Yoga Vida: how I finally gave in and started to love yoga

the dreary weather started getting to me this afternoon. I’ve had a lame week of workouts thanks to a minor trapeze related injury. Dance & zumba classes this week with limited movement in my right arm? Hilarious.  Today I wanted to workout, something I would really love that also wouldn’t be hindered due to my painful deltoid.

Running? meh. Running is great when I’m really worked up and stressed out. My blah feeling wasn’t quite that

Group fitness class? meh. nothing was being offered at the nearby Crunches that sounded like a great idea to my arm.

Yoga? hmmmmmmm. Yes. A crummy mood, crummy weather, and crummy arm pains seemed like the perfect match for yoga. (note: because of the nature of my arm injury yoga is actually painless to do. I do not recommend doing workouts that aggravate a recent injury– healing is key).

I decided to try out a nearby studio Yoga Vida located at 99 University & 12th street. For first time students it is $10 for a week of unlimited yoga– what more can a gal ask for?

For years I proclaimed my hatred of Yoga loud and proud. I wasn’t against the practice of yoga for other people– you rubber band people with your well lubricated joints can downward dog all ya want. It didn’t seem like a good match for me– a gal with clicking joints, lots of thoughts, chronic jaw tension that isn’t even my thought, zero flexibility and is far from relaxed.

I have converted to the other side. First with “Sunrise Salutations” at Crunch, and today I admitted to myself “man, i love me some yoga” at Yoga Vida.

in september I got a taste of what acro yoga is like. that I actually loved

The class today, an open vinyasa class, was just what I needed. The instructor, Jessie, was knowledgeable, encouraging and incredibly helpful. I loved that she encouraged us to laugh and smile throughout, a reminder that this isn’t meant to be painful, it is meant to be an enjoyable, nourishing experience. With Jessie’s guidance I was really able to connect my breath with movement to make the most out of the poses and the class. The pace was perfect for me, a sorta beginner, and was the perfect combination of strength and relaxation

For me the sign of an amazing class is when I don’t look at my watch once. I was fully there, committed and focused the whole time. Most important is that I left there definitely feeling a million times better than I did when I arrived, and than I would have if I just sulked on my couch for that hour. Isn’t that the most important part of a workout, remembering that you should feel better leaving than you did arriving? 

I am not quite sure exactly what has made my completely change my view on yoga– a handful of great classes, instructors I have really enjoyed, and the awareness that it is not a competition with other students. It is a good thing it has happened though because I can already see the changes my weekly yoga classes have made in my life– I feel far more relaxed and at ease recently, my posture and alignment in performance has benefitted, and I feel more grounded and stable than ever. If this all is in fact from the yoga (which I think it is, among other changes in my daily life), sign me up for more

I am excited to see what else Yoga Vida has to offer, they have already won me over with their affordability to students, convenient location, cleanliness, and the wonderful instructor I had today.

End of an Era

“no it’s supposed to hurt
that’s how you know it meant something” – Peter and the Starcatcher

While graduation is still a month and a half away, a huge part of my life at college just ended.

it all started when I was a lil’ 17 year old. And by lil’ I mean I am still the exact same size 4 years later.
I was obsessed with trapeze after a week of flying at Club Med. Like a drug addict, I needed my fix, and was super excited to try out Trapeze School New York. The thought of flying in American, let alone my home state of NEW YORK was thrilling. Flying trapeze was this unique thing I did on vacation, it went hand in hand with tanning on a turquoise beach and eating my body weight in white chocolate bread. Getting to fly where I lived? Woah.

While I didn’t catch my trick that day, I found love in TSNY, the indoor rig in New York City, my soon to be home for college.

I didn’t fly again for a year.

It was finals week of freshman year at NYU, the culmination of a stressful year at theater school that was far from what I dreamed majoring in drama would be.
There is something incredible about the smell of chalk mixed with BO, the adrenaline rush from jumping off a platform 25 feet above ground, the feeling of being free for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Once again I was addicted to that sensation that flying trapeze brings.

