Part 3 - The Big Reveal

Building a Beautiful NEW Nest,

pt 3

(final part)

And YOU are invited...

The emails I have sent about becoming an empty-nester have truly been helpful for me to write and heart warming for me to receive all your responses.

Thank you to my community!

This is the final part of the series and it (finally) reveals the message I have wanted to share for a while now. I am really excited to share all of this with you.

For 23 years I have taught yoga and more at Laughing Dog Yoga Studio in Wellesley. Two years prior to LDY opening, I was already in the space teaching for a different studio and owner.

 

Laughing Dog has seen me through my entire adulthood so far. I began as a young wife and immature, but hopeful, hard working teacher of dance and Yoga.

 

So much has transpired within those walls for me with the community of students seeing me through each step. I have grown up and matured, become a mother and a woman on a clear path while teaching all week long for 23 years.

 

So with all of that in mind, please read the message below from Laughing Dog's owner, Jennifer Harvey.

Laughing Dog Yoga Studio

"It is with much reflection and gratitude, I am writing to let you know that Laughing Dog Yoga Studio will be closing its doors on September 30, 2025. 

As I sit in the studio, I am filled with a multitude of feelings and memories about the 23 remarkable years we have called 159 Linden St. in Wellesley our home. I want to express so much, yet don’t know where to begin or end. 

I will start by saying my decision, was made with care, thought, guidance and deep trust in what is unfolding and lies ahead. It comes in part because the building has been sold which limits our time in this space, but more importantly, because I know in my heart that it is time to step into a new phase of my life. And as life would have it – when one door closes, another opens. More on that after I take a moment to honor everything that Laughing Dog is and has been.

For over two decades, LDY has been my heart and soul. What started as a small studio has grown into something far greater than I ever imagined and so much more than a yoga studio. It has been a sacred space of community, connection, healing, laughter, compassion, and shared transformation.

I realize I am speaking to many who have been with us since we opened in 2002. There are also those who walked through our doors for the first time last week and then there is everyone in between. That said, the relationships built within these walls, the classes shared, the moments of stillness, tears and joy, of breathing together as we moved through our practice, have been the lifeblood of Laughing Dog. I am endlessly grateful for the community we have created and for all the love and dedication you have brought into this space. You have made the studio what it is – warm, welcoming and full of spirit.

Owning, and teaching at, LDY has been an extraordinary journey and one of the greatest privileges of my life. I have been blessed to share in your journeys and our life stories. I could never have done it without you and without our wonderful teachers. As you know, LDY has an incredible and dedicated staff who have always brought their best to their classes and provided a safe place to land. And though I can’t speak for others, I have talked with all of them, and their commitment to teaching remains.

As we prepare to say goodbye to Laughing Dog, I want to share about a new beginning which brings me to my earlier comment – when one door closes, another opens. Many of you know Marissa Farrell. She was the first teacher at LDY, 23 years ago, and has been a driving force in our success and longevity ever since. Her dedication, commitment, masterful teaching and support behind the scenes has been beyond measure, so when she came to me with a new vision and opportunity, I listened and took it to heart. In fact, I was all in and knew the time was right to close LDY and support her in directing the opening of a new yoga and fitness studio in Wellesley.

Many of you may know Stepping Stone Acupuncture and Wellness, a locally loved business, located at 316 Washington St. Wellesley – across the street from the Unitarian Church. They are expanding and opening Stepping Stone Studios for Yoga, Fitness and Being Well sometime this Fall (details in another email), and Marissa has accepted the role of Director. Under her thoughtful and inspiring leadership, this will be a welcoming space for everyone, with a full schedule of great yoga, fitness, functional flow and other movement classes. I am also happy to share that many of the teachers you know and love at LDY will be teaching there, including me. Along with familiar teachers and classes, there will be new offerings, new teachers and a variety of innovative programs. Marissa has exciting plans and is creating a beautiful, new, unique home for students and teachers seeking a vital community that prioritizes and explores what is means to Be Well.

More details about Stepping Stone Studios, will be shared soon. In the meantime, join the Studios email list by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/4nRW3C9FpXn7kNyt8

Though we are near the end, we are not at the end. We are still open through July, August and September so please come to class. We would love to see you. If you have 5, 10 or Monthly class cards they are valid thru 9/30/25 so use them up before then.

Finally on a more personal note, though I will no longer own a studio, I am thrilled to continue teaching and hope you will join me and other LDY teachers at Stepping Stone Studios. I will also be focusing on my work as a Death Doula and Grief Educator, supporting individuals and families through one of life’s most profound transitions and providing a space for all of us to have open conversations about death as a part of life. It is a path that calls to me and I am grateful to be able to explore it more fully. Stay tuned – details of upcoming programs coming soon.

I speak for all the teachers in saying thank you for being a part of this incredible journey over the years. Thank you for your presence, dedication, kindness and trust. Thank you for showing up - in all the ways that matter - and being a part of this beautiful community and thank you for being YOU.

Check your inbox for emails throughout the summer, with updates, farewell party plans, LDY memories from students and teachers and studio news. 

With all my love and appreciation"

LDY Classes

So there you have it...

I needed something to nurture and nest and the universe provided in spades.

Stepping Stone Studios will be a collaborative working space of yoga and movement teachers, CEU and workshop classes, personal training and 1:1 yoga, built above and on the foundation of Stepping Stone Wellness.

It will be an inclusive studio for both staff and student to feel at home and welcome. We will have classes for all disciplines and levels including classes for Autism, Prenatal, and Teens.

Please use the link above to get on our mailing list for all studio updates.

Message me if YOU would like to join us. I am hiring teachers and staff currently. I am looking for creative movement classes and mindful themes outside the box of traditional yoga. I am also seeking personal trainers if you are one or know someone who may be interested.

Stepping Stone Wellness

Here is a message from Marcie at Stepping Stone,

"We are thrilled to share the news that Stepping Stone is expanding!

We are in the process of converting the entire beautiful second floor of our building into Stepping Stone Studios, where we will offer yoga and movement classes, functional fitness instruction, and health education workshops and events.

We plan to open the second floor space this fall and will definitely keep you updated as we build out the studios over the next few months.

Thank you for all your support to get us to this step in our journey - we are so grateful to get to do the work that we do, with all of you!"