Class Highlight & Student Showcase COMBO

Happy Hour Express FORM yoga class

This student showcase comes from Derek Hambrick, a proud broga practitioner and halfway-decent copywriter who does some of our wordsmithing at FORM{yoga}.

Like many love stories, my relationship with FORM’s Happy Hour Express class was love at first sight (after I read and helped write the class description), which was followed by a healthy amount of second-guessing myself when times got tough. Literally, like when my alarm goes off at 5:20 a.m. for class. But don’t get me wrong…I want Happy Hour Express in my life. I NEED Happy Hour Express in my life. It completes me…on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 a.m.

Heather Freiman is always there, welcoming and more coherent than many of us THE faithful. She’s like a little bit of sunshine just before the dawn…a bit of sunshine that guides you through 45 minutes of moderate vinyasa flow in a low-lit yoga studio.

Heather weaves in plenty of opportunities to go deeper for the more adventurous among us: “If you want to take this pose further, extend your [random appendage] further down your [random area] maybe twisting your [God knows what]…and don’t forget to breathe.” Or summin like that. Anyway, the point is that she understands that we’re all at different levels and she accommodates us while facilitating our growth. What a great teacher. Somebody should bring her an apple. An organic, cage-free apple.

The soundtrack is bitchin, too, with a definite 80s-90s vibe. We’ve been Walking in Memphis, driven in A Fast Car, seen True Colours, faced the fact that we’re Addicted to Love, and more.

So what’s with the “Express” part? After we put the work in, we get out without a long cool-down period. Sure, there’s a savasana, but it’s shorter than you’ve probably come to expect. Think of it as a savasespresso. Any longer than it is and I might doze off. Remember, it’s still still plenty early–you’re outta there by 7 and on with your day.

Happy Hour Express is a big part of making my 2018 a kickass year. So if you’re ready this kind of asskickery, come join us. The traffic’s light. The class is fun. And you’ll get your workout in before most people get outta bed.

About Derek Hambrick

Derek Donald Hambrick writes words for a living and for fun, but not always in that order. Well-traveled and semi-witty, he’s a transplant from Sacramento, California, but an Atlantan at heart.

Maybe that explains his ability to switch deftly from punchy headlines to insightful body copy, polished for both web and print. Derek distills the memorable from the mundane, all while bringing out meaning (and the occasional laugh).

He married his sweetie pie over a decade ago and welcomed their son into a world that the Ham Fam is intent on improving one family – and one word – at a time.

Read more (a bunch more) at derekhambrick.wordpress.com

Student Showcase

student showcase FORM yoga

Some years ago, a lot of years ago, my son – via my husband – gave me a blue yoga mat for Christmas at a moment when yoga was particularly invaluable in my life. The mat was very nice and was a great investment; however, the time has come now for me to replace that mat, but I have been reluctantly leaning on nostalgia and the comfort of the known.

(Reader: stop here and look up “Aparigraha”: learn early and do not be like me.)

Perhaps you too think you need a new mat but are unsure. Let me share with you how I have come to know that it is, indeed, time for a new yoga mat.

  1. At a time now forgotten and for reasons I probably never knew, I spilled coffee on my mat. That stain is now indiscernible among all the other (sort of gross) stains on my mat.
  2. Last week after a lovely up-dog, I brought my feet forward to find the blue fibers of my mat stuck to the top of my feet. And they weren’t even sweaty yet.
  3. The stick of my sticky-mat is wearing down in a random pattern across my mat. Not infrequently, I am afraid that an unfortunate hand or foot placement will result in disaster (the most) or distraction (at the least.)
  4. The black backing of mat gives folks like Mandy one extra thing to sweep up after a particularly vigorous flow class.
  5. If I ask my son what he got me for Christmas in 2008, he would neither know nor care.

And, folks, it’s a yoga mat, a tool for my practice. It is not a tool to self-enlightenment; it will not secure my place in heaven; and it will do little to make me understand who I am and what makes me … well… me. What it will do is aid me in my asana practice and help me feel strong and solid on the studio floor. I put good gas in my car, I buy organic food for my family, and I enjoy a quality glass of wine when it is offered to me. Why wouldn’t I invest in a yoga mat that will help me grow in my practice and help ensure that I will land on my feet (or hands) when I need to?

Teena Scott

FORM yoga Student

Do you have a story to tell or a few wise or witty words about your practices on and off the mat? Shoot us an email, we would love to feature you in our newsletter and on our blog!

Activate Your Superpowers

activate your superpowers yoga workshop Atlanta
  • Do you get overwhelmed by the energy and/or emotions of others?
  • Do you feel drained after spending time in groups of people?
  • Do your sensitivities sometimes feel like a curse rather than a blessing?
  • Or maybe you know that your intuition is whispering in your ear, but you have trouble catching the message or trusting it…

Being sensitive can be hard…But it doesn’t have to be.

