When Things Happen for a Reason by Nancy Weshkoff
When Things Happen for a Reason
By Nancy Weshkoff
Life is often like a roller coaster. You encounter some curves and dips that you were not expecting. And when that happens, I always think that what has occurred has taken place for a reason, even if that reason is not immediately apparent. I had one of those drastic roller coaster curves 3 years ago this week.
Some of you may know that my past experience before Moonflower Yoga was in the corporate world, specifically I was in the music industry on the business side. It was very interesting, and I met some amazing people, but it also had its stressful times. I had been in the music business more than 30 years. Three years ago this week I received the news that I was being laid off from my current position. It was a shock that I was not expecting. What made it much worse was that my husband had lost his job of 30 years just 3 months earlier when his employer went bankrupt. Now we were both unemployed, just as the recession was hitting its peak and companies were not hiring and making their own cutbacks.
Things looked very bleak. Yet, through it all, I kept a positive spirit that things happen for a reason. My yoga practice had always been my savior, and I found that yoga and meditation helped me with this drastic life change. When my yoga teacher announced the start of a teacher training program, I enrolled – still not sure where this was going to take me. When I completed the training and graduated, I knew that my life was meant to go in a different direction. The corporate world was no longer my path. I also knew that I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny and start my own yoga business, bumpy as that was going to be.
And so Moonflower Yoga was born! I took a giant leap of faith and signed a lease to rent space for my new venture. Those first few weeks of having the doors open were challenging as I worked hard to build the business. Each month things improved and more and more people walked in the doors to try a yoga class. Now Moonflower Yoga has been open for more than 2 years, and yoga classes are selling out with waiting lists.
What has also happened is that I have met so many amazing – and inspirational – people that I would not have met if I had stayed in the music industry. There are a wonderful group of students who I am blessed to have walk through the doors of Moonflower Yoga to try a yoga class or workshop. Many never tried yoga before, and they have fallen in love with yoga as I did. Yoga has helped them cope with their own difficult life challenges in a positive way. At the same time, I have learned things from these amazing students and getting to know them has helped me grow as well. I am also blessed to have a very dedicated group of teachers at Moonflower Yoga who also love teaching and helping people.
And so I go back to the start of this blog…. Things happen for a reason. Although I did not know it 3 years ago, being laid off from the corporate world enabled me to have this incredible new chapter in my life. My husband, who had lost his job 3 years ago, found a new position at a great company that is closer to home. If you are feeling as if life has thrown you into a dip on the roller coaster, think positive! And if you would like to experience an amazing yoga class or workshop to help you feel better, come join us at Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, in Long Island’s Nassau County (New York). And always remember that things do happen for a reason.
Reflections on Moonflower Yoga’s 2-year anniversary celebration
Reflections on Moonflower Yoga’s 2-year anniversary celebration
By Nancy Weshkoff
On Sunday, September 7th, we are celebrating the two-year anniversary of the opening of the doors at Moonflower Yoga. How quickly time has gone by!
For those of you who may not know my background, I spent over 35 years in the corporate world, most of these in the music industry where I worked my way up the ranks and had an opportunity to meet some amazing people. While it was an interesting and important phase of my life, it is this new phase at Moonflower Yoga that is so special to me.
When my life in corporate America came to an end, it was a gut-wrenching period trying to decide what to do next. I decided to turn to the one thing that always brought me peace during the stressful times in my life: my yoga practice. Shortly thereafter I enrolled in a teacher training program, and realized this was my new destiny. Upon graduation from the teacher training program, Moonflower Yoga was born. I decided to open the studio in Bellmore in Long Island’s Nassau County (New York) and say goodbye to commuting on the LIRR every weekday.
And while I had a dream of what I would like the studio to be, it has far exceeded what those initial drawing plans were. Moonflower Yoga offers a very interesting mix of classes, and I am very proud of how varied the schedule is, with classes such as Vinyasa flow classes for energy and strength, Iyengar-style classes that increase your flexibility, Kundalini yoga, wonderful meditation classes, restorative yoga to reduce stress, Tai Chi, very gentle yoga classes for the beginner, and an eclectic mix of classes under “Calming and Healing Your Spirit” ranging from Angel Healing (IET), to a Reiki Healing Circle, to Laughter Yoga, to a Gallery Reading with an intuitive medium, etc. The small-class setting at Moonflower Yoga has encouraged newcomers, as well as fellow baby boomers such as myself, to come and try yoga, and they are getting stronger, more flexible, and finding inner peace as a result.
