Last month, we intro’d you to a mother + daughter bulldog duo — but who says moms should have all the fun? (Really, no one should have all the fun. That would clearly be unfair.) We see plenty of dads rockin’ their yoga moves, too, and for the Molinaris, bulldog yoga is a true family affair.

The Molinaris’ love for all things yoga started with dad Steven, who confesses to “dragging” wife Francesca and daughter Isabelle into the obsession after he started his own practice. Prior to starting classes elsewhere a few months before bulldog launched in 2016, Francesca admits she had reservations about yoga’s hippie dippy rep. “Oms, chanting, incense, sitting still in the quiet — not my thing,” she says. “I am super busy, which means I don’t sit still well, and if I have an hour to spend, I want an intense workout — and I want to see results.”

Francesca’s first class blew all her expectations (it was beachside, which may have helped), and soon, she was hooked, just like her husband. To celebrate their new shared hobby — as well as his wife’s birthday — Steven invested in five in-home private lessons with his instructor… and that’s when Isabelle got involved, too. The trio’s tradition of Monday Family Yoga Nights started right then and there, and soon made its way to bulldog.

“I was in love with the vibrant environment and upbeat music,” 16-year-old Isabelle says of her first bulldog experience. “It made yoga seem like more than meditation and deep stretching. Yoga at bulldog had a pulse that was beating full force.”

Francesca was similarly smitten. “I walked in and the space was light, super clean, and had a great aesthetic,” she says. “Everyone was so friendly. The class was challenging, but so much fun. And I don’t even really like dogs, but the icing on the cake was Gracie — love her!” Point one for Gracie Jane

What’s kept the Molinaris coming back? Steven loves the music, the community, and the fun. “It’s a fun way to get a good workout together, and the music helps bridge the generations,” he says.

The Molinaris’ multi-generational yoga practice is part of the weekly routine — all three family members attend class together about once a week, and Steven, Francesca, and Isabelle get their bulldog on in pairs or alone even more regularly.

“We all feel so welcome and comfortable at the studio that going alone is great — but for us, together is even better,” Francesca says. “Yoga really brings out the best in each of us — and the best in us as a family. It’s fun to help each other, cheer each other on, and support each other as we push our boundaries. We aren’t afraid to take a risk, shake, wobble, fall out of a pose, or sing and bounce to the music when in class.”

Francesca travels often for work, and the family yoga practice is such a major part of life that she says she actively misses bulldog when she’s on the road. (Great news for Francesca — and you! — our online classes have launched, so you can tune into the bulldog vibes no matter where you are.)

In perfect dad style, Steven sums up the dynamics of his family both on and off the mat like this: “We have fun, we compete, we laugh, we argue, we fight… but most of all, we love. Yoga as a family brings that into sharp focus.”

Happy (almost) Father’s Day, Steven — and to every other daddio in our community! 

Does your fam practice yoga together, too? Tell us on Facebook + Twitter!

***You can get the bulldog experience anywhere, anytime with our online classes — and make sure you check out our full line of bulldog swag, too! Don’t forget to subscribe to the bulldog blog so you can get e-mail notifications about every new post.***