* Photo Cred: Rachel O’Driscoll
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
Heather– I am originally from a small town on the shoreline of CT (Guilford). I’ve lived in the area now for over 10 years.
Mila– I’m originally from Southern New Mexico. I came up here for School and never left. I moved to Quincy at 18 and managed to somehow stay in this city, even managing to convert my North Shore husband to become a south shore native
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
Heather– Two kids – a four year old daughter and a two year old son. (And no – we are NOT having any more)
Mila– I have two little rascals that keep me busy beyond belief. My Daughter is 5 and full of drama and my son is 2 a very very busy.
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
Heather– Pigs are my favorite animals (which is why we have a pug – adorable curly tail, same snort, and similar personality)
Mila– I’m an introvert. I LOVE the studio and teaching. Helping moms get a moment of zen or connecting with their children brings me pure joy and I love every day I am there. However, my happiest place is on a beach simply taking in the calm and recharging my inner peace.
What is your favorite thing about living in the Milton area?
Heather– I love the convenience and proximity to Boston but with a neighborhood feel which is great for raising kids.
Mila– Well, I don’t live in Milton, but I do frequent quite often.
What I love about Quincy is its proximity to the water (back to my inner peace bit) and the easy commute into the city. My particular neighborhood is amazing! Every day after school, my street is littered with children playing basketball, riding bikes or simply walking to the beach or to our local sandwich shop to get some ice cream or fresh milk. It’s like you walked into an episode of the “Wonder Years” if it wasn’t for all the preteens with their faces glued to their smartphones.
What do you love to do with your family around town?
Heather– (Besides family yoga at Breathe and Play Every Day…) We love to go for walks, check out parks, beaches, playgrounds, and other local businesses.
Mila– We love going to the new Andrew’s playground, stopping after into the Fruit Center for some Ginger Betty’s cookies and grabbing something easy and delicious for dinner. We also love going out to all the new restaurants in town especially Steel & Rye so we can see the old trolley cars come passing by.
Tell us about your business and how it came to be, what you love about it, what makes it unique, what your goal is, etc…
Heather– I was a Special Education teacher and decided to stay at home once I had my daughter. I found that staying at home, I missed being around kids (other than my own) but I didn’t want to go back to full time teaching. A few ideas floated around in my head, but what kept coming back to me was kids yoga. Yoga taught me so much about myself – self-compassion, patience, and living mindfully through the ups and downs; and working with kids is always a must. I started teaching Inclusive Kids Yoga classes and completely fell in love. I’ve liked most of my jobs – but this didn’t even feel like a job. Teaching kids yoga is a passion and has become the most important, most valuable, most enjoyable ‘job’ I’ve ever had. I enjoyed teaching in studios, but found myself wanting my own space so the kids (and I) could feel comfortable to be who we are and in a family oriented space.
While beginning this journey (as I said, I had just had my daughter) I was suffering from postpartum medical complications, postpartum depression, and the typical struggles of being a parent. It became really apparent to me that a community of non-judgemental, welcoming, exhausted, covered in unknown bodily fluids parents was absolutely necessary. I needed a place to go where I wouldn’t be judged for my parenting, my looks, or my lack of ability to complete a full sentence. When I met Mila, everything just made sense. We put our ideas, our experience, and our hearts together – and here we are!
We are (as far as I know) the ONLY yoga studio in the area dedicated to families. Our schedule is full of classes for everyone in the family – prenatal, babies, kids, teens, and adults. We make it our mission to make every body feel welcome – if you can breathe, you can do yoga. Breathing and having true support is the most effective way we’ve found to deal with the stresses of parenting and life.
Mila– Breathe & Play Every Day is simply a dream come true for my business partner, Heather, and I. Our paths crossed while looking for a nanny and we quickly became friends as we vented about the loneliness of Motherhood and the inability to go to a yoga class, of which with both missed terribly. We knew we couldn’t be alone in this thought process and realized there wasn’t much available on the South shore for Mom’s & Children looking to connect and recharge with Yoga.
So, we created a space for families to connect, children to learn and Mom’s make new friends and have a moment of peace.
Are you involved in anything else within the community?
Heather– We are members of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce and we try to take part in local events around town – Celebrate Milton, Macaroni Kids, Farmer’s Markets, etc.
I’m also involved with Quincy Public Schools and Boston Public Schools, both in teaching yoga to students as well as Professional Development and consultations with school based teams. We’ve also tried to partner with other local businesses to help support each other, raise awareness, and increase our wide range of offerings (for example – nutrition, sleep consultants, pre and postnatal care, parenting, etc).
Mila– Honestly, between the studio, my hooligans and keeping my family’s everyday life in order there isn’t whole lot of extra time in the day.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Heather- Without the community providing support, we wouldn’t be here! We’ve found the area to be filled with families that are grateful to find support and community. People are so welcoming, friendly, and supportive. As a new business, we don’t have the budget for marketing, so we rely on the community to help us spread the word of our existence (and hopefully good experiences).
Mila– Word of mouth. All of the Mom’s connecting and reaching out is really key in letting people know we are available to them. This community has been so supportive in this venture. It’s so neat to meet and connect with everyone of them and to see them grow from pregnant, to new mom and baby to child is incredibly gratifying.
Aren’t these lovely ladies the BEST? Visit them at their studio, take a class, or pop into their free playgroup!
1073 Hancock St #200
Quincy, MA
