Hello Dear Firefly Family,


Since starting Firefly Family Yoga out of my home studio in 2012, it has grown and become an amazing community. Your support, love, and presence in the classes, events and special programs is greatly appreciated.  I've enjoyed watching your beautiful babies grow up!  However, the reality is that the monthly financial investment and inconsistencies of the business have made maintaining the studio space unsustainable, and so it is with a very heavy heart that I am announcing that the studio space at 80 Grove Street will be closing after classes end on Saturday, September 22nd.

But - Firefly Family Yoga is NOT CLOSING, just adjusting the way we will continue to serve you.

So, beginning Saturday, September 29th (same class times), our Saturday classes will continue at our new location at Serene Escape Spa, 415 Main Street, Ridgefield while the Wednesday night Yoga at the Hickories will continue until Mother Nature deems otherwise!  If you have been a regular Friday Gentle Flow yogi, you will receive a separate email  with details as we will continue this class in a private home.

Which is a great segue into a new way we will be coming together as the Firefly community: the in-home group series, where Firefly comes to you!

If you have space in your home, 3 others who are interested, and would like to host a series (5 classes, dates chosen ahead of time). This could be friends, fellow students you've met at Firefly, anyone; it is a fun way to get together with a group of friends and be healthy!  Email me for more info, as soon as I can get to it, there will be information on the website too.

The nitty-gritty: class passes will continued to be honored at the Hickories and Saturday classes.  Mommy & Me class passes will be honored at the Family Yoga classes going forward and then will be phased out.  Gift cards will also continued to be honored on the new schedule.  The schedule will continue to be online and you still sign up for classes the same way.  Our phone number has changed to 203.493.1064 and the old number will be discontinued by the end of the week.


Please continue to practice, and we would be overjoyed if you did so with this wonderful community of families at Firefly Family Yoga.  Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions - call, email, PM or stop by Friday or Saturday mornings!   On the the next chapter!!!!!

In light and love,
Ellen
www.fireflyfamilyyoga.com

So as my darling husband was putting Rustin to bed last night, I drew a bath and put on a timely episode of Hidden Brain, “The Carpenter Vs. The Gardener: Two Models of Modern Parenting,” (listen to the episode here).

The idea is that the carpenter parent is focused on raising and shaping a child to become the adult they want their child to be, whereas the gardener parent focuses on creating a nurturing environment that allows the child to grow into their own. There is a continuum between these models of course, and it was nice to really think about the model I most identify with. My ideal would be creating a beautiful, bountiful garden for Rustin to frolic around in…. with the carpenter skills to build a garden shed, lol.​

The sun may be hiding behind some clouds today and it's only in the low 70s today, but it was the last day of school for my girls and.... SUMMER IS HERE!   

Spring is the season of growth.  And boy, did we grow!  After only 6 weeks at our first in-town location, we moved on May 1st to a larger space!  80 Grove Street is our new home and we are thrilled to have the privilege to practice while listening to a babbling brook and gazing a trees (and the occasional deer who comes by for a drink).  The studio is serene and peaceful and brings me joy just to walk through the door. 

With this long, crazy, insanely busy transition period over, we are finally settling in.  And it feels like home - just in time for the new season, summer!  I hope that yoga is part of your summer plans and if you haven't visited the new studio, swing by soon.  The summer schedule will start on Sunday, June 21st - the first day of summer.  So please check out the schedule online, come to one of our many workshops and bring your spouse, children and parents too!

Now that we have a permanent home, our Family can thrive!

As I sit at my computer, late at night, having spent most of my day preparing for the new studio opening on 3/1 (6 days away!!!),  I am filled with gratitude for the amazing women whom I have met and collaborated with to bring this dream to fruition.  After teaching prenatal yoga for over 2 years, the one consistent thing that women expressed to me was a desire for more information and support.  They love their OBs but want some more holistic resources and advice.   And now it's happening.  Firefly Family Yoga will become a place of community support, a comfortable space where women, families, parents and children can come to not only enjoy each other's company, but also learn from each other.  

The Firefly Family Yoga team is comprised of women who have not only been through pregnancy and parenting themselves but are also educated and trained to assist others.  Meg Whitbeck, Melanie McGuire and Amanda Michel are all genuinely kind, gentle and giving souls who want to help families thrive.  They want to help parents learn the tools to encourage their children to grow and become healthy adults.  

I have to say that as overwhelming as this transition from yoga teacher to studio owner is, I am nothing but excited about this journey because of the support these ladies give me.  

I am excited to share an article with you that was written by one of my prenatal students.  I am still settling into my role as a business owner; as most yoga teachers will agree, there is a definite balancing act between teaching, continuing education and marketing your classes.  An opportunity like this article is very flattering and I am grateful for the shout out.  Thank you, Gillian, for your kind words!

