The New York City Risqué Guide To Celebrating Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is for giving in to your animal instincts. Of course, that means romance, but if all’s fair in love and war, why not use the holiday as an excuse to indulge in decadence? For couples looking to celebrate beyond a good steak and a bottle of wine (although New York does that to perfection), come to the city that never sleeps for a weekend of pleasure. Book a room for the weekend at the Moxy and make love on rose petals. Then head to an erotic masquerade ball, see a sinful show, or partake in gothic glamour. End the weekend with a multi-course dinner that ends with a play (hint: sex) party and a tantric yoga class. The most risqué events in New York are coming full force for Valentine’s Day. Read on for the secret details on how to attend.
‘Do Not Disturb’ Valentine’s Day Package
Moxy Times Square
Moxy Times Square ‘Do Not Disturb’ Valentine’s Day Package
Whether you’re visiting or are New York lovers in search of a staycation, look no further than the Moxy Times Square. The iconic hotel’s ‘Do Not Disturb’ Valentine’s Day Package, which starts at $199 a night, is available for stays between Thursday, February 13 to Sunday, February 16. Couples walk into a room scattered with pink rose petals. If you can pry your hands off one another, make sure to use the Babeland Valentine’s Day Kit, which includes arousal balm, lubricant, and a blindfold. Once you’ve worked up an appetite, enjoy chocolate covered pretzels from local favorite Fatty Sundays, a dozen oysters at Bar Moxy, and two glasses of prosecco, all of which are included in the Valentine’s Day package. Guests also receive access to sex shop Babeland’s pop up shop and workshop hosted right at the hotel on Thursday, February 13. That is if you can pull yourselves out of the bed covered in rose petals.
NSFW The Horney Hearts Ball
Kenneth D. Rowe
NSFW The Horney Hearts Ball
On Friday, February 14, infamous sex and cannabis club NSFW, aka the New Society for Wellness, hosts the Horney Hearts Ball. Dress in your royal finest (costumes are mandatory) and fall down the rabbit hole to celebrate love in notoriously glamorous fashion. NSFW events are infamously hard to get into, but the Horney Hearts Ball is open to the public. Purchase tickets through their app NSFW Nights. The ball runs from 11 PM to 4 AM at Zero Space, an immersive art playground that promises to bring you to Wonderland. See you there (if you dare).
Company XIV Seven Sins
Imagination + Muscle
Company XIV’s Seven Sins
Truly one of the best things to do in New York on any occasion, infamous dance company Company XIV’s Seven Sins premieres on Friday, February 14. Choreographed and directed by Austin McCormick, the mastermind behind the acclaimed productions Nutcracker Rouge and Queen of Hearts re-imagines the creation myth of Adam, Eve, and the fall of man. The baroque burlesque performance blends dance, opera, magic, and more in this elegantly hedonistic and unforgettable performance. Seven Sins opens on Valentine’s Day and runs through Halloween. Snag tickets and get ready to laugh, cry, and get turned on.
Feast of the Five Senses
Hacienda
Hacienda Feast of the Five Senses
Don’t stop the party when the clock strikes midnight. On Saturday, February 15, the sex-positive community Hacienda is hosting a Feast of Five Senses. The five-course meal is globally inspired, complete with wine pairings to bring a new level of play to your dining experience. The sensual dinner begins at 8 PM, and if you’re up for it, you can become a member and stay for the after-dinner play party. For those still looking for plans on actual Valentine’s Day, Hacienda is also hosting a pool party on Friday, February 14, at 8 PM.
SVMMON
Joe Hart
SVMMON at Talon Bar
Lovers, hedonists, and goths come gather Friday, February 14, at Brooklyn’s Talon Bar for a decadent dark dance party. Gawkers and plain-clothes are not welcome and will be removed by a swarm of bats. However, those ready to put on their black and fetish gear and dance to the devil can expect a horrifically good time. This underground dance party boasts two floors of DJs and a midnight burlesque performance for a night of delicious sin.
