European lifestyles offer relaxation

Swishing in a circle the burgundy liquid sends a dry and smoky aroma wafting out of the distinguished glass. The soft chatter of evening conversation blends with the acoustic guitar’s melodies around the stretched granite counter. Though every inch of the enclosed space is teaming with connoisseurs, the mood is calm. The Wine Tailor in Rancho Cucamonga is a local safe haven known for tasting and relaxation.

Many individuals throughout the globe rate wine based off of its qualities and properties of composition. They follow the “five S” steps; see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor. But, for those like myself, wine is not only something that should be rated or practiced, but respected and used in enjoying everyday life.

Coming from a large European family, I have been surrounded by wine, or vino, since my early childhood. To me, it symbolizes reunion, something for celebration and communion within intimate circles. While in the states, many have come to view alcohol in general as a “release” something to liven up the occasion. In Europe, it is quite the opposite. Wine is a social drink, something the land prides over and hold with the highest regard. Wine to them is life.

The Wine Tailor captures the essence of European culture and winery. Warm rich colorings paint the walls and cherry wooden tables sit comfortably about the room. The south and east walls were converted into wine racks resembling an old cellar. Wine bottles from the winery itself as well as imports decorate the racks in deep earth toned hues.

“People often say that it is very comfortable when they visit us, I like that we can give that to the community,” said co-owner Angela Lineberger.

Lineberger is often seen taking customers on tours of the facilities fermenting rooms. The large stainless steel vessels can be seen through glass windows just behind the bar area. While next door, an aging room with dozens of wooden barrels sits nestled on custom racks containing the wineries house blends.

“Wine itself is very relaxing, it is something that has to be sipped and enjoyed, it helps us sit back and just breath,” said Lineberger.

For me, wine is about the experience and comfort I can get from adding it to anything; a good book, an outing with friend. or a nice dinner.

An elderly gentlemen sits in the leather chair just behind the guitarist contently reading a novel. Throughout the intimate venue, old friends converse by the bar while couples sip elegantly beside the fire. Unlike most bars, the Wine Tailor provides a relaxing atmosphere as oppose to loud clamor and music. It is a place to unwind after a long work day or have a peaceful weekend afternoon.

“I am a wine connoisseur and I love the atmosphere I can provide for others who enjoy the same as I do,” said bartender Shar Martin. “I enjoy being able to make people who come in here unhappy leave with a smile on their face.”

Martin whisks along the bar smiling in her wine decorated apron. As she entertains the five dollar tasting extravaganza, a list of the days featured wines from white to red on the chalk board act as a guide for the guests.

“I am a wine member here and the five dollar tastings is what really makes the outings so enjoyable,” said Mary Thomas of Upland. “ It is just the right amount of wine and it allows for new and exciting finds.”

There are thousands of different types, tastes, and colors of wine to discover. All one has to do is find a local winery and start your own adventure.

“Wine is a journey, once you find your blend it is time to find another.” said Lineberger. “Like a good book, it can take you back and away from your worries and struggles, it grounds the soul.”

Spinning for a healthier tomorrow

As Lance Armstrong cycles throughout numerous countries and hillsides for the fight against cancer, many Americans are also fighting the battle of the bulge through cycling, but with a few modifications.

When you enter the Pedal Spin studio in Rancho Cucamonga it appears to be a simple gym room: wooden floors, bright wall colors, mirrors throughout the room, and small cubbies. But, when the lights dim a whole different scene unfolds.

Cyndi Lauper’s familiar song, “Girl’s Just Want to Have Fun” takes over the sound system and multicolored lights begin to flash on the floor. I am on a bicycle but it feels more like a club. The instructor, a petite woman in a bright shirt with the word “spinaholic” across it faces the group of exercise enthusiasts. Some stragglers still enter the room, a little groggy in the early morning, to join the group of “professional” spinners and new comers. Many are dressed in cycle gear, others in everyday running outfits, but they are all here for the same reason, to get their hearts beating to the music.

Spin classes have become a craze throughout America. From large gyms in New York city lofts to a dozen bikes in a brick covered building in California, thousands are drawn to this form of exercise.

The Mayo Clinic confirms that regular high intensity cardio exercising like spinning will improve moods, sleep and manage chronic disease. Spin has joined yoga on the platform of stress relieving exercise. WebMD’s Health and Fitness Journal rated spin classes in the top twenty for stress relief and optimal health.

