This spring, Main Street Yoga is providing several opportunities for you to learn to align with the rhythm and quality of the season.  

Over the past few years of studying Ayurveda, I've come to understand more about sleep, how to set up the right conditions for restful sleep and the best times to get it. Here are a few tips to increase your chances of getting a good night’s sleep.

We often feel that in order to change a habit, we need to muster up bucket loads of willpower to turbo boost ourselves forward. Unfortunately, willpower is unreliable, easily exhausted and not around when you need it the most. To sustain real change, you can’t depend on it, but there are some things you can do to strengthen it.

If you’re interested in learning more about meditation, crystals, energy work, and essential oils, March is your month at Main Street Yoga!

January was an amazing start to a new year at MSY, and February is continuing that trend.

Have you set goals for the new year? I often hear people say: “I don’t set goals”. When I dig a little deeper, I learn that it’s often because they either don’t want to risk disappointment or that they’ve tried (and failed) in the past. I’ve tried and failed at MANY things in the past, and in doing so I’ve learned a lot about what it actually takes to reach the goals I set.

What I love most about the teachers at MSY is their never-ending quest for knowledge. Each of them is constantly honing and deepening her craft through education and experience. In this week’s blog, I’m stepping back to let Jen Sunderlin tell you more about her newest certification, Chakra Therapeutics!

This week, I’ve asked Stacey Fox to guest blog about her new class, beginning January 3rd: Yoga for All! Take it away, Stacey . . .

Christmas and a new year are just around the corner, and MSY is offering up some special events to enhance your holidays and help you transition from hustle and bustle to peace and joy.

What do you want for yourself this holiday season? In the conversations I’ve been having, especially with my Body Wisdom course members, I’m hearing that you want less things and more experiences. Your Christmas list isn’t full of the latest gadgets, cashmere sweaters or jewelry. You want connection with family, friends and self.

This week, I kicked off the holiday season with my grandson, Aiden. On Saturday, we walked through the Celebration of Lights at Morris Park with friends, and yesterday we went ice skating at PPG Place. Aiden is eight years old, and it was only his second time on ice skates. Watching him get his bearings and learn how to move himself (faster and faster) along the ice reminded me very much of watching him walk when he was very new to walking. His mind was totally absorbed in the process. For a brief period of time, he wasn’t thinking about video games. He was only thinking about how to stay upright on his skates. It was the perfect beginning to my holiday season, especially because I’ve set an intention to be more present, more in-the-moment, more mindful this year during the holidays.

There’s no denying the holidays are upon us. Whether that fills you with joy or causes you stress, Main Street Yoga has you covered.

Many of us dread the end of daylight savings time. On one hand, it’s totally understandable. All summer long, we reveled in warm evenings that lingered until 9pm. Now we’re faced with cold, dark winter nights that begin at 5pm. BUT . . . what if we could use the end of daylight savings time to instill better habits?

In West Virginia, we get to experience the glory of all four seasons. Even if we favor one and complain about another, we have to admit that each is beautiful in its own way. Yet the transitions from one to another can sometimes wreak havoc on our bodies, especially if we’re not armed with the knowledge and the tools to make those transitions smoother.

If you follow MSY or attend classes at the studio, you’ve probably seen or heard the “reiki” quite a bit. Perhaps you’ve been curious about it but are hesitant to try it. Or maybe you’ve even experienced it and are still curious! You might even wonder whether you can learn how to use reiki. So I’ve asked our resident reiki master (and my personal reiki practitioner), Jen Sunderlin, to shed a little more light on reiki: what it is, how it works, and why we need it – now more than ever.

Mondays are self care days for me. That’s a non-negotiable. That’s not to say Mondays are a “day off” for me. Every small business owner knows that days off don’t really exist. There’s always something to be done. But every Monday, before I dive into bookkeeping, blog posting, updating the website, or mopping the floor at the studio, I make sure I do something for me.

If you’re wondering where July went, you’re not alone. It flew by! But summer isn’t over yet, and MSY has full slate of special events to help you make the most of these longer days while they last.

We may be in the middle of a heat wave, but the studio is nice and cool and there are plenty of ways to chill out at MSY in July. If you need more suggestions on how to keep cool, check out my last blog post, “How to Thrive in Summer with Ayurveda.”

This is my 49th summer. I graduated high school 31 years ago. Nevertheless, when school lets out for the summer, I still get that ahhhhhh feeling of relief. It’s summer! Time to chill out, slow down, and relax.

My name is Samantha Mason and I’m super excited to be joining the Main Street Yoga team!  Let me tell you a little about myself.