The Schtick (New York)

"Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness." -Richard Carlson

We all have those moments in life that forever change the way we perceive the world. They are like forks on the road where you have to turn left or right. Of course, some people, despite the fork, choose to keep going straight. Those people are often called "stoners."

Following is a list of 3 of the more stressful moments that ever happened in my life. Please don't respond telling me "obviously you don't know stress" or "I hope that's the worst thing that ever happens to you." At the time, these things were extremely stressful:

3. Hurricane
One of my most stressful moments was being stranded at the Maya Tulum yoga retreat with Hurricane Wilma having formed off the Yucatan. It was a Category 5 storm with 175 mph sustained winds. I asked the head of the retreat center what was the evacuation plan at which point her eyes teared up and I knew we were f_cked.   This was nothing short of ballraising fear and the most intense form of stress.

2. Circumcision
Another very stressful moment was getting circumcised as a young boy. Need I say more?

1. Any Trip to New York
A trip to New York would not be a trip to New York without an extremely stressful moment. The other night I was standing outside of Penn Station in New York City waiting in a long line to catch a cab. It was cold, windy and rainy; conditions that bring out the worst in New Yorkers.

Cabs were lined up far enough back from the line that some jerks were ignoring the line and jumping in cabs. Those waiting "patiently" in line were cussing and screaming at the "jerks." Conditions were worsening fast. I thought to myself, "Why are these people so angry and intense? Can't they just relax?"

The person who stood first in line felt tremendous pressure to grab a cab before a jerk stole it. One needed to be aggressive and box out the jerks. Suddenly I realized it was my turn at the front of the line. I felt naked and alone much like I did walking up the aisle with Rabbi Hescher on my Bar Mitzvah day. The people behind me in line were pressuring me to hurry and make my move.

One could say I'm slightly less than street tough and I pranced over to grab the cab but a jerk in a NY Giants jacket jumped in front of me and swiped it. I never liked the Giants. Now I was in no man's land; too far away from the line and too close to the jerks. A cab drove right by me and someone from the line jumped in. I was getting frantic. Still another cab drove by the jerks and past me to the front of the line. An old lady was about to get in the cab when I shuffled in front of her. I was positioned beautifully to slide in to the cab's cozy interior and then it happened:

My umbrella wouldn't close. I couldn't get in. It was one of those moments. Angry New Yorkers screaming at me. An old lady freezing in the wind. A cussing taxi cab driver. A driving rain.   If this was a yoga pose, it would be holding chaturanga in a crowded class with someone's stinky feet in your face and the horrible sense that somebody had too many refried beans for lunch. What horrible stress!

And then I thought of a quote by Natalie Goldberg. I turned to the old lady and in a perfect Hallmark moment, I stated the quote: "Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important."

I jumped in the cab, smiled at the old lady, and left her in the rain to ponder a lesson for the day.



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Strengthen Your Dollar with a Trip to Sicily

Currently, the dollar holds a less than stellar place in the world's economy. There are tons of Europeans in the States finding smoking bargains thanks to the strong Euro. But Americans that go to Europe struggle with the $12 Starbucks coffee. So you have 2 choices. Skip the trip to Europe until 2012 when the dollar recovers. Or go on an all-expense included trip to Europe and live for the moment now because God knows where you'll be in 2012?!

This August 31 to September 5, I will be co-leading a Yoga + Wine tour to the exotic Mediterranean island known as Sicily or "the place where your life will be forever transformed." Along with champion wine connoisseur Angela Gargano, we will guide you thru one of the most memorable weeks of a lifetime.

Think of it this way. When you finish a yoga class, you roll up your mat and dawdle to your car before reentering a world of stress, info overload, and ringing gadgets. On our yoga retreat to Sicily, you will leave your mat and wander into a carefree day floating in the azure blue Mediterranean, dining on fresh pasta, and exploring the bold character of Sicilian wines.