I signed up for a 10 week intensive of flying trapeze classes during Fall of my sophomore year.

who knew that during those 10 weeks I would meet one of my closets friends in that trapeze class, a person who I have connected with more than almost anyone I have met at NYU.

who knew that during those 10 weeks my life would fall apart and I would be left trying to survive and thrive despite trauma.

who knew that I would start looking forward to those Thursday nights more and more each week, as my life spiraled more and more out of control and as I fell more and more in love with Trapeze and the safety of being at the indoor rig.

when I was there no one could make me rehearse for a scene. when I was there I couldn’t do homework. when I was there I couldn’t wallow in my loneliness. when I was there I didn’t have to talk about theater.
It was my safe place, the place I could run away to when I needed to get away from it all.

I began to take more and more classes at the indoor rig, becoming stronger physically, stronger in the air, and learning how to push through everything that was happening outside of the tent.
No matter what was happening in my life though, on thursday night I knew it would all be okay. I would get to fly.

As time progressed and I took more classes, I began to meet more fliers. People from all different walks of life who all came together because they loved trapeze– the sensation of fear mixed with excitement. The feeling that nothing is impossible. These people became my friends, despite the age differences, despite the different jobs, careers and interests, in the tent it didn’t matter

the thursday group began to form, we started all signing up for the same class, we started making theme weeks, we started baking good food and making playlists. The community was formed of people who loved trapeze

on thursday everything would stop. we would wear ridiculous outfits, and work on becoming better fliers, achieving more than we thought we could.

for two and a half years I had a permanent Thursday conflict. It is ingrained in my brain that on Thursdays I trapeze, but tonight was the last one, because the indoor rig is closing, and the schedule is changing, and my life is shifting as I move into the post college world.

It was nice to have something constant, something consistent, in my very chaotic college life. This place felt like group therapy– I would go when I was anxious or on the verge of a meltdown, and jumping off the board always made me feel better without fail. When I’m in the air I cannot think about anything else accept my trick.

It is amazing how much flying has impacted my life, beyond the beautiful back muscles. I was joking with my teacher tonight about how he met me when I was a wee 19 year old, but then took the joke back because I am still the same height and weight as September of 2009.

But I know I am different. I have calmed down, a lot. I feel less awkward. I feel more confident. And I feel stronger, physically and emotionally. The girl who started taking classes weekly at age 19 feels like a far cry from the girl who left the tent for the last time tonight, 21, and on the verge of graduating.

It is hard to sum up what this place means to me, it may just be a big tent on a street that used to be super sketchy in manhattan, but this tent has been the home of so many memories to me.

I will never forget the thursdays, the costumes, the bloody palms, the calluses, the amazingly successful days, the days I couldn’t get anything right, the inspiring teachers, and the amazing friends.

I feel so lucky that I had a place where I could run away and join the circus while still being at college.

Spring’s Awakening

happy first day of spring

Spring has always been my favorite season– it means my birthday is around the corner, the weather is getting warmer, I get to wear flip flops and cute dresses without being gross and sweaty or bundled up, summer is coming, the school year is winding down, and anything feels possible.

On days like today it is hard to imagine living anywhere else except Manhattan. the city is bursting with happiness and people out and about enjoying the weather. I swear, warm weather makes everyone much happier.

Days like today I love Manhattan more than anything. I can’t describe it, but spring just feels like it is filled with optimism and that good changes are bound to happen.

Proof that spring brings good things?

I got to attend a free intenSati class at Equinox!

During my free week at Equinox I tried the incredible popular class intenSati where you speak affirmations while doing heart pounding cardio movements

Ever since taking that class I haven’t stopped thinking about it and how uplifting it was. This class marries a positive mental state with a powerful, sweating body. For me, a gal who loves to sweat and is currently taking a course called “The Science of Happiness” it is exactly what I crave right now in my life. A lot of things are uncertain– come fall 2012 I have no idea where I will be living, what I will be doing, and what path it will lead me on. What helps is the positive outlook from this class that I have the power to create my destiny and that I am enough.

