The FLYY Movement
WHAT, HOW, AND WHY WE ARE HERE
The FLYY Movement started on October 7, 2007 at The Women’s Expo. Sistah Anyangō was preparing to do a Zumba® demo and was handed the mic to introduce herself. “Freedom to Love the You in You” came out of her mouth, and FLYY was born. From 2007 to the present, FLYY has helped hundreds of women and her relations find community, explore their passion and purpose, and find their way to live their authentic selves. It has never been an option to stop; always an opportunity to grow, shift, expand. FLYY has grown from FLYY Fitness, LLC to FLYY Fitness Healing & the Arts, to now, The FLYY Movement! The future holds The Asantewaa Healing Gardens which will be a retreat site that houses a space for movement, but also creates areas for meditation and reflection, gathering spaces, walking trails and more.
IS FLYY FOR YOU?
OH YEAH!
CHECK OUT THESE VIDEO TESTIMONIALS FROM LADIES READY TO SPREAD THEIR WINGS AND FLYY
Jen Phelps / Central Registration Personnel
[Workshop Facilitation & KidFit]
My name is Jenifer Phelps and I met Sistah Anyangō approximately two years ago, when she came to do a team building workshop for myself and other co-workers. I also worked her with her as she did a weekly Zumba® class for the camp that I work at.
Last summer, I learned that Sistah, holds Zumba® classes every Saturday at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. I started attending this classes every week. I absolutely love to exercise and dance, so being part of Sistah’s class was so exciting for me.
I have been part of other Zumba® classes over the years, but this by far is the most positive and up-lifting group exercise class that I have ever been part of. Sistah takes the time for each person to self-reflect and truly focus on what is positive in their lives and she also helps you to find the good in yourself and accept yourself for who and what you are no matter what flaws you may have. She helps us to work on mind, body and spirit.
I have benefited from her class in so many ways, so many that I can’t list them all. Mainly I learned to accept and love my body, to find my inner peace and strength and how to take the positivity from the class and carry it with me during the week to help when dealing with difficult situations.
Sistah and the rest of the FLYY dance crew are my Saturday morning family and my sanctuary. I don’t know what I would do without them. Just being part of the experience has made me more in tune with myself and my body. I am more in shape both physically and mentally then I ever have been, and I owe that all to Sistah and the whole FLYY fitness experience.
Testimonial Submitted Anonymously
[Empowerment Freedom Coaching]
I have been working with Sistah in Wholistic Counseling for three years. It has been amazing! I have been able to work through some of the toughest moments of my life with her guidance of body, mind, heart and spirit. The support and care Sistah genuinely provides coupled with the wholistic approach gets you to the heart of issues so that they are not avoided, but dealt with and allow you to move forward into a healthier life. I am so grateful to have Sistah as a friend and counselor.
J.P.
[BodyLove & Zumba®]
Listen to what Jen has to say about The FLYY Movement
A while back, FLYY fitness was contracted to do a team building for our group, the Tree House program which is a before and after school. The team consists of Family Resource Center Leaders, which oversee the program, Program Leaders which run the program and Group Leaders, that supervise the kids. We don’t always have the opportunity to come together as a group, so we felt having a team building was important for the success of our team and the program. All together there were about 15-20 of us that participated.
We were not sure what to expect as we had never taken part in activity like this before. We started off in small groups and Sistah and Adrienne spoke to us about working together, tapping into each other’s strengths and had us brainstorm ideas to make our program stronger and how to utilize one another’s talents to improve our program. We then had time to work together to come up with activities that we would like to implement throughout the school year. This was very helpful, as we very seldom get the opportunity to do this once the school year is in full swing.
Our favorite part of the team building was taking part in a mini Zumba® class. It was so wonderful to see everyone dancing and having fun together as a group. We all got to see each other in a different light, which was great for bonding and truly getting to know each other.
This team building with FLYY Fitness was a great way to start our school year as it assisted us in planning our activities for the year and mainly helped us to bond as a team and see the importance of working together as a team. It was a very positive and fun experience. One of the most interactive and fun team building workshops that I have ever experienced.
Thank you Sistah and Adrienne!
Desi D. Nesmith / Principal of Metacomet School
[KidFit]
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the partnership that Metacomet School has formed with FLYY Fitness. We have been working with FLYY Fitness for three years and look forward to working with them for years to come.
We have held various functions here at school with FLYY Fitness. We began with family fun nights as a way to get our students and families moving and exercising. That first event was overwhelmingly successful and we began to offer multiple events throughout the year. These events consisted of PTO night activities, FLYY Family Fitness Days in the winter to keep kids moving and exercising during the winter months. We even added FLYY Fitness to our field day for each grade. The response from students and parents has been awesome.