I also love the workshop programs on very wide-ranging topics from natural ways to improve your health, astrology, spiritual development, Feng Shui, Tai Chi and Qigong, crystals, aromatherapy, meditation, Tarot Cards, ways to relieve neck and shoulder discomfort, goal setting to help you reach your dreams, etc. These have enabled people to learn so many fun and interesting things. And in the last year the Moonflower Yoga Book Club was formed where we have a great time meeting every 4-6 weeks, sharing the new things in our lives, and learning something new through the books selected.
Most of all, it is the students and teachers who have become such an important part of my life that have helped to make Moonflower Yoga special. I love the community that has developed here with people meeting other people, becoming friends, and supporting each other. I feel very, very blessed when I open the doors of the Moonflower Yoga studio every day and know that amazing things are going to happen at the studio. I send out my thanks to all of you who have made Moonflower Yoga a success!! And a final thanks to the other half of my life: my husband, Bob, who has been my rock through my journey and helps with so many of the functions at the studio, especially those absolutely delicious homemade goodies that we serve for the workshops and the Moonflower Yoga Book Club.
If you are in the area of Bellmore (Nassau County) on Long Island’s south shore this weekend, come join us for our fun two-year anniversary party this Saturday, September 7th, from 1 PM – 5 PM. Come say hello and help us share in an important milestone. You will get to meet some great people. And thank you again for your support!!!!
A Special Place written by Nancy Weshkoff
A Special Place
Written by Nancy Weshkoff
When I formed Moonflower Yoga in 2012, I wanted the studio to be more than just a place where people learned yoga postures. It was important to me that the studio also have a feeling of community where people could come together and share and support each other. Moonflower Yoga has been a success in both of these areas: The great yoga classes that we offer have enabled people of all ages and fitness levels to enjoy the wonderful benefits of yoga. Moonflower Yoga also has a community of like-minded people who have helped and supported each other, have contributed to charitable drives, and who have fun learning new things together through our workshops and the Moonflower Yoga Book Club.
What has also happened is that Moonflower Yoga has become a special place for spiritual development. Through some of our great teachers, such as Connie and Chris, they have introduced us to ways to explore our spirituality and souls. And as that happens, people are becoming more at peace. They are supporting each other when things are challenging but they also share laughs as well. And when I sit quietly at the studio in between classes, I can sense a wonderful energy at the studio.
If you haven’t yet visited Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, New York, in Nassau County (Long Island), come give us a try! Your first class is free. Learn something new and join the growing community of people who have helped make Moonflower Yoga a special place.
In the Spotlight by Nancy Weshkoff
In the Spotlight
By Nancy Weshkoff
One of the things that I love about being a local business is the sense of community that you have from your fellow small business owners. It is the small businesses that are the backbone of our country, and the income that is earned from a local business stays in the local community to help support schools, parks, etc.
Moonflower Yoga is a member of the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce, a great organization that works very hard to support our local Long Island community. I am pleased to advise that Moonflower Yoga was selected to be the “In the Spotlight” business by the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce for the month of January, 2014!! Listed below is the text from our “In the Spotlight” feature. And remember if you are in the area of Bellmore, in Long Island’s Nassau County, please stop by & check out one of our great yoga classes or workshops!!
In the Spotlight:
Moonflower Yoga is proud to make its home in Bellmore. Our classes are small, generally with a maximum of 6 students per class, which enables our instructors to provide you with personal attention. We are fully equipped with many props, such as bolsters, blocks, pillows, and blankets, so you are completely comfortable while practicing. Your first class is always free, which gives you an opportunity to try a class with no obligation.
Moonflower Yoga offers an interesting array of yoga classes for all ages and fitness levels. The classes are lovingly designed to help you build strength, gain flexibility and balance, as well as reduce your stress and find inner peace. Moonflower Yoga also offers meditation classes, as well as Tai Chi. We love working with students who have never tried yoga before. Moonflower Yoga owner and Bellmore resident, Nancy Weshkoff, has put many special touches into the studio to make it a warm and friendly place. Nancy personally greets all her students welcoming them as they enter the studio. If you would like a private one-on-one yoga session, we can create a class just for you, and Moonflower Yoga can also come to your local place of business to teach an onsite yoga class in corporate locations.
