Saturday Aug 4!!

So one of my favorite local(ish) artists is coming to Nyack this Saturday Aug. 4th. I am encouraging all of you to get yourself to one or even two of the morning classes at Soul Flyte, and this way you can feel guilt free when you come out to Casa del Sol on Main St. in Nyack grab a drink and move your feet. The duo is called the Nellybombs, and this Saturday they will actually have a full band with them. They have some awesome covers and great originals, even some new songs that they have been working on which I am super excited to hear. The show is going to start at 9:30pm, so like I said, start your day off right with a class at Soul Flyte and then head on down later in the night to jam out. See you there!

XO,
Rachel

Happy 4Th of July

Happy Fourth of July! Hope you enjoy whatever it is you will be doing later today and tomorrow. Please remember that today (Tuesday) and tomorrow (Wednesday) Soul Flyte has a modified schedule in order to ensure that our amazing staff has time for the most important thing of all, FAMILY AND FRIENDS! I hope that you get to take some time and feel the love around you.

I will be working on my tan by the Tallman pool with my besties as well as painting yoga mats to release some creative energy!

Don’t forget: tonight at Memorial Park in Nyack, there’s live music from the band Dead Meat and tomorrow at the same place are Nyack’s famous fireworks.

Hope you have a fun and safe holiday with the people you love.

Most of all remember that not everyone gets to be with the people they love. Tomorrow is our day of Independence - don’t take that for granted. Enjoy and be grateful for all that you have and when you can, make someone smile.

XO,

Rachel

HOT HOT HEAT

It’s finally feeling like summer, and a hot one at that. When it gets super hot remember a few months ago when you were saying to everyone “I’m over this cold!” Well, the cold has finally left the building and here is the heat! With the heat though comes a bunch of awesome summer events and activities. One of the awesome events that happens every Tuesday night in Nyack is live music at Memorial Park.

I’m working on a new Tuesday routine: to take Robyn’s Flying Fitness or Diane’s Pilates class at Soul Flyte in Nyack at 6pm and then head on down to relax under the night sky with some awesome local artists. This Tuesday, a few friends of mine are playing in a really awesome band called Dead Meat (Grateful Dead cover band) these guys are super talented artists with amazing skills. Every Tuesday, it will be perfect to get a workout in first, then grab a blanket or lawn chair to chill under the Nyack night sky.

Jam out! See you soon!

XO,

Rachel

The Monday Struggle is Real

We all deal with the Monday struggle - with the weekend ending and the beginning of the work week. Summer time makes it harder to get back into the groove. Starting your day/week off the right way will often set the tone for the rest of the your day/week. We all have our guilty pleasures and we all like to indulge a little (or a lot), but by setting your day off in a positive way it makes indulging guilt free.

Personally, my guilty pleasure is delicious food, so I always try my hardest to start my week off with a Barre class to work off my weekend indulgence. Nyack’s Boutique AntiGravity Aerial Yoga, Fitness & Barre Studio on Broadway, is just the ticket to getting a full workout in one place. Best part is, Mondays are packed with a full schedule and a range of classes for all levels and all different types of workouts. If you are like me and want to sweat it up and be wide awake for work, then the 8:30am Barre class is the way to do it. Too early for you? The next class at 9:30am is our AntiGravity Fitness class, which will also whip you into shape and help take some pressure off of your lower back and spine - (for advanced levels only.)

Come check out our awesome Aerial Yoga & barre studio, get into shape and fly into the work week the right way. The Monday struggle is real, but with the right state of mind and the opportunities at Soul Flyte, you can feel great all week long AND see the amazing changes it helps bring into your daily flow.

Signing off. Join me later for our after work classes starting at 6pm!

XO,

Rachel

Rise With The Sun

I’ve begun to realize that rising with the sun, (although difficult at first) has so many amazing benefits. I love working at Soul Flyte in the mornings because I get to watch the town, Nyack, NY, wake up. I’m now able to enjoy aerial yoga & barre classes every morning at the studio and it’s gotten me back on track to where I want to be both mentally and physically. I have been learning to become more connected with my daily tasks, and in doing so I have also become more connected with the town I’ve lived in most of my life. Nyack has always been a very supportive, connected community, that stands together in difficult times.

Scrolling through social media today, I came across an article proving how connected and unified our community really is. There was an incident in our main parking lot, the next block over from Soul Flyte, that was vandalized with words of hatred.

On Friday afternoon over three dozen towns people of all ages came together to prove that we won’t stand for hatred in this town. They decided to paint over the words with the African American flag, which will help spread more love and prove that hateful words and actions have no place here. It makes me happy to be able to work and live in a town that stays connected with what is going on and supports all of our neighbors.

Signing off, and staying connected with my fellow AntiGravity yoga peeps for the 10:30am class @ Soul Flyte. Like our town, everyone is welcome! Come join me!

