The Changing Season by Nancy Weshkoff
The Changing Season
By Nancy Weshkoff
This weekend we changed our clocks back one hour from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. And while it was nice to have that extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning, the changing of the clocks also reminded us of something else: the changing of the season to cooler temperatures and less daylight as it is dark by 5 PM.
When it gets darker and cooler, we naturally spend more time indoors. While that is understandable, it is important that we continue to move our bodies during the cooler months. We need to keep your muscles flexible. At Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore on Long Island’s Nassau County, all of our great yoga classes emphasize stretching and flexibility. Did you know that tight hamstring muscles can cause back pain? You can keep your hamstring muscles loose through yoga. Our Stress Reducing Vinyasa flow classes, Level one and Level one-two classes, Sunday Flow, Beginner, Tai Chi, Stretch & Flow, Adaptive, Easy Beginner & Easy Flow yoga classes are all great choices for keeping you flexible. And being active can prevent weight gain over the winter months.
Aside from our physical body, our mental state can also change with the cooler temperatures. We spend less time socializing outdoors. For some people, this means spending more time watching television, playing video games, or with social media sites. While these can be fun in moderation, they may not help you deal with stress in your life. Stress can be harmful and health care professionals all agree that it is a contributing factor to many health problems today. You can reduce your stress through the physical movement of a yoga asana practice. You can also reduce your stress through meditation which provides a wonderful opportunity to let go of things that might be bothering you and to teach you to focus on the present moment. Our bi-monthly Meditation class is fantastic for this. We also have a lovely Candlelight Restorative class on alternate Tuesdays, which rotates with the Meditation class, where you have an opportunity to completely relax and refresh yourself while you stretch on bolsters, pillows, and blankets. If you are looking for a combination of light movement and restorative, there is the Unwind and Relax class on Thursday night which is a perfect way to end your day.
You can combat the winter blues, stay in shape, and feel better through a regular yoga practice. Hope to see you soon at one of our great yoga classes.
The Importance of Relaxation by Nancy Weshkoff
The Importance of Relaxation
By Nancy Weshkoff
Doesn’t it often seem that life has become even more challenging? Children have assigned “play dates” and lots of other scheduled activities where we are rushing back/forth to drop them off and pick them up. Many employers expect you to be available online through the use of portable devices. There are more cars on our congested roads which causes the aggravation of waiting in traffic. And these are just a few examples of why we have more stress today. Medical professionals all agree that stress has a very negative effect on us, and it can be a contributing factor to health issues.
At Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, on Long Island, New York’s Nassau County, we recognize the importance of reducing stress for our clients. We have a wonderful candlelight restorative class where you are pampered for an hour with soft music playing in twinkling candlelight. There are other great yoga classes too such as Unwind and Relax, where you will do a bit of movement to release muscle tension from the day but then we restoratively end the class to help you have a great night’s sleep. In October, we have added a meditation workshop at Moonflower Yoga to help you feel better. And, for something more energetic, there is the popular Stress Reducing Vinyasa Flow class on Monday and Tuesday nights where you will move your stress out and then end the class in quiet restoration.
Although these are all great yoga classes that will make you feel fabulous, sometimes we need to take the additional step of going on vacation and leaving everything behind for a week and exploring a new destination. For us at Moonflower Yoga, our staff of great yoga teachers is taking a one-week break and the Moonflower Yoga studio will be closed the week of Labor Day, returning on Sunday, September 8th. We wish everyone a wonderful Labor Day week. For those of you who are returning back to school, have a successful school year.
And if you would like to try one of our great stress-reducing yoga classes at Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, New York, in Long Island’s Nassau County, you can reserve your space online from our website, www.moonfloweryoga.com. See you all soon!!
Improving Your Balance (Part 2) by Nancy Weshkoff
IMPROVING YOUR BALANCE (Part 2)
Written by Nancy Weshkoff
In my previous blog, “Improving Your Balance (Part 1)”,
https://www.moonfloweryoga.com/blog/improving-your-balance-part-1-by-nancy-weshkoff.html I wrote about the need to develop better balance and how practicing certain asana poses in your yoga practice can help prevent serious injuries in life.
