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

Ready To Fly?

It’s no surprise that we are creatures of habit. We take the same way to work, sit in the same place at school, work or business meeting. You even do the same workouts over and over again – doesn’t it get boring? Well, we’re here to spice things up at Soul Flyte! For those who haven’t been to our studio yet, we totally understand, it might be daunting to think about practicing aerial yoga - with your feet off the ground, swinging and simply, trying something new. I’m here to tell you that once you take that first leap of faith by signing up for a class, you’ll see, it’s not all that scary! No need to sweat about it, you will most definitely have fun while working out with us!

Anyway, I’m here to remind you that it’s OK to try something new, take a new way to work, change your habits and routine every once in a while. If you get caught doing the same things over and over again, you might get stuck in a trap, bored and stagnant. Not good. Open your horizons, breathe and don’t stress, everything’s going to be ok.

Greatness and change come from stepping outside of your comfort zone. Test yourself and grow. Can’t wait for all the greatness coming your way from us in Nyack for 2017. I’m grateful that we’re on this journey together. Let's Fly!

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

Your Guide to Nyack Restaurants + Shops

Cocooning in the middle of Nyack Street Fair

Why did I choose Nyack to open Soul Flyte? Because it’s AWESOME! Nyack is a cute river town with lots of amazing local shops, restaurants, yoga and aerial yoga studios – why wouldn’t we start here? Here are some of my favorite places in town. If you haven’t visited yet, what are ya waiting for? There’s even a cute new boutique hotel that recently opened called The Time Hotel, so if you’re an out-of-towner then you won’t have to worry about where to stay.

Art Café: a cute Israeli café serving up delicious, organic breakfast, lunch and even dinner too! I Love their space and if it’s warm out – sitting outside is a real treat. They have good coffee and tea, since I don’t drink coffee - and if you eat pastries, then yep, they have those too!

Soul Flyte: My pride and joy! We’ll have an awesome boutique very soon for you to come check out! Stay tuned for more on this and about the new classes we'll be adding soon!

8 North Broadway: Local, farm to table type of restaurant serving lunch and dinner daily and brunch on the weekends. The food is yummy. If they have it on the menu, try the branzino, it’s delicious! They change the menu with the seasons so definitely give it a try.

True Foods: A great place to grab organic breakfast, lunch or dinner. They have hot food to go, which comes in handy when there isn’t enough time in the day to cook dinner. It’s more low key then the others but the food is quality and I heard they just opened a market next door! Worth checking out.

Sweat Peas: It’s a health food store that also has hot food and soups for lunch as well as a cold section, juices and smoothies. There’s a little sitting area up front so that you can grab your food and stay for a while. They have yummy kombucha and good yogurts if that’s your type of thing.

OD’S Tavern: This used to be a local watering hole and is now turned into an organic, gluten free friendly, paleo friendly restaurant with a bar too of course! The owner, Diane is super sweet and the food is full of comfort and deliciousness.

65main: A new restaurant serving up tapas style dinner items. Not sure if they offer lunch yet because I’ve only been there once so far, it was tasty though. There’s typically live music playing, which is a huge plus!

Casa Del Sol: Mexican restaurant that’s yummy! They have live music many nights of the week, check their website for more info.

Nyack Library: I love to go here when I want some quiet time but don’t want to be in my house. In the old section there’s a room that feels like an office, but anyone can go into it to do work – I just love it! It feels like my own private office – I hate to give away my secret….. but happy if it can help someone else. There’s wifi too!

Saffron: An adorable store featuring items from around the globe. They have amazing furniture with a rustic, Indian, Indonesian feel. I love this place! Don’t miss it.

Maria Luisa: Another cute shop with women’s clothing, shoes and also a little kids section. Worth checking out if you’re in the area.

Crystals On The Rocks: A crystal shop with knowledgeable staff, bracelets, gemstones, incense and so much more. It’s really fun to browse in there.

Sanctuary: They have women’s clothing as well as other knick knacks like dream catchers, incense, candles, books, etc.

There are lots of other stores in town to check out, but I can’t name them all here! This post would be way too long! Come visit – even in the wintertime! If you bundle up you can go on a hike nearby or walk around the huge mall that’s super close. One thing to keep in mind, most stores in Nyack are CLOSED on Mondays year round. See you soon!

Xo, 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