Today the class was absolutely packed, while at first it was concerning that we were going to whack each other in the head, having that many people around you sweating and saying the affirmations is really magical. Everyone there is focused on one thing– bettering themselves. Together we create this positive safe environment where we not only get a butt kicking workout but also engage our mind and well-being.

Our affirmations today were:

one day at at time
I am training my mind
I am empowered today
I am grateful in every way
I can see my success
I accept my greatness
I am inspired to be
the very best I can be
I challenge myself
to discipline my attention
I have unshakeable faith
It is done, it is done. 

Punching it out  in class today, on this lovely first day of spring, it was not about punching away the stress and pain. It was about feeling powerful and strong. It was about knowing that I am capable of whatever I want to do, whether it be performing, group fitness, personal training, going to medical school, joining the circus, whatever. Feeling that I, Kayla, am enough the way I am, and I just need to utilize what I got instead of focus on what I don’t.

I hope to some day teach a class as inspirational as Patricia Moreno’s intenSati. Everyone in the room was dripping with sweat, yet seemed so at peace with who they were when we left the room. Hearing a room of what must have been 100 people say the affirmations and agree “yes” to pushing ourselves harder? Amazing. High fiving those around you might seem childish and cheesy, but it really does encourage that community feeling that we are all giving 100%. This class teaches you that you can do so much more than you think you can when you have a positive attitude. In any other class I would’ve hit the lazy point where I half assed some moves or took a break, but with intenSati you keep pushing yourself, you keep saying the affirmations in your head. And really, optimism and positive thoughts go a long long way.

Intention. When you add intention to everything you do, it creates meaning.

 

more from LA: some Idiots, some exercise, and alotta soreness

Spring break is going way too fast. While it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve been in Manhattan, and the musicals we performed right before spring break feel like they happened ages ago, this trip to California has felt super quick.

Wednesday I was lucky enough to win front row, center tickets, to the Los Angeles premier of American Idiot at the Ahmanson. Being that close to the action is unreal, I’ve sat in front row seats a bunch of times during the Broadway run, but not yet for the tour production of Idiot.

Before the show I was in celeb sighting mode trying to spot some famous people attending the premiere. Granted, I am terrible at knowing who movie stars are and Broadway people are my version of celebs. I did however recognize Tom Hanks, Bob Saget and Marci Gay Harden (whom I not only took a trapeze class with one time, but also saw her perform in God of Carnage at the Ahmanson when I was in LA last May).

oh hey Tom Hanks! I recognize you!

the BRILLIANT Tom Kitt, Westchester native! orchestrator for Idiot, and composer for Next to Normal and High Fidelity

what 90's child doesn't recognize Bob Saget?

the performance was truly amazing. It is now my 4th time seeing the touring cast. I can finally sit back and enjoy the beauty of the show instead of being distracted by all the changes that have been made since Broadway. This cast is absolutely fierce and reminds me why theater and why this show became such a huge part of my life after I saw it 2 years ago. And first row is really something else

Thursday it was time to get my sweat on at Equinox- Westwood! Previously this month I enjoyed a fabulous free week of classy sweating at Equinox, Greenwich Ave in Manhattan. I fell in love with their innovative and unique group fitness classes.

I attended a ViPR class taught by the charismatic Jeffrey Scott.
The online description reads:

Vitality, Performance & Reconditioning for more energy, enhanced movement skills, & incredible strength. ViPR delivers a progressive & fun variety of real-life movement & whole body integration for maximum metabolic rate & increased caloric expenditure, resistance, endurance & strength.

