeace. You might even be able to reward yourself with a cupcake.

Centerpeace
Space is limited to 18 per class, so reservations are recommended.
 
914-602-3453
Centerpeace@optonline.net
$250 for 10 classes plus one free
$500 for 20 classes plus three free

Posted by plumberry at 11:09 PM | Permalink

It's been a month since you made your New Year's resolution to get in shape. And so far, you've been kinda good about going to the gym. But with each passing day, the idea of getting back on that treadmill (and getting nowhere fast) is making it tougher for you to stay motivated. If you need a swift kick in the butt, haul your glutes to The Kombine Sports Performance and Fitness Center for boot camp.

In this relatively small (but state-of-the-art and immaculate) gym, you will discover the joys of being put through drills like mountain climbers, burpees, and other plyometrics for 60 minutes. "It's high energy and a ton of fun", says owner and former San Francisco Giants draft pick Anthony Yacco. "It's always good to try something a little different to keep your motivation level high."
 
While all of the trainers have either played Division-One sports in college or are professional athletes, they don't expect you to be an All-American. The boot camp is designed for all fitness levels. Yes, even you Miss-Biggest-Loser-watching couch potato. "Since most of the exercises are based on time, you may be able to do fifty squats in two minutes while the person next to you can only do ten. It's not a competition. It's all according to your personal ability," Yacco assures. Among the benefits of having such big-league trainers: Their extensive fitness knowledge. In addition to the exercises, you will learn proper alignment, the right footwear, nutrition tips and even the right way to breathe. "Most people are reverse breathers," Yacco states. Huh? "They pull in their abdomens when they inhale which blocks off their lungs and diminishes their oxygen intake. In fact, if people just learned how to breathe better, their fitness level would go way up."

Too bad you couldn't skip boot camp altogether and just breathe better while watching Biggest Loser.

The Kombine Sports Performance and Fitness Center
27 Radio Circle, Mount Kisco
914-244-0956
www.thekombinesports.com

Boot camp
9:30am, Monday-Friday
Free trial session
$250 for 10 sessions

Posted by plumberry at 12:32 PM | Permalink

You know you're not supposed to eat off your kids' plates. That's what all the magazines (not to mention your scale and jeans) say anyway. And yet, there you are cleaning what's left of the "real white meat" chicken nuggets, mac n'cheese and bite-sized sliced hot dogs from their plate. What's worse is that you are starting to prefer their menu to your own grown-up cuisine.

Take a break from the kid's stuff and head to Blue Hill at Stone Barns for their 4th Annual Sausage and Beer Dinner in the Country at 5pm on Sunday, January 25th. Mingle among fellow sausage and beer lovers over cocktails. Then dig into a five-course tasting dinner featuring fresh and cured sausages and meats, all paired with a selection of locally brewed beers.  (You're guessing they won't be including Fabio's over-pesto'd sausage-filled ravioli from the Blue Hill-hosted Top Chef episode.) The cost is a non-kid-friendly $190 per carnivore and it's communal seating for everyone.
 
Just avoid the urge to cut your neighbor's food.
 
4th Annual Blue Hill at Stone Barns Sausage and Beer Dinner
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
630 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills, NY 10591
914 366 9600
www.bluehillfarm.com

Posted by plumberry at 03:04 PM | Permalink

When you shipped the children off to their grandparents for a few days during the holiday break, you naturally missed the little cubs. But you did appreciate the ability to talk on the phone, sleep, eat, use the bathroom and breathe, all without interruption. Still, a wave of love rushed over you at the first sight of your kids after so long. And for some time following -- almost until you reached home -- that emotion stayed with you.  Your once-blissful state of mind then returned to a familiar state of madness as you spewed threats of no TV, no treats, no anything if they didn't stop it "right this instant!" Where's that Calgon when you need it?

If it's gonna take a little more than a bubble bath to turn that frown upside down, high tail it to Dharma Yoga and Wellness in Cross River. This "neighborhood wellness retreat" is a sanctuary from the stresses of everyday life. "Yoga, meditation, and healing spa therapies are no longer just luxuries," owner Judy Hall says. "It's about preventing disease in your life -- going inside yourself instead of outside, to find strength to meet the enormous challenges of today's environment.  The way most people deal with stress is to run faster. We can't do this anymore; the world is just too complicated".

If you're new to yoga, don't stress: You're doing enough of that already. "New students are encouraged to participate at their own level. Yoga is not about competition but about self-awareness and acceptance," says Hall. (There's a reason why yoga isn't an Olympic sport.)

After your class, nurture your body on the inside with something nutritious to nibble on from the Dharma Room Café. Menu options include organic salads, wraps, juices, tea and locally-grown Zumbach coffee. 

Want to keep that Zen feeling at home? Make that coffee to go.

Dharma Yoga & Wellness
Historic Yellow Monkey Village
792 Route 35
Cross River, NY
914-763-6320
www.dharmayogawellness.com
Hours: 9-4PM weekdays; weekends 9-2PM

Posted by plumberry at 01:17 PM | Permalink

You adore dear Susan Trumpbour at MyBeautyBerry.com, not in the least because of her fine taste in website names. Well, really, you love her because she's funny and interesting and talks about beauty products you actually need and want.

