Four of Wands exterior; all photos via Four of Wands
Four of Wands Wellness Collective (349 Leonard Street) is a self-care studio in Williamsburg, where people can find different kinds of holistic treatments, classes, handmade gifts, and a community space. Owner and Licensed Massage Therapist Daru Oda wanted to create a space for doing “what makes you happy. We forget to do things that are fun or to expand our minds. At Four of Wands, we can take care of ourselves for an hour.”
The giver of reiki doesn’t push on the receiver’s muscles or pull dirt from their pores, but if they hover close enough they could. They might touch the receiver lightly, but sometimes don’t touch them at all. A healing form developed in the East, reiki is supposed to bring physical and emotional energies into balance through an exchange between the giver and receiver.
I tried reiki for the first time at a donation-driven community event at Maha Rose (97 Green Street). The event listing described reiki as “a high vibration energy that transmutes lower frequency vibrations helping the body to come into balance…” This doesn’t mean much to me. Then again, if someone described the way my phone functions I probably wouldn’t understand it right away. Continue reading →
I’ve lived in Greenpoint for eight years and have always felt a void in wellness offerings. Thankfully, that’s begun to change as juice bars, gyms, and yoga studios started blooming on almost every corner. The emergence of establishments like Lucent Yoga, Botica Apothecary, and Help Your Self is exciting. Until recently, the one thing still lacking was somewhere to buy workout gear. Not just sneakers or a jump rope, but truly functional, cutting-edge activewear. As a former apparel buyer turned full-time yoga teacher, I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into a well-made pair of leggings or running shorts. What you wear when you workout can totally change your experience, as anyone who’s suffered from inner thigh chafing or bleeding nipples can attest!
On a recent morning jog, I was intrigued by a sleek silver sign that read: “Solfire.” The storefront was a beacon of light on the once desolate stretch of Driggs Avenue from the south tip of McCarren Park to the Bedford L Train. I peeked in and saw a plethora of colorful capri pants and made a mental note to pop by during store hours. When I revisited the shop later that week, I was surprised to discover that Solfire (483 Driggs Ave.) was so much more than a clothing shop. Continue reading →
We’ve had some dismal weather recently but we all know that summer is just around the corner. Pretty soon we’ll be ditching our sweaters and rain gear to bare our arms, legs, midriffs, and in some cases a little too much more. While there’s nothing like hunkering down in the New York winter to slurp bowl after bowl of steaming ramen, come summertime it often is too hot and sticky to stomach more than a salad or smoothie. And if you’re after some lighter fare, Greenpoint’s recent addition, Acai Berry(650 Manhattan Ave), could be your go-to stopping place on your way to McCarren Park this summer.
Opened in March 2016 at 650 Manhattan Avenue, Acai Berry offers a lot more than the name implies. Of course you can get the popular and refreshing acai bowl, but the vegan restaurant also offers a host of other snacks, juices and light meals. The acai bowl comes in four different 16-ounce options, all for a reasonable $10. You can opt for the traditional “Aronia Bite” bowl that comes topped with fruit, hemp granola and chia seeds, the ever present healthy green option with spinach, kale and avocado blended into the base or go all out for the “Choco Lava” bowl which incorporates raw cocoa and chocolate hemp protein into the mix.
Our fitness journeys can be difficult, especially when you’re not sure how to start or how to remain consistent. A lot of us have been conditioned to develop a pretty poor relationship with food, along with many limiting beliefs about the power we have to change things. And just like any relationship that is like a turbulent roller-coaster, it typically ends up in a downward spiral. If you constantly find yourself overwhelmed on how to even get started, we totally get it.
With so many programs, information and sales pitches, it can be overwhelming to sift through it all. If you’re in that situation, then please keep reading…
Human@Ease owner and health coach Dy has a program that guides people through the process of getting fit, focused and committed; as a result, it’s a lot less intimidating… and it works! Continue reading →
With the change of seasons comes a renewed time to recommit ourselves to our fitness and wellness goals. Though the spring is not the beginning of our calendar year, it’s still a new season. Besides, the summer is around the corner and who doesn’t want a beach body?
You know looking and feeling great doesn’t just happen; you do have to work for it – but you don’t have to do it alone. Human@Ease’s B.E.S.T. Plan (31 Nassau Ave) takes all the guess work out of diet and exercise so that you are informed and ready to take action on your fitness goals. Continue reading →
Greenpointers Summer Market 2015 Rooftop Yoga with Hosh Yoga
While sifting through clothes at beacon’s closet or grabbing a beer and a brat at Spritzenhaus, you may have seen a procession of yoga-pantsed Greenpointers heading in and out of the unassuming grey door on the corner of Nassau and Guernsey.
A closer look at 55 Nassau will lead you to Hosh Yoga, a Greenpoint nonprofit made possible by a team of 60 volunteers and instructors, which provides donation-based classes with a mission of health and wellness as a right to life, not a luxury. Continue reading →
If you’re like me, your New Year’s resolution (if you made one at all) is already abandoned, and training for a half-marathon has been replaced with a snowy sprint to the bodega.
Never fear, my fellow hibernating, chubby, and cocooned Greenpointers! Below is a list of 5 fitness programs bizarre enough to get you out of the apartment and maybe even in shape before winter’s over, without even having to get on the subway: Continue reading →
CrossFit Greenpoint offers experienced coaches, smart programming, and a supportive and thriving workout environment.
“It doesn’t get easier. It just gets more addictive. ”
For years, many have struggled through the same, mundane health club workouts. We hear people say their lack of progress is frustrating. They’re getting bored with their program. We receive countless questions about a better way to train. This is why we decided to locally provide the CrossFit experience! Continue reading →
The holidays are over and a bright new year is ahead of us. But maybe you’re not feeling too good about yourself. Yeah trust me, I know… about 8 weeks of holiday debauchery will do that to a person. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to come back from that.
At Human@Ease in just 8 weeks we’ll get you back on track to behaving like a normal human being again, and not a debaucherous compulsive emotional eater. You’ll gain strategies that you can follow for life! Continue reading →
Our fitness journeys can be difficult, especially when you’re not sure how to start or how to remain consistent. A lot of us have been conditioned to develop a pretty poor relationship with food, along with many limiting beliefs about the power we have to change things. And just like any relationship that is like a turbulent roller-coaster, it typically ends up in a downward spiral. If you constantly find yourself overwhelmed on how to even get started, we totally get it.