The classes utilizes an odd, cylinder piece of equipment, the ViPR, and you use it to perform common exercises

cheesy ladies and the ViPR

 I actually had the joy of attending a lecture from the creator of the ViPR, Michol Dalcourt. He spoke about his interest in engaging the full body at all times when working out, and how this piece of equipment encourages that.

I was super excited, and a bit nervous, to finally try the ViPR out for myself. It seemed a bit intimidating and awkward to handle, but during the class I got the hang of it. The class is deceptive- at first I was thinking “woooo this is easy!” but soon the sweat was pouring out and I was shocked how tired my muscles were getting. We used the ViPR as an extra piece of equipment while doing typical exercises– like squats that have the added challenge of pushing the ViPR towards and away from your chest so you work not only your lower body, but also the upper body. In addition to strength training exercises, we also did some intense cardio. Shuttle runs? I haven’t done shuttle runs since middle school! By the end of the class my body was a sweaty, noodley mess. Once again I am so impressed with the classes at Equinox, truly original and unique to their gyms.

After the ViPR kicked my butt I spent the afternoon in Westwood, which is also the home of UCLA

Even though I am 21 years old and graduating from NYU in, uh, exactly 2 months, I still felt like I was 17 years old and too young to be in college. In middle school I wanted to go to UCLA, simply because it was a smart school and in California. It was awesome to get to see the school at these years later, and secretly wish I had applied to college there.

this nyu girl is seriously perplexed by college campuses and luscious green areas on those college campuses.

—

Today my body is rather sore from the ViPR and walking around for 5 hours. I love knowing that I worked my body (particularly my booty and thighs) and therefore they are sore, but they seriously hurt!

I decided to take it easy today and take a yoga class at Crunch. I wanted to push myself harder and take a cardio dance class a well, but my hips are definitely not feeling it. Yoga was definitely a good choice for this morning.

Sadly tonight is my last night in California. Best friend and I are going to see Idiot again, and then I am back to Nueva York tomorrow afternoon. I could definitely go for another week of spring break, and another few days in California….

Kayla in Los Angeles

greetings from lovely California! I am finally on Spring Break and couldn’t be happier to be on vacation in LA.

Between Daylights Savings, jet lag, travel, and not sleeping much the past few weeks of school I have absolutely no sense of what time it is

my mom's instructions on Daylights Savings

Yesterday was spent doing a whirlwind trip to Disneyland with my best friend. Since my best friend moved here after graduating in 2010, I have visited him 4 times, all of which have included a Disneyland excursion. We both love going there wayyyy too much, and still love it.

while I love the Florida counterpart Disney World, Disneyland has definitely grown on me. It may be smaller, but it packs in the magic. I love that you can do both Disneyland and California Adventure in 1 day (or at least the best of). We got there at lunch time, left around 11pm and were still able to ride almost everything we wanted, some even more than once.

indeed, Disneyland is still the happiest place on earth, even for a 21 year old.

—

Today I finally went to the gym. Compared to my usual strict schedule, the past few sweat-less days have felt very weird. I went to go check of Crunch’s Los Angeles location, a convenient 5 minute walk away from my friends house.

compared to my usual walk to Crunch which involves dodging pigeons and homeless people, the palm trees and LA view were a nice contrast.

the Crunch here is pretty awesome. It is hugeeee compared to the Union Square and Lafayette locations. I love that you don’t have to sign up for classes in advanced.

I took Super Sculpt with Tanja. It seriously kicked my butt, I was sweating and cursing my exhausted quads within the first 5 minutes of the class. It felt awesome to be sweating and physically active for the first time in a few days, but it was also a grueling class. Tanja was an awesome instructor, full of energy, gave great modification to exercises and kept us motivated even when we were crying in pain

After working out, I went to Veggie Grill located right below Crunch. This vegetarian restaurant offers shockingly delicious meat-free versions of favorite dishes.

Mac & cheese and a spicy “chicken” roll up. This food was seriously good and the perfect meal after a work out. After being cooped up indoors for the New York winter I was so thrilled to eat good food outside.

