Instructors
Nancy Weshkoff, E-RYT, Reiki Master Teacher, and Owner of Moonflower Yoga Inc.
Nancy is a baby boomer who discovered yoga over 16 years ago, and it changed her life. Working at that time in a very stressful executive position in corporate America, she realized that her yoga practice enabled her to de-stress and better cope with life’s challenges while building strength and flexibility. Her love affair with yoga continues every single day, and she brings that dedication to Moonflower Yoga.
Nancy built Moonflower Yoga so that everyone can enjoy yoga and work towards a healthier lifestyle. Nancy further explains Moonflower’s underlying philosophy and mission: “Over the years, it has been so disheartening to me to see people, especially those who are baby boomers, be afraid to try a yoga class because they’re intimidated. As a fellow baby boomer, I understand how your body is different at this point in your life and you might need a gentler practice. I wanted to create Moonflower Yoga so that people of ALL ages and fitness levels can have an enjoyable yoga practice with a wide variety of classes. Our students range in age from 8 years old to 80 years old! Yoga is a wonderful way to help you feel better, remain flexible, become stronger, and gain balance, and Moonflower Yoga’s small-class setting enables us to pay close attention to you. Moonflower Yoga has a team of very special teachers who are dedicated to provide you with a great yoga experience. I’ve also met so many wonderful friends through my years of practice. I’d love you to come and try a class, meet new people, and have fun while getting stronger. In addition to our great yoga classes, you can learn new things in our engaging and interesting workshops on a variety of topics held on Friday evenings or weekend afternoons. I also launched the Moonflower Yoga Book Club which is a great way to have some lively conversation while enjoying home-baked goodies. We have since added the fun Moonflower Yoga Needle Arts Group where you can learn how to crochet and can work on your needle arts project while meeting interesting people, as well as the Moonflower Yoga Mah Jongg Club, the Moonflower Yoga Canasta Club, and the Women’s Gathering group which meets on topics relevant to women.”
Nancy Weshkoff is a member of the Yoga Alliance and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT200) under Yoga Alliance guidelines. As an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, Nancy has more than 4,000 hours of teaching experience. Nancy has also received YACEP status as a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider. She received her yoga teacher training at LYH in NY. Nancy is also a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association and has attended accredited courses at Kripalu on “Yoga as Medicine”, “Adapting Restorative Yoga for Chronic Illness”, “Chair Yoga for the Rest of Us”, “Evaluating Muscle-skeletal Imbalances” and “Nurturing the Sacred Time of Pregnancy”. Nancy also attended numerous workshops at the Long Island Yoga Association. She was named “Chamber Member of the Year” in January 2016 by the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce for her commitment to supporting local businesses and charitable efforts and has received awards from New York State and Nassau County recognizing her commitment to the Long Island community. In February 2020, Nancy and Moonflower Yoga were featured in a piece on News 12 Long Island on the benefits of yoga and meditation for stress reduction in conjunction with Heart Health Month. In the fall of 2020, Nancy was featured in 3 live, nationwide Business Talk Radio segments with Jill Nicolini to discuss yoga, meditation, and the affect of coronavirus on small businesses. Nancy is trained in Reiki and is a certified Reiki Master Teacher and a member of the International Association of Reiki Professionals.
Nancy teaches several yoga classes. Try Beginner Yoga on Sundays at 9:45 AM, Chair Yoga on Tuesdays at 12 noon, or Stretch and Flow on Thursdays at 9:45 AM, and Saturday Stretch on Saturdays (note: Rose will teach Saturday Stretch starting in Dec 2024). Nancy also offers a Relaxing Candlelight Restorative Yoga on Tuesdays at 7 PM. Nancy runs the Reiki training programs at Moonflower Yoga and leads workshops on various topics.
Lynn Pieroni, E-RYT 200 and Reiki Master Practitioner:
Lynn Pieroni, E-RYT 200, has over 5000 hours of teaching experience in various yoga asanas including ashtanga, anusara, vinyasa, and restorative styles as well as experience instructing family, teen, child and pre-natal yoga. Lynn, who has been practicing yoga for over 30 years, is humbled to share her experience of yoga with each student to a deeper mind-body connection within themselves. She believes that yoga is for everyone: that the beneficial rewards of the eight limbs of yoga are awaiting anyone who is willing. Join her in a peaceful practice to cultivate mindfulness, steadiness, patience, compassion and the interconnectedness of all beings, all creation – through the beautiful gift that is YOGA. Join Lynn for a unique Yoga for Bone Health class on Thursdays at 515 PM. Lynn also leads yoga workshops at Moonflower Yoga, as part of a fabulous “Anatomy of a Yoga Practice” series. Lynn is certified as a Reiki Master Practitioner and received her Reiki Master Practitioner training at Moonflower Yoga.
