21-Day Vegan Kickstart!

Miss the veggie challenge? Check out 21-Day Vegan Kickstart...

Based on research by Neal Barnard, M.D., this program is designed for anyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet. Low-fat vegan—plant-based—diets are the easiest way to trim excess weight, prevent diabetes, cut cholesterol, lower blood pressure, prevent and reverse heart disease, and reduce cancer risk. They even trim our carbon footprint.

Each day during the Kickstart, recipes and suggestions are provided for every meal. Register today to begin receiving tips and recipes September 6!

Kids Yoga Fall Semester Starts September 13!

Registration is now open for our Fall/Winter Kids Yoga classes!

The semester begins Monday, September 13 and runs for 13 weeks. During class kids will experience yoga through games, activities, and music, while exploring yoga poses, breathing exercises, and relaxation techniques. Yoga helps kids improve concentration and focus, develop self-relaxation and control techniques, build confidence and self esteem, and develop inner strength and calm, things they don't always learn in the classroom.

Classes will be held Mondays, 4:50 - 5:35pm for 3 - 6 year olds, and Friday, 4:40 - 5:35pm for 7 - 12 year olds. Classes are $22/class or $247 for the semester (prices include mat rental). There will be no class 10/11 and 11/26, but students can make up missed classes by attending the opposite Monday or Friday class. There will be no make-up classes after the end of the semester.

Please give us a call if you have any questions, 718-263-0788... We hope to see you all in the studio soon!

Good-bye Norma, Hello Rachael!

We are very sad to say good-bye to the amazing Norma Kerner, who has been our Gentle Yoga instructor for the past year... We wish her the best of luck with her new studio, Yoganesh, in Manhattan...

We are excited to introduce Rachael Nickel, who will be teaching Gentle Yoga and All Levels Yoga... Racheal has subbed a few times at the studio and we are very happy to have her on board full time. To read more about Rachael, please visit her website.

Looking for a weekend adventure?

Holly Wood brought this little gem to our attention this morning... Unfortunately, you have to go to Hoboken to taste the wares, but from what she says*, it might be worth it!

*on par with Candle 79, but cheaper!

join them on twitter.

support on facebook.

Visit this site...

As climate change touches every aspect of our lives, how will it change us? How will we adapt? Living Climate Change is a devoted space for the most defining design challenge of our time. It’s also a place to support fresh thinking and share provocative ideas about the future.

Hosted by IDEO, a global design and innovation company, Living Climate Change aims to support conversations beyond policy and national sacrifice in order to point toward new possibilities. Moving the debate away from what we have to give up toward what we can create, this site is born from the conviction that design has a role to play in addressing the global issue of climate change. We aspire to support the conversation by asking good questions and exploring creative solutions in an optimistic and real-world way.

Living Climate Change invites you to imagine what life will be like in 20 or 30 years, as we move along a path toward reduced carbon emissions. Will the targets be reached? Which behaviors will need to change? Which will we choose to preserve?

Visit: Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Herb Garden!

photos: beth levendis

FROM TIME OUT NEW YORK: Change is afoot at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, currently celebrating its 100th anniversary. This year, the lush institution debuted a new iteration of its Herb Garden, long a popular feature; though visitors to the space have been able to see the new plants since June, the garden only recently began to bloom in full. “It’s just the nature of the beast,” explains Kate Blumm, communications manager at BBG. “The garden itself needed time to grow in a little bit, and take advantage of the warm weather.” But now that it has, spectacular things are happening: At 17,000 square feet, the garden is more than double the size of the previous one, with dozens of fruits, vegetables, herbs and other plants occupying the space.

“Our original Herb Garden was focused on traditional herbs, but we didn’t cover vegetables or fruits,” explains curator Caleb Leech. The new space also allows BBG to offer a lesson in seasonal, sustainable gardening practices. “There’s been so much interest in growing your own food, and we do demonstrate that,” Leech explains. Adds Blumm, “I think there’s an inspirational aspect to it. I know when I’m walking through it, I hear people saying things like ‘I didn’t know you could grow that here.’” (Just don’t try to pick any of the plants—when they’re ready to be harvested, the goods are donated to a local food pantry.) For more of what you’ll see in the new space, read on.

