Meet Tiffany Ely of Yoga & Barre

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Ely.

Tiffany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always been a lover of movement. When I was little, my older sister would dress me up in costumes and create routines for me to perform for my parents. I barely remember it, but there are comical pictures to prove that it happened. When I was ten, I started formal classes in ballet/jazz and actually made it into a career after high school, dancing locally for Impulse Dance Company and Ballet Theatre of Boston (now known as Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre).

I found a dancer’s life to be a physically and emotionally difficult one and soon realized it wasn’t the career for me, so I “retired” at 23. Thanks to the help from my downstairs’ neighbor/friend, I landed myself a job in the travel field. It was during that time I joined a gym (for the very first time in my life) and hated it – until I found group fitness classes. I love music and movement and the energy of a group, so I finally felt inspired again to be in and move my body.

A bit over a year after 9/11 I found myself unemployed for about eight months, and it was then that I discovered yoga, at the gym. Before that time I had only done some Rodney Yee videotapes by myself at home (yes, VHS tapes not DVD’s.) Well, the gym had yoga classes on Mon/Wed/Fri at 10 am, which was perfect for someone who is unemployed and doesn’t want to wake up early.

I was already an anxious/depressive person by nature, so adding unemployment to the mix only exacerbated those symptoms. On the mat though, I felt those anxieties, depressive thoughts and insecurities melt away. Yoga provided me with the perfect recipe… an invigorating physical workout, with a calming effect for my mind. I never planned to work in Fitness, but after taking yoga, pilates, kickboxing, and step classes regularly, I was approached by the management to enroll in a group fitness training.

I ended up teaching a weekly class, and from there it evolved into teaching a couple nights a week and on weekends. I eventually found a full-time job in travel again, and despite the healing effect my spirit experienced during my time-off, I only did yoga sporadically. It wasn’t until 2007 when I left the travel field altogether to pursue teaching fitness classes full-time that I was drawn back to yoga.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Yes and No. I struggled with an eating disorder, body image issues, and untreated depression/anxiety for years. So it’s interesting that I chose careers in dance and fitness, which put my body on display to scrutinize and force me to be social and motivating. Good one, Universe!

While I still get depressed or anxious at times and wince at my aging body, I am so appreciative for the lessons I’ve learned and the strength I’ve gained both physically and mentally. It’s because of those battles that I am who I am today and can help others see their own perceived imperfections, not as faults but as gateways that lead them to their true potential. Imperfect IS perfect!

Financially, I’ve been lucky… which not a lot of struggling yoga teachers can say. I was married during the time I enrolled in my first 200-hour yoga teacher training and decided to pursue teaching classes full-time. There’s no way I would have been able to support myself on what I was making then, and I will be forever grateful to my ex-husband for financially and emotionally supporting me during those first several years.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still worked my a** off, ran around like a nut and grasped at any classes I was offered. It’s taken over ten years, but I am finally at a place where I am slowing down (a bit) and not teaching 20+ classes a week anymore. I think I’m down to 17. LOL

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Yoga & Barre – what should we know?
While I still sub other style/formats, my regular teaching schedule is just yoga and barre right now. I teach a slower pace vinyasa-style yoga class and use music most of the time.

I sometimes spend hours compiling songs for a playlist. I would rather there be no music in class vs. music that doesn’t seem to fit the movement/mood. I’ve been fortunate that Coolidge Yoga has been bringing in a local violinist to play for my Sunday morning classes once a month (Josh Knowles, www.joshknowlesmusic.com – you should interview him next!) I love the collaboration between live music and movement, always have.

My hope is to make my yoga classes into a mind/body experience vs. just a workout. The inspiration each week usually comes from where I’m at and what I’m personally focusing on. So that might be a yoga sutra, or it may be handstand, or it might simply be to let go of grasping or pushing and just breathe with what is.

My barre class, on the other hand, IS a workout, and I want my students to leave there with a sense of accomplishment and upliftment (in their mind AND booty!) My favorite and the most consistent response I get from students is, “That was so much fun!”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tiffanyoga.com
• Email: tiffany@tiffanyoga.com
• Instagram: tiffanyoga
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiffany.ely.yoga

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager 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.