XO,

Rachel

Running For a Cause

This past weekend I taught a fundraiser yoga class at Soul Flyte in Nyack for a woman named Genevieve who is running a ½ marathon for Crohns and Colitis in New Orleans in two weeks! I was impressed by this young woman’s story – She’s able to push through her disease and run for those that can’t. I’m inspired to say the least. They set up the cutest picnic with tea, gluten free goodies such as muffins, scones, “magic bars” and lots of yummy fruit! What a cute way to support a great cause. I feel honored that I was able to be a part of it and glad to help out in any way that I can.

After Yoga Picnic!

The Crohns & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) holds a special place in my heart – they’re the ones who put on Camp Oasis, which is this incredible camp for kids who have these diseases. Most of the counselors all have it too. It’s a special place where the kids appreciate the fact that they’re healthy enough to actually be at camp enjoying their time there. For 6 days in the summer I volunteer my time to be a bunk counselor and teach yoga & meditation to kids of all ages. The best part is how receptive they are to it. They always want more, whether it’s learning about essential oils and how calming they can be, or different breathing exercises they can do to help themselves in times of stress.

If you have any fundraiser ideas, send them my way! Happy to help in any way that I can!

Xo,

Shira

How You Can Stay Sane This New Year

Dreaming about this red sand beach in Hana, Maui

Happy New Year Friends!

It’s about 1 week and 1 day after the start of the New Year, how’s it going so far? Are you kicking yourself because you still haven’t gotten into a workout routine that you planned to be in by now? Or are you rocking it out, going everyday and feeling fab?

Either way, take a breath...

Yes, the holidays may have been rough on your physical and emotional state, but here’s where you get to detox all that crap. Even if you aren’t working out everyday be grateful that you made it out alive! The holidays can be hard on people with family drama, present buying and disagreements on whatever the topic – enough of that now. Get back into your routine, or better yet, start one that makes you feel even better then you did last year.

Ask yourself: what soothes my soul? For me, it’s yoga, it always has been. When things get rough, I step onto my mat or into my aerial yoga hammock and everything feels ok again. It’s that moment where I can breathe again, feel my body and remind myself that everything is going to be ok. There’s been a lot going on for me lately, especially with the construction of our new studio space. I wake up every day and take 5-10 deep belly breaths, stretch and remind myself that: today, everything is going to be ok (this is all before I even step out of bed!)

Find a routine, even if it’s a small one to give you that boost.

If you want to give aerial yoga a try, come to Nyack, we would be so excited to have you! Check our schedule HERE

Cheers to YOUR health,

Shira

Dream Big: How I got into Antigravity

Searching for rainbows

Sometimes I get the question of how I got into AntiGravity – well, I fell in love a few years back when my mom introduced me to the method. She was getting certified as an instructor and needless to say, I was intrigued! The first time I took a class, front belt was…. Let’s just say painful…! For those that know front belt you’ll definitely understand what I mean - and for those that don’t know what I mean, come try it, you’ll learn to love it! Currently I crave front belt! That first time though, I walked away from class saying to myself…. Hm I’m not sure this is for me…!

Fast-forward and a few years later here I am, owner of an AntiGravity yoga/fitness studio in Nyack! Who would’ve ever thought that Soul Flyte would exist? Since the day I got certified as a yoga instructor I knew I wanted to own my own thing. See, I come from a long line of entrepreneurs, although it wasn’t so trendy in their time like it is now, they still grabbed the bull by the horns and went for their dreams.

My grandparents escaped the Holocaust and came to the USA from Germany with nothing... literally nothing. My grandfather taught himself numerous trades: tuning pianos, fixing things and eventually he borrowed enough money to buy a Laundromat in New York City. They worked their butts off every single day to make a living.

My parents are both private practice psychotherapists, my uncle is a private practice dentist, my sister is a massage therapist and yoga teacher, my brother in law is a slight of hand artist and my husband owns an e-commerce business AND a software business. Phew…. Now you see where I’ve come from? I guess you can say we don’t follow the typical 9-5 work experience, we hustle and work our tails off daily. It’s hard, challenging and super rewarding all at the same time. I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Whatever your daily work experience is: embrace it, love it, dream big and HUSTLE. See you at the studio!

xo, Shira 

Blog Take Over

Let's roll: Blogger for life

Thank you for your support throughout these past couple of years! Soul Flyte has grown to a point where we can no longer fit into our small studio. In a few months we will be moving into a larger space with 2 studios, a boutique and a couple of treatment rooms. The possibilities are endless for our new space and we are ECSTATIC!

I’ve worked so hard at making our community the best one around town, and I know it’s paid off. I’ve witnessed our students becoming life long friends together, how magical.

As many of you know, I suffer from ulcerative colitis (UC) for many years now and I’ve found a way to cope so that I don’t need to take medication on a daily basis. It hasn’t been easy - there have been hiccups and flare ups, but ultimately I am healthy. Yoga, meditation, diet and AntiGravity have been a huge help for me. I wrote a blog for many years about UC, diet, recipes and other happenings in my life at: shiraturkl.com and now I’m taking over the Soul Flyte blog. Here you’ll find lots of posts not only about the studio, but also about my life, our instructors lives and things happening around Nyack. Looking forward to sharing with you!

Cheers to your health,

Shira