A mix of music keeps the ride upbeat.

When I spin, which I do two to three times a week, it is like I am not even working out at all. The song selection throughout the hour ride makes time fly by, I barely realize I have ridden over five miles at the end of each session. Each song is pared perfectly with the intensity of each resistance level, I feel like there is background music to my life as I ride. Many people spin because of the music selection, each instructor has their own mix to mask the intensity of the workout.

“ I can sum this up by just saying that it is healthy, smart and it keeps your heart pumpin’,” said spin instructor Cheryl Gordon of Rancho Cucamonga.

Gordon calls out each rider by name during her class, encouraging them through the class. Most of the attendees view her as more of a friend than an instructor. “Don’t touch that resistance, push through guys, come on,” yells Gordon whose passion is to make every person inspired, motivated and challenged through her workout.

My heart is beating through my chest as body heat consumes my whole self. I sing along to Freddie Mercury as my legs quicken to keep up with the pace of "Bohemian Rhapsody". To my right, a pregnant woman paces to the slow off beats while to my left, a man in spandex races to his finish line. There is no exact “type” of individual who spins. It is a place to commune together, and when you visit you will see everyone helps each other out. It is as if pedal spin is more of a therapeutic center than a workout room.

“ You always need to change up your routine for optimal health and fitness, I started to spin to do that for me,” said Denice Higgins of Alta Loma.

Higgins has suffered from a heart condition since her early 20s and has found it hard to really exercise in any medium without making the rhythms of her heart out of sync.

“After six months of spinning I now use it as my primary workout,” Higgins said. “My heart condition is a bit hard to work with at times but spin allows me to control my own intensity without loosing momentum. It is a great stress reliever, if you feel worried or frustrated just push it harder during a great song, I sing a lot of the time,” she added.

Many of the studios like pedal spin allow the first ride free to new comers. While also having many discounted packages for students and seniors, the studio is willing to work with any type of income to give people the workout they need.

I find myself smiling despite the burning feeling in my legs and the sweat on my brow. It is as if the songs bring back memories and make the workout more fun than most. It leaves me rejuvenated and fresh, ready to tackle the rest of my school year and the hardships that may lay ahead.

“ This is my fountain of youth,” Gordon said. “I eat right and exercise, this is what keeps me going. I am turning forty-one soon and I have never felt more alive.”

Slipping into jazz

A baby grand takes his place at the raven polished Steinway. Four men in mismatched suits grab their instruments of choice for the set. The worn brass reflects in the light as a collection of saxophone, trumpet and trombones raise up to begin. The singer, a short lass with curls grabs her mic and yells to the crowd. A lone drum beat, sturdy and loud starts up and the pianos syncopation chimes in. A five, six, seven, eight, and the evening’s festivities take over the room.

For me, jazz with its swinging notes and improvising, keeps my heart in the music. It is a type of outlet that can take any emotion and flip it around. The soul and funk of the rhythms is a perfect healing concoction, and what better way to ease out of the sour mood then through jazz.

The Hip Kitty jazz and fondue lounge in Claremont, Calif., is a hot spot where various music styles are welcomed. Nestled in the south-end of the village Packing House, this lounge is the cat’s meow when it comes to variety jazz and smooth night life. The dimly lit entrance and red satin drapes resemble an underground jazz lounge from the 1920s’.

Throughout the venue, smells of chocolates and wine waft in and out of the brightly covered tables. The waitress glides between parties as her flapper beads swish over her delicate dress. It is the small details that can really send someone back through time.

“ I come for this intricate ambiance, the upbeat live music, and the mood of the place as a whole,” Chad Easter of Upland said. “ It is a way to get away from the stress at the fire station, I like to be taken back every once in awhile, the Kitty does that for me.”

Many of the refugees who seek sanctuary at the lounge often remove themselves from the bustle of the inner quarters and move to the outside patio. Lights drape across vine-covered awnings and roman couches surround warm glass fire pits. Although outside, the sounds of the smooth and big-band swing can be heard still and resembles a party scene out of “The Great Gatsby.”

“I see this place as an upscale location, clientele, and atmosphere, not to mention the bar tenders know how to make a drink,” Robbie Rugg from La Verne said.