Today I am writing about another type of balance: the juggling act of the many responsibilities in our lives. Many would state that life has become busier than for previous generations. We are rushing from one place to the next. Technology has enabled us to be better connected but that better connection also means that we are checking emails after we leave the office or dealing with work-related problems from our homes rather than spending quality time with our families and friends. Businesses are trimming their budgets by hiring less people and giving more tasks to the current workforce, and we often feel overwhelmed from all the tasks that have now been handed to us. You may find yourself juggling pre-arranged “play dates” or extracurricular activities for your child.
So how does yoga fit into all of this? Yoga teaches us the opposite of rushing around. It teaches us to be in the present moment and be mindful. Let your day go and enjoy this little bit of time you have given to yourself. Every person needs some time for themselves. You may find that as the stress accumulates in your day, you are breathing in a shallow way which can cause muscle tension and anxiety. In our yoga classes at Moonflower Yoga, we practice taking deep, cleansing breaths that ignite the “prana” or energy in our bodies and make us feel better. As you move into various yoga postures, you are stretching your muscles and relieving tension. At the same time, you are also building better strength, flexibility, and of course balance. It is amazing how much better you can feel from taking just ONE HOUR for yourself in a yoga class.
If you are in the Long Island, New York area (in Nassau County), try one of the great yoga classes at Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore that we have designed to make you feel much better and return some balance to your life. Classes such as “Candlelight Restorative” and “Unwind and Relax” melt away the stress and you leave you feeling refreshed at the end of your day. Energetic classes such as “Tension Busting Flow” and “Stretch and Flow” provide a fabulous outlet to release tension from your day. Or trying starting your day in a positive way with “Awaken with Power”, “Sunday Flow”, “Level One” or “Easy Flow”, and you will be better able to cope with your day.
Having better balance in our lives – physically as well as emotionally – can do wonders. Let yoga help you reach these goals. Hope to see you soon at Moonflower Yoga!
To Mothers Everywhere written by Nancy Weshkoff
To Mothers Everywhere
By Nancy Weshkoff
Mothers Day is this Sunday, May 12th. It gives us an opportunity to pause for a moment and give thanks to the mothers everywhere who often sacrifice so much to raise their children. I am blessed to have many wonderful moms walk through the doors of Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore. Some are new moms raising young children. Others have grown children who are in their final years of college or who have entered the workforce.
The love that a mother shows for her child does not have an age limit. It doesn’t matter whether your child is a toddler or a college-aged student living at home. When your child needs you or is sick, all of the moms who come to Moonflower Yoga put their child first and do what it takes to help their child.
Being a mom in the year 2013 is also wrought with many challenges. Moms are often working outside of the home to help financially support the household. When the mom arrives home, the second half of her day begins with raising the children, helping with schoolwork, preparing meals, doing chores, etc. Phew!!
I pause for a moment and think about the directions given to us by flight attendants as we are preparing for takeoff on a flight. In the event of an emergency, an oxygen mask will come down. Place that mask on yourself FIRST and then place the mask on the children travelling with you. Why? Because if you do not take care of yourself first, you are not strong enough to take care of the child in your life. This message from the airlines has so many applications in our everyday life too. Moms are often stretched to the limit. Yet if you do not take care of yourself, you cannot help your child or others who need you.
Giving yourself just one hour to rejuvenate can have many wonderful rewards. Suddenly you will feel stronger and have more energy. A great yoga class at Moonflower Yoga is one way in which to do this. Moms can completely relax and recharge their batteries in a Candlelight Restorative or an Unwind and Relax class. Alternatively, if you need a practice to release the day’s tension, there is Tension Busting Flow or Stretch and Flow. And if you want to start the day in a positive way and feel great all day, you could try Awaken with Power, Sunday Flow, or Level One Beginner.
To all the moms out there, I salute you! You are amazing!! I hope you enjoy your special day on Sunday. And if you are in the area of Bellmore, Long Island, New York, come treat yourself for an hour to a wonderful yoga class at Moonflower Yoga and meet some other fabulous moms!