I used to be an overwhelmed and anxious empath. As a child I had shut down my gifts because they always felt like too much, and when I let them open up again as an adult, it wasn’t any easier. Even carrying a light client load in my healing practice would leave me exhausted and feeling sick at times. I struggled to be social in groups of people and often couldn’t explain dramatic shifts in mood that would fall over me.

Not only that, but my intuition was speaking to me all the time and I wasn’t listening…I would find myself saying things like, “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted that person!” or “If only I had listened to my gut…”

After several years of fumbling through this, I knew I needed to figure things out. So I dedicated myself to understanding energy, how it worked and how I could work WITH it in a conscious way that would allow me to feel empowered with my gifts.

I talked to my guides, to Spirit, to archangels…basically any non-physical being I felt called to work with. I asked to be shown a way to a deeper understanding of how the Field worked. I also read loads of books and took classes and listened to scores of interviews of people in my field. I became an expert in this area and everything in my world changed.

My intuition expanded even more, I was able to fill my practice, earn more money, make better decisions for myself and create the life that I now have and love. It took a lot of healing and a lot of dedication, and while it’s still a journey for all, I’m able to help others streamline their experience.

I’ve taught intuitive development in many ways over the last several years and the Activate Your Superpowers Workshop is a real treat for me. It’s highly experiential, and you learn practical tools that you get to put to use immediately.

Here is what we cover:

Day One: Foundations of Psychic Development

  • The energy body: How to sense it, see it, feel it and why that’s important
  • Becoming an empowered (instead of overwhelmed) empath
  • Learn how to distinguish between Inner Wisdom and Fear
  • How to create a comprehensible and loving dialogue with Spirit

Day Two: Psychic Development II

  • Connecting with your guides and other spiritual beings, such as angels, archangels, and ascended masters
  • Tuning Into and using your psychic senses, such as clairvoyance, clairaudience, claircognizance, and clairsentience
  • How to use your psychic senses to receive information for yourself and others

Here’s what Rebecca Slaven had to say about my last workshop:

“My impressions from the beginning were that I was going to power up or level up. I know that I was going to leave a better person from this experience. Throughout the class I felt so connected and guided to this higher level of understanding. It was wonderful and more than I could have imagined. Working with Janet was like working with a soul mother or guide. I felt immediately embraced and known when I met her for the first time. She has a great way of guiding her students to find their own truth. I feel energy more now. I trust myself more. I believe I am walking the path I am meant to be on. I also know that I am going through a very major transformation. It has been a major energetic shift in my field. I have also identified my guides and started understanding what they have meant to me throughout this lifetime. Thank you, Janet! You are an amazing gift to this world.”

We all have the ability to power up our intuition, just as Rebecca did. It is within us, our divinely given guidance system, and when we learn to enhance it and work with it instead of against it, we are able to live our life with more flow and ease. We are able to make better decisions in every area of our lives.

For me, I am more energized these days, I rarely get sick, and I usually know exactly what I need to do. This has been the game changer for me, and the reason that my life has shifted so extraordinarily over the last several years.

Intuitive development isn’t just about being “psychic,” though that part certainly is useful and fun. It’s about understanding our deepest truths and being able to align with them, both internally and externally. It’s an opportunity to understand how Spirit works with us and it’s a way for us to deepen our connection with our higher selves and the Divine to live a richer and more fulfilling life.

Nicole and Elizabeth both had powerful experiences as they shifted into understanding and working with their sensitivities. About the Activate Your Superpowers Workshop, Nicole shared:

The energy in the room was wonderful and I felt very comforted in the presence of like-minded individuals. The workshop was incredible! I have had a strong draw to Janet since the first time I saw her online and this connection led me to pursue further work with her. There is something very special about her; maybe it’s the empathy, the non-judgment and clear messages. It has given me a lot of hope and I trust her with all my heart. I have learned that the sensitivities that have plagued me my whole life are indeed gifts and I have developed deep self-compassion as a result. I understand that taking care of myself is not selfish – that it’s a gift to myself and those around me.”

And this is what Elizabeth shared about taking my online Activate Your Superpowers Course:

“I’ve read so many books on intuitive development, but none of them helped me as much as Janet’s AYS course. Getting the chance to practice engaging with my intuition in a safe, supported setting was invaluable, and Janet’s gentle guidance was the perfect container. I left the class feeling much more confident in connecting with my guides, understanding what my intuitive gifts are and with a wonderful new set of tools. I’d highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to deepen their relationship with their own intuition and with their spiritual guides.”

Are you ready to activate your superpowers?

Click HERE for more information and to register for this fun-filled, practical and transformative workshop.

There is nothing in the world that can’t improve once you align with the power of your gifts!

Much love,
Janet

Janet Raftis

About Janet Raftis

Janet Raftis is an energy healer and psychic medium with over 12 years experience helping others to heal and release outdated patterns of belief so that they may transition out of areas in which they feel stuck and into the life they truly desire.