A swing band rolls on to the stage and the soft sounds of brass wield to the upbeat jams. Rugg grabs his partner and heads to the floor where they perform like two falling leaves, intertwining and swinging about. The raspy voices on the stage fill the room. A group of businessmen and women in suits raise their glasses, while a few college students in their worn jeans and band t-shirts huddle together and hum along with their ale. A table dedicated to a bachelorette party laugh as they mimic the lyrical tune and the table to the right houses a couple college professors who head to the bar to refill their amber glasses.

“ I need something like this to get away from grad school and my business, I have always used music for that and when it is live, it is more of a high,” Rugg said.

A worn wooden bar grounds the chaos of the music in the center of the eclectic room. My eyes are captured by the hand-blown glass lit up within the liquored shelves as multicolored lamps above surround the room. Abstract city paintings and earth tones cover the walls, while on stage, the musicians continue to play rhythms and lyrics that keep the crowd engaged. The bartender mixes drinks with ease, a glass flips right and the liquor goes left and in front of his eyes both collide into a sweetened mixture.

“ At the end of my work week I come here to listen to these musicians, I let them take my worries away with a tuned clarinet and a thick, booming stand up bass,” said Kyle Lawrence of Ontario.

With free admission anyone may come and listen to the music of the night. Another band is rolling in, members quickly set up to close out the evenings festivities. A swanky man in a suit runs in front of the mic.

“Check one, two, welcome, welcome,” he says. “We are here to take you fine ladies and gentlemen back, join us in the music.” The brass booms and they are off again.

Inhale an age old remedy

The glass door opens to a spacious room toned with hues of red and gold. The warm wooden floor reflects orbs of dim lights scattered about. Soft chatter fills the spaces of air as I kick off my shoes and add to the mountain already piled at the entrance. I step on to the smooth black mat, and breathing in it begins.

Yoga, it is an ancient art form known for meditation that dates back as early as 3300 BC. But for health nuts, especially in California, it is seen as a means of exercise. But, within this ceremony of breath and strained poses there is a sanctuary that many in these difficult times seek.

Yoga, for me, is a rebuilding of energy, finding that which is lost in the chaos of the workweek. As many health experts are beginning to notice, most individuals in this economic downturn are looking for the same. The Mayo Clinic posted an article stating that chronic stress can lead to a variety of health and emotional problems. The article suggests yoga as a way to lower this risk as well as boost overall health benefits; increased fitness and weight loss. While yoga brings together mental and physical disciplines, it is proven to leave the mind less riddled with problematic tension.

Kaiser Permanente has even backed behind the yoga industry claiming it aids in lowering high blood pressure, helps asthmatics breath easier and improves fatigue within individuals suffering from multiple sclerosis.

“People come to yoga to release stress, they rely on the practice as a form of escape,” said Rancho Cucamonga yoga and wellness nutritionist Doug Moss. “I know it is one of the major ways I am making it through this recession.”

Moss explained that the human body holds most of its tension in the lower back and jaw, and through yoga, one is forced to relax those areas.

“I remind my group about every few minutes to relax the jaw, you would be surprised at how much just doing that can help.” Moss said.

The room is darkened, and files with a quick warm air as the smell of faint spices waft through the room. I hear the instructions, “Urdhva Hastasana” and my arms raise upward and rest just in front of my heart. With slow rhythmic motions my body makes a dance across the now sturdy mat. Small beads of water form at my brow like a crown and I make a stance reflecting that of a poised ballerina. My hands rooted in the earth and my crown raised to the sky. It is through these motions that I find my grounding in the calamities of a full school and work load.

With many firm believers in yoga, the focus on breath is the craze that can get everyone hooked on this practice. “Exhale all of your worries and inhale all of your aspirations,” said Master instructor Gina Decker. “It is what gets me through the day.”

There are studios throughout each city, some almost blocks away. Many of them, like Green Tara Yoga in Upland have discounts for students. A special way that this particular studio aids the community is by actually setting up special package for those suffering during the times. On Sunday’s the studio holds a donation class where people pay what they can, even if it is only a few cents.

“We do not want anyone to miss out, we will try and make it anyway possible for people to come here and rejuvenate,” Moss said. “There are options for everyone.”

