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 post The Changing Season by Nancy Weshkoff first appeared on Moonflower Yoga Inc..