Candice Leigh
Candice Leigh
Valentines Tantra Yoga for Couples
Unwind after a celebratory weekend with an intimate (and naked) Tantric yoga class for couples on Sunday, February 16. Taught by Candice Leigh, the founder of Naked Yoga Therapy, the play shop will be an afternoon for couples to deepen their connection and playfulness. Guests are invited to explore solo and partnered yoga poses, invigorating and powerful partnered breathwork, and light touch and tantric techniques to connect to your self, your partner, and the divine. Sweat out the champagne while carrying on the love. The class runs from 5 to 7 PM at Floating Lotus.
NFL receiver Bennie Fowler preaches process, persistence in ‘Silver Spoon: The Imperfect Guide to Success’
Before Bennie Fowler caught Peyton Manning’s final NFL pass, before he went from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl champion, Fowler idolized Kobe Bryant’s work ethic, mindset and commitment to process in the pursuit of greatness.
Bryant’s indomitable spirit was one of many motivating factors that Fowler harnessed not only to achieve his own dreams but to document his process in his first book, “Silver Spoon: The Imperfect Guide to Success,” which hits Amazon Tuesday courtesy of Lioncrest Publishing.
“Kobe was my favorite athlete,” Fowler, 28, a free agent and former Giants receiver, told the Daily News on Monday. “He inspired me to work and take care of my body, but most importantly, he helped me and others to understand how strong the mind is and should be. His legacy will live on forever.”
Fowler has found countless nuggets of wisdom on his own journey, as well, and his book compiles invaluable anecdotes, perspectives and lessons to guide others in pursuit of their own callings.
The book’s foreword is written by three-time NBA champion Draymond Green, a close friend who explains how Fowler has developed “the mind of a winner.” And Fowler solicits the knowledge of professionals, mentors, authors, and successful connections in forming comprehensive strategies to succeed in any line of work.
This is not just a book for athletes, even though an athlete wrote it.
“This is not a self-help book; it is a self-actualizing book,” Fowler said. “This book offers the reader a powerful truth: there is no quick fix. No one’s road is easy. The imperfections of life spill into every part of our achievement factor. And this book trusts in you that the world is calling for your service and you must answer that call.”
Denver Broncos’ Bennie Fowler (16) celebrates after scoring a two point conversion during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 50 football game Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (Ben Margot/AP)
Among Fowler’s many strategies, stories and lessons, he explains the value and significance of daily positive reinforcement, meditation and mindfulness, discipline, mentors and habits.
He teaches the importance of not only working hard but identifying what one does best; of making the difficult decision to eliminate distractions and less fruitful enterprises to pursue the truest path to one’s calling.
And Fowler’s greatest influences all strongly emphasize the process over the result.
They stress finding small victories in every step of the journey instead of basing one’s happiness and fulfillment on the achievement of one enormous and specific goal. But Fowler also describes how one can simultaneously achieve the greatest goals by living in the details.
He wants this book to inspire everyone to say: “I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m going to achieve what I want to achieve.” And he wants to prepare people for the fact that no matter where they come from, it’s not going to be easy — but they can be ready when it gets tough.
“I wanted to provide a measured way to confront adversity so that when it happens — and it will happen — it won’t shock you,” Fowler said. “Because you’ve been prepared to deal with it.”
Manning and Fowler show off their Super Bowl rings
One of the highlights of Fowler’s NFL career — five seasons and counting — was catching Manning’s final NFL pass. It was a successful two-point conversion capping the Denver Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 win over the Carolina Panthers in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 7, 2016.
The following excerpt of “Silver Spoon: The Imperfect Guide to Success” describes how Fowler’s habits and strategies prepared him for that moment:
“As I trotted out onto the field with Peyton and the rest of the offensive unit amid the stadium roar, I felt one dominant sensation:
I knew the play because I’d practiced it over and over. I knew where the ball would arrive because I’d visualized this moment over and over. I could picture the spinning laces as Peyton’s spiral cut through the air. I could see it sailing into my hands, and I could feel it slamming into my gut as I came out of my break. My mind was quiet and focused because I had learned to fill it with positive thoughts and flush out any feelings of self-doubt or fear.
