Well hellooooo to all my little yogis and yoginis!
As you will notice, I've added a neat little feature to my blog: my actual Gmail calendar of yoga classes, complete with times, studio info, class descriptions and so on. If you get emails of my blog posts, don't forget to visit the actual blogsite at: www.workofheartyoga.com to see this new feature. This should make figuring out where and when I'm teaching a whole lot easier. I'll add sub dates to the calendar too! You'll see that I have a plethora of both morning, evening and weekend classes for you to choose from...
Please note a few special additions to my schedule:
Tues - GODA - 5:30-6:55pm - Beginner/Prenatal Yoga
Weds - GODA - 8:15-9:45pm - Flow Yoga
Sat - GODA - 11:00-12:30 - Level One Yoga
Sun - GODA - 11:00-12:30 - Beginner Yoga
As for this upcoming holiday weekend, I know I'm normally around for those lovely 3-day weekends, however, this July 4th Your Neighborhood Studio is closed. So take the day off, do some yoga at your picnic or BBQ with friends and family!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Gazpacho Soup Recipe for Summer!
The first time I fell in love with cold soup was in Barcelona on my honeymoon. I had overdosed on paella the night before, and it was so frickin' hot outside, I could feel my skin cells dying one by one under the sun's rays, which I was pretty sure were aimed directly at me. My husband, also of the fair skinned variety, and I joked that we should have bought stock in a sunscreen company before we left.
It was almost 2pm and siesta was about to begin, so we were scrambling to get a meal and quick. But, the idea of digging into a steaming pile of rice and seafood felt daunting and downright undesirable. That's when our waiter, totally bored and unamused by my difficulty acclimating, suggested gazpacho rather cavalierly.
When the waiter brought it to our table, I thought, "Crap. Now I have to eat tomato soup?! What didn't he understand about me wanting something that wasn't hot? Is my Spanish that bad?"
Our waiter was, unfortunately within ear-shot, and retorted, "es picante, no caliente..."
"It's hot, but it's not hot?! Great, now a riddle." I was becoming seriously unhappy with the service and felt like I was Alice in Wonderland, desperate to find that damn rabbit hole again. More likely, it was the Sangria I drank on an empty stomach.
"No, April. He means 'spicy,' 'picante' means spicy." My husband translated. I was horrified that I was forgetting my Spanish, but as I brought my spoon to my lips, all the earth dropped away from me, and I was twirling in the air, floating on the vibrant flavor of crisp tomatoes and cucumbers and shocked back to life by the sassy jalapeño and red pepper. That soup literally kicked my ass, but in a good way.
I had it every day in the middle of the day for the rest of our trip.
Gazpacho has had an important influence on my life; it reminds me to shake things up a little bit, especially when it gets hot. It's so easy to make, but has such a complex flavor. And it's just so darn good for you. I dare you to make something this low fat that isn't water...
Considering summer is here, and it's heating up out there, I thought I would share it with you. Also, a few friends, Rachel, Jennifer and Joel, recently gave this recipe a thumbs-up. And I'll dedicate this one to my husband, who always inspires me and adventures with me to try new things.
GAZPACHO
One 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 jalapeño pepper chopped coarsely
1 small or medium yellow onion, chopped coarsely
1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half and scrape out seeds with spoon, chop coarsely.
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with knife
2 Tbsp white vinegar
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
Take out your blender. Dump the whole can of tomatoes in (you can strain it first for seeds, etc, but I figure why bother?). Toss in the jalapeño, onion, cucumber, garlic and white vinegar. Put the lid on and blend away, shaking the blender every once in a while. Then, with the blender on, remove the lid, and start to slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste. Then add salt, pepper and Tabasco to your taste, blending each time you add any. Chill in the fridge for an hour - or be really smart, and get all the veggies really cold before you chop them up!
To get fancy - chop finely a bit of extra onions and jalapeño, maybe some parsley, and garnish the soup with a little in the middle of each bowl on top. You can also toss in croutons, or do my favorite, and serve the soup with warm crusty bread and a little bit of Brie cheese.
