East West Café Makes Move to Accommodate Recession .3

New York City, Union Square; East West Living, one of Manhattan’s few holistic health supply and spiritual bookstores has made a move to downsize the expense of its café to increase revenue storewide and battle the effects of the economy.

“We are moving away from preparing our own food to reduce overhead costs” said Ronn Goodmen, East west’s IT Manger. Goodmen has been an employee for six months and oversees store operations. “It works out more cost effective to have the food prepared by an outside location than in the store,” Goodmen said. The transition from preparation-based-food made on the premises to snack food imported from other business has resulted in the lay-off of the chef and cut hours for the café’s four employees. The flow of customers was inconsistent, which meant that fully prepared food would often go to waste and extra employees would work shifts with little to no customer interaction, Goodmen explained.

East West Living has called Fifth Avenue home for over 25 years. The store closed its doors five years ago to remodel and obtain the proper documentation needed to run a kitchen. East West has always specialized in carrying spiritual, metaphysical and holistic health books and supplies, as well as been a place to sponsor events for the area’s yogic and spiritual community. The café portion of the business has been up and running for three years.

“In running any business the major challenges are with making sure your staff, clients and customers are happy. During this time in the economy its the struggle of balancing the two,” Khadijah Farmer, the Café Operations Manager said. Farmer, 30, a New York native has worked at East West Living as the Café Manager for the past three years. The main concern with the café in relation to the store as a whole was that the café wasn’t bringing in much of a profit. $1000 was being spent weekly to supply the café with the necessities to prepare a full selection of vegan and vegetarian meal options.

The New York Department of Labor on March 10, 2010 issued a press release that shows the unemployment rate in New York state is at it’s highest since 1992, having reached it’s peak (8.4%) in 2009. In Manhattan the unemployment rate (10.2%) is slightly higher than the state average (8.8%), but as a whole New York State is still below that national average (9.7%). New York Department of Labor Liberal Market Analyst, Jim Brown, explains that Manhattan is the place of Business Services mainly accountants, lawyers and consulting firms; the industry of Business Services has been hit hardest by the economy, which is why Manhattan has the highest unemployment rate in New York.

“Customers have been walking in for hot food and then walking away,” café employee Tyler St. Clair said. St. Clair, 19, has worked at the café since July. Since the new transition St. Clair’s hours have been cut and his tips have diminished. He says he thought about getting another job because the café is no longer financially supportive, but if he were to leave now the café would suffer immensely. “We don’t have the man power to train another person at this point, “ St. Clair said. St. Clair says he feels like the transition in the café has been a cause for lost business. “ I think it’s been a loss for the community,“ St. Clair said.

There are 249 bookstores in Manhattan, over 100 Starbucks and 43 Dunkin’ Doughnuts. “Being an independent coffee shop in Manhattan with the slugfest of Starbucks and Dukin’ Doughnuts is tough,” Market Analyst Jim Brown said. According to the Small Business Association small businesses pay 44% of the United States private payroll and have provided 64% of new jobs over the past 15 years.

East West brings in the majority (80%) of profit through the store portion of the business, with the café bringing in the remaining 20% of profits, Goodmen said. “One of the main reasons for the change is to focus more on a business-meeting cafe with evening events and not so much a food service cafe. We are always looking at the overall health of the whole business and making changes as we discover things that need improvement, “ Goodmen said.

“Restaurants are a tricky business because of service demands and restrictions and the trend for bookstores is tough with inventions like Kindle and books on the Internet,” Brown said. Despite the difficulty of the Business Services industry and the Retail industry the Restaurant industry is on a steady rise. “Manhattan is a big place for profit and business in general, there’s a lot of wealth there,” Brown said, explaining that a small business like East West has potential for a large amount of customers in Manhattan but the café/bookstore trend is a tough one in today’s market place.

The transition from full service café to snacks and beverages began only three week ago. No additions to events have been made to the events calendar, and while it may be too soon to tell what effect the move has had on profit and revenue in recent weeks there have been notably less customers in the café around lunch time.