All expenses except airfare are included in this weeklong taste of heaven. IMADEITUP MAGAZINE has already rated this trip "The Most Highly-Rated Vacation Experience of 2008." Capped off with a tour of Sicilian winery Feudo Arancio, you will feel like you died and went to Sicily.

Join us! Click here for more info:

If you have questions or to sign up, contact Angela at: blissflowyoga@yahoo.com

Not Too Late

It's not too late to sign up for my yoga retreat to the Red Mountain Spa in the desert canyon region of Southern Utah where you will be in the lap of luxury. In a hidden bluff surrounded by Grand Canyonesque red rocks, you will practice outdoor yoga after which you'll be showered with chocolate and wine. If you're not already feeling the ultimate pleasure, you will venture into the sandy dunes for an afternoon hike followed by an evening massage in the world-class spa. This will be a dream weekend that's just long enough to rejuvenate and just short enough not to annoy the loved ones you've left at home. Join us!

This workshop will focus on mastering the peak experience so that next time something amazing happens in your life, you have the skills and tools to fully appreciate it. If you feel like life is getting away from you and it's harder to enjoy rich and deeply present moments, this retreat will not only be a great party but also an inspirational 3 day journey. LET'S LIVE IT UP April 17-20.

Click here for more info.

Please email me with questions or to register: yeahdave@yeahdaveyoga.com

Yoga + Chocolate Training with Katrina Markoff and David Romanelli

Yoga + Chocolate Training is FINALIZED AND CONFIRMED. It will take place May 30-June 1 at Exhale in Santa Monica, CA.
Sign up soon to reserve your spot and experience a weekend of chocolate, yoga, and inspiration with me and Entrepreneur Magazine's Woman of the Year and Yoga + Chocolate co-founder KATRINA MARKOFF.

In 1993, I met Katrina Markoff for the first time in our college munchy mart. I randomly asked if she thought the bologna cracker sandwiches were a good call for a snack. She told me it was a disgusting call and at that instant we became the best of friends. Katrina went on to found Vosges Haut-Chocolat and I went on to co-found yoga studios in Arizona. In 2003, we fused our passions for the first time and Yoga + Chocolate was born. We have since traveled extensively around the United States sharing this musically inspired, chocolate-induced, sensory exploration of mind, body, spirit, and palette.

Now...we are excited to present the latest evolution in our creation: THE YOGA + CHOCOLATE TRAINING.

If you are a passionate student, a chocolate lover, or a yoga instructor wanting more, the Yoga + Chocolate Training will inspire even greater love for the symbol of deliciousness as experienced in a deeply and richly present moment. This 3 day weekend intensive will focus on the tastes, sounds and message that have made Yoga + Chocolate such a sweet experience. The training will feature:

-History of chocolate

-Cooking inspiration with Vosges founder Katrina Markoff

-In-depth on the chakras and how to accentuate thru exotic chocolate

-How to create and/or teach a Yoga + Chocolate experience using truffles, music, stories, and fun sequencing

-Entrepreneurial wisdom from Entrepreneur Magazine's 2007 Woman of the Year, Katrina Markoff

-Aromatherapy 101

-My quirky themes and irreverent brand of spirituality

The Yoga + Chocolate Training will take place at Exhale Santa Monica:

Friday, May 30        6:30-9:30pm

Saturday May 31        1:30-5:30pm

Sunday June 1          2:30-6:30pm

Price: $295 (which includes a year's worth of chocolate packed into one amazing weekend)

THIS TRAINING WILL SELL OUT SO PLEASE SIGN UP SOONER THAN LATER IF YOU WISH TO HAVE A SPOT

SIGN UP NOW at Exhale Santa Monica:   310.899.6222

Please email me with any questions: yeahdave@yeahdaveyoga.com

Livin' the Moment

I finished my book and now it needs to bake in the oven before it's published in the near future by Broadway Books/Random House. In the meantime, check out what will be AWESOME upcoming weekends in New Jersey, Cleveland and Phoenix. These weekends feature accessible gateways by which to find a more deeply present moment and take time away from the bump and grind of everyday living. Such accessible gateways include flowing yoga, great music, exotic chocolate and fine wine