Enjoy! And come do yoga...you can eat Gazpacho after...
Peace,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
workofheartyoga@gmail.com
It was almost 2pm and siesta was about to begin, so we were scrambling to get a meal and quick. But, the idea of digging into a steaming pile of rice and seafood felt daunting and downright undesirable. That's when our waiter, totally bored and unamused by my difficulty acclimating, suggested gazpacho rather cavalierly.
When the waiter brought it to our table, I thought, "Crap. Now I have to eat tomato soup?! What didn't he understand about me wanting something that wasn't hot? Is my Spanish that bad?"
Our waiter was, unfortunately within ear-shot, and retorted, "es picante, no caliente..."
"It's hot, but it's not hot?! Great, now a riddle." I was becoming seriously unhappy with the service and felt like I was Alice in Wonderland, desperate to find that damn rabbit hole again. More likely, it was the Sangria I drank on an empty stomach.
"No, April. He means 'spicy,' 'picante' means spicy." My husband translated. I was horrified that I was forgetting my Spanish, but as I brought my spoon to my lips, all the earth dropped away from me, and I was twirling in the air, floating on the vibrant flavor of crisp tomatoes and cucumbers and shocked back to life by the sassy jalapeño and red pepper. That soup literally kicked my ass, but in a good way.
I had it every day in the middle of the day for the rest of our trip.
Gazpacho has had an important influence on my life; it reminds me to shake things up a little bit, especially when it gets hot. It's so easy to make, but has such a complex flavor. And it's just so darn good for you. I dare you to make something this low fat that isn't water...
Considering summer is here, and it's heating up out there, I thought I would share it with you. Also, a few friends, Rachel, Jennifer and Joel, recently gave this recipe a thumbs-up. And I'll dedicate this one to my husband, who always inspires me and adventures with me to try new things.
GAZPACHO
One 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 jalapeño pepper chopped coarsely
1 small or medium yellow onion, chopped coarsely
1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half and scrape out seeds with spoon, chop coarsely.
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with knife
2 Tbsp white vinegar
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
Take out your blender. Dump the whole can of tomatoes in (you can strain it first for seeds, etc, but I figure why bother?). Toss in the jalapeño, onion, cucumber, garlic and white vinegar. Put the lid on and blend away, shaking the blender every once in a while. Then, with the blender on, remove the lid, and start to slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste. Then add salt, pepper and Tabasco to your taste, blending each time you add any. Chill in the fridge for an hour - or be really smart, and get all the veggies really cold before you chop them up!
To get fancy - chop finely a bit of extra onions and jalapeño, maybe some parsley, and garnish the soup with a little in the middle of each bowl on top. You can also toss in croutons, or do my favorite, and serve the soup with warm crusty bread and a little bit of Brie cheese.
Enjoy! And come do yoga...you can eat Gazpacho after...
Peace,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
workofheartyoga@gmail.com
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Inversion workshop at GODA Sat, May 24th, and Yoga Memorial Day Weekend
I forgot to mention in my last blog that THIS Saturday is an awesome workshop with one of my favorite-ist instructors, Cheryl Moss, at GODA Yoga. If you want to work on your handstand, headstand, arm balances, etc, check it out:
THE BASICS OF INVERSIONS
WITH CHERYL MOSS
Saturday, May 24 :: 2:00 - 4:00p
Learn how to practice inversions SAFELY! Something for everybody, from the beginner to the advanced student. A wonderful way to begin an inversion practice or advance an already existing one.
$35 Registration Recommended!
For more information and to register, call: 310.287.1255
ALSO: Remember that I am teaching my regular classes all this weekend and Memorial Day - See my blog post below for my full schedule this upcoming weekend and week!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
THE BASICS OF INVERSIONS
WITH CHERYL MOSS
Saturday, May 24 :: 2:00 - 4:00p
Learn how to practice inversions SAFELY! Something for everybody, from the beginner to the advanced student. A wonderful way to begin an inversion practice or advance an already existing one.