This partnership continues to provide our students with ways to stay active, and have fun. Each experience is different from the last and both students and parents ask “When is FLYY Fitness coming back!?”
Sincerely,
Desi D. Nesmith
Principal
Brandi
[Zumba®]
I've known Sistah Anyangō since early year of 2012. It was during a very challenging yet a positive "lifestyle changing" period in my life. I was struggling with weight loss and physical fitness and very close to losing my career as a result. It made me a bit embarrassed and very insecure. But it wasn't only my career that was on the rocks; I was risking my health. It was then that I realized, that I needed a better and healthier lifestyle. I am so happy that I made that choice, because that is how I met Sistah Anyangō.
When I first met her, I said to myself, "she's so awesome!" Her vibe is so positive, alive and powerful. I haven't met anyone like her since the passing of my Aunt. Since then, I've been a constant participant of FLYY Zumba and Zumba Toning. Most exhilarating classes I have ever taken in my life. It makes me happy and it’s truly beneficial because FLYY Fitness helped me to lose weight and achieve goals that, at a point in time, were impossible.
Sistah Anyangō is an inspirational woman. The word "insecure" is no longer in my vocabulary. At any time, if I am feeling the slightest upset or discouraged, she is always there to counsel. I find myself laughing and smiling more and most importantly, I embrace "The Freedom to Love" within myself. I thank God for Sistah Anyangō.
Thank you for the continuous encouragement, motivation and counsel. True love begins within. Sistah helped me to see, acknowledge and embrace it. I LOVE ME!
Testimonial Submitted Anonymously
[Zumba®]
I have been to many Zumba classes in my time, but none like Sistah’s FLYY Fitness Zumba class. A friend brought me in almost 5 years ago. It was not only the start of awesome workouts, but also a personal journey. I was surrounded by women (and sometimes men) who embraced themselves and their bodies. This was something I was not able to do at the time I started classes. Being part of this class helped me learn to love myself on a deeper level. The music is a combination of fun and inspirational. It’s a constant party and workout in one! Sistah’s Zumba® class is a mind, body and spiritual experience.
Audrey Nathan / Director, Bloomfield Continuing Education
[Zumba® & KidFit]
As director of The Bloomfield Adult Education program, I am open to bringing in new leisure services to my program that people would enjoy. In 2012, my daughter suggested I bring in Zumba®. She had been attending Zumba® with Sistah Anyangō of FLYY Fitness and enjoyed the class.
We started offering Zumba® in September of 2012. It had a nice following and was enjoyed by the members. Unfortunately, in 2013 Sistah Anyangō was unable to continue. However, she had two of her instructors that work with her take over the class. It was a smooth transition and the program continues to this day.
On a personal note, I have also witnessed the transformation in my daughter since starting her fitness journey with Sistah Anyangō. She has lost weight, become healthier, and has a new group of women that she enjoys. Additionally, my granddaughters also attend Sistah Anyangō’s KidFit program and are part of her FLYY Youth Crew. They are both keeping healthy and having fun.
I appreciate all that Sistah Anyangō has and continues to offer.
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Venice Harris / Founder of Juicy Girl Fitness
[Zumba® & Instructor Training]
I am Venice Harris the founder of Juicy Girl Fitness. My journey with Sistah Anyangō started back in 2008, where I joined the friendly fitness in hopes of losing weight (for real this time). I would go there and walk/jog the treadmill for 45 minutes a leave. Satisfied that I did some type work out. Then one day I was doing the same treadmill regimen and heard some music coming from the studio inside the gym. I along with my sister went inside to find out what this was all about. Well the music was pumping the people were smiling and they were sweating while dancing. I was like what in the world is this heyyyyy sign me up. So about one song in I noticed everyone knew the dance steps except my sister and I. She looks at me and says "I'm outta here" she left before I could stop her. Now I'm in the room alone not knowing the steps but loving what I'm seeing. I thought I could hang I mean who doesn't like to dance when they hear music, right? Hmmm next song I gave myself the peace sign saying, "Shoot I'm outta here too". So, my sister and I went home that night and I kept thinking about that class. I said I'm going back when that lady is on the schedule shoot, I love to dance so it has to be fun, I had to give it another chance. So that's what I did. I walked in there to the back of the class and said to myself (my sister didn't come back at that time) I am not leaving no matter what. At that moment I fell in love with Sistah and Zumba®.