Fly Free With Your Creativity

Fuck nine-to-fives, sleepless nights and work-to-work routines. Last night I sat down waiting for my boyfriend’s plane to land at the Newark Airport and doodled for 45 minutes and then I wrote for my own enjoyment. The time is too sparse where I actually sit down and do something creative for my own benefit. Perhaps this isn’t the case for art students, but even so, sometimes it is just nice to doodle and dabble a little something creative that you don’t have to turn in for a grade. In my research I’ve come to find that there are a shit ton of reasons to support your creative projects, doodles, dabbles and what have you. Five reasons to follow your creative self:

1. Doodling boosts concentration and memory. You should doodle your way through that lecture you can’t stand because studies show that it will keep your from daydreaming you’re way though it. (Check out this article about the doodling study by Discover Magazine)

2. Indulging in your creativity gives you time to spend with yourself, experiment with your mind and really reap the benefits of your own labor

3. You might create cool shit and surprise yourself (check review this book Ignore everybody, for humor please, and maybe an idea or two)

4. You can paint, write, sing, dance and create your way into a better mood (I personally have turned to these books to get my creative juices going: How To Be An Explorer Of The World,The Artists Way,Make Your Creative Dreams Real, these links are meant to give you what the books are about)

5. Creative people are the most interesting (this blogger add less judgmental, curious, optimistic, better at confronting challenges and have flexible imaginations, click here for his reasoning).

The way I look at it, there aren't to many reasons you should not be creative, so get going.

Stack Your Resources

When I think “resource” I think money, connections and those of the natural kind. I don’t generally think of self support and how it is one’s truly constant resource. It’s funny for me to gloss over “self support” because I do believe it to be absolutely essential to one’s personal success. I’ve come to believe in that old idea “you must love yourself before you can love anyone else” (click here for an article that explores and attempts to explain this idea on a spiritual level), but more than learning to love yourself I think you must learn how to be self supportive and find the type of support that works for you. I dare say that being self supportive is a bit more than earning your own doe; I believe it includes knowing who to turn to, what inspires you and how to get yourself out of a bad day or turn what may seem like “a major fuck up” into a learning experience.

In her article “How Do You Support Yourself” life Coach and author Claudette Rowley says that a support system is“a collection of friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances who show a keen interest in listening, discussing and guiding – without judgment.” I would argue that a support system is much more than that, I’d say knowing how to support yourself includes giving yourself credit, setting boundaries, knowing how and when to say “no,” as well as creating time for yourself to relax and digest life.

The website EssentialLifeSkills.net offers some tips on how to build a support system, I like a few of the ideas, one of them being that "giving support is as important as receiving it." I feel that in the act of being supportive towards others you may find ways to be self supportive. Another good one is "create a quiet place or sanctuary for yourself," by all means do. I think having a space for yourself that you see as special and separate from the rest of your day is important because it allows you to indulge in a completely separate part of your routine. Maybe it'll be a place where you can finally separate yourself from your job, your stress and whatever when on throughout the day. There is also a tip about having a variety of interests which I feel is slightly obvious and not necessarily a problem today. A better tip would be set aside at least 30 minutes to indulge in an activity that makes you happy (click here for the full article and rest of the tips).

When it really comes down to it there is not a person on the planet who knows you like you know yourself, so acknowledge that you don't need to look elsewhere to feel supported. You already posses the tools to get what you need so listen to yourself and what it is you really desire and then get up, get out there and go get it.

Meditation For Freedom From Thought

What I would do for a good night’s sleep, less to worry about and a day off. A little peace of mind maybe, really what I think I need is peace from my mind. I can’t help but think sometimes that the ability to shut my thoughts off, or slow them down a little would make my world a better place. I observe a lot of my friends and realize they too are often consumed by their thoughts and led in circles by their worries.