Jessica Saraswati, RYT200 and Reiki Master Practitioner:
Please welcome back Jessica Saraswati to the Moonflower Yoga teaching schedule! Jessica was a much-loved teacher at Moonflower Yoga before she relocated out of state. With the creation of Zoom, Moonflower Yoga is happy to announce that Jessica has returned to the teaching schedule to offer online classes. Come give one of her fabulous classes a try! Please join Jessica on Thursday evenings at 7 PM for her great Low and Slow online yoga class. Or start your day in a positive way with her Morning Meditation and Movement class on Tuesdays at 930 AM. Jessica may also sub for some of the other classes on the schedule.
Victoria Smith, RYT200 and Reiki Level One Practitioner:
Victoria became certified as a yoga instructor in 2005. She teaches Hatha Yoga, which is a wonderful fundamental yoga practice, and her philosophy is that yoga is not exercise. Yoga is much more than that. Yoga is a practice that will strengthen our bodies but also our minds and our connection to our own spirit. When you attend a yoga class, it is a reminder to let go of our need to compete and just enjoy being in our bodies and being able to move and most importantly breathe. Victoria strives to have her students connect their breath to movement to help them stretch as well as to aid in relaxation. Please join Victoria for her great online “Chair Yoga” class on Thursdays at 12 noon. Victoria also teaches the Yoga for Bone Health class on select Thursdays at 515 PM, and she may also sub other classes on the schedule. Vicky is a Reiki Level One Practitioner and received her Reiki training at Moonflower Yoga.
Rose Edelman, RYT and Reiki Master Practitioner:
Rose Edelman is a RYT200 yoga teacher. She emphasizes proper alignment, safety and comfortability for students during each class. Rose has a passion for working with others to help create an empowering, inspiring environment for enrichment and self-discovery. Her goal is to help people use lifestyle tools on and off the mat. Her background as a plant-based, whole foods chef and graduate studies in health psychology, both influence her knowledge of the mind-body-spirit approach in working with student. Rose recently moved towards pursuing her plant-based cooking career but has recently returned to teaching 3 weekly online classes at Moonflower Yoga. Join her on Wednesday mornings at 10 AM for a lovely Yin Yoga Stretch, a great class done on the ground to help you deeply stretch and relax your muscles. Can’t attend a morning class? Join Rose for Evening Yin Yoga Stretch on Mondays at 6 PM. Rose will be leading the Saturday Stretch class on Saturdays at 9 AM starting in December 2024. And watch for the return of the Yoga Basics class on Tuesdays at 6 PM, perfect for students of all levels. Rose has also led a great “Yin Yoga and Dried Floral & Crystal Bouquet Workshop” for the studio which combined several of Rose’s passions: yin yoga with organic flowers and crystals for relaxation. Rose also recently taught a fabulous “Yin Yoga and Herbal Tea Workshop” for the studio where the students enjoyed great yin yoga postures followed by an opportunity to create your own herbal tea blend from organic flowers. Moonflower Yoga is also the host of Rose’s latest workshop: Yin Yoga and Drawing – a very unique event. Rose is a Reiki Master Practitioner and received her Reiki Master training at Moonflower Yoga.
Rosanne Cassidy, RYT and meditation teacher and Reiki Master Practitioner:
Rosanne discovered many years ago that the practice of yoga helped to still her mind and ease the physical stress in her body. This inspired her to enter the teacher’s path to bring these benefits to other people. Rosanne is a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance & has completed over 400 hours of training. Rosanne is enrolled in the Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation Program through Spirit Rock Center in California to deepen her education in the benefits of combining yoga and insight meditation. Rosanne is also a Reiki 3 Master Practitioner, and she received her Reiki Master Practitioner training at Moonflower Yoga. Rosanne’s yoga classes are gentle & meditative, drawing on the influence of her guiding teachers from the Kripalu lineage. Rosanne teaches the lovely, weekly Monday night Relax and De-stress with Guided Meditation online class at 7 PM; come give it a try and treat yourself to a relaxing evening! This great meditation class is perfect for all levels – including those who are new to meditation. As it is an online class, you can enjoy this meditation class while reclining comfortably anywhere as you discover why doctors recommend meditation as a tool for stress reduction and relaxation.
Bhante Sujatha:
Moonflower Yoga is pleased to offer a monthly, online, one-hour Evening of Guided Meditation with Bhante Sujatha. Bhante is originally from Sri Lanka and is the Abbot of the Blue Lotus Temple. A 40+ year Buddhist Monk and longtime practitioner of meditation, he has dedicated his life to adding more love in the world. Bhante teaches loving-kindness meditation to people around the globe for all those seeking the art of happiness and contentment. His approach to meditation is deep and simple, bringing core Buddhist teachings to everyone in a way that is practical and easy to understand. Bhante believes his purpose is not only to teach meditation, but also, “teaching people how to be happy.” A joyful, radiant, funny and wildly energetic monk, Bhante will help you obtain peace that can only be found in deep silence. Bhante shares his own spiritual journey and teaches simple and effective ways for you to live the fullest and most meaningful life possible. Check the Schedule or Workshop tab for the next Evening of Guided Meditation with Bhante.