Join me:

March 28-30 at Evolution Yoga in Cleveland, OH

April 11-13 at At One Yoga in Phoenix, AZ

May 17-18 at Yoga Source in Los Gatos, CA

Each weekend will feature not just one experience but a complete journey starting Friday with 45 minutes of audio-visual inspiration that will illustrate the power of a deeply present moment; continuing with a new evolution of chocolate powered yoga and wine-inducing ecstasy; and finishing with a slam bang of great music and a shift in perspective that will leave you fired up for the best Spring ever!

All weekends feature equally fun and boredom-proof info that is totally different from what I've presented in previous trips!

Chocolate and Wine at Work

We spend more time at work than with our families. So strong relationships at work make life more productive and more fulfilling. But what if those work relationships could be fortified with exotic chocolate and fine wine?

I've co-created a 3 hour Livin' the Moment experience specifically tailored for the work environment. This experience offers the knowledge and lasting tools to stay relaxed and present in even the most stressful situations. Participants finish with an enhanced ability to focus the mind, prevent sickness and injury in the body, and stir passion. "Passion is the genesis of genius."

-The experience begins with a 1 hour inspirational speech that presents the predicament that adversely affects productivity, health and well-being: AN INABILITY TO BE IN THE MOMENT. Much of the speech is drawn from my upcoming book which will be published by Broadway Books/Random House in March 2009.

-Then I will lead you onto the mat for a fun, accessible yoga class set to great music. The yoga teaches how to release tension and utilize breathing as tool to stay present and ward off distraction. If Patriots quarterback Tom Brady can do yoga, so can the "tough guy" in your office.

-The experience finishes with an exploration of exotic Vosges chocolate and fine Sicilian wines. This is the payoff: one who is in the moment experiences enhanced perception. Everything is better, richer, sweeter when experienced in the moment.

Contact Pea@atoneyoga.com for more info

The Speech

If your working environment could benefit from some fresh perspective and exotic chocolate, check out my Livin the Moment speech. I will show how your everyday passions can unlock the power of a deeply present moment. Modern research proves that one who is more present finds more success in every aspect of life from work to marriage to parenting. Having been presented to Veuve Clicquot and American Express to name a few, the Livin' the Moment speech is fresh, well-researched, and sexy (if I don't say so myself).

Click here for more info

Yeah Dave Yoga (around the world)

Cleveland, OH March 28-30
(www.evoyoga.com) (LVM)

Phoenix, AZ April 11-13
(atoneyoga.com)

Yoga Retreat in Red Mountain, Utah April 17-20
(redmountainspa.com)

Stockton, CA May 16
(www.mindbody-zone.com)

Los Gatos, CA May 17, 18
(www.yogasource.com)

YOGA + CHOCOLATE TRAINING May 30-June 1
Santa Monica, CA

Charleston, WV August 1-3
(www.koyogawv.com)

Aspen, CO August 15-17
Snowmass Wellness Festival
More info TBA

Yoga + Wine in Sicily with Angela Gargano
August 31-September 5
More info

New York City September 25-28
(www.exhalespa.com)

Honolulu, HI October 19
(www.halekalani.com)

Boca Raton, FL October 24-26
more info TBA

Sacamento, CA November 7-9
(zudayoga.com)

Dallas, TX November 14-16
(livingyogadallas.com)

Sedona, AZ December 4-7
(www.miiamo.com)

My Daily Yoga Schedule

I teach daily yoga classes at Exhale in Santa Monica and Venice, California.

Monday and Wednesday, 2:30pm, Exhale Venice (these classes are only $8)

Tuesday and Thursday, 6:30pm, Exhale Santa Monica
(Tuesday's class is only $10)

For more info check out:

Exhale in Santa Monica and Venice, CA

Sincerely,

David Romanelli
Yeah Dave Yoga

Quick Links

www.yeahdaveyoga.com