Zumba for Haiti on Capitol Hill

While Haiti continues to emerge from a devastating natural disaster, the Washington Sports Club in Capitol Hill will hold a fundraiser on Friday, January 29, 2010 to raise money for various organizations supporting Haiti.

This Zumbathon will host three of my favorite instructors and teach new dances to those of us who are obsessed with the next body roll or salsa step.

The action kicks off at 7:30pm and for $10 you can sweat your stresses away while supporting our Haitian brothers and sisters holding their spirits high who also need our prayers (and our money)!

Yoga Vacation without the Yoga?

Picture by Valencia James


One of my new year's resolution is to be and not do. I told myself all I am required to do in 2010 is to learn, live and enjoy. My recent vacation to Costa Rica reminded me of the rewards and risks of pushing my personal boundaries.

I went to Costa Rica with only two requirements- to surf and to do yoga. My goal was to go sit in a yoga hut, eat mangoes and stare at the trees. Well, I ended up eating a lot of rice & beans, drinking the local liquor and surfing on the beach. My asana practice lasted all of 3 minutes with a 30 second meditation! But somehow I still managed to channel ultimate relaxation. Whether it was surfing on the Afro-Caribbean coast and staring at the globe of stars surrounding me or relaxing in the volcanic hot springs, both brought out all of the most basic ingredients for my personal peace.



I felt so far removed from my daily grind. I couldn't even articulate an answer to the question "What do you do?". Whenever someone asked me, I said "I love, my job is to love. I work on loving people."

Costa Ricans love to say "Pura Vida" which translated means Pure Life. A raw and pure life is to live free, open, without fear, push boundaries, take risks and filter negative messages. My Yogi peace was in complete balance. For the first time, I felt the difference between doing yoga and being yoga.

Turn up the H.E.A.T on Good Hope Road SE

I just recently stopped by another new fitness center called the H.E.A.T. (Health, Exercise, Attitude and Training) Haven on 1429 Good Hope Road SE. The "Haven" is certainly hidden between liquor stores, clothing stores and hair salons but offers a fresh direction for the block of Good Hope Road and Minnesota Ave.

H.E.A.T. Haven is non profit associated with NATFE.
Atlanta native Sean Smith runs the center and his goal is to target teens and residents in the River East communities who can't afford a regular gym but are very committed to changing their health lifestyles.

The Haven recently recruited Redskin player Antwaan Randle El to show the kids the benefits of exercise:


I signed up for a spin class on Saturday mornings at 12pm and Sean definitely made the little room feel like a sweat box. He turned up our heart rates by playing Rhianna's "Hard". Sean then took it to another level of HARD by forcing us to spin standing up with only our finger tips balancing on the handle bars! A drop-in class is just $7 (crazy cheap) and a monthly pass is $37.

Sean is very personal with his holistic approach to health. He gives one-on-one counseling and offers a wide range of activities from yoga and pilates to total body conditioning and spin/weight training combo.

Support a local organization in SE and check out H.E.A.T. Haven!

Brown Bag it Everyday!

It seems like every month there are signals of progress East of the River. Just recently the 5 cent plastic big fee was passed by the City DC Council beating out other tree hugger cities like Portland's attempt at eliminating plastic bags!

Four cents go to clean up the Anacostia River and 1 cent to the business owner. I jumped on board 2-3 months ago by sporting my chic khaki cloth colored bag. I get lots of jealous stares at my workplace, on the metro and even in bougie shopping spots like the West End Trader Joes.

I am always proud to sport my Protect the Anacostia resusable bag and then to back it up by sharing that I bike, run and, ehem, drink boiled tap water from the Anacostia River.

Anyway, this is a big step in the right direction, it may take a while for people to catch on but a lot longer for our Anacostia River to be the jewel that it once was.

So get on board and rock your Protect the Anacostia bag or head on over to Giant with a 2010-style Skip the Bag, Save the River!

Support Big Chair Coffee in Anacostia!

Whether you live in SE DC or not, please check out Big Chair Coffee on 2122 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd SE. I just enjoyed a cozy hazelnut latte at Big Chair Coffee. The owners Matt, David and the cute server (forgot her name) were so friendly and excited to open their doors to our community. I made the obligatory yogi request for vegetarian fare along the lines Sankofa Cafe on Georgia Avenue in NW.

This is a fantastic indicator that the cries of residents living East of the River are being heard! Big Chair Coffee will definitely start to bring out folks who support small business owners while keeping money circulating within SE DC!

Taking Health to New Heights!

First of all, Happy New Decade! I have a strong inclination that this will be the decade for better health and a higher consciousness. The tail end of the 2000's left us with the phenom's like The Secret, the yuppie-drenched yoga revolution, and a hankering for organic, raw foods and gardens in our backyards. Globally, people want to live healthier and more authentic lives.

So in honor of the new decade, I encourage everyone to support the National Council on Negro Women at the NBC4 Fitness Expo on January 16 and 17, 2010 at the Washington Convention Center. Rumor has it the honorable 98 year old social activist Dorothy Height will be there to set things off!

Oddly enough, I will be there doing a line dance with with the Wanda Woman fitness troupe. (Micheal Jackson tribute dance - don't worry it is not Thriller!)

So come out celebrate Dorothy Height's years of service or laugh at me, as I bounce around on stage with about 50 other health activists at the Fitness Expo!