The latest one is Kathy's Family Happy Yoga Mat Wash. Susan covers it in depth here, but the short story goes like this: If you've just figured out that stench in the mudroom is not your son's sneakers but rather what you are supposed to be achieving enlightenment (or at least great flexibility) on -- well, as the Bud commercial goes, this one's for you.

Get Trumpbour's once-a-week "Beautyflash" delivered to you every Wednesday for free -- just sign up here, and be sure to check out the site itself for her "MBB Dailies" for just-in beauty news, tips, tricks and celebrity beauty secrets.

Posted by plumberry at 01:54 PM | Permalink

While the old song goes, "Love and marriage, love and marriage/Go together like a horse and carriage," there are times when you think the proper wording should have been -- at least for a certain friend in your daughter's set -- "a horse and pre-teen girl."  And whether her room is festooned with show ribbons or merely serving as a stable for a herd of Breyer horses, with her birthday on its way, you know to trot over to The Horse Connection in Bedford Village.

Along with jods, jackets, boots, bits and bridles, this riding-country mainstay stocks accessories, books and playthings aplenty for that equine-obsessed young lady of your acquaintance. A great way to indulge her passion: A leather-and-brass nameplate bracelet that reads "I Y Ponies." Available with other slogans, as well as in styles sporting mini bits, these tack-inspired wristbands will satiate the need to announce she's horse crazy without, say, announcing it on a rhinestone-studded tee-shirt.

Round out the gift (or stock the goody bags for your own horse-lover's party) with a pack of Bella Sara cards, which  are the Webkinz of the horse world.  Available in multiple collections, Bella Sara cards feature beautiful artwork and affirming messages (and take up less room and gather less dust than those stuffed animals); each card represents a horse which, once activated online, is added to the "owner's" stable, and is cared for and played with a virtual world (and, by the way, take up less room and generate less dust than those real animals).

Nameplate Bracelet, $21
Bella Sara Cards, $1.95 to $2.95 per pack

The Horse Connection in Bedford Village
38 Village Green
Bedford Village
914-234-2047

Posted by plumberry at 12:37 PM | Permalink

Where once you looked forward to the state-mandated (or at least -encouraged) closing of your office for the observance of MLK day, now it means an extra day of entertaining the kids without the support of regularly scheduled activities, lessons and practices. The savviest of your friends have decamped for Vermont; others planned playdates weeks in advance. That leaves you as CEO -- E as in Entertainment -- for the day. You could go for a Wii marathon; hit the theaters for Alvin and the Chipmunks (oh when, oh when will they ever be ready for PG-13 movies?); or spend the day staring at each other (let us know who wins the contest). Or you could try one of these activities:

SKI
Thunder Ridge Ski Area
Less than an hour away from Northern Westchester is a great hill for your kids to get started on their Grand Slalom.(Don't worry about the lack of snow on your yard; latest conditions up there boast a base of 16 inches. Not Vail, but good enough for the day.) Ski and snowboard lessons start at $30 for an hour. With rentals and lift ticket, it's $64 all in for the 7 and under crowd; $79 for the older sibling. Avoid the crowds by calling ahead to register and arriving before 10:30am. No need to head in when the sun goes down: stick around for night skiing until 9pm.

137 Birch Hill Rd., Patterson NY 12563
845-878-4100
www.thunderridgeski.com 

SKATE
Curse global warming; there's not a solid pond to be found south of Albany. Which means you need to hit an indoor rink. Brewster Ice Arena has public sessions from 9am to 2pm, and from 3pm to 5pm. Got a nouveau skater? Get there early to nab a walker for support.

63 Fields Lane, Brewster, NY
845-279-7237

Posted by plumberry at 02:00 PM | Permalink

In your day, it was piano or violin or gymnastics or ballet or baseball or basketball. Your mother picked one; two if she wanted you to meet a new set of friends. The rest of your afternoons were spent, playing tag, watching tv, just  -- gulp! -- relaxing.  Today's kids participate in all six activities Monday through Friday, plus baton twirling, bobsledding and traditional Thai cooking. With all of the activities and homework piled up on these youngsters, they truly need some way to unwind after such a busy week.

Feeling a little frazzled yourself? (Um, just a little). Get away for an evening flow yoga class at Quest Yoga Arts taught by instructor Johanna Aldrich, a favorite teacher among local yogis. Afterwards, take in a special photography exhibit by yoga instructor Wendy Boller featuring images of everyday life in India which "reveal glimpses of the dynamic vibrational flow of this world." Your spirit will feel transported half way across the world even though your body will remain in Mt. Kisco.

Posted by plumberry at 04:02 PM | Permalink

You promised yourself it would just be for exercise. You promised yourself it would just be for fun. And yet here you are, mad as all get out that you lost your tennis match 6-love. It's junior varsity all over again. You could improve your game with a few extra clinics. A private serve lesson or two. But to really back in the swing of things, you'll need Total Tennis camp.

