Bikram Yoga Decatur

You've been asking us ever since we opened and it's finally happening. Bikram Yoga is coming to Athens, GA.

Very soon.

Someone once told me he hit his longest drive ever after taking a mere 2 Bikram Yoga classes. Coincidence? Try it and see for yourself.

One of our own, Jeanne Dooley, is a Golf Instructor and she's offering a Mother's Day Special: a 60 minute Lesson for Two with Lunch at The Heritage Golf Links at 50% off.

Visit Jeanne Dooley Golf for more info.

This reference is selfishly motivated. I am worried about the stability of one of my favorite restaurants. They haven't done or said anything to indicate that they are in trouble but I rarely see more than two or three tables occupied. I can't imagine how they will stay in business with such small numbers of patrons.

The lack of customers cannot be attributed to the food which is fabulous. They call it "tapanese" which refers to Japanese style 'tapas' or small plates (although the menu also has other Asian influences). The sushi is always fresh and excellent but the small plates are the big draw for us. Some of the standouts are the calamari (uniquely so), spicy eggplant, buns (various meats served in dim-sum type buns), the shrimp udon and the cold, unfiltered sake.

One thing they don't do well, and this partly explains the empty tables, is marketing. Their web site hasn't been updated in 2 years and they even had a domain name that was appropriated by someone else. For info you'll need to visit their Yelp, Urbanspoon, or Google them.

Just down the street from us, next to Bhojanic Restaurant, which serves as BYD's staff meeting location, is a little juice and sandwich joint called Nectar. In their own words,

Nectar serves fresh Raw Juices, Smoothies, Handcrafted Panini and Gourmet Ice Cream, all prepared with fresh and premium ingredients. All the Smoothies are made from fresh frozen fruit with no artificial flavors or colors.

Not only is Nectar a great source for an after class smoothie or sandwich but on November 10 they are offering a one-hour event on ways to manage stress with food.

A well balanced diet is crucial in preserving health and helping to reduce stress. Certain foods and drinks act as powerful stimulants to the body and therefore are a direct cause of stress, not to mention chemicals and hormones added to our food supply. David Orozco, R.D. will discuss various foods and methods of enhancing ones diet to help manage stress.

Save $2 off the price of admission by printing the attached coupon.

Nectar
1365 Clairmont Rd.
November 10th
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

The title of this post could refer to what can happen in a yoga session, particularly in deep back bends such as Camel Pose. But, in this case, it doesn't.

I've been a fan and supporter for years so I would be recommending this anyway, but the fact that several members of Decatur's Core Performance Group attend class regularly at BYD makes it even more relevant for you to know about.

Corazón Abriendo (Heart Opening) is a portal that transports the audience into the vivid, lush atmosphere of the highlands and rainforests of Chiapas, Mexico through a multimedia “cloth” of dance, sculpture, video, and music skillfully woven together. Echoes of ancient civilizations overlap with the energy of modern life as the artistic sensibilities of contemporary dancers meld with the traditional weaving arts of the Mayan people. CORE Performance Company weaves music, dance, storytelling, videography and the sights and sounds collected from Chiapas into this exceptional performance piece.

Corazon Abriendo (Heart Opening)
November 19-20
Balzer Theater, 8 p.m.

Learn more or buy tickets.

Every time I see him in Awkward Pose I have the urge to run out of the room to get my camera. He not only has a text-book-perfect posture but he appears to be barely exerting himself. I haven't seen him perform live yet but his recorded music exudes that same quiet confidence.

On November 9, Christopher Alan is performing at Actor's Express with local musician friends Jen Lowe, Paul Warner, Jesse Tyler and Brian Bisky to celebrate the release of his new five song cd Familiar Fire (I like to think the title is inspired by his regular practice of the original hot yoga series). Beautiful music in a beautiful setting, the price of admission includes your copy of the cd.

To learn more about about Christopher's music visit his personal web site or iTunes music page.

GreenPlate is a local non-profit organization that seeks

to reduce the consumption of single-use plastics. GreenPlate uses funding to educate consumers and restaurateurs so they might change buying and usage habits.

BYD is a Partner with GreenPlate and we are featured in their latest newsletter, which includes a coupon for a free class.

Sign up for their monthly newsletters to receive tips for becoming plastic free, information about local businesses that have signed on with the mission and more coupons.

Help drive the local economy by supporting local businesses and save money at the same time. That's the idea behind the Go Local campaign. We've signed up with Go Local Decatur. It's pretty simple, just buy a Go Local card for $10 and get a discount at a variety of business. At BYD the discount is 10% off class cards (may not be combined with other discounts and does not apply to 10 Day Intro or Yearly Class Cards). Cards can be purchased at the front desk and also at any participating business.

For general information visit the Go Local Atlanta web site. There's no mention of Go Local Decatur on the web site but the Atlanta list of businesses is also the Decatur list so it seems there's not really a distinction between the Atlanta and Decatur versions of the card.

Eating well should be part of your overall yogic lifestyle. Here is a link to a local food guide for Atlanta produced by Georgia Organics.

http://www.georgiaorganics.org/Files/LFG2007.pdf

(Thanks Greenie!)

