COURAGE written by Nancy Weshkoff

Courage

Written by Nancy Weshkoff

In the last week at Moonflower Yoga, the subject of courage has been one of our focuses, and I wanted to expand a bit on this topic.

Moonflower Yoga recently hosted a screening of the film LEAP OF FAITH, the story of BKS Iyengar’s amazing life.  The film spans the 90+ years of his life plus his 7 decades of teaching.   BKS Iyengar has led a remarkable life.    He came from a humble background in India and was a very sickly child.   His family was told that he would not survive into adulthood.     Despite this dismal prognosis and through extraordinary circumstances, he found the will – and courage—to bring himself to health through yoga.    Mr. Iyengar not only survived but flourished into becoming one of the fathers of modern yoga today.   He is 93 years old and still practices yoga.   

Another event at Moonflower Yoga was a story telling session for children of JEEVA FINDS COURAGE.   In this story, a little boy named Jeeva goes on a fascinating  journey discovering new things along the way and uses courage to help him.

The week has also been a busy one with some new students coming through the doors of Moonflower Yoga to try yoga for the first time.    Many of these are baby boomers.     It can take courage to try something new.      I feel remarkably blessed to have these new students choose Moonflower Yoga as the place to start a new journey.     Yoga has so many wonderful benefits, and I know they will join the other students at Moonflower Yoga who also walked into the studio doors for the first time a bit scared but now love practicing and return to the studio each week to feel better, learn something new, and have fun doing so.    And, yes, it took courage to take that first step.    How wonderful life can be when we find that courage and try something new.

Do you have the courage to embark on a new path of discovery?    If so, come try a yoga class or workshop at Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, New York, in Long Island’s Nassau County.   You will find great teachers who are dedicated to help you grow and learn.    And your first yoga class at Moonflower Yoga is free so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by having the courage to try yoga.

Spring Arrives! written by Nancy Weshkoff

Spring Arrives!

Written by Nancy Weshkoff

Spring officially arrives this week on March 22.     While spring is always one of my favorite times of the year, I am particularly looking forward to this one.    Here in Bellmore, Long Island, it has felt like we have been in a bad period starting with the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, followed by a cold winter with snow and a record blizzard in some parts of Long Island.   

And now here comes spring.     Spring means new beginnings.  Despite so much bad weather, miraculously spring bulbs have come alive with green leaves coming up from the ground.    Some of the bulbs have also started to flower.    You can’t help but smile when you see life coming back to the earth again.

Like those spring bulbs, we start to dust off the bad memories of the last several months too.    Our bodies react positively to more daylight and patches of warmer weather.      Yoga provides a great way for us to come alive too.     You will gain better strength and flexibility.    The deep, cleansing breaths that are part of a yoga practice provide more oxygen to the organs of the body enabling them to function better.     And practicing yoga in a small class setting such as Moonflower Yoga enables you to get to know the people in the studio practicing with you and to forge new relationships or rekindle old ones.     In this past week at Moonflower Yoga, there were two separate incidents of people who have not seen each other for years coincidentally taking the same yoga class together at Moonflower Yoga and having a great time doing so while catching up in a positive way on how they have been doing.  It reminds me of those spring bulbs coming to life again.

Come visit the Moonflower Yoga studio if you are in the area of Bellmore in Long Island’s Nassau County.     Try one of the great yoga classes that we have lovingly put together for you by our fabulous teachers.     Dust off the winter cobwebs and spring to life!

Celebrating Women written by Nancy Weshkoff

Celebrating Women

By Nancy Weshkoff

This week marked the celebration of International Women’s Day.   This tradition actually started in the early 1900’s as women marched for the right to vote and for better pay.    A great deal of progress has certainly been made for women since then.    In my lifetime, I can recall life before the women’s movement of the 1970’s.   It wasn’t that long ago when jobs were classified as “help wanted male” and “help wanted female” with the female jobs often those with low pay and little chance of advancement.  

While things have improved, so much still needs to be done.   In many countries, women are treated very poorly with little equality with men.    Even here in the United States, while jobs can no longer be classified as “male” or “female”, a glass ceiling exists in many companies making it very difficult for women to reach the highest positions.    I have heard comments that women need to work three times as hard as a man in order to be considered for promotion, and this is sadly often true.

I am so amazed by the women that walk in the door at the Moonflower Yoga studio in Bellmore, Long Island.    These women come from all walks of life.   They are mothers, grandmothers, and daughters.    Many are in demanding full-time positions working outside the home.   But their responsibilities do not end when they come home, as they also take care of children, elderly parents, and handle other domestic responsibilities.  

All this juggling and multi-tasking can take its toll.    It creates a great deal of stress.   Stress is not a good thing and is linked to so many diseases for women, including the number one killer of women: heart disease.

Take some time for yourself.    I often think about the message from the flight attendant before a flight begins advising what to do in case of an emergency.    An air mask will drop from the ceiling.   The attendant advises to place the mask on yourself first and then place it on a child traveling with you.   Why?  Because if you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others.   Giving yourself an hour to de-stress and unwind in a great yoga class can help you feel much better.    If you are in the area of Bellmore in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, come and try a restorative yoga class or one of the other de-stressing yoga classes offered at Moonflower Yoga to make you feel better.

There has also been much attention in the news this past week on women becoming entrepreneurs.   I am proud to now be one of these.    After many years in corporate America, I decided to leave corporate life behind and forge ahead with something I truly love:  yoga.    In creating Moonflower Yoga, I wanted to have a place where people of all ages and experience levels can come and have a great yoga experience.   I am also proud that a community is building at Moonflower Yoga of women who enjoy practicing together, having some fun, sharing their life experiences, and de-stressing.     I am truly blessed to have these women at Moonflower Yoga.     I salute these amazing women and women everywhere.