—

While I know I am a new yorker at heart– bitter, jaded, a bit aggressive, sarcastic, short, and with a jewish nose, a part of me is also in love with California, and particularly my trips to Los Angeles. I have always been a sucker for warm weather and palm trees, not to mention to healthy culture here and day trips to Disneyland. As the big scary real world is getting closer and closer, the chances of me moving here for some period of time are becoming likely. a 5 foot 2 theater actress with a bump on her nose and natural hair color living in LA? It is a possibility.

Up next in LA?
– Tonight I am seeing American Idiot on tour! (again!) I know I’ve seen the tour a few times, but I am absolutely giddy knowing I get to see it again tonight.
– tomorrow I will be visiting Equinox in Westwood and taking a class.
– more Crunch classes
– yet another viewing of Idiot on tour…….
– and probably some shopping….

 

Focus Kayla, FOCUS!!!

I went back to sunrise yog for the first time in 2 weeks. While part of me was so happy to be back in the relaxing environment, the other part of my (aka my body) was screaming “what are you doing to me at 7AM!” For whatever reason I was not blessed with the gift of flexibility which makes flowing through a yoga class difficult for my tight body.

During my performance last night I had the terrifying moments of “oh god, I am not focused on what I am doing in this show, STOP THINKING KAYLA”. This realization was identical to how I feel in yoga when my thoughts take over and I lose my focus. It is also identical to when we meditated in my Voice and Speech class for 15 minutes and whenever we lost focus on our breath we had to tell our minds “thinking” and go back to focusing on the in and out.

Flying trapeze is a place where I am focused. When you are 25 feet up in the air it is difficult to think about what you want for dinner, homework, how pissed off you are about something that happened at school, and all the other things I spend my free time pondering about.

look at that concentration!

the most jarring experience I have had while flying happened a few weeks ago when I was attempting to throw my layout at the end of class. I know how to do a layout, and I know how to successfully do one, yet in the middle of flying I was suddenly hyper aware and could hear my mind thinking far too loudly. Usually the only thing I can think about in the air is the key words that the instructor has told me “stay tight” “wait for the break” “hold on a second longer” but not a full thought of “kayla, you are doing a layout, oh look there’s a catching swinging towards you!” and it freaked me out! I stopped mid trick because I was not in the right mindset.

Trapeze, yoga, meditation and acting all share this principle of focus– when you are hyper focused on your goal, which varies on the activities, that is when you are the most successful. When I lose focus while flying, that is when I mess up my trick. When I lose focus in yoga, that is when the class is unenjoyable and I cannot hold poses, or I spend the class staring at my watch. When I lost focus meditating, I did not reap the full benefits. And when I lose focus while acting, especially in performance like I did Tuesday night, my performance will suffer.

So today, I focused in all aspects of my life. In yoga I concentrated on the present– I am in yoga class, I did not worry about the rest of my day, and enjoyed the class (mentally at least, my body was definitely hurting).

in tonight’s performance I really focused on the present– what is going on in the show, what am I hearing, what am I feeling and not “make sure you step more stage right than you have been Kayla”, “shit I always mess up this harmony”, “oh hey, the audience isn’t laughing tonight”. I was present, in the moment, and at the end of the show I felt what a difference it made.

 

and a bonus? I briefly had intense focus at starbucks while studying for my midterm

instead of studying in my apartment where there is a fabulous tv that is begging to be watched, delicious food in my fridge, dishes that could be washed, packing that could be done, facebook stalking that can always be done, and endless tasks that are far more fun than studying for my midterm…. I cut myself off from distraction at Starbucks and actually got down to business. Take that senioritis.

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES

2 more performances left (this part is actually sad)

1 midterm

2 days til home!

4 days til California

and 1 week and a day til I get to see Idiot in LA!