For something new and interesting, check out the Moonflower Yoga workshops which take place on Friday evenings or weekend afternoons. Our past workshops topics have covered varied topics such as relieving back and neck pain, astrology, women’s health issues, goal setting, crystals, Feng Shui, and meditation. We are also starting the Moonflower Yoga Book Club, which will meet once a month on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, beginning in January.
Please stop by and visit us at 2093 Bellmore Avenue at the corner of Wilson Avenue to learn more about Moonflower Yoga. You can also check out our user-friendly website, www.moonfloweryoga.com, which is packed with lots of photos and info, and where you can reserve a class or workshop. Hope to see you soon!
New Year, New Start, New Goals written by Nancy Weshkoff
NEW YEAR, NEW START, NEW GOALS
Written by Nancy Weshkoff
Welcome 2014! There is something special about the start of a new year. It gives us a chance to close the door on things that happened in the previous year and start anew. It is a great feeling to start with a fresh slate.
As we start the new year, we often make New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps you want to become more physically fit, lose weight, change careers, etc. Do you have an actual plan on how you are going to accomplish your dreams in 2014, or are these half-hearted resolutions?
You can accomplish your goals if you create and follow a realistic plan on how to reach your dreams. Empty promises made on New Year’s Eve are not successful. A plan that you commit to paper with milestone steps and visualization is what is needed to help you reach your goal.
Before Moonflower Yoga, I held senior executive positions at a major entertainment company overseeing a large staff. There were many goals that needed to be met. I successfully completed these by creating and following written plans of action. I also used these same principles to help me with personal goals.
As it is the start of a new year, it is a perfect time to set your personal dreams into action. Moonflower Yoga is hosting a great Goal Setting and Vision Board workshop on Sunday, January 12, 2014, starting at 2 PM. During this workshop, you will be shown how to create your own personal plan of action. After you have established your goal and plan of action, you will create a vision board with positive images to help motivate you.
If you are in the area of Bellmore, New York, on Long Island’s Nassau County, please join us on Sunday, January 12th, for this fantastic workshop at Moonflower Yoga. Let yourself soar in 2014!
Reflections on 2013 written by Nancy Weshkoff
Reflections on 2013
Written by Nancy Weshkoff
As the remaining days in 2013 start to dwindle, I have become a bit pensive as I reflect back on 2013 and what has occurred throughout the year.
At the start of 2013, Moonflower Yoga was still in its infancy. Since then, the studio has grown significantly. So many students have walked through the front door of Moonflower Yoga. A lot of these were students who never tried yoga before but were coming to Moonflower Yoga to experience their first class, and I am very proud that they chose Moonflower Yoga. These students liked the small-class setting with personal attention, had a great yoga experience, and have become regular students of the studio.
Moonflower Yoga has accomplished many other positive things in 2013:
Our class schedule has grown to offer many options to our students so that people of all experience levels have a great place to practice. Tai Chi and Meditation classes are amongst the newer classes.
We launched lots of interesting workshops on a variety of topics where people learned something new and had a fun evening.
Our Moonflower Yoga Picnic at Eisenhower Park was a blast, and we had perfect summertime weather.
Moonflower Yoga was the only yoga studio selected to give a yoga demo at the annual Nassau County Health and Wellness Fair.
Corporate yoga has been added to the slate of offerings at Moonflower Yoga where a Moonflower Yoga instructor goes to a local office and introduces yoga as part of a corporate wellness program.
We were able to give back to the community and help those in need with several charitable events. Our children’s storytelling workshop raised money for the Make A Wish Foundation. The film screening on the life of BKS Iyengar helped support the Iyengar Institute which brings yoga to many. For Thanksgiving, we helped feed 800 hungry families. And at the at end of 2013, we collected over 60 toys for the Toys for Tots program run by the USMC which donates toys to children who would not otherwise receive a holiday present.
We had another successful weekend at the Bellmore Family Street Festival where over 100,000 people from all over came to Bellmore.
