Fit For a Goddess has truly changed my life. I am such a stronger person mentally and physically than I was before. Not only do I feel like I have a stronger mindset, I feel like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. I developed self-discipline and healthy habits, which is what I needed to balance out my life and accomplish my goals. I have grown so much that I would like to share my experience with you all.
Before Fit For a Goddess, I was very shy and did not have much confidence at all. I felt old and boring being a mom, and had lost my purpose in life. By going to Fit For a Goddess, I learned how to be sexy and confident which led me to finding myself. The instructors were so nice and encouraging in every class. They never gave up on me, no matter how long it took me to get a move and they were understanding and accommodating to my schedule when unforeseen circumstances arrived in my life and needed to be dealt with. As I started getting better at my moves over time, I noticed in the mirror how I was also gaining muscle and a hot body!!! Woah!!!
Pole fitness can be intimidating at first! The positive energy Gina set for her instructors and students played a great role in my ability to overcome my fears and keep going. All the instructors at Fit For a Goddess are positive and motivating towards each other and their students. There is no competition. They remind you to go at your own pace, and that everyone takes different amounts of time to reach certain goals. They encourage you to keep going and to not give up! This is a mindset I took home with me and have been successful in other areas of my life because of it.
Along with my new habit of being positive, I developed habits of a healthy mindset. Not only were the instructors great at establishing consistent exercise habits, they were also consistent in promoting respect for self and others. This requires strength and power of the mind. Through this practice we were able to bring out our inner goddess and be comfortable in our own skin. Confidence and respect towards others created fun trusting friendships.
Growing with the Fit For a Goddess instructors and other students has been an amazing experience. Gina Ogitani is one hell of a boss babe, an amazing leader and a great role model. The instructors at Fit For a Goddess are all encouraging and inspiring in their own unique way. I have made lifelong friends, and having their encouragement along each class has made me realize the strength of teamwork and the true value of women empowerment. I will always cherish our unforgettable moments, like hearing friends scream in excitement after nailing a new move after weeks of practice, and laughing together at funny fails.
Pole fitness at Fit For a Goddess was totally new for me and very inspiring on so many levels. I learned that positivity and consistency gets results. I am motivated more than ever to maintain a healthy fit lifestyle and to work toward my goals. I also learned the true value of friendship and quality of life that comes with it. I will keep growing from the inside out, and will continue to empower other women for the rest of my life as a future pole fitness instructor.
Trixie Ann Clayton
Thank You Gina!!!
Wow, how has pole changed my life? It completely revived who I am. Working 7 days a week, I forgot how to have fun. Also, going through a divorce I lost my confidence, feminism, and happiness. I was introduced to pole from a girlfriend. This was something I never thought that I would do. First off, I never thought of myself as a dancer, or sexy, let alone the connotations you think of when you hear pole dancing. But what I realized from the first class, was that I can be both of those traits in my own personal way. Learning a few moves from the instructors, I started to gain confidence dancing and letting my “sexy” out. By taking control of my own womanhood, I realized how important it is for all women to be happy in their own skin, and to define what sexy means to them. We all want to feel “sexy”. Pole has given me the way to be that for me. I also love to work out. Pole is a combination of a great work out and “sexy” combined. I found happiness and way to express myself through pole. All women should try it and allow our inner “sexy” to gain the confidence to come out. Today we are the youngest we will ever be.
Anonymous
I love coming to Fit For A Goddess! I love that there are all types of different women who come here and everyone is so encouraging. I would feel intimidated if everyone here were professionals, but there are people at all different levels. I also like that the people in the higher levels help you out in class, too.
The reason why Fit For A Goddess changed my life is because ever since I was a child I’ve had sleeping problems. I could never take a nap and falling asleep at night has always been a struggle. To make it worse, I have a 3 ½ year old son who still wakes me up every night! I’ve tried everything you can think of from melatonin, chamomile tea, etc, but nothing worked. I’ve even had to resort to taking Z-Quil, but I tried my best not to take it because I don’t want to take sleep aid medication and have it become a habit.
At the very first class I attended, we started off by stretching. It wasn’t till then that I realized how out of shape I was. I couldn’t even open my legs and lean forward while sitting. My hamstrings are so tight!