“What do I have to do tomorrow? How am I going to get there? Well I have enough time? Did I finish that assignment? Do I have clean socks? Shit. I need to do laundry. No really what I need are new jeans, and shorts. Yeah, shorts it’s almost summer. Damn, when the hell does school end? Wait isn’t my midterm next week? I need to go to sleep. But I can’t sleep. I need to stop drinking black tea late at night. No I need to go to bed earlier. SHIT. REALLY I NEED TO JUST GO TO SLEEP RIGHT NOW…It’s 4am I have to get up in two hours, I’m so sick of doing this to myself.”

Sound remotely familiar? This is my thought process on any given night and I know that the act of digging one’s self into a hole and perpetuating worries via endless thinking is not uncommon amongst the “common person.” Mindless thinking is why people can’t leave their work at their jobs and their “baggage” at home. Constant worry perpetuated by constant thinking is the reason you’re thinking about when to schedule your next bikini wax or hair cut when you really want to be present spending time with Grandma.

“There's confusion and fixation on all kinds of things which don't really help us to be productive. The speed and scattered quality of our own state of mind actually creates discomfort, suffering and anxiety for us. We can't even have a cup of tea and appreciate and enjoy it because our mind is so distracted,” David Nichtern, Senior Shambhala Buddhist Teacher writes in his article “Why Meditate?—Words Do Not Cook Rice” for the Huffington Post.

I’ve been studying under the Shambhala practice of Buddhist Meditation for the past two months. Working with my mind and acknowledging my thought patterns has been a challenge and at times painful experience but the reward in doing so is a better understanding of how I “work” and a stronger ability to acknowledge that a thought is simply a thought and let it go.

Meditation, in its many forms has been recognized as a powerful practice amongst the many cultures of the world for centuries, tracing its origins back to ancient India. Though meditation can be linked to certain religions and spiritual practices, today it is also recognized as a tool to relieve stress and tune in with one’s self, requiring no faith following just a desire to explore and a dedication to constant effort.

The world of science gives meditation its credit too. In an article written in Psychology Today, Colin Allen explains why meditation is effective in managing stress and fear: “Neuroscientists have found that meditators shift their brain activity to different areas of the cortex - brain waves in the stress-prone right frontal cortex move to the calmer left frontal cortex. This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety. There is also less activity in the amygdala, where the brain processes fear.”

Among its many benefits, meditation, if you stick with it will help to eliminate those pointless thought patterns that keep you up at night, help you find clarity and peace in the present and can help you be a little less critical of yourself and a little more loving towards everyone else. Let me not glitter and glitz meditation to the point of no return and make you think that you’re going to meditate as a mere mortal and come out of the practice with the gifts of a god. Meditation in no quick fix, if you’re dedicated to it, you’ll find that working with the muscle that is your mind will surprise you in it’s challenges. I find this point illustrated accurately in One City, a book written by Ethan Nichtern, my meditation teacher and founder of the Interdependence Project (a non-profit organization that does community organizing in the circles of art, ecology and activism with a Buddha-minded focus). Ethan says “to practice anything- whether it’s meditation, art, or politics-means to keeping relinquishing the plan and to continually return to what’s unfolding now” (58).

Creating a meditation practice may be a great way to find your present if you find yourself always dwelling on the past or always worried about the future. It could be a simple addition to your morning routine that helps set a positive tone to the rest of your day. Hey, don’t knok it tell you’ve tried it, but if you try it give yourself sometime to work with the challenges of your own thinking. And when the going gets tough “so slowly breathe and smile” (Thich Nhat Hanh).

East West Café Makes Move to Accommodate Recession, Café employees suffer .2

New York City, Union Square; East West Living, one of Manhattan’s few spiritual bookstores has made efforts to downsize the expense of its cafe as to increase revenue storewide and battle the effects of the economy. A move from a full kitchen to snack and beverage options has resulted in cut hours and lay-offs for café employees.

“We are moving away from preparing our own food to reduce overhead costs. It works out more cost effective to have the food prepared by an outside location then in the store, “ Ronn Goodmen, East west’s “IT Manger,” has been an employee for six months and oversees store operations. The transition from preparation-based- food made on the premises to snack food imported from other business has resulted in the lay-off of the chef and cut hours for the café’s four employees.

