Yoga offers benefits for both body and mind. Physically, it enhances flexibility, strength, and balance through its poses (asanas), promoting overall fitness and injury prevention. It improves respiratory function and circulation, contributing to better cardiovascular health. Beyond physical gains, yoga cultivates mental well-being by reducing stress and anxiety levels through focused breathing and meditation. It enhances mindfulness and self-awareness, fostering a calmer and more centered mindset. Regular practice can improve sleep patterns and boost energy levels, promoting a sense of vitality and overall wellness. Yoga serves as a holistic practice that nurtures both physical health and mental clarity.
We spoke with Manhasset’s Know Yoga Know Bliss yoga studio owner, Marc Altheim about some of the benefits and misconceptions about the ancient practice. Here’s what he had to share:
CH: Tell me about your studio, Know Yoga Know Bliss.
MA: The name itself is a play on words, if you have no yoga, you have no bliss, which obviously is not absolute, but it is playful. We are celebrating five years here in Manhasset. We welcome people of all ages and abilities, but my personal journey is really what underscores the studio because I was an athlete. I played a lot of basketball and tennis and I ski and bike a lot. As I am getting older, it is getting harder to buckle my ski boots; my kids have to help me. I want to ski until I am 90 and I realize that I need to change; I need to be more flexible, more stretchy. My wife had been doing yoga and suggested that I start. I did it and fell in love with it; I could feel the results quickly. At Know Yoga Know Bliss, we are an authentic studio, not gimmicky or trendy. We focus on the whole body.
CH: Why do you think there is a stigma, or a preconception about yoga?
MA: People have priorities and usually only a certain amount of time to put into self-care. Fitness people think you have to sweat, you have to “work out” to feel “worked out,” but the truth is yoga is not the “workout,” it is a path to a better workout. Your fitness level will benefit so much if you add yoga twice a week. Yoga is not a sport. It is a practice. Yoga is where you hone your body and your mind. It takes patience and it goes against the grain for a lot of people to be able to take their body and their mind all the way to this point in yoga. I am, I was, a “triple A” lunatic.Yoga helps me live in the moment. Yoga is difficult for the type-A personalities to sit still, but it is exactly what they need. Yoga studios are like craft beer, we are a craft boutique. There are people who love it and some who will not, it’s not everybody’s bag. People who have been practicing yoga understand that they were once there as a beginner. We are friendly and prioritize people who are new to yoga, new to the studio.
Know Yoga Know Bliss offers 15 to 20 classes each week, depending on the season. Classes are $20 per session. You are welcome to bring your own yoga mat and props, but the studio offers use of theirs if you choose.
Know Yoga Know Bliss is located at 580 Plandome Rd., in Manhasset. There is plenty of street parking, as well as a municipal lot behind the building. Visit www.knowyogaknowbliss.com or call 516-548-9642 for more information.
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