$35 Registration Recommended!
For more information and to register, call: 310.287.1255
ALSO: Remember that I am teaching my regular classes all this weekend and Memorial Day - See my blog post below for my full schedule this upcoming weekend and week!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Yoga Memorial Day Weekend!
What better way to celebrate the beautiful weather, and long weekend than with Yoga?
For those of you looking to get some good yoga in, whether it's to perfect the poses in my beginner class at GODA, or whether it's to get your sweat on in my Flow classes at YNS...
Yoga is ON for this Memorial Day weekend! Check it out, I'm even subbing some extra classes:
Tues, May 20th:
7-8:30pm Flow at GODA
Weds, May 21st:
6-7:30 pm Level 2/3 Flow at YMCA
Thur, May 22nd:
5:30-6:55 pm Beginner Class at GODA
Fri, May 23rd:
9-10:25 am Flow at YNS
Sun, May 25th:
9-10:25 am Flow at YNS
12:45-2:15pm Beginner at GODA
Mon, MEMORIAL DAY, May 26th:
9-10:25 am Flow at YNS
Tues, May 27th:
5:30-6:55 pm Beginner at GODA
7 - 8:30 pm Flow at GODA
Watch my blog for updates on my schedule, as I will be subbing a lot of classes at both studios in June, and may be adding some other permanent classes to my schedule.
Always feel free to email me any questions you have about yoga, or my schedule at: workofheartyoga@gmail.com ! Until then, take care and remember to breathe!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
For those of you looking to get some good yoga in, whether it's to perfect the poses in my beginner class at GODA, or whether it's to get your sweat on in my Flow classes at YNS...
Yoga is ON for this Memorial Day weekend! Check it out, I'm even subbing some extra classes:
Tues, May 20th:
7-8:30pm Flow at GODA
Weds, May 21st:
6-7:30 pm Level 2/3 Flow at YMCA
Thur, May 22nd:
5:30-6:55 pm Beginner Class at GODA
Fri, May 23rd:
9-10:25 am Flow at YNS
Sun, May 25th:
9-10:25 am Flow at YNS
12:45-2:15pm Beginner at GODA
Mon, MEMORIAL DAY, May 26th:
9-10:25 am Flow at YNS
Tues, May 27th:
5:30-6:55 pm Beginner at GODA
7 - 8:30 pm Flow at GODA
Watch my blog for updates on my schedule, as I will be subbing a lot of classes at both studios in June, and may be adding some other permanent classes to my schedule.
Always feel free to email me any questions you have about yoga, or my schedule at: workofheartyoga@gmail.com ! Until then, take care and remember to breathe!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Kids Yoga Teacher Training Memorial Day weekend!
Jules Hogan of UPDOGdowndogYoga is a yoga teacher I met at GODA Yoga. She's not only a great yogini, she's spunky, has a great sense of humor, and loves kids. She teaches kids yoga classes at GODA that are great for your little ones to burn off some of their energy, get comfortable moving their bodies and to have some fun and learn the art of mellowing out. She also does private lessons and kids parties and lots of other great, creative stuff. So check her out.
Also, she's now conducting her first ever Kids Yoga Teacher Training.If you love yoga, and you love kids, you should check it out! Feel free to pass this notice on to anyone you think would be interested. Here's the details:
Kids Yoga Teacher Training with Jules Hogan
Memorial Day, Monday, May 26th
8:00am - 3:00pm
Location - TBD
$100.00 suggested donation
Contact Jules with interests and suggestions at:
jules@updogdowndogyoga.com or
(310) 714-3617
Hope you are all having a great weekend, and maybe I'll see you on the mat!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
Also, she's now conducting her first ever Kids Yoga Teacher Training.If you love yoga, and you love kids, you should check it out! Feel free to pass this notice on to anyone you think would be interested. Here's the details:
Kids Yoga Teacher Training with Jules Hogan
Memorial Day, Monday, May 26th
8:00am - 3:00pm
Location - TBD
$100.00 suggested donation
Contact Jules with interests and suggestions at:
jules@updogdowndogyoga.com or
(310) 714-3617
Hope you are all having a great weekend, and maybe I'll see you on the mat!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
April's Yoga Playlist, and private yoga lessons...
