Absolute Yoga Provides Intense Workouts

If you haven't taken a yoga class you would never believe the total body workout it provides. 

Meditation and Om are just part of the deal at .  For example, at the end of a Flow class, you feel like you did the entire circuit at a health club with a mix of cardio fitness. 

As you hold poses for minutes at a time, your body strengthens and lengthens.  It works everything:  your mind, your posture, your balance, your breathing, your flexibility. In other words, it's not a 5,000-year-old practice for nothing.

In the past five years yoga has become more mainstream, but Absolute Yoga owner Leslie Luft was ahead of the curve.

"I have been teaching for 10 years and decided to open this studio eight years ago," Luft said. 

Absolute Yoga offers more than 20 different types of classes.  Besides the basics, they offer some interesting classes such Yogibaby, Pre-natal, Core Yoga, Trance Dance and Kids Yoga. And for an additional cost there is Barre class which utilizes a fixed bar.    

"Yin is a new class at our studio," Luft said. "It is a static and meditative class where you work on floor-based poses that you hold for two to five minutes at a time with deep breathing." 

Every Sunday something special happens at Absolute Yoga.  As you walk through the door, you drop in a monetary contribution of your choice for the Community Class.  Beginning at 5:15 p.m. a certified teacher from the studio or from the local area donates their time to bring you something different each week.  And money collected go to various charities. 

"Thus far, we have contributed $740 to Island Harvest, $626 to the Leukemia Foundation, and $386 for the Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation," Luft said. "The next three months will be for a local charity, Tobay Hadassah".

To help you start your yoga practice, here is a brief description of styles from Absolute Yoga:

1. Anusara:  Developed by John Friend, who created a powerful yoga system, this class unifies a unique arrangement of physical alignments with a heart-oriented philosophy.
2. Vinyasa:  Connects breathing and movements to create a continuous flow of postures.
3. Iyengar:  Based on the respected teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, this class focuses on technical alignment, breathing, and the use of props such as blocks and straps.

Leslie generously offers trial classes to those who are intrigued and curious about yoga.  There is never a hard sell, for the studio is as welcoming as the practice.

Address:  One Guilles Lane, behind On Parade Diner.  

Phone:  516-682-9642

Website:  www.absoluteyogastudio.com