I wanted to get more flexible because I’ve been having so much fun learning how to pole and want to get better. After signing up for the unlimited plan, I signed up for the flexy classes and started learning how to stretch. I am so determined to learn to do the splits that one night I stretched before I went to sleep. As soon as I went to bed, I knocked out in minutes. I was so happy that the next night I decided to stretch again before I went to sleep. Again, I fell asleep right away! I have been doing this every night and it seriously has changed my life.
I know a lot of people don’t have these issues and have no problems with sleep. But living with this problem is like a curse and takes a toll on you. People would ask me if I’m stressed or if I have something on my mind that is not allowing me to fall asleep. The answer is no, I am not stressed out…I have always had this problem and the doctor said that many people suffer from sleep disorders.
I’ve been so happy with the results that I have been looking up more about stretching. I’ve learned that stretching is related to meditation because of the breathing techniques and it calms the mind. That seems accurate to me since it really relaxes me. I cannot thank Fit For A Goddess enough for giving me the gift of sleep. You have no idea how much it has helped me in my daily life. If I didn’t come to these classes, I still wouldn’t know about stretching and would continue to have sleep problems. Aside from the sleep, I enjoy going to these classes so much. I’ve made a lot of friends and feel like I’m getting back into shape. I’m still not even close to being flexible but continue to work on it.
Anonymous
Pole has definitely changed my life for the better, and I could not be happier than where I am now! Officially I started my pole journey about a year and a half ago in Boston, and I am proud to say that I am continuing it for 7 months (as of now) with Fit For A Goddess.
When I first moved to O’ahu, I was determined to continue my passion for pole dancing. At the same time, I was adjusting to the fact that I have moved away from my hometown for the first time. I did not know what to expect, since I was not much of a social butterfly and I felt a bit lonely without my friends back home.
Fit For A Goddess has been part of adjusting to my new living situation.
I was blown away by the amount of support and connection everyone, both instructors and students, had with each other. The community was warm and welcoming, and I definitely felt the love and aloha all around. In my time of coming to class, I find myself coming out of my shell slowly and getting to know my fellow goddesses. I am always in awe of their presence and what they each bring to class.In addition to that, I saw improvements in my strength (along with the immense soreness) and how far I got with being able to conquer personal obstacles in pole. This pole journey led me to embrace my femininity, which I did not do much of in my past, attending primarily male-dominated athletic activities. That experience was part of being better with self-acceptance, especially as someone who struggled with low self-esteem for a while. I learned to embrace the fierceness that helped shape my inner goddess.
Jessica Mae
Being in the fitness industry, I enjoy learning all types of physical activities. I’ve dipped my toes in Crossfit, Kickboxing, Hot Yoga–you name it, I’ve probably tried it. I was the average serial fitness class junkie. Despite learning an abundance of skills, I’ve never stuck with the activity for more than a mere month.
I thought pole would just be another notch in this “activity belt.” I suspected that I would only complete the first level. Now almost 8 months later, lo and behold I’m still here! As I make my way toward Level 5– Pole marks my longest, regularly participated sport since high school.
Pole has challenged me both physically and mentally: Goddess Guides gracefully whirl into what appears to be an effortless spin. “Alright, I think I can handle that.” I would think to myself. As I charged to the pole, my mind will become a blank. Where do my hands go? What do my hips do? You want me to do WHAT? The precision and control of muscles–some that I’ve forgotten about–are crucial to execute such moves. The GGs provided the strength, conditioning, and support to allow me to mimic their moves and love what I used to dread. Such moves provided a self confidence that has been difficult to find for ages!
Not only did pole have a tremendous fitness movement in my life, but it gave me a social impact. Moving back to Hawaii from the mainland, I found it difficult to meet new people. Every woman that I’ve met at FFG has been nothing but kind, encouraging, and inspiring. It’s tough to find an environment filled with women empowering other women, and I’m pleased to say that I immediately found it at FFG.
I’m so happy that I found Fit for a Goddess. I plan on continuing my pole journey to further push my boundaries and see what else my pole sisters and I can accomplish.
Thank you, FFG!