Here is the article:
http://citymomsblog.com/fairfieldcounty/2014/03/01/prenatal-yoga/

Snow 3 times in a 7 day forecast seems more appropriate for Canada than Ridgefield, CT.  And since my husband travels at times for business, this being his busy season, I have spent quite a few unexpected days home with my 2 girls recently.  Schools cancelled, roads unsafe to travel, businesses closed (the yoga studio included), we are left to entertain ourselves.  Of course, they wake up and immediately want to cuddle up on the couch and watch tv while eating their breakfast in their PJs.  Fun idea, right?  Heck, that's what I want to do too! But knowing that the best way to teach our kids is by example, I have a hard time "being lazy".  I want them to eat at the table properly and not in front of the tv like little zombies.

But it's a SNOW DAY!  The rules go out the window, right?  

Yes, but it doesn't mean it's easy.  For me. 

I am sadly aware that my free time with my youngest is counting down.  She'll be starting kindergarten in the fall.  And that's great, but I remember when my older daughter started kindergarten, and I lost knowledge of her daily activities.  I didn't know some of the friends she was asking for play dates with, I didn't know what stories she was reading during the day and I didn't know how much of her lunch she actually ate.  It was a very strange feeling for me.  The letting go was difficult.  Knowing that this is coming again, I try to soak up every minute with her that I can.  On days like this, I try to embrace their energy, not squelch it.  I try to marvel at their creativity, not worry about the mess being created in the process.  

But it's a difficult balance - the right amount of structure to the day mixed with the letting go of "rules".  But I do realize that relaxing in PJs on the couch at 10am once in awhile is OK.  And snuggling in with them on a day like today is setting the best example possible.

I learned a few days ago that 2014 began with a new moon and that this hasn't happened in 19 years.  While New Years resolutions are front of mind during this first week of January, I am not normally one to jump on that bandwagon.  But with the new moon adding its energy to the mix, I feel like this year's resolutions will be more than breaking bad habits or losing 10 pounds.  They will be life changes; eating healthier (not dieting), being more physically active (not just going to the gym), getting outside into nature, volunteering more (time not just money) and helping in the community.  I'm feeling inspired to become a better me.

We come to our mats for all sorts of reasons, the most common one is for a workout or to stretch. But we learn so much about ourselves as we practice.  We are strong, we can be fearless and brave, caring and forgiving.  We learn gratitude for the simplest of things throughout our day.  

So with this new moon and new year, we change and we grow.  We promise to be better.  Yoga reminds me of my goals and brightens that journey.

My first memory of yoga is as a 4 year old watching my mother practice.  I remember a dark, quiet room filled with grownups on the floor.  Hearing the peaceful music, I assumed they were getting ready to take a nap!  In spite of not understanding why we were there, I felt a connection to the practice immediately.  Even at 4, I knew it was special.  

Fast forward to 2002.  After buying a house and getting settled in a new town, I joined the local YMCA with the hopes of becoming more physically fit (secretly, I was preparing for my wedding even though my boyfriend hadn't proposed).  I checked the class schedule and quickly decided to try a yoga class.  It wasn't life changing, but it was calming.  The childhood memories of being taken to my Mom's classes came back to me.  Something about it drew me back every week.  It became the class I couldn't miss no matter what.

We moved to Connecticut in 2009 where I met a new teacher, Liz Wendel, and I promptly fell head over heels in love with yoga.  Witnessing the love, peace and gentle strength of this teacher made me want to practice every day.  As the mother of young children, I quickly found that spending an hour on my mat in the morning gave me the best perspective to handle the stresses of my day as well as the ability to slow down and truly appreciate the small things.   I rediscovered how amazing motherhood is.  I became the student that always lingered after class, full of questions.  I longed to master the challenging poses.  I loved getting my body all twisted up and asking it to be stronger and stronger.   I didn't realize it at first, but I loved the serenity of listening to and following my breath.  I sat still.  I actually liked sitting still!  Yoga gave me permission to just be.  

Less than 2 years after meeting Liz, I completed a 200 hour teacher training and have not even thought about looking back!  I continue to study and attend various workshops and trainings.  I firmly believe that yoga has made me a more patient Mom and a more understanding wife, daughter and friend.  My hope is to share yoga with everyone.  Yoga is everywhere and everyone.  It is in my calm breathing as I settle a screaming match between my daughter, it is a gentle smile given to the poor person fighting with the self check-out register in Stop & Shop, it is taking some extra time during a hike to literally smell the wildflowers with my 4 year old.  

What has your journey to yoga been?

Welcome to the new Firefly Family Yoga website. We are so glad you stopped by! 

Please feel free to browse the site, and contact us with any questions. Or, use the online 'contact us' form to schedule private sessions or classes in the comfort of your home.

Check back on this page for updates, interesting links and comments and musings on yoga, life, and personal growth!