The Grounded Girl Interview Series Welcomes Fern, Founder of Dancing Lion Studio -Yoga & Healing Arts

We are so excited to introduce our Grounded Girl for the month of December for Groundedco.

We look forward to sharing with you these amazing women in our community that are empowering and inspiring others.

Grounded Girl Interview Series Welcomes Fern L. Conn, Founder of Dancing Lion Studio – Yoga & Healing Arts.  Fern L. Conn, ERYT800, YACEP and Certified Para Yoga Nidra Teacher has been helping to create wellness in the lives of others for over 35 years, she is also Lead Teacher of Dancing Lion Studio school and is a Certified Sound Healer.

Fern continues her work by also bringing community together. She has been a Certified Personal Trainer, Corporate Wellness Coach & Group Fitness Instructor. Fern is also a motivational speaker, writer and leads teacher trainings, leadership programs and workshops in the areas of yoga, philosophy, Ayurveda, sequencing and cueing, meditation, Yoga Nidra, Sound Healing and more.

 

 

Hi! I’m Fern!

 

Groundedco: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

Fern: Hello and thank you! I am honored to share about what I do.  So, the brief version is as follows.  I grew up in New York City and have always had a passion for movement, mindfulness, and health.  This road has not been straightforward but wellness and helping others has always been the underlying reason for what I do.

I began with having a passion for dance and studied in NYC for many years.  I also became a Certified Personal Trainer very early on in my career. The career twists and turns include getting a Business Degree, my Real Estate Brokers license, publishing magazines, teaching in clubs and studios as well as presenting at Expos and Festivals.   I came to owning a studio by divine intervention and it has become a space for creating community, connection and healing worldwide.  This is my life’s work.  I wake up every day with a passion for my work and a yearning to learn more!

 

Groundedco: What inspired your deep interest in becoming a Yoga Instructor?

Fern: I have always been a student of philosophy. I am also a Certified Meditation Teacher and I love movement.  Yoga is the union of these things.  My first practices really touched a part of me that made sense.   While many people come to yoga for a physical practice only, it truly is a practice that supports the mind, body, and soul.  My purpose as a teacher is to help people on their journey in life.  What this entails is using the tools of yoga and wellness to manage our thoughts, ease our suffering and create strong bodies.  Yoga is so much more than a physical practice.  We learn about ourselves when we view how we face our fears, challenges and our reaction to life’s twists and turns. This truly touches my soul.

 

 

 

Groundedco: Please walk us through how you typically lead a session.

Fern: I lead both group classes and private sessions.   I will describe a group class here.  I begin my process before I walk into the room by getting grounded myself.  Everything from the room temperature to the lighting and the music is thought out.  Nothing is haphazard in yoga.

Typically, we would begin seated and connecting to our breath and perhaps a personal intention.  There is a moment of coming from the outside world to getting grounded and in touch with our inner world. Then, depending on the type of class we would move accordingly.  What is unique about Dancing Lion Studio is the feeling that everyone belongs and is welcome there.  The name Dancing Lion is taken from a particular movement where students come to their hands and knees, close their eyes, and move in a way that is right for them. It is a time to tap into their intuition and have freedom from constrictions of feeling judged, or in competition with anyone.  There are very few places where that exists.  No judgment, no competition, just be you! Beginners and Advanced students feel at home in my classes and any class at my studio.

 

 

Groundedco: What is your favorite way to stay active?

Fern: Of course, yoga!!  I also love to work out in the gym.  Up until the pandemic I was also teaching tap dancing at local country clubs!  I am looking to add that back into the mix.  I just love to move.

 

 

Groundedco: How has practicing yoga benefited your life?

Fern: In every way.  I have gone through some extraordinary challenges with grace. I owe it to the tools of yoga and meditation.  The practice helps us maintain a positive mindset, maintain a sense of calm in the storm, and keeps my body strong.  The practice forces us to a place of self-study.  This is the true path of a yogi.   We are not born with an innate sense as to how to regulate our emotions or to truly evolve our connection to our soul or heart’s desire.  All the teachings, training and self-work have benefited my life in every way. When they say “to be enlightened” this is what this means.  Yoga helps shine a light on who you are.

 

 

 

Groundedco: Which aspects of yoga are you most excited about teaching?

Fern: I love all of it but if I must choose it would be the philosophy.  I can teach anyone how to move their body.  In fact, when I do teach the physical practice, I teach to the person in front of me.  This means that no one is going to truly look the same or should they try and move beyond what their anatomy dictates. That is a revelation for many people.  All our bones are different, we all have different flexibility. This is ok!!  The philosophy and the breath work are transformational.

 

Groundedco: What steps do you take to include yoga in your daily routine?

Fern: I simply get on the mat.  It does not have to be a full class. It can be a 20-minute practice.  Some days I take it slow and some I bring more challenges to the practice.  There are days I simply sit and meditate.

 

Groundedco: If you could pick any place in the world to be and stay grounded, where would it be and why?

Fern: Wherever I am.   I realize that is a very “yogi” response. But it is true.  We can be in the most beautiful place in the world and feel ungrounded and have a sense of flux.  Home is wherever you are. We begin with the breath.  We choose to find contentment in each moment.  We reflect on all that we have and come to the day with a sense of gratitude.  It is really that simple, yet we need to be reminded. Therefore, yoga is a practice.

 

 

Groundedco: What are 3 tips that you would give to someone wanting to get started in yoga but that may be hesitant?

Fern:  1. Showing up is 90% of anything that we do.

2. Ask a friend who practices yoga where they go. Of course, My studio is a perfect place to start. I know that when we begin anything new, we feel unsure and awkward. Change requires stepping out of your comfort zone.
3. Starting with a Yin practice or meditation practice might be a good first class. Yin is a slower practice where most of it is with you sitting or laying down. That feels safer to a beginner.  Also know that you do not have to be flexible to practice yoga!  You will slowly be able to do more the more you come to the mat.