People think of NFL players and other professional athletes as great physical specimens—and they are … But what people often don’t realize is how much mental work goes into being a professional athlete. The best ones — the Peyton Mannings, the Kobe Bryants, the Von Millers, the Draymond Greens — are towers of mental strength, too.
They have the powers of perseverance, patience, and discipline, and they have trained their minds as finely as they have honed their physical skills. They train their minds by following simple principles and practices. They close out negative thoughts while cultivating rich, prosperous ideas.
They focus on the things they can control, and as they gain mastery over those factors, any sense of anxiety fades away. Their heart rate goes down, their breathing is relaxed, their muscles are loose, and their thoughts are clear and precise.
These are skills I’ve learned in my five years in the NFL, but they are skills anyone can master. When you focus on what my mentor and friend Dr. Rick Perea calls “the process,” your performance improves. Who among us wouldn’t benefit from becoming healthier, calmer, more confident, and successful?
Focusing on the process allowed me to smile to myself as I prepared to receive the biggest pass of my career from a future Hall of Famer throwing the last pass of his career.”
5 Ways to Conquer Imposter Syndrome
Photo Source: Photo by Laurenz Kleinheider on Unsplash
Congratulations, you booked a dream job! You’ll be working alongside top talent doing what you love the most. “But are you actually good enough?” a voice croaks from the gutter of your mind. Yes, you earned the part over hundreds, maybe thousands of other actors. This is your time to shine! “You fooled them at the audition,” the voice bellows. “But once you get on set, they’ll all see the truth.”
Meet the imposter syndrome monster. Psychology Today defines impostor syndrome as “a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments.” It’s essentially a pattern of behavior where someone doubt’s their accomplishments and persistently fears they’ll be exposed as a fraud. Unfortunately, we all suffer from this sludge of self-doubt at some point. Award-winning actors aren’t even exempt. “I go through [acute impostor syndrome] with every role,” Lupita Nyong’o told Time Out. “I think winning an Oscar may in fact have made it worse.”
At the end of the day, we can’t let those thoughts swallow us whole. We must take control and slay imposter syndrome so our career doesn’t tailspin. How do we do that?
Here are five ways to rein in the imposter syndrome monster and hopefully destroy it indefinitely!
1. Take out the trash. When self-sabotage bubbles up in your brain, drag it out! Lasso those rude quips and throw them into the real world. Just in case these metaphors aren’t coming across, I’m saying to talk to someone! Unload your fears out loud to someone you trust. It’s not only brave, but incredibly liberating.
The Actor’s Comprehensive Guide to Self-Care
2. Rewrite your mental script. Retrain your mind to enjoy the opportunity you’ve been given. For example, instead of thinking, “They’re going to find out I have no idea what I’m doing and fire me” think to yourself, “Everyone gets first day jitters. I might not know everything, but I can learn. They chose me for a reason.”
3. Unearth “failure.” If you can’t turn off the mean voice in your head that projects failure, why not change the way you respond to failure. Oprah “doesn’t believe in failure. It’s not failure if you enjoyed the process.” Throw the idea of success out the window for a moment and discover the real meaning of failure: a stepping stone to greatness.
4. Show yourself.Haven’t we all learned to show not tell? Look up any highly-lauded person in society and I guarantee you’ll find an interview where they discuss visualizing their victories. It can be hard, but instead of falling into the rabbit hole of nerves, turn right and run down the path of seeing your bright future. Focus on the positive and don’t look back.
5. Trick the brain. When all else fails, fake it till you make it! Don’t wait for confidence to drive over. Confidence builds when we take risks. Change your behavior first and your mind will follow.
The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.
Robert Peterpaul
Robert Peterpaul is an actor, writer, and the owner of RPP, which aims to assist talent in the entertainment industry in honing their craft.
See full bio and articles here!
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