Alyssa S
A few months ago when I was looking for a belly dancing class, I ran across this site. I laughed at first but read some of the postings and watched a news article about the classes. It looked like a lot of fun so I called a friend and asked her to join me. With some encouragement, she figured, “why not!” After just the first class, we were both hooked! I signed up for the class thinking I just needed to get into shape physically. I was wrong. This class has taught me so much about myself and given me an inner strength that I had only pretended to possess until now. It gave me the opportunity to look inside and accept myself completely. I have kept the true me hidden away because I didn’t think people would like me otherwise. Pole dancing and the whole Fit For a Goddess experience, has given me the self-love and confidence to now feel worthy of my husband’s love. It has empowered me to be TRULY strong, not just pretend to be. I would recommend this class to anyone regardless of what kind of shape you’re in or whether or not you think you can do it. The real beauty is, it’s not just your body that you will be shaping!
Anonymous
Sorry I missed the last classes! I’ve been dealing with some medical issues recently, which prevented me from coming. I was especially disappointed that I couldn’t come to the last one! I do want to say that what I did learn in the class, and how I felt was wonderful. I love what you are doing for women’s self-esteem and self-empowerment.
Take care, Jamie
It is hard to find people out there like you! I am so happy to be part of this circle of women! It is truly a breath of fresh air and quite an inspiration! This whole experience has been uplifting and inspiring. I am so grateful for your knowledge and love that you share, which in turn brings unity to your groups. You should be proud!
Lots of love, Lauli’a
I just wanted to say thank you again for showing me how to reawaken my inner goddess. Last Friday I auditioned for a community college production and we had to move sensuously at one point. I incorporated a few movements I learned in class and it paid off because I ended up with the most sensuous character in the play. 🙂 Hopefully I’ll be able to take Level 2 next semester. Thanks again.
Hope all is well! Michelle
Just wanted to let you know that I’ll be taking Level 4 again. It’s been a healing journey for me taking these classes. They keep me grounded physically, spiritually& mentally.
Anonymous
I wanted to tell you that I’ve really enjoyed taking your class (I look forward to it every Saturday) and I’ve recommended it to my girlfriends and co-workers! I really feel it has improved my mood and has helped me to laugh easier, de-stress, and loosen up (my boyfriend thanks you – I come home from class happy and smiling, and it has eased a lot of tension in our house). Also, the week you were sick, Tracy did a really great job leading class – with her good energy and attitude, she’s a great instructor! You can really feel confident about your staff!
Thank you, Tiffany
As an apprentice teacher, when sharing my thoughts on what Fit For a Goddess has done for me to a class at the beginning of each series, I usually talk about my gymnastics background, how I love playing on my new apparatus, the confidence building aspect of the class, and the great women I’ve met… blah blah blah. While that is all true, it is much deeper for me actually. I haven’t shared that side of it because it is so personal. I do want to share it with you now and I wouldn’t mind it being posted on the web site. I guess I’m ready to be open about it. I find it truly amazing that a pole dancing class cannot only transform someone physically by way of exercise, but on the inside as well. Who would have thought! I started this journey for the exercise and to relive my childhood dream of becoming a great gymnast, ha ha (I do love the athletic aspect to the pole), but something else happened… I found my self worth! Once upon a time, I was married to a man that physically and emotionally abused me. He took my self-esteem, what little self worth I had at the time, and my dignity. I can’t begin to tell you how I felt inside when I finally ran away from that marriage. I was an emotional mess. It has been a long process of self-analysis and lots of healing these last 4 years. When Kimberly introduced me to this class she really helped me more than she knows (I should probably tell her that). This class has helped me feel good about myself again, I have the self worth that I know I should posses. I’m eager to date again as I was seriously gun shy and afraid of men for the last 4 years. But now I can date and I can walk away from people that aren’t worth it. I refuse to settle for anything less than what I deserve. It feels so wonderful to feel good about myself. I honestly don’t know if I ever have felt this good about me until this class. I walk the world differently, head up high. I want to thank you for inviting me into your ‘sacred circle’ of great women! I love what you have created and I am so honored to be a part of your team. I get great pleasure in helping woman find their inner goddess and I hope I can help transform women as well as you have for many years to come.
Much Love and Aloha, Brandie
I wanted to thank you for all you have done for me. Thank you for being open to talk about the things we discussed, for listening to me, and giving me so much of value for my private lessons. I also want to say, I think your classes are great. It is wonderful learning how to move so sensually, feeling the camaraderie of the other women in the group, and really celebrating our feminine nature. You are doing something really wonderful for your community and for the world.
Sincerely, Mary-Helen