Think of it as boot camp for would-be baseliners. With stays ranging from two to seven nights, you'll get to put into up to 5 hours of practice using the Total Tennis by Progression method under the tutelage of one of the camp's experienced pros. Group instruction, private lessons, free play and tournaments are all part of the mix.

The boot camp metaphor only goes so far, of course: Located in Saugerties, New York, the camp's lodgings reflect its origins as a 1920s mountain resort, all with private baths, and many with terraces overlooking the Catskills Mountains. The camp's gourmet kitchen will keep your energy up with delicious diet-friendly meals. But given your calorie burn each day, you'll be justified in trying their famous sugar and chocolate-chip cookies. Nurse sore muscles at the end of each day in the hot tub or with a soothing massage.

Never picked up a racquet? Beginners are more than welcome. You may not walk out of there hitting like Maria Sharapova, but at least you'll feel worthy of wearing a cute tennis skirt to lunch with friends. 

Total Tennis
1811 Old Kings Highway
Saugerties, NY 12477
Phone: (800) 221-6496 or
(845) 247-9177
www.totaltennis.com

Posted by plumberry at 01:50 PM | Permalink

You know that Father's Day is supposed to be about doing what he wants to do -- playing golf or watching the PGA US Open on the flat screen, but then you'd be stuck entertaining the kids all day. Hmmm. When you think about it, shouldn't Father's Day be about children spending quality time with just their dad? Here are some ways for your gang to spend the day together while you selflessly make yourself scarce. (Just make sure he doesn't catch you going into the nail salon.)    

Peddle: Hit the North County Trailway for a ride - 5, 10, 20 miles; you call it. (Don't know where to park? Get wise to all the possible parking areas here.) Bikes need a tune up? Wheel 'em in to Bicycle World (7 East Main Street, Mount Kisco), Julio's Bicycles (45 South Bedford Road, Chappaqua) or Van's Katonah Service Center (25 Valley Road, Katonah).

Paddle: Kayak, canoe or rowboat at Clarence Fahnestock Memorial Park. With a permit, Dad can even fish.  (He better not expect you to clean it, though.) Bring your own kayak or canoe; rowboats available for rent.

Perambulate: Bring Dad back to his Boy Scout years with a hike in the gorgeous Ward Pound Ridge reservation. The reservation features 35 miles hiking trails, including several self-guided nature trails. Find more hiking trails on the Westchester County Parks site.

 

Posted by plumberry at 01:17 PM | Permalink

Can kids learn self-control by learning how to throw a punch?

For even the most nonviolent, water-gun free family, the answer is yes. But only at the right dojo.

You don’t have to take our word for it. A brief visit to the Marti Training Center in Bedford Hills to check out Sensei Jose Marti in action just might convince you. Watch how squirming kids snap to attention when the Sensei steps in front of the class – without a voice being raised.   Listen to the kids recite the five principles of Karate (including every mom’s personal favorite, Control bad temper), and then practice each punch, kick and block with concentration and determination. Notice how a shy child is called up to demonstrate a move, and beams as she does it in front of a full house.

Listen to the kids laugh, yes laugh, as Sensei plays one of his skill-building games with them. See how the students crowd around him after class with happy, open faces as he metes out praise and compliments to each one. Wonder if you’ve walked into an alternative universe.

Despite all the fun, some very serious martial arts are taught here. Sensei Marti is a fourth-degree Karate black belt, and advanced students learn how to use weapons as well as the basic techniques. But the dojo doesn’t churn out would-be street fighters, or create little automatons who obey out of fear. Instead, it builds self-confident individuals who control themselves out of respect for themselves and those around them.

We could wax on and wax off about this place all day. 
 

Just control yourself when you rush to the front desk to register.

TKA Karate - Marti Training Center
178 Harris Road
Bedford Hills, NY
914-241-0222

www.traditionalkarateamerica.com

Posted by plumberry at 02:04 AM | Permalink

You're perfectly content with your routine at the gym: 30 minutes of cardio, 20 minutes of weights, then a little stretching and you're done. But there's a little part of you that always wonders what goes on inside the yoga studio. You watch the devotees heading in, sticky mats tucked under sculpted arms, a knowing smile across their lips. But shed your shoes and follow them in? You wouldn't dare. The thought of announcing your virgin status when the instructor asks, "Is this anyone's first class?" is enough to make you hyperventilate.

Start a humiliation-free journey to inner peace (and a toned butt) by taking the Yoga 101 Workshop at Sonic Yoga in Mt Kisco. (City Search voted this NYC-based studio number one in 2005 and 2006.) In a safe, nurturing environment you will learn the basic core postures and breathing techniques mat to mat with other first timers.  Though you may not leave doing a downward facing dog like Gwyneth, at least you'll know what a downward facing dog is.

 

 

Yoga 101 Workshop, $120
Four-week session begins May 31st, every Thursday.
9:30 to 10:45am

Sonic Yoga
11-13 Main Street
Mount Kisco, NY
914-241-YOGA
www.sonicyoga.com

Posted by plumberry at 07:55 AM | Permalink