Empowerment: to give power to; to make powerful

By: Nicole Deacon

Honestly, I haven't felt super empowered these last few months. 2020 was intense for all of us in different ways and for me it was throwing in a new baby, a new studio, mandatory shutdowns, more awareness of injustices and my contributions, and general end of world fears... needless to say I have not been feeling ready to take on the world.

I think one of the most disempowering things we do is not give ourselves room to be human. We have an instinctual drive for perfection and social media can feed the illusion that some people are only experiencing the "up" side of life and we are the only ones that don't have it all together. It is one of the things we try to empower our teachers in training with... that they don't have to have "perfect postures", a "perfect body", feel "perfectly at peace" and "in sync with the universe" all the time to be a teacher. From where we stand what makes a good teacher is someone who has a desire to grow, to learn, and to be of service to others. We spend a lot of time in training helping people discover the things that empower them so that they can share their light with others.

Can I tell you one of the things I discovered this year empowers me? Giving myself permission to be disempowered. Giving myself room to be Human. I had a challenging year with a lot of changes. When I just let myself be down for a little bit... recognizing that it is okay to not have it all together all the time... that feeling down doesn't disqualify me from being a teacher and owning studios. It is in that moment of acceptance I actually have the ability to engage with things that actually empower me. Then I can ask myself the question... what would give me power in this moment? In this circumstance what could I do to get a little bit more power? Is it just getting out of the house for a little while, being around positive people (even virtually), doing a hot class, a hot bath, screaming at the top of my lungs in the car, helping others, learning something new? The things that empower us will be unique to us and maybe different in different circumstances, but I do think it is important to know a few things that generally help you come back to your strength and power.

“Know what sparks the light in you. And then use that light to illuminate the world.” — Oprah

What are the things that light you up and cause you to be on fire? We would love to hear about it in the comments below.

5 Ways to Support Small Businesses through 2020

The Covid pandemic has had an effect on everyone at this point. It’s more important than ever to support your local businesses! Here are five ways you can help your local small businesses this holiday season!

1. Buy gift cards

One way to put immediate cash into your local small business is by purchasing a gift card for future use. You can save it and use it in 2021, while giving the local businesses immediate cash to help tide them over during this time.

Buy Foundry Gift Cards Now!

2. Shop local

When you need to stock up on necessities or buy Christmas gifts, shop from local businesses, both online and offline. Take the precautions when going out, but try to shop at local businesses instead of larger chains. If your local stores have online shops, consider shopping from them while you are at home!

Some of our favorite local AZ small businesses:
Balancing Paws Dog Training (Foundry member-owned)
Jemini Wild Spiritual Coach (Foundry member-owned)
Holy Healing Bali (Foundry member-owned)
Facials by Ann (Foundry member-owned)
Branded Bills (Foundry member-owned)
GemGirl Jewelry (Foundry member-owned)
PureKnead Massage (Foundry member-owned)
The Solossage System (Foundry member-owned)
Joshua Tree Running Company (Foundry member-owned)
Clover Canine Dog Training (Foundry member-owned)
Whole Steps Financial (Foundry member-owned)
Vida Moulin
UrbAna
Casita Curated Play
The Black Box
Vibrant Skin Bar
Honey Pot Wax Spot
Local Nomad

3. Order delivery or pickup from nearby restaurants

If you’re not up for cooking, order pickup or delivery from your nearby restaurants. That way, you can continue to support your local small businesses to help ensure you can dine-in at their location once the pandemic has passed. Try calling the restaurant or ordering directly from their website rather than third-party apps so the business can avoid fees.

Some of our favorite local-owned restaurants in Phoenix:
The Herb Box (Foundry member-owned)
Rito’s Mexican Food (Foundry member-owned)
Hop Doddy (Foundry member-owned)
Salty Sow (Foundry member-owned)

Some of our favorite local-owned restaurants in Flagstaff:
Fratelli Pizza
The Toasted Owl

4. Share on social media

If you can’t afford to go out or have sufficiently stocked up with what you need, encourage your friends and followers to support local businesses. Most small businesses have some form of social media. Share their posts so those in your circle can see it and support, too. This doesn’t cost you anything more than a click and it may encourage support from others in the community. If there’s a local business you frequent that you love, leave them a good review, which can lead to more potential customers and more business.

Here are our social media links!
Follow us for tips & tricks, giveaways, updates & inspo!
The Foundry Instagram
Foundry Flagstaff Instagram
The Foundry Facebook Page

5. Keep them in mind for the future

If you don’t need anything but are looking toward the future, take a look at some of your local small businesses’ online stores and make a note of where to shop when things calm down. Leave a helpful note to remind you, so when you’re ready