“In running any business the major challenges are with making sure your staff, clients and customers are happy. During this time in the economy its the struggle of balancing the two,” Khadijah Farmer, the Café Operations Manager said. Farmer, 30, a New York native has worked at East West Living as the Café Manager for the past three years. The main concern with the café in relation to the store as a whole was that the café wasn’t bringing in much of a profit. $1000 was being spent weekly to supply the café with the necessities to prepare a full selection of vegan and vegetarian meal options. The flow of customers was inconsistent, which meant that fully prepared food would often go to waste and extra employees would work shifts with little to no customer interaction.

“Customers have been walking in for hot food and then walking away,” café employee Tyler St. Clair said. St. Clair, 19, has worked at the café since July. Since the new transition St. Clair hours have been cut and his tips have diminished. He says he thought about getting another job because the café is no longer supportive but if he were to leave now the café would suffer immensely. “We don’t have the man power to train another person at this point, “ St. Clair said. St. Clair says he feels like the transition in the café has been a cause for lost business. “ I think it’s been a loss for the community,“ St. Clair said.

The New York Department of Labor on March 10, 2010 released data that reveals that the unemployment rate in New York state is at it’s highest since 1992, having reached it’s peak at 8.4% in 2009. With the rise of small business closures and bankruptcies nationwide the struggle for employment is tough and the fight to keep business afloat is rough let alone maintain profit. According to the Small Business Association small businesses pay 44% of the United States private payroll and have provided 64% of new jobs over the past 15 years.

Goodmen said that in the majority of profit at East West was brought in by the store portion of the business, with the ratio of café to store profit being 1-5. While Goodmen said he didn’t feel the changes in the café were a direct response to the state of the economy, he did admit that the economy might have influenced initiative. “One of the main reasons for the change is to focus more on a business-meeting cafe with evening events and not so much a food service cafe. We are always looking at the overall health of the whole business and making changes as we discover things that need improvement, “ Goodmen said.

“There have been many stores along 14th Street going out of business and while last year was a difficult year for everyone nationwide we were able to keep our heads above water. East West is lucky to be a special interest store that is nearly one of a kind in New York City making the competition slim to none,” Khadijah Farmer the Café Manager at East West said. Despite apprehension about the challenges of current economy Farmer said she thought business had been surprisingly well.

East West Living has called Fifth Avenue home for over 25 years. The store closed its door about 5 years ago to remodel and obtain the proper documentation needed to run a kitchen. East West has always specialized in carrying spiritual, metaphysical and holistic health books and supplies, as well as been a place to sponsor events for the area’s yogic and spiritual community. The café portion of the business has been up and running for three years.

The transition from full service café to snacks and beverages has only been in route for about three weeks. No additions to events have been made to the events calendar, and while it may be too soon to tell what effect it has had on profit and revenue one can see that there are notably less customers in the café area around lunch.

Morning madness, a conversation on waking up better

6:30am Hit snooze
6:45am Get out of bed, think about meditating
6:45 hot water in microwave for tea, toast, maybe?
6:50-7:30 bathroom, wash face, makeup, clothes (whatever I can find)
eat toast, drink tea, vitamins on a good day. Out the door, get to elevator, turn around.

My morning routine is the pits. I always run out the door only to come to the elevator and realize that I have forgotten something, generally a vital item needed for the rest of my day (ex. cellphone or commonly the toast I made). I think I suffer from lack of routine really. The whole procedure is a mad rush to get out the door by 7:30 and get to class on time. I long for something a little more peaceful, pulled together and an alternative to toast.

I know I'm not alone in pursuit of my prefect morning routine, there sure is plenty of conversation about it. Check this guy on zenhabits.net. He's willing to get up at 4:30 to drink water, fix lunch for his kids, exercise and have extra time to meditate on what his most important goals are for the day, then wake his wife and kids at 6:30. I applaud his dedication and understand the need for solitude but I gotta' wonder what time he has to go to bed to get up at 4:30am and there's nothing in there about getting dressed for work. I get the impression he doesn't have to leave the house.