GO THERE NOW! Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Ave at Eastern Pkwy, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-623-7200). Tue–Fri 8am–6pm; Sat, Sun 10am–6pm. $8, seniors and students $4.

First the green wall, now, the green roof!

photo from howstuffworks.com

I am a little late to this, but there's still time to help out!

"From August 14th to August 28th eco-consultant Atom Cianfarani of greenroofworkshop.com, green roof contractor/designer and co-author of Green-It-Yourself guides, will be teaching a do-it-yourself green roof system in partnership with Newmark Knight Frank and Flavorpill.com. This is your opportunity to build a lightweight DIY greenroof while creating a dynamic and sustainable system on the roof of Newmark's office building 594 Broadway in NYC!

The volunteer-based implementation and maintenance of the system, along with the use of donated and re-purposed materials for construction, will provide a replicable model and make sustainable practices more accessible for individuals and larger property owners alike.

To accompany the easy to use Green-It-Yourself Green Roof Guidebook purchasable from greenroofworkshop.com, all stages of the project will be documented and turned into step-by-step instructional videos made available to the public across Flavorpill’s network of publications.

What you'll learn:

• The step-by-step process of both planning and building your own greenroof

• Supplies / Material sourcing information and recommendations

• Construction and installation techniques

• Growing Medium mixtures and recommended plantings

* Other sustainable practices and methods for reducing environmental impact

• How doing it yourself will save you thousands of dollars on installation

You'll also:

* Work under the instruction of green roof expert and co-author of Green-It-Yourself Guides Atom Cianfarini

• Build and install a living greenroof

Building a green roof is an incredible way to save energy, manage water run-off to prevent sewer flooding, reduce air pollution, preserve the roof’s structural integrity, create community around taking action to create change, and even get a tax abatement.

Contact natasha@flavorpill.com for more information."

Monday, August 16: Sauces, Dips, Pâtés, and Dressings with Chef Hilla Abel

please click to enlarge.

UPDATE: Please note: tonight's workshop with Hilla is cancelled! We apologise for any inconvenience, but look forward to enjoying her culinary creations at the All-Bamboo Labour Day Retreat in September!

Did you know...

There is a new farmer's market on Metropolitan! Every Saturday, from 8am - 4pm, you can get fresh produce galore at 101-15 Metropolitan Ave (off 71st Ave). Click here for more information.

Introducing Michelle Colletti!

We are very excited to introduce our newest team member, reflexologist, Michelle Colletti.

Michelle Colletti, reflexologist, polarity practitioner and occupational therapist, studied reflexology at the Laura Norman School of Reflexology and has been practicing for 10 years. She also studied polarity at the New York Open Center. As an occupational therapist, Michelle works with special needs and autistic children in her practice in Whitestone, Queens. She has done extensive literature reviews on mirror neurons and has written several articles explaining their significance in the brain and with the autistic population.

She is available for sessions, here in the studio, Tuesday 8am - 1pm, Thursday 8am - 11pm, and Friday 8am - 2pm. She is currently offering free sample sessions, but taking appointments for regular sessions. She offers 60 minute sessions for $90.00 each, 3 session packs for $195, 6 session packs for $330, and 10 session packs for $500.

Please call the studio or stop by to make an appointment.

Welcome Michelle!

Familiar faces...

Titans of Yoga...

Let's hear it for the boys!

While there is no shortage of awesome yoga gear for the ladies, it's rare that a funky fresh piece of men's apparel comes around. Even though I am not a guy, I still want this jacket from Lulu... it's funkier and fresher than any of the new Lulu ladies jackets... but I guess the guys deserve that much... Order it here!

In the hierarchy of boroughs, it seems that Queens is rarely at the top... When looking for things to do, places to go, or people to see, Manhattan or Brooklyn often come to mind first. But, Time Out New York is trying to change that; with their recent spotlight on Queens, they have shed light on the borough that many fear to tread.

Click here to find the best eating, drinking, shopping, sites, and culture that our fair borough has to offer. Thanks TONY!