Lona Lozinski, a Warriors at Ease licensed 200RYT yoga teacher, poses on the ground of her studio house final week. Tabitha Johnston
SHEPHERDSTOWN — “It smells like bitter milk and there’s bits of french fries on the ground, and also you’re like, ‘I’ll attempt to ignore all of that,’” mentioned Mohalu Yoga founder Lona Lozinski of her first time practising yoga, again in 2001. The Berkeley County Parks & Recreation grownup schooling class on the Rosemont Elementary Faculty cafeteria flooring could have been a humble starting for a 21-year journey, however in response to Lozinski, it didn’t cease her from instantly recognizing the profit it might be for her, as a Shepherd College undergraduate pupil and 167th Airlift Wing — West Virginia Air Nationwide Guard member.
“It was reworking, for me, to be on this place the place I’m within the cafeteria, however I’m additionally on this actually calm house in my physique,” Lozinski mentioned. “I picked it up as a non-public apply for me and would take a category in it, wherever I might get it.”
Her journey led from her taking yoga courses at any time when doable, together with at two yoga studios in Shepherdstown, to her opening up her personal yoga studio as a 200RYT yoga teacher. The studio house for the 2 Shepherdstown studios she previously practiced at is now, mockingly, the house she is now utilizing to show from — 211 East New Avenue.
“Being linked to Shepherdstown as a pupil right here, I discovered Concord Therapeutic Arts, which was proper right here, on this house, and commenced practising there — right here. Once I had my youngsters, I did my prenatal yoga right here, 15 years in the past, so this house, to me, was house,” Lozinski mentioned. “I used to be getting ready for beginning on this room! I used to be managing a really younger army profession out of this house. After which Jala Yoga took it over, and I began practising with them, after Concord Therapeutic Arts had closed.”
In line with Lozinski, although she presently shares the house with Jala Yoga, she does supply her yogis a novel ability set — one they may not get wherever else within the Jap Panhandle — certification as a Warriors at Ease teacher.
Mohalu Yoga shares its areas with Jala Yoga, at its remaining location on New Avenue, which was previously the house to Concord Therapeutic Arts. Tabitha Johnston
“About 13 years into my army profession, I turned a primary sergeant,” mentioned the Shepherd College alumna. “It’s this job the place you handle disciplinary actions, however you’re additionally sort of the help system for members of the unit: they get in hassle, you be sure they’re getting the care that they want; they’re going by means of a divorce, you be sure the individuals get the care that they want; or they stroll into your workplace and their lives are falling aside, and also you assist them discover the assets to repair it, mainly. The job, it was like a lightbulb second for me, the place I’m like, ‘We’re lacking one thing, in the case of how we handle look after army personnel.’
“I assumed, for me, my resilience was born out of my yoga apply. It helped me really feel grounded, helped me really feel centered, helped me really feel like, ‘I can do that, no matter it’s.’ So, sooner or later, I made a decision my longterm aim was to change into a yoga trainer, as a result of I wish to train yoga to veterans,” Lozinski mentioned. “I stumbled throughout this program, Warriors at Ease. It’s this worldwide program that teaches yoga academics train yoga to veterans. It’s the one considered one of its type.”
As of when she opened her studio at 211 East New Avenue three weeks in the past, Lozinski holds one-on-one courses with army members, to assist them extra immediately deal with the trauma they’ve skilled within the army. She additionally presents a month-to-month Warriors at Ease group class that’s free to army personnel and open to civilian yogis, who’re inspired to provide a donation to assist cowl the category prices. The schedule for that class and others, in addition to the place to e-book a one-on-one class with Lozinski, will be discovered at https://www.mohaluwellness.com/.
As for the studio identify’s origin? Lozinski mentioned it’s linked with the truth that her first identify is Hawaiian; that she, as a half-Korean lady, feels at house there due to its excessive Asian inhabitants; and that she accomplished her yoga trainer coaching there, through the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“In Hawaiian tradition, the twelfth part of the cycle of the moon is named ‘Mohalu,’ and in that cycle the Hawaiian god Kane planted flowers. He believed this could be an important time to plant flowers — it was proper earlier than the moon turns into full. Once I was Hawaiian tradition and what I wished Mohalu to characterize, I came across the Hawaiian calendar and I noticed this phrase and all of the descriptions of it. It means ‘to bloom,’ the precise phrase, ‘Mohalu,’ does,” Lozinski mentioned. “It’s consultant of that second proper earlier than we bloom, proper earlier than the moon will get full. And I assumed, ‘How lovely is that?
“Even after we get to that time the place we really feel we’ve completed all of it, we’re all the time discovering one thing else that we wish to accomplish,” Lozinski mentioned. “It’s sort of a reminder, by calling it ‘Mohalu,’ that we’re by no means ever actually performed. We might all the time bloom a bit of extra.”
- Lona Lozinski, a Warriors at Ease licensed 200RYT yoga teacher, poses on the ground of her studio house final week. Tabitha Johnston
- Mohalu Yoga shares its areas with Jala Yoga, at its remaining location on New Avenue, which was previously the house to Concord Therapeutic Arts. Tabitha Johnston