I continued to take her classes and loved them. She said after one of her classes that she wanted whoever could join her in her body love class. I was like ok I could do this. I was so determined to do anything it took to be a better me. So, I walk in the class with the same mentality of I'm not leaving no matter what and let me tell you that was the hardest class for me to date. I started feeling defeated and wanted to leave so bad. In that moment Sistah came over to me(I had tears in my eyes that I was praying she wouldn't see) and said "you got this" you can do it and proceeded to show me how to stand, hold the weight and hold my body correctly. Those words were like platinum to me. To hear someone say I could do it for someone who didn't know me a month earlier believe in me. All walls came down at that point and I realized just how special Sistah was. I came to that Zumba® class, left out, came back to the back of the class, was invited to the front of the class where I remained. I loved every minute of it. Even with all this positivity and encouragement I still couldn't face myself in the mirror. I had become someone that I didn't want to see. I really started seeing how I had let myself down regarding my weight.
Sistah would start every class by letting us know how Flyy we were teaching us to love who we are in this present time. Love yourself knowing you are all that. You are worthy of loving you. She would have us look in the mirror and say positive words to ourselves to instill confidence in us. This was taught more intimately in her training session, where I became Flyy Certified. From that I was able to go out and teach a couple classes for her that she thought I qualified for and I really enjoyed it. Even with all that I still would hold my head down. It had become so normal for me to do it that I didn't even notice anymore. One day Sistah said she wanted to meet with me to see how my classes were going, we met and she told me how everyone loved the class but they noticed my head was always down and they didn't feel a connection at times. I was embarrassed to hear this but she reminded me that I can do anything I wanted and if she didn't think that I could handle the classes she gave me that she wouldn't have given them to me. She told me on that day to always hold my head up, even if I had to practice in the mirror. Know inside and out that I am beautiful, and I love me. From that day forward I have done just that and have shared that message in all of my classes that I currently teach. I am proud to say that Sistah has touched my life in such a way that it has guided me to a healthier, more confident, more amazing me. I love this lady she is simply awesome!!!
Gillian Ellis
[Zumba® & Instructor Training]
My name is Gillian Ellis and I have the passion for dancing, music and the arts. I've been dancing with Sistah since 2011 taking her Zumba® Fitness classes and was inspired by the way she started every single class with an opening circle. The circle represents who each and everyone is individually because we're all unique in every way. Needless to say, I followed Sistah around to different fitness studios and started to experience the Freedom to Love the You in You (FLYY). I've not only taken her Zumba® classes but added Zumba® Toning, Body Love Strength and Conditioning as well as INSANITY that she teaches to my weekly workout. As a license Zumba® Instructor and INSANITY certified, I took the initiative to complete the FLYY Fitness Instructor and Training and Certification in 2013. I am proud to say I am now a FLYY Certified Instructor. FLYY Fitness has taught me to accept my image and others regardless of race, gender, size and age.
Lorraine Nahabedian
[Empowerment Freedom Coaching & Zumba®]
I met Sistah Anyango back in 2011 when attending a Zumba class at Gold's Gym in East Hartford. I heard so much about her awesome energy and positive spirit, that I was thrilled to be a part of her classes at various Fitness clubs and gyms in the greater Hartford since then. When realizing I was struggling with many life challenges, I chose her as my holistic healer and sought her counsel to obtain FLYY (Freedom to Love the You in You) feeling that I hadn't experienced in my life. I have continued to do the inner work and follow her practices to stay mindful and grounded. She has continued to support me with counsel since and has helped me in digging deep into the areas of my life that were in need of change for me, mind, body, and soul. There are no words for my love and gratitude for Sistah Anyango. I learned it's NEVER too late to uncover what we don't know, those hidden beliefs, limited and false beliefs, that can break and destroy one's peace of mind. I can testify that I have learned to unlearn so many things. learned everything I never realized before, as well as those things I wasn't ready to acknowledge and accept in my own behavior and most importantly the way I reacted. It's been an amazing journey and Sistah has been so very consistent with my well being and has continued to support me to this day. I had a strong calling recently to take a six week Spiritual Warrior course with Iyanla Vanzant, and Sistah encouraged me to do so to continue to dig deep to find the answers that were within me that were triggering feelings I was still struggling with and finally release those negative thoughts and ancestral patterns that didn't serve me well. I was able to see and do things differently with Sistah's healing combined with the practices of finding my way closer to God and being present in my Spiritual relationship. It laid the foundation for for navigating the COVID pandemic with faith, hope, and inner peace at a time when connecting with others wasn't possible and prayer and meditation were the way to ground myself. The Spiritual awakening I have experienced with Sistah uncovered many areas of my life that needed my acknowledgement and more so my own sense of forgiveness to resolve and gain inner peace and the FLYY feelings I desired. Sistah taught me to dig deeper than I ever have to obtain the openness and flexibility in my character that was not as present as I thought. When one is ready and willing to face their darkest moments, Sistah Anyango is the one to call on. She has a phenomenal way of gently guiding folks through their greatest fears, trials and tribulations, without judgement and I am extremely grateful for having her support on my personal journey.