Eyedrum is in trouble and you can help.

Established in 1998, Eyedrum is a non-profit organization developing an interdisciplinary approach to the arts by incorporating a wide range of contemporary art, music and new media in its gallery space.

In plainer language, Eyedrum is an important venue and resource for local and visiting artists in all mediums and one of Atlanta's very few gallery, workshop and performance spaces that is truly accessible in all senses of the word.

To help Eyedrum confront dire financial difficulties dozens of artists have donated works for a benefit silent auction to help them stay alive. Other local businesses, including Bikram Yoga Decatur, have donated items to be auctioned live. We've provided two gift certificates to be sold to the highest bidder during the live auction: a 3 Month Unlimited Yoga Card ($420 value) and a 6 Month Unlimited Yoga Card ($780 value). When we've done this in the past the cards usually sell for significantly less than face value. If you've already got a current card with us and you win the auction you will be allowed to hold the new cards indefinitely and redeem them any time.

Eyedrum Benefit Art Auction
Friday, August 14, 2009, 7 pm - 10 pm
Live Auction at 9:15 pm

Claire Horn, of Several Dancers Core, has started an Atlanta dance blog called Atlanta Dances. Here's Claire...

I've started a new dance blog that I'm hoping will be a place for dancers and dance-lovers from the Atlanta area to talk about what they're doing in their studios/performances/lives and for everyone to better get to know what's going on in all types of dance in Atlanta. There's not much posted yet, but hopefully you'll help with that? I'll just sort of try to keep things moving with the conversation but I hope you'll speak up!

It's http://atlantadances.blogspot.com. Give me feedback on what else you think I should post, including your websites if I don't have them already. And please pass this link on to other dance people that you know!

This movie is coming to Landmark Cinema in Midtown this Friday for one week only.

From Jody McHoul, "All my Bikram Yoga this pregnancy paid off. We added a healthy 6lbs, 7 ounce baby boy, Robert James, to our family Monday evening. My labor & delivery was fast (our son arrived less than an hour after pulling into hospital) and pain medicine free. My recovering is going great - Thanks to Bikram Yoga!"

Maya Josephine Fryer-Cohen...

I walked into a chorus of chastisement at the studio this morning for not making the announcement already but I was waiting for a picture... Maya Josephine Fryer-Cohen came into the world early Tuesday morning, April.

BYD is sponsoring the Second Annual Beat the Street for Little Feet 5K and Fun Run in Historic Oakhurst. a benefit race for the Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool. We're also offering a free 10 Day Intro to all runners who enter the race (excluding existing BYD clients). You can sign up for a Kids Fun Run, a One Mile Short Run or the full 5K & Phantom Runners. Visit the OCP web site for details.

Twenty years ago I volunteered as an escort at the Feminist Women's Health Center when Rev. Flip Benham and his misguided flock arrived soon after the Democratic Convention to harass the Center's clients and staff. It's been relatively quiet there ever since but Operation Rescue is coming back July 12-19 with a promise to not only harass the clinic but also the employee's at their homes. In light of the serious violence, and even murder, of abortion provider's that has occurred through the nation, this time the Center is relying on professional security guards in addition to better law enforcement protection to ensure safety.

The Feminist Women's Health Center is a non-profit health resource providing a wide range of health and education services. Providing the enhanced security is going to be costly and they need help paying for it. But that's not the only reason to support the Center. For more than 30 years the Center has been providing accessible, respectful women's health care and advocating for reproductive health and justice for all women, including those who are under-served due to race, ethnicity, socio-economic level, cultural orientation, sexuality, disability, size, age or national origin.

update - I omitted a key piece of information: we have some pledge sheets at the studio if you're able to make a donation.

This just in from Amanda Lackey, who you may have spotted in the front row until very recently...

She's here!! Aedin Riolan Lackey. Yes, it means 'little fire,' which IS perfect for my Bikram baby!

Everything is WONDERFUL. Aedin was born at 6:08 pm on Monday, October 22nd. My midwife insisted on induction, even though everything was still great with myself and the baby - there was plenty of fluid etc. - they don't like to go much beyond 41 weeks, and I was almost 42. So we went in to the hospital early on Monday. My goal was to go natural with no pain meds, so we messed around with some stimulation techniques until about 2:30 pm, and still nothing much was happening. So, at 2:30 we started with Oxytocin. I labored on a birthing ball, and standing, and it didn't get too serious until 4:45. At about 5:00 my midwife checked me and I was 8 cm. At 5:30 I finally got into the bed and absolutely HAD to push. They said that I pushed for 25 minutes, though it seemed much shorter to me. I definitely felt the pain, but it was well worth it when we finally got to hold Aedin. I truly believe that yoga helped me with my labor. I think it kept me strong to be able to push and helped with my flexibility allowing my body to open. In fact, I think it's even helped me with my recovery. Only one week and two days out and I feel great! I'm ready to get back to class. So, thank you! Thank you for your studio!

Aedin is healthy and happy. Every once in a while she'll crank her head back like she's doing a backbend (she's very strong) and I just think about how many back bends she did with me in class while she was in the womb. She's awesome!! I hope to stop into the studio with her soon.