New Classes Added to the Schedule!

We're excited to announce that two new classes are being added to the schedule this March!

• Sundays 4:30-5:30pm (starting March 5th): Flow 2 with Bari Caspi
• Friday March 31st 6:30-7:30pm (and the last Friday of every month thereafter): Yin Yoga with Martha Flanagan

And, don't forget that Candlelight Yoga with Katie Frankovich is the first Thursday of the month at 7:15pm.

Click below to view our full calendar of classes:

Yin Yoga: A Guide for Beginners

Not sure what Yin Yoga is? Check out these great resources from across the internet to learn a little more about the history of Yin, and how it can help to transform your yoga practice and your body.

1.  "Slow Down with Yin Yoga" by Lisa Maria & Sarah Powers: One woman's account of her Yin Yoga journey. Learn the difference between Yin & Yang Yoga, what to expect in a Yin class, and check out a sequence of Yin poses you can try at home.

2. "Yin Yoga to Reverse Winter Stagnation" by Danielle March: A sequence of 7 Yin poses to help get you through the stiffness and tension that can build in our bodies during the winter months.

3. "Why Try Yin Yoga?" by Paul Grilley. Get a better understanding of how a Yin practice "stretches" the connective tissue in our bodies to build strength and stability in our joins. As written by Yin master Paul Grilley.

4. "Yin Yoga: The Foundations of a Quiet Practice," DVD with Paul Grilley. Purchase here from Amazon.

5. "Yin Yoga: Principles and Practice," by Paul Grilley. "[This book] brings together in a fresh way the ancient wisdom of acupuncture and Taoism with Hindu yoga practices. With over 80,000 copies sold, Grilley's book has been enhanced with new materials describing the evolution of Yin Yoga within the Yoga world over the last decade plus new reference materials on anatomy and the practice of Yin Yoga. Purchase here from Amazon.

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Join us for a special Yin Yoga Workshop with Martha Fitzgerald-Flanagan on Sunday, January 8th from 2-4pm to put these principles to work for you. $35 per person (Members get 10%off). No yoga experience required.

10 Things You Need to Know Before Using Essential Oils

By Carly Clark-Zimmer

By now you have probably heard of essential oils curing anxiety to psoriasis and everything in between. But what most people are NOT taking about is how to use essential oils safely. There is a lot of confusing information out there so before you dive into essential oil exploration, it’s important to understand the safety precautions. On January 15th, I will be teaching Essential Oil Basics at Oyster Bay Yoga. The workshop will include common uses, how to replace harmful chemicals in your home with essential oils, tons of DIY recipes, much much more!

But for now, let’s get you started with my top 10 tips for Essential Oil Safety. 

1. Choose Wisely: All essential oils are not created equal. Make sure the oils you are buying are free from synthetics and pesticides. Synthetic oils are created in a lab and usually only contain the compound of the plant that makes it smell nice. This isolation of the compounds can create skin irritation and negative reactions. Pesticides are commonly sprayed on cheaper brands and since essential oils are made from distilling the plant, you are getting everything else distilled right along with it. I hate to say it but the price is an indicator. If it seems too good to be true… it is. Choose a therapeutic grade essential oil from a reputable company.
2. Hot Oils: Some essential oils are considered ‘hot’. These oils can be caustic if applied directly to the skin without being diluted first with a carrier oil. A carrier oil can be coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba or even olive oil! WHEN USING ESSENTIAL OILS ALWAYS KEEP A CARRIER OIL ON HAND. Any oil you have around the house will work. I prefer fractionated coconut oil because it is light and has no scent. This will spread out the concentration of essential oils and make them more gentle to apply to the skin. When in doubt, dilute it out! Here are just a few examples of hot oils: Peppermint, Cinnamon, Basil, Wintergreen, Lemongrass, Oregano, Clove and Thyme.
3. How to Handle Essential Oils in the Eyes: Trust me, it happens! You just applied a lovely oil to your decollate. Then, your itch your eye! DO NOT FLUSH WITH WATER! Oil and water do not mix and this will make the burning worse. Grab your carrier oil and flush it out. If stinging persists for more than a few minutes, seek medical attention.
4. Patch Test: Test out a new oil to make sure there is no adverse reaction by conducting a patch test. Mix a few drops of essential oil with 1 teaspoon of carrier oil. Apply a small amount to the inside of the arm and wait up to 24 hours to see if a reaction develops.
5. Stick to the Feet: The soles of our feet have the thickest skin on our bodies. If you are trying a new oil, dilute with a carrier oil and then apply to the bottoms of the feet. This is a great way to introduce essential oils adults and kids!
6. Keep Essential Oils Away from Children and Pets: The oils smell really nice so your little ones may be drawn to them. These oils are extremely powerful so treat them just like you would any other therapeutic medicine. Up high and out of sight.
7. Using Oils on Kids: Always read safety precautions on the bottle when using essential oils with children. Always mix with the appropriate proportion of carrier oil, stick to using only on the feet and perform a patch test. Although there are exceptions, a good rule of thumb is to not use essential oils directly on young children and infants. The safest way to use essential oils with children under two years oils is diffuse them in the air or wear the oil like you would a perfume instead of applying it directly to your child. They are still getting the benefits from inhalation but have no risk of developing skin sensitivity.
8. Photosensitive oils: Bergamot, Petitgrain, and most citrus oils are photosensitive. This means they can cause skin irritations similar to sunburn if applied and then exposed to sunlight. Avoid citrus oils when you plan on being outside during the day.
9. Internal Use: This is BIG one! I would not suggest experimenting with ingestion until you have taken the time to learn how to do it safely. I personally use a few drops of therapeutic grade lemon and peppermint oil almost daily for digestion BUT, DO NOT OVER-DO IT! A little bit goes a long way.
10. Use common sense: Essential oils are safe when used in moderation and correctly. Many substances on earth are toxic when used in the extreme. Even too much water can be dangerous when consumed in excess!