Jacqueline Hartmann, RYT500, Reiki Master Practitioner:
Jacqueline is a passionate 500 hour registered yoga and meditation teacher and has been teaching since 2015. She is also a Reiki master, akashic record reader, birth doula and women’s circle facilitator. Being a teacher, healer and guide truly feels like Jacqueline’s purpose in this lifetime. She aims to hold a safe and loving space for her students as they journey home to their bodies, hearts and souls both on that mat and off the mat. Join Jackie for her lovely, super relaxing monthly Yoga Nidra evening, usually on the last Wednesday of each calendar month.
Cathi Nashak – RYT, IKYTA, Reiki Master Practitioner:
Cathi is trained as a certified Hatha Yoga teacher. She is also a certified Usui Reiki Master Practitioner. Cathi loves meditation, and she has taught several great meditation classes for the studio. Cathi also teaches on special dates (usually a Friday) a lovely relaxing meditation and gong bath evening in person at the studio with her two amazing sound healing gongs – a great way to relax. Check the Schedule tab for the next date and join us for this fabulous in-studio activity.
Melinda Reidy, RYT and Reiki Level Three Master Practitioner:
Melinda is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher who is dedicated to bringing yoga to individuals of all ages and abilities. Through studying occupational therapy, Melinda gained a deep understanding of our physical and mental complexities and was inspired to teach tools to bring the body and mind into alignment. With each class, Melinda provides the opportunity to move and breathe with love and intention, encouraging more compassion for ourselves and others. Melinda believes yoga is a way of life. She leads her students to an inner peace on their mat and teaches them how to carry that peace off of the mat and into their daily lives. Melinda is a Reiki Three Master Practitioner, having received her Reiki training at Moonflower Yoga. Melinda recently returned to the Moonflower Yoga schedule with her super relaxing Restorative Yoga and Poetry Night – a unique, lovely event! Click on the “Schedule” tab above for the date of the next Restorative Yoga and Poetry night and join us for this relaxing event!
Susan Baron, PsyD, LMT:
Moonflower Yoga is happy to announce that Susan is offering the Moonflower Yoga community lovely Mindful Drumming workshop events at the studio. For more than 4 decades, Susan Baron has worked with the body as an instrument of healing. As a NY licensed massage therapist, Susan practiced in the San Francisco Bay Area with clients from Dance Medicine & Sports Medicine at St Francis Hospital, the San Francisco Ballet, and the world-renowned musical revue “Beach Blanket Babylon.” In addition, Susan has worked with clients focused on strengthening their overall health & wellbeing. She has also been privileged to work with individuals entering their end-of-life transition, easing both patients and families through this time of worry and grief. Susan earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco. For 10 years, she treated patients in community mental health settings and at a federally qualified community health center in the SF Bay Area. Susan is an Integrative Therapist of BodyMindSoul with emphasis on helping individuals who are dealing with stress, grief and loss, chronic pain management, adjusting to one’s body following surgery, as well as an interest in community building and conflict resolution. She is the author of The Lived Experience of Masterful Drummers Who Facilitate Synchronized Drumming Gatherings: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study (2015). In facilitating Mindful Drumming gatherings, Susan provides synchronized drumming and rhythm as a nonverbal means to develop embodied listening and empathy, to nurture empathic presence, and to create a safe and often joyful environment for transformation and community healing to take place. Click on the “Schedule” tab above for the date of next Mindful Drumming session with Susan and join us for this unique, in-person event!
Dona Dovie, E-RYT500, LMT (substitute teacher):
Dovie is a yoga practitioner for over 8 years and a Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher under Yoga Alliance guidelines with 500 hours of teacher training. Her teaching style is passionate and positive, enthusiastic and supportive, and she encourages her students to explore their path of personal development with Ahimsa love, compassion and understanding. Dovie teaches various styles of alternative fitness classes, is an active member of the running community, is a Holistic Health Coach, a Licensed Massage Therapist, meditates daily, and raises her backyard chickens.
Christine Senetto, Master/Instructor of Integrated Energy Therapy (Angel Healing) and Reiki Master Practitioner:
Christine brings her love of healing energies to Moonflower Yoga. She is an a Reiki Master Practitioner, a Master/Instructor of Integrated Energy Therapy (IET) (Angel Healing) & has attended numerous workshops & retreats studying tapping, the chakra system, yoga and meditation. Christine has taught IET (Angel Healing) classes and teacher training at Moonflower Yoga, as well as angel meditation classes and classes on understanding yoga mudras (hand positions for meditation and relaxation). Christine also offers classes on tapping to help release anxiety and stress.
