Yoga For Foodies

According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, "yoga" means a "Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation." According to David Romanelli, yoga teacher, wellness expert and author of "Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment," yoga is about accessibility- and it's about good food.

With his roots at Evolution Yoga right here in Cleveland, David, inspired by the live and let live music of the Grateful Dead and Bob Marley, recently kicked off a national tour bridging the rituals of body movement and eating. Partnering with carefully selected restaurants in various cities, including Phoenix's Postino Wine Cafe, New York City's Candle 79 and Chicago's Province, among others, has resulted in the well-publicized "Yeah Dave's Jam Sessions: Yoga for Foodies" events. The new East 4th Street hot spot Greenhouse partnered with David to host the local progressive experience, which comes to Cleveland this month.

A perfect marriage of Zen for mind, body and soul, the event promises to nurture the spirit with a yoga session and immediately follow it with a delicious meal, served right on the sweaty mat, which, according to David is very sanitary. Plus, the heightened senses are to elevate the taste buds, enriching the food flavors.

Introducing food to yoga came to David from the popularity of the Food Network. "I had the idea for a long time. I liked the notion of working with chefs and I'm a huge fan of quality chocolate," says Dave. Additionally, technology is out of control," he says. "To me, it's all about the little moments of your life, and pushing back against the chaos. It's about making the scared things more sacred." A supporter of the slow food movement, David is focused on bringing back the rituals and intimacy of using healthy, locally-grown ingredients and then sharing meals with people one cares about. His intention is "living in the moment" and teaching others to do the same.

For anyone apprehensive to try yoga for the first time, David feel that this is a great opportunity to dive in, and that, "no one should feel intimidated. It's about access."

People across the country have embraced the anti-traditional development and, when the New York Times recently published an article about David, the Wed 2/17 dinner event at Greenhouse Tavern sold out, that day. But, not to worry. Working with Greenhouse, David will host a lunch event on Thu 2/18, at 11AM and, as this article is being written, Greenhouse is still taking reservations for the twenty open spaces.

David invites both yoga pros and novices to "come and take in the experience."


For location address, reservations and additional information on the David Romanelli's "Yoga for Foodies" lunch at Greenhouse Tavern, on Thu 2/18: http://thegreenhousetavern.com/blog/2010/01/28/yoga-for-foodies-lunch. For additional information on David Romanelli or his book: http://www.yeahdave.com.

Alex Sukhoy, a globally-networked creative and business professional with nearly 20 years of corporate management experience, holds a B.A. degree in Communication from DePaul University in Chicago and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Strategy from the University of Rochester, Simon School of Business.

Founder and manager of http://MBAhobo.com, a career consulting firm, and Creative Cadence LLC, a content and business development company, Alex has guest-lectured at numerous local organizations, including CSU and John Carroll's Boler School of Business, and also teaches screenwriting and preproduction at Tri-C. In 2006, she was profiled in BusinessWeek.com. Since first moving to Cleveland in 2003, she's made this city her home, and even wrote a song and a screenplay about it.