Read more at janetraftis.com

10 Ways to Live Life Fully

Mandy Roberts 10 Ways to Live Life Fully

1. Face your fears.
2. Always open your heart.
3. Don’t be afraid of falling.
4. Play.
5. Listen deeply.
6. Give whatever you do 100%.
7. Breathe.
8. Look people in the eye.
9. Be ok with not being perfect.
10. Don’t be afraid to get dirty

Photo by Ross Oscar Knight

todos santos dreamcatcher mandy roberts

About Mandy Roberts

The inspiration and driving force behind Atlanta’s FORM {yoga} Mandy is always learning, adapting and growing. As a studio owner Mandy has built a beautiful, inclusive community that focuses on empowerment, trust and connection. As a single mom Mandy leads by example teaching her two kids to (playfully) grab life by the horns and to live life to the fullest. And as a yoga teacher and retreat leader Mandy encourages her students to face their fears while exploring humility, playfulness and laughter.

Read more at mandyrobertsyoga.com

AHO

women weekend retreat Elohee Retreat Center

This spring I co-lead a Women’s Weekend Retreat in the north Georgia mountains with my dear friend and sweet soul sister Shari L. Fox. Months of dreaming and planning led all 26 of us to journey northward and meet at the Dahlonega Spa Resort just 90 minutes outside of Atlanta.

Women's Weekend Retreat

A menagerie of women from all walks of life came together: mothers with their daughters, two groups of sisters, longtime friends, new friends, solo travelers, students of mine from FORM {yoga}, guests of Shari’s past retreats through Soul Nourish Retreats, and a few women who had never met Shari or myself.

As each woman arrived you could see so much beauty in their bravery. Each of them showing up with some hint of uncertainty about what the weekend will hold.

Women's Weekend Retreat

In our first circle we each selected one person we didn’t know and we sat and took turns truly listening to the other as we each told our story. Nervous laughter lifted the room when Shari announced that next that each person would introduce their new friend to the group and say a little something about them. We each took turns holding the talking stone to introduce our friend over laughter and a captive audience. This exercise in deep listening set the tone for the weekend, the ice was broken. We commenced to dive deeper into our sister souls with each passing hour.

Women's Weekend Retreat

Over the course of this weekend we connected with deeply rooted layers of trust and vulnerability. We learned together, created art together, sang together, meditated together, yoga’ed together (both on and off the mat), and had a couple of impromptu dance parties.

Together we shared wine, tears, laughter, laughter through tears (this is for Pam and all my Steel Magnolia loving friends).

Women's Weekend Retreat

We shared stories and truths in the circle, in the hot tub, and as we lay dozing off to sleep at night.

More than anything, together we showed up with pure presence, perfectly imperfect and in doing so we wove a powerful and moving experience for each woman there. We created memories, friendships and deep bonds that will last us a lifetime. And this my friends, is what life is all about.
Ahhhh-fucking-ho

Women's Weekend Retreat

Interested in your own magical women’s weekend? Join Shari and Mandy July 22-24, 2016 for our Summer Women’s Weekend Retreat. Check out the Soul Nourish Retreats website for more information or to register.

Big thanks to Linden Tree Photography for the beautiful images above.

todos santos dreamcatcher mandy roberts

About Mandy Roberts

The inspiration and driving force behind Atlanta’s FORM {yoga} Mandy is always learning, adapting and growing. As a studio owner Mandy has built a beautiful, inclusive community that focuses on empowerment, trust and connection. As a single mom Mandy leads by example teaching her two kids to (playfully) grab life by the horns and to live life to the fullest. And as a yoga teacher and retreat leader Mandy encourages her students to face their fears while exploring humility, playfulness and laughter.

Read more at mandyrobertsyoga.com

One Simple Rule

one simple rule yoga life

One Simple Rule

  1. Bury the idea of perfection. It doesn’t exist.
  2. Be kind, especially to yourself (see rule number 1).
  3. Don’t get caught up in what others think of you
  4. (see rule number 1).
    Eat that second (or third) slice of pizza, and enjoy it.
  5. (see rule number 1).
  6. When you mess up always say you are sorry, and mean it
    (see rule number 1).
  7. Laugh at yourself, a lot (see rule number 1).
todos santos dreamcatcher mandy roberts

About Mandy Roberts

The inspiration and driving force behind Atlanta’s FORM {yoga} Mandy is always learning, adapting and growing. As a studio owner Mandy has built a beautiful, inclusive community that focuses on empowerment, trust and connection. As a single mom Mandy leads by example teaching her two kids to (playfully) grab life by the horns and to live life to the fullest. And as a yoga teacher and retreat leader Mandy encourages her students to face their fears while exploring humility, playfulness and laughter.

Read more at mandyrobertsyoga.com