Dearest Yogis and Yoginis,
By popular demand, I am including one of my yoga playlists for you below. I have to be honest, I'm not a wiz at making playlists. It took me about 7 hours to put it together. I had no idea how popular it would be, but why keep a good thing secret? Speaking of...
I am now available for private yoga lessons for individuals or for groups.
No, they are not just for Madonna and Sting. They are for beginners who want a little more one-on-one instruction in particular poses, they are for those recovering from injuries that want specific instruction on safety, they are for more experienced yogis wanting to deepen their practice, as well as for those that want a more private, and "on their own schedule" lesson that will give them an excellent work out. In other words, they are for you. And they also make great presents for others. I'm just sayin'...
If you or anyone you know is interested, please feel free to email me at: workofheartyoga@gmail.com or call me at (310) 559-2570.
Now, as for that playlist...
Country Poem - Pat Metheny
Sueno con Mexico - Pat Metheny
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
So Damn Lucky - Dave Matthews
Stay or Leave - Dave Matthews
I'm Bound to Pack it up - The White Stripes
Trouble - Dave Matthews
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - Jack Johnson
Flake - Jack Johnson
Better Together - Jack Johnson
Inaudible Melodies - Jack Johnson
Trouble - Coldplay
Oh - Dave Matthews
If Not Now - Tracy Chapman
For You - Cold Play
Aqueous Transmission - Incubus
Alone in Kyoto - Air
By popular demand, I am including one of my yoga playlists for you below. I have to be honest, I'm not a wiz at making playlists. It took me about 7 hours to put it together. I had no idea how popular it would be, but why keep a good thing secret? Speaking of...
I am now available for private yoga lessons for individuals or for groups.
No, they are not just for Madonna and Sting. They are for beginners who want a little more one-on-one instruction in particular poses, they are for those recovering from injuries that want specific instruction on safety, they are for more experienced yogis wanting to deepen their practice, as well as for those that want a more private, and "on their own schedule" lesson that will give them an excellent work out. In other words, they are for you. And they also make great presents for others. I'm just sayin'...
If you or anyone you know is interested, please feel free to email me at: workofheartyoga@gmail.com or call me at (310) 559-2570.
Now, as for that playlist...
Country Poem - Pat Metheny
Sueno con Mexico - Pat Metheny
Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin
So Damn Lucky - Dave Matthews
Stay or Leave - Dave Matthews
I'm Bound to Pack it up - The White Stripes
Trouble - Dave Matthews
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - Jack Johnson
Flake - Jack Johnson
Better Together - Jack Johnson
Inaudible Melodies - Jack Johnson
Trouble - Coldplay
Oh - Dave Matthews
If Not Now - Tracy Chapman
For You - Cold Play
Aqueous Transmission - Incubus
Alone in Kyoto - Air
Friday, May 2, 2008
A friend's class I'd like to promote!
There's a new yoga class at Your Neighborhood Studio!
And better yet, it's taught by my friend Rennie Yabiku! Some of you already know Rennie because she's subbed for some of my classes! Rennie's Yoga Flow class is on Saturdays from 5:00-6:30pm. It's the perfect workout before your hot date for Saturday night, so go check out her class if you get a chance.
You can find Rennie's info on the YNS website at: www.yourneigbhorhoodstudio.com.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
And better yet, it's taught by my friend Rennie Yabiku! Some of you already know Rennie because she's subbed for some of my classes! Rennie's Yoga Flow class is on Saturdays from 5:00-6:30pm. It's the perfect workout before your hot date for Saturday night, so go check out her class if you get a chance.
You can find Rennie's info on the YNS website at: www.yourneigbhorhoodstudio.com.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
April KirkHart
www.workofheartyoga.com
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