 

Why I Sweat

today was the day I’ve been waiting for in my academic class The Science of Happiness

EXERCISE DAY!

a chance for me to nerd out about sweating and pat myself on the back for reaping the many benefits of exercise.

It got me thinking though, why do I sweat? Why do I workout? I think this answer varies for everyone– for some it is to lose weight, for some it is control, for some it is because they love competing in sports, for some it is for stress release.

Some of the above does pertain to me, but I still can’t help but think why this shift in my life. In high school I was the least athletic girl EVER and hated breaking a sweat in phys ed. Where did this gym rat come from?

We learned in class today that exercise is being prescribed as an anti-depressant  because:

–>Like prozac, exercise increases the levels of norepinephrine and serotonin.  

–> it acts as a distraction and can clear the mind

–> it allows the patient to have control

–> it is a social interaction (such as in the case of working out with a friend or group fitness

The population that is less active has higher instances of mental illness.

For me it has never been about weight loss, even if I didn’t work out I would still be little, I come from a long line of really petite females. My “sport” is trapeze, which does benefit from my work outs, however I am not training with trapeze as my specific goal in mind. I work out when I am stressed, often to procrastinate doing homework I am avoiding, often to let out pent up aggression and frustration from the day. Now a days, I work out to start my day on the right foot so I feel less anxious for the rest of the day, and can smile knowing I accomplished something at the ass-crack of dawn.

Today I realized that exercise is my anti-depressant. The times in my life when I have felt the most depressed correlate to times when I was inactive. The summer I spent living in the NYU Dorms, sulking in my loneliness and coping with stress caused by various things, I wish I would have gotten out of the dark dorm room and gone to the gym. I wish I would have continued to go to yoga classes. I wish I would have realized that running is a great way to release.

This school year has been incredible for various reasons. Yes I am finally studying what I have loved since I was 5 years old, yes there is a boy in Westchester who loves me despite how absurd I am, yes I have a comfortable home in the city, but perhaps most importantly has been my commitment to my physical health. I have learned what my favorite ways to exercise are, I have made my muscles stronger than ever, I have danced to latin music like a doofus in Zumba class, I have sweated my frustration away on the tread mill while listening to American Idiot for the millionth time.

I have found comfort and relief in fitness.

What is amazing about this is that fitness is there for everyone– anyone can run, anyone can learn how to do a bicep curl, take a zumba class from youtube, do yoga from netflix– find something active to do that distracts them, gets their heart racing, and gives them a healthy release.

I am obsessed with alternate therapies— how to help people like me who are troubled with anxieties and phobia cope via natural, drug free ways. For me musical theater has played a huge component in coping, seeing shows that wake me up, smack me in the face, make me cry, make me realize something about myself, and make me feel. I loved my music therapy course I took last year which taught me about the incredible power of healing with music. When I started doing trapeze I finally felt a sense of release from my uptight ways and learned to let go and fall.

And now I am very focused on the connection of fitness and mental well being.

So why do I sweat? Because I think it is continuing to save my life. I hate when people roll their eyes because I say “I can’t, I’m going to the gym”. I feel their judgement as they look at me and think I am on some weight loss binge. The truth? It’s what keeps me going.

I will leave you with this awesome list courtesy of my new fitness idol Patricia Moreno:

Boxing Away The Stress

today was technically our “day off”.

by day off it meant we still have class for 6 1/2 hours with no breaks, but we did not have a night performance. By the end of the day I was frustrated– it has been an exhausting few weeks leading up to our first weekend of performances, and tomorrow we start performing again. While I love performing, and especially love performing my show, it is both mentally and physically exhausting.

I made the most of my night off and attended “Cardio Tai Box” at Crunch Lafayette for the first time.

I’ve been watching a lot of MMA with my boyfriend, including this weekend’s female fight. These ladies were TERRIFYING and not to be messed with. I harnessed my inner MMA fighter at “Cardio Tai Box” and pretended to be a total badass.

