Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary E. Wright.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mary. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My yoga journey began when I moved to South Florida, 20 years ago while seeking a path to my meditation practice. I wanted to learn to sit in stillness and Yoga allowed my body to move thereby giving me the space to sit physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in quiet meditation. I became a periodic practitioner enjoying all the amazing benefits of yoga but never really become committed completely to my practice. I had always been an athlete as a child and an extremely physically active adult.
One of my passions has been teaching children. My Fun & Tumble Gymnastics Program inception was in 1992 while living abroad in Germany. I have continued all these years teaching both recreational and competitive Gymnasts everywhere I lived; Kansas, Germany, Washington State, Texas and now, Florida. This has been a fundamental part of my life, teaching and impacting children.
Once I established myself in Florida, I returned to college and pursued several degrees in Civil & Environmental Engineering from the University of Miami. I became a published researcher while receiving my BS, MS and was honored a full Fellow for my Ph.D. in Engineering. During this time I also had some personal tragedy. Shortly afterwards, I surprisingly became pregnant naturally even though I wasn’t physically capable according to the doctors. Everything shifted and I gratefully focused on my career as a wife and mother.
Yoga continued to be a part of my life, especially during and after my children’s births. I have an amazing daughter, Kathryn Rose (9yrs) and Stephen (7yrs) nicknamed “Happy Buddha” from the moment he was born. They are the most joy filled and happy kids around! When my kids were almost 2 and 4 I was divorced and was extremely lost in my life. This brought me to a daily Yoga practice and my life changed forever. I also discovered surfing around the same time. The combination of yoga and surfing taught me that loving and taking care of myself allows me to completely be there for others, as a mother, sister, teacher and friend.
Within a short time, the most natural addition to teaching gymnastics was teaching Yoga to kids! Thus LITTLE BUDDHAS YOGA (named after my two Buddhas) was born in 2014. I quickly received my RYT 200 and started teaching Adults Yoga as well. My love and passion for movement along with the need to provide a place for the whole family to flow together allowed my studio to expand into what it is today.
Little Buddhas Yoga is a boutique sanctuary for the whole family. I teach this one of kind and unique classes for the entire family regardless of their ages. Just last week in one Family Yoga Class it was filled with a 4 yr. old girl to a grandma aged 72. We laughed, we all did silly movements and postures, increased our energies in my Garden Studio and eventually, they all fell into stillness as one.
My goal is to get everyone moving regardless of experience or body type. I work with people of all ages and abilities. I love what I do and I see the body as an engineered structure in which I can help to create, maintain and find their fullest potential physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually as well as provide a place for the whole family. I encourage families to flow together both on and off their yoga mats.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My road to who I am today has been what my family calls “Mary’s World.” My life ebbs and flows just as the tides of the sea. Everything has always worked out for me. The abundance of goodness in all ways has far surpassed the struggles I have experienced.
One of the hardest times was caretaking for my dying mother for 5 months in my home. Two weeks before she died I received my Ph.D. Fellow and on the same day, I found out I was pregnant. I felt elation, yet despair as she would never know my baby. We named my daughter after my mother, Kathryn. One week later, I defended my Masters Thesis and only days later, my mother passed. Death impacted me in a tremendous way.
Years later, I watched my brother, my hero and best friend fight cancer for 5 years. I was honored and blessed to sit by his bedside the last 3 weeks of his life. He lived more in his dying days then most people do their entire lives. He said to me very sternly that, “if I wasn’t going to live my life and career as an Engineer then I must understand that living my life teaching was to be truly authentic. He said understand people can go to anyone for yoga, and they come to you because of YOU and what you offer and give to them. So, spread your SUNSHINE to all wholeheartedly and impact peoples lives like only you can do.”
So, I live and love passionately each and every day in teaching, being a mother, surfing and living my life mindfully in each moment, because truthfully the only thing real is NOW.
Little Buddhas Yoga – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Little Buddhas Yoga offers adult, children and family yoga group classes as well as private lessons. Our classes range from Mommy & Me Yoga, Kids Yoga, Family Yoga and Adult Yoga in various styles (Vinyasa, Basics, Power, Restorative, Gentle/Slow, Yin, Pre/Postnatal & Beach Yoga.) In addition, we have Pilates Mat Classes, Fun & Tumble Gymnastics, TRX® Training & POUND®. Plate Strength Classes are our own unique one of a kind Classes offered on scientific backed Whole Body Vibration Platforms by Power Plates and combined for amazing workouts in various sequences (Yoga, Pilates, Fitness, TRX® & Restorative Classes).
We offer a number of Workshops, Course and Events in our studio including Creative Insight Journey (CIJourney) for Tweens & Adults, ArtBoxClub®, doTERRA Wellness, Medicine Circles/Drumming & Tutoring for Kids. We also collaborate with local companies, organizations, groups and businesses offering community and free yoga classes in locations across South Florida, donating back to the organizations.
Little Buddhas Yoga offers several in-house training including Plate Strength, TRX®, Pilates Mat I, II, III Teacher Training, Kids Yoga Teacher Training, Pelvic Floor Workshop, Working with Elderly Populations and Perinatal Fitness Instructor Training.
Our clear mission sets us apart by helping others. We focus on the students and are able to successfully support them within our boutique atmosphere and small class sizes in both our adult and children’s programs. All of our Adult Classes are unique with specific queuing for each individual and specialized hands on structure assists in having real alignment possible for your body, making your experience at Little Buddhas Yoga one of kind.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is defined by how I feel when I lay my head down on my pillow at night. How have I lived during that day? Have I been impactful to others in a good, positive uplifting way? Have I taken care of myself, practiced self-love? Am I present as a mother with my children? Have I listened to all the Universal Energy surrounding myself or have I lived in my head? Am I Present and Mindful in all that I think, say and do?
I believe there is an abundance of health, wealth and love available for everyone. My goal is to align myself accordingly. Living in each moment will allow this to happen with success!
Pricing:
- Family Unlimited Membership: $150/month, $129/month with 6 month commitment
- Single Unlimited Membership: $120/month or $99/month with 6 month commitment
- Drop-in Class: $15
- $70/5 Class Pack (Family Shared)
- $130/10 Class Pack (Family Shared)
Contact Info:
- Address: 1778 NE 39th Street
Oakland Park, FL 33334 - Website: www.littlebuddhasfl.com
- Phone: 954-296-0839
- Email: mary@littlebuddhasfl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebuddhas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebuddhasyogafl/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/littlebuddhasfl
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/little-buddhas-yoga-oakland-park
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/littlebuddhasfl/
Image Credit:
Roseanne Photography, True North Takes Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