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This is just a small preview of everything you will learn at our workshop on Sunday, January 15th. We will talk much more about versatile uses of essential oils, why they are so powerful, where they come from and how to use them in your home. We will be raffling off some of my favorite homemade DIY recipes including my signature Fountain of Youth Face Oil made with Lavender and Frankincense and of course, there will be snacks:)

Sunday, 1/15/17

$35 per person (10% off for members)

2-4pm

How to Do a Candlelight Meditation

By Katie Frankovich

This mediation guides you towards a relaxing state with the help of a candle flame. Please make sure you are using a beeswax or soy wax candle. A lot of candles may have harmful toxic substances in them. Choose a colored candle if you are focusing on something to enhance yourself. Specific colors have a huge impact on your life and they all mean different things. Otherwise, a white soy or beeswax candle will work just as good!

Make sure you are in a quiet place with no distractions, just you and the candle. As if you were to prepare for regular mediation, make sure you are in a comfortable room temperature room and as always a blanket is welcome.

Place the candle somewhere at eye level for you, if you can boost it up on a little table or stool that is eye level for you that would be perfect. You are also welcome to sit on a chair, I prefer sitting on the floor for this. Make sure you are comfortably seated on a mediation pillow or anything that is comforting for you. Any seated position that is most comfortable as well, cross legged, lotus, etc. anything that is best for you. Make sure your back is straight, try and do this without resting it on anything for support. Place your hands upward on your thighs or on your lap. Make sure the alignment of your torso is centered. Do a few seated cat/cows to help with alignment. Also, lowering your chin a little toward your neck will help to straighten your back from the crown of your head.

Now, focus your sight on the candle flame. Take in a long deep slow breath through your nose and exhale slowly out through your nose, allowing anything that doesn’t fulfill you to slowly release. Take in another slow long deep breath through your nose and as you exhale allow any worries to release. Take a few deep breathes like this allowing your mind to completely settle and release any negative thoughts and worries. Keep the gaze on the candle flame as you do this, try to not focus on anything or worry about anything. After a few long deep breaths start to allow your breath to come and go allowing it to be natural. Refocus your eyes when needed. Allow any thoughts to come in but also allow them to drift by. It is difficult to allow the mind to relax so if thoughts are coming in don’t try to push them away, just don’t focus on them and they will pass. Remember to keep your gaze on the flame.

Sit here for as long as you need, I recommend at least 15 minutes. When you are ready, start to become aware of your breath, your surroundings and bring your consciousness back to the room. Take a few deep cleansing breathes and go about your day with a fresh cleansed mind.

Namaste

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Join us for Candlelight Yoga and try out this meditation technique on Thursday, January 5th at 7:15pm with Katie Frankovich.

Peggy Adair on why she journals...

I started journaling about 3 years ago after reading an article about all the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. At the time I was in a place of focusing a lot of time and energy on what I was unhappy with in my life.  The idea behind the article was "like attracts like."  If we can shift our attention to what we are grateful for then a whole new world opens up and we begin to realize we have an abundance of things to be grateful for.  So of course I started with the usual suspects, no-one in my family had any life threatening illnesses, I had a roof over my head, etc. And then I quickly realized each day, even bad days there is always something to be grateful for! Even if it was just that delicious coconut latte I had during my lunch break at work.  Then without me even thinking about it my journaling expanded from writing just one thing a day I was grateful for to writing about my anxieties and things I was struggling with. Writing my thoughts and feelings became so therapeutic andhelped me calm my mind.  I don't journal every day, and sometimes don't pick it up for weeks. But I usually keep my journal by my bed so it's there if I feel called to write. I like thinking of my journal as a best friend that will never betray you. Hope this gives you a little something to think about if you're curious about journaling.

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Join us on Sunday, January 1st from 3-5pm, for a special New Year's-themed Yoga & Journaling workshop with Peggy. Click here for all the details.

2017 Yoga Challenge

Best. Year. Ever.

Starting January 2017, Oyster Bay Yoga is hosting a year-long yoga challenge. All are invited to commit to their practice more deeply. The student with the most number of group classes attended at the end of each month with be entered to win a full year of unlimited classes for 2018! Monthly prizes will be awarded as well. Check out all the details below:

Why should you participate in the challenge?

• Create new habits
• Get amazing results on and off the mat!
• Learn about yourself and improve your relationships with yourself an others.
• Meet and connect with like-minded people.
• Chance to win prizes at the end of the year including a $1188 unlimited membership for 2018
• Monthly challenge winners will be recognized.

What are the rules?

• Free for everyone! Start at any time. No registration needed.
• Keep track of your progress (Click here to download a free tracking sheet).
• The student who participates in the most classes during one calendar month will earn one entry into the grand prize drawing in December 2017 (There can be multiple monthly winners).
• The more entries you have, the more chances to win!
• Monthly winners will be recognized.
• Each regularly scheduled class counts as 1 and each private lesson/workshop counts as 2.
• Out of town classes count with receipt.

Click the share button below to post to social media and let your friends know you're in!