The class was great, the teacher Melody was the perfect combination of intimidating and encouraging. I loved the structure, similar to a zumba class, we warmed up and the rest of the class was various points of building up to a climax and then working back down. It was your basic cardio kick boxing class, jabs, uppercuts, kicking, the usual mixed in with jumping jacks and squats for a full body, cardio work out.
It was exactly what I needed to get rid of my frustration from the day. Amazing how sweating and punching can make me feel so much better!

It was nice to take a night class for the first time in awhile, especially because I was way too sleepy to go to 7AM yoga today, oops. I will go to early morning conditioning tomorrow, I WILL! I WILL!

Countdowns:

-4 more performances (which I am so excited to get to do this show 4 more times!)

-1 week from now I will be in California

– 1 week and one day from now I will be at the happiest place on earth- DISNEYLAND

I can do it!

NYC Vegetarian Food Festival 2012

I believe I am in a permanent food coma.

this weekend was spent performing the musical I am in for school 4 times, eating outrageous quantities of delicious food, and spending time with people I love.

today I went to the NYC Vegetarian Fest

I am not a vegetarian. I wish I could be, but it would not fit my current life style and picky eating habits. I haven’t eaten red meat since I was 12, and currently only eat chicken and turkey. My reasoning behind banning red meat from my diet is simple– I don’t like it and it grosses me out…. however, I do not care that you eat it.

I hope some day I will broaden my food horizons enough to include the essential nutrients I would need in order to cut chicken from my diet, but that is currently not the case. At this point in my life though, I eat chicken maybe twice a week and love trying vegetarian alternatives.

Attending the Vegetarian Food Festival was awesome, and delicious.

Here are some of my favorite booths of the day

Peanut Butter Co
Anyone who knows me knows my favorite food is peanut butter. I have been a huge fan of PB Co. since summer 2010 when I went there practically every day before my summer classes for a peanut butter and nutella sandwich. I loved getting to taste test all their delicious flavors. I ended up buying a few jars of “The Bees Knees” which is peanut butter with honey

slathered on whole wheat bread, this was the post- performance treat tonight. As if I needed more reasons to eat a peanut butter sandwich every day.

Yoga Rave

yes, a yoga rave. this sounds like the coolest thing ever, and I am so disappointed that I already have plans that thursday night.

You start off with a yoga warm up, then it turns into a rave, and then you finish off with yoga and meditation. For a girl like me who is not remotely into clubbing, but loves dancing and is slowly learning to love yoga, this is my kind of party. Hopefully it will be a huge success and there will be more Yoga Raves in the future.

Daiya Dairy Free Cheese

if you are vegan or lactose intolerant, this substitute “cheese” is absolutely delicious. I tried the pepper jack in quesadilla form and the american in grilled cheese form, and both were yummy alternatives

Vegan Marshmallows from Sweet and Sara

I don’t like to think about what marshmallows are made of. Some people say those horrifying gelatin stories are no longer true, others feel the need to constantly remind me that I am eating animal bones. If that is the case, Sweet and Sara vegan marshmallows were a fantastic substitute

my favorite were the rice krispy treats and the peanut butter s’mores

—–

It was a delicious afternoon taste testing at the festival

—

This semester is going by WAY too fast, I have 4 more performances of the musicals and then it is SPRING BREAK— and the signal that spring semester is half way over.

It is gonna be a crazy whirlwind week attempting to study for midterms, performing 4 more times, having a full week of class… and followed by going home to visit friends for the weekend before I go to California for the rest of spring break.

I just keep thinking how amazing it will be when I am in California in a little over a week, enjoying the warmer weather with my best friend…..

(spring break 2011 in California. Bestie and I lived out my life long wish and had a dream Disneyland Vacation and stayed onsite. Actually….. we went to Disneyland all 3 times I visited him last year. We are kind of obsessed.)

fortune cookie mantra

=

this is my new philosophy for 2012