Michael Agger in his blog post "The Quest for the Perfect Morning Routine" seems to place some importance on finding inspiration in the morning. He likes the idea of the "daily read," all those sites and blogs you look to for your news and interests in one convenient Morning Coffee mug icon on your Firefox browser. Agger has this concept that people really have two morning routines : "getting out of the house and settling down at work." This is true, at this point in my life though I feel I have more control over the routine that starts at home. I want to work on improving the wake-up and get-up portion of my day so the transition to sit-down and get shit done is a smoother one.

Prepping the night before is a reoccurring theme in my research. In the article "Reboot your Morning routine the night before" it is suggested that you pack a lunch, lay out your clothes, clean up any mess in your environment and write yourself any reminders that may slip your mind in the dawn of a new day. I can get down with laying out an outfit I'm proud of and preparing my eats a day ahead. Writing down to-dos sounds more like creating worries, maybe if I wrote down a reward for myself at the end of the list the process would be more appeasing.

As far as inspiration goes I've got a twist on Agger's Morning Coffee icon, the NY Times, NPR and Google are all apps on my iphone. I admit, I need some more blogs to gaze over, I completely open to suggestions. Louise L. Hay also holds a place in the mix providing me with daily affirmations and messages of self belief with the I Can Do It 2010 Calender app on my phone.

This is what I am working towards:
6:30 wake up, use bathroom, put teapot on, meditate for 5-12 minutes or journal
6:45 wash face etc. put on makeup, get dressed (in an outfit I have picked out the night before)
7:00 Eat real food (maybe a smoothie and toast, or rice porridge, yum!) Read a poem or something inspiring while eating
7:30/35 Out the door, everything in hand.

Progress to you in your quest for a better morning. You'll always be given the opportunity to go to bed and try again the next day.

Sleep: It's the best thing since lunch

Sleep. From the necessity standpoint it’s right up there with water; if you’re anything like me you’re not getting enough of either. Lets talk honestly about sleep for a second though, and spare me the hypocrisy of writing this at 2am.

U.S. society neglects the possibility of catching up with missed sleep during the day; you either get your eight hours or you don’t. If you ask me we “Americans” have got it all screwed up; the siesta is the best intuitive thought since lunch (here for more on the siesta). In many Central American Countries a Siesta, or nap, for those of you who took French and not Spanish, follows lunch. Lunch is also the biggest meal of the day not dinner. Just think, if we reframed the timing of meals and way our society approaches sleep we might respond to both a little better; waking up more refreshed and going to bed free of indigestion.

You may as will blame Thomas Edison for his invention of the light bulb, according to the 2002 Sleep in America poll, today Americans (those from the U.S.) sleep and average of 6.9 hours a night and 7.5 hours per night on weekends. Still not cutting the 8-hour rule. Before the light bulb people slept an average or 10 hours a night, changes in sleep occurred with changes in seasons and rising of the sun.

Of course today we have many more distractions among them: the iphone, facebook, stumbleupon.com, magazines, TV and alarm clocks. In fact in studies done by the National Sleep Research Project, experts say that 24-hour accessibility to the internet is amongst the most alluring of sleep distractions (click here to find out other sleep facts that'll make you want to got back to bed). Makes you want to stop stocking that cute guy or girl on facebook or stop stumbling doesn’t it?

Studies show that of all Americans women get the least amount of sleep, linking lack of sleep to deepression it is also suggested that this is a contributing factor in why there are more women battling depression then men. In light of this situation the Huffpost in partnership with Glamour is challenging women to get more sleep, with their "Sleep Challenge 2010: Women, It's Time to Sleep Our Way to the Top. Literally." Click here for more on women's sleep issues and to check out what the challenge is all about.

Get some shut eye folks, chances are it'll be better for your tomorrow then whatever you're staying up to do tonight. Sweet dreams!