But most important of all is our relationship with our students. I feel truly blessed each day as I greet the students arriving to attend our classes. Watching students enter the door feeling stressed from the day, and then watching them leave at the end of a great yoga class more refreshed and at peace, brings me a sense of joy knowing that we were able to help someone feel better. I am so grateful to the students, as well as my great staff of teachers, for making Moonflower Yoga a very special place. I can look back on 2013 with a smile, and I know the future will be even better. Thank you to everyone for your support!
If you are in the area of Bellmore, New York, in Nassau County on Long Island, please stop by and see us. Join us as we launch another fabulous year!
Being Grateful This Thanksgiving written by Nancy Weshkoff
Being Grateful this Thanksgiving
Written by Nancy Weshkoff
As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I am taking a moment to pause and think deeply about the holiday. If you look at the media blitz around us, you would assume Thanksgiving is about shopping for items you probably don’t need at discount prices. Stores are opening earlier and earlier, and this often means families spend less time together as the rush to get to the mall begins. What happened to this wonderful holiday with its family traditions?
Instead of the craziness of shopping, I am instead listing a few things in my life for which I am very grateful:
I am grateful for the many students who walk in the doors of Moonflower Yoga to attend a yoga class. It is such a blessing to have them at the studio each week, getting stronger, feeling better, and sharing a part of their lives at Moonflower. I love meeting each person as they walk in the door and catching up with them each week. Thank you to all of you who have made Moonflower Yoga a success.
It was 2 years ago this month that my life changed forever with the news that my job in corporate America was coming to an end with a forced layoff. Although that news was devastating at the time, it gave me the opportunity to try something new that I always wanted to do. Moonflower Yoga was born as a result of that, and I am grateful that my life changed for the better. As Gandhi very wisely said: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”.
Making a life change would have been very challenging if it wasn’t for the support of my husband, Bob, who has been my rock for the last 40 years. Bob, together with friends and family, supported me and Moonflower Yoga, and I am very grateful for their love and support.
Moonflower Yoga has great yoga teachers who work alongside of me each week and bring their love of teaching and helping people to Moonflower Yoga each week. I could not run the studio without them. And there have been wonderful workshop presenters as well, who have taught us some very interesting things that we didn’t know before and helped us learn something new. I am grateful to all of the teachers and workshop presenters for making Moonflower Yoga a special place.
I am grateful to my hometown of Bellmore, Long Island, in New York’s Nassau County. I have been welcomed in the town as a new business, and it has been great to establish my business roots here as well as my home roots. I always learn something new at the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce meetings.
I am grateful to my yoga teachers who helped me discover the wonders of yoga many years ago. Yoga has been my rock when things were stressful, and now it has become my life. It all started with attending my first yoga class, and it grew from there. Yoga can help you too!
What are you grateful for this holiday season? Take a moment to reflect on the blessings in your life. You will feel inspired! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.
Moonflower Yoga’s One-Year Anniversary written by Nancy Weshkoff
Moonflower Yoga’s One-Year Anniversary
Written by Nancy Weshkoff
This week marks the one-year anniversary of the opening of Moonflower Yoga. As I write this, I cannot believe how quickly the year has flown by!
When I decided to embark on this new phase of my life a year ago, I knew it was a life-changing event. Leaving behind my former life in corporate America and opening my own special yoga studio in Bellmore, New York, on Long Island’s Nassau County was a giant leap. I remember all the planning that went into that grand opening: hiring a great staff of teachers, building a website, ordering supplies, preparing the space, developing the class program, etc. Yet, even as I made all these plans, I did not fully comprehend at that time what would happen over the course of the next year.
What happened over the course of Moonflower Yoga’s first year is that I met some of the most amazing people in my life. People who I never met before walked in the doors of Moonflower Yoga to try yoga for the first time. These students come from all walks of life, with interesting and fascinating backgrounds. I look forward to seeing them each week and catching up on what is happening in their lives. And, of course, watching these students grow stronger and become more flexible each week is very gratifying and inspires me as a teacher. I have also witnessed the strain on the faces of many students as they first enter the doors of Moonflower Yoga from a crazy day filled with stressful obligations. When they leave after an hour of a renewing yoga practice, they are once again smiling and are better able to cope with life’s challenges.
I have had fun planning and designing the class program and workshops. I am pleased with the variety of great yoga classes that we now offer at Moonflower Yoga. I also love putting together the workshop programs which give people an opportunity to learn something new as they kick off their weekend. In our first year, we have had some varied and interesting topics ranging from dealing with neck/shoulder pain issues, to understanding the principles of Ayurveda and your unique “dosha” type, to astrology, crystals, and Feng Shui. I’m busy working on new workshops for Moonflower Yoga’s second year.
Most of all, I feel truly blessed. Blessed to be waking up every day to do something that I love. Blessed to have incredible students walk in the door each day to practice yoga at Moonflower Yoga. Blessed to have the support of an amazing husband, family, and friends who have encouraged me in my new journey. Blessed to have a great staff of teachers who put their heart and soul to teach at Moonflower Yoga and who have helped Moonflower Yoga become a success.
I send out a big thank you to each of you who have supported Moonflower Yoga in its first year! If you are in the area of Bellmore, in Long Island’s Nassau County on Sunday, September 15, please stop by the Moonflower Yoga studio as we celebrate our one-year anniversary. And if you haven’t tried a class or fascinating workshop at Moonflower Yoga, come give us a try! Your first class is always free. You will gain strength, flexibility, balance, and feel better. Check out one of fun yoga classes or workshops and join the growing community of wonderful students at Moonflower Yoga.
Onward to year two!!
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!!
Healthier You written by Nancy Weshkoff
“Healthier You”
Written by Nancy Weshkoff
When I made the decision about a year ago to create Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, on Long Island, New York’s Nassau County, I wanted to have a wonderful yoga studio with personal attention and great yoga teachers where people of all ages and fitness levels could practice yoga in a loving environment. But I also wanted Moonflower Yoga to offer something else: an opportunity to learn something new, meet interesting people, and learn tips to help you move towards a healthier lifestyle. The Moonflower Yoga workshop program was then formed, and we have recently introduced our new “Healthier You” series.
The first of these “Healthier You” workshops was “Healthier You: Moving Towards a Plant-Based Diet”, taught by Moonflower Yoga’s Laura Lipari, who has a degree in nutrition and a passion for healthy eating. I, too, have a love for a plant-based diet. About 35 years ago, my husband and I decided to become vegetarians. It was a bit comical back then to try and find vegetarian options when eating out. We laughed when we saw the scene from the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” when it was discovered that the groom was a vegetarian and didn’t eat meat. Not eat meat? No worries was the thought – the groom could have lamb instead. Things have definitely changed since then.
Laura’s workshop was very informative, and even for me as a seasoned vegetarian I learned something new. The participants also were able to eat some delicious foods including the very yummy cold melon soup which tastes soothing and comforting on a hot July day. I received positive feedback from those that attended, and the participants are trying some of the great ideas they learned in the “Healthier You” workshop.
We have two other “Healthier You” workshops in the immediate future. There is “Healthier You: Learn ‘Tapping’ (EFT)”. Tapping is a wonderful way to reduce stress and anxiety and help release negative emotions. It is a safe, easy, self-administered technique that stimulates acupressure points while focusing on the issue that is causing your stress, fear, etc. It has been used by returning members of our armed services to help them cope with the emotional aftermath of combat duty. And on September 27th, Moonflower Yoga is pleased to have author, wellness expert and nutrition coach Jovanka Ciares speak on the topic “Supercharge Your Health: Self-Care Practices to Look Your Best, Lose Weight, and Feel Great from the Inside Out”. Jovanka also has regular spots on Fox News, NPR, CBS Radio, Telemundo, The Huffington Post, and MindBodyGreen. Stay tuned as there are additional “Healthier You” workshops being planned for the fall.
If you would like to try something new, have fun, meet new people, and learn some tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle, come try one of our “Healthier You” workshops at Moonflower Yoga in Bellmore, Long Island (New York). You will be happy that you did. And, of course, a great yoga class is also part of a healthier lifestyle, and if you have not yet tried at yoga class at Moonflower Yoga, you can do so for free, as your first yoga class at Moonflower Yoga is always free.
Hope to see you soon at a “Healthier You” workshop or a great yoga class!