The diverse poses within the actual session is what makes the mind veer away from any stress related material. As the body heats up, the warmth is calming and can have a positive effect on the mind. When warmed up and at the peak of my practice, I find that my body begins to sway and take its own positions as to almost unwind itself.

“You have to be able to have a place to release and have solace for an hour,” said Moss.

Resting in child pose, my rushed breathes from the hours workout cool to a soft hum. My eyes open to the warm lights that begin to take back their place in the room. The journey is over for now, back to the work and stresses of the real world. But in returning, life is a new. The worries which entered an hour earlier now dwindle. The group and myself pack up for home, to return another day to this therapeutic workout.

“This place we come to, the space that we share is communal. It is how we can grow and heal in times of hardship,” said Moss.

Botanical Garden: more than flowers

The cool, brisk February morning accompanies a warm sun, hazed by wisps of clouds, the smell of the last rain still lingering in the air. A small child geared with hiking boots and a warm fleece sweater yells to his mother as he chases a brown bird. Around a tree, an elderly woman takes out her pencil and parchment to detail a familiar orange poppy, one of many that speckle the grounds. It is the perfect day for a hike.

Any type of weather calls residents and visitors to the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden located in Claremont, Calif. Leslie Husa, the gardens admission casher, can be seen harvesting oak saplings just popped out of the acorn and placing them into a recycled coffee cups.

“Look at these little guys,” Husa said, as a child peers over her shoulder. “I am going to take them back to the nursery so they do not dry out in this sun. These saplings can quickly die if not moved into some shade.”

The Botanical Gardens, which are open from 9a.m.-5p.m. all but four days a year, act as many outlets and serve the community in various ways. Families can be seen skipping up to the trodden paths, scientists poke and prod at the local Californian vegetation, others are harnessed with a good book and some just strolling, taking in the sights of their first walkabout.

“We have large events that bring many people in here all the time, a lot of them do not realize what a treasure it is,” Husa said. “Many of our members come here daily, a lot use our facility as an after-work routine.”

The grounds are composed of the gardens, research facilities, a gift shop and a commercial nursery where you can purchase any of the plants you enjoy. The grounds are dedicated to California native plants and thrive off of the philosophy of biodiversity and the importance of conservation. It is a sanctuary for wildlife as well as the overworked who come to rejuvenate here.

The Garden’s spokeswoman Paulina Nash said she used to get away from the stresses of life by visiting with her family on the weekends. “There are so many facets to the garden, it can bring anyone here for any reason, or to just relax and enjoy life again,” Nash said.

But the garden brings more than just a sense of relaxation, it inspires wellness in many ways.

“Before I worked here, I’d enjoy the garden for what I saw, now I love it for what it is, conservation in water and energy,” Nash said. “I feel like I was a part of the help.”

The garden sits nestled just behind the Claremont School of Theology, at North College Ave. and Foothill Blvd.

“Being between the 210 and 10 freeways and just outside the craziness of Los Angeles, you would think this area would reflect the same, but it is exactly the opposite,” Nash said.

Many people visit the garden expecting the stereotypical flowers and meadows, but there is much more to this local treasure.

The fact that the garden is composed of all Californian plants helps individuals learn to cultivate some of their own.

“We are re-doing our front yard, we always knew this place was beautiful and a place to getaway, we want our house to be the same,” San Dimas resident Carol Barnick said during a recent visit.

“It is my first time here, but after a few hours I have discovered such a sense of peace, I am a fan,” said Paul Barnick, Carolshusband.

Californian vegetation goes beyond its boarders, into parts of Oregon and down past Baja.

“Plants do not know politics and boundary lines, they just grow,” Nash said.

The garden has numerous events throughout the week for families, students and even yoga enthusiasts. There are also yoga and tai-chi classes out here in the garden, you do not have to be a member to enjoy the relaxing workout said Nash.

The regular fee is $8 for adults, $6 for students and $4 for children. Memberships vary, but the garden offers the same events to all.

If you are looking to explore this local relaxation spot, its annual spring open allows free admission for March 19th and May 6th.

Whether you are looking for a bird walk, a place to get away, or an atmosphere that puts you in the middle of nature, then the 86-acre sanctuary is a wonderful escape.

“Once, I visited the nursery looking for a tree and found one I loved but could not think of a space for it. An old man looked at me and said ‘we all grow in the space we are given.’ I think that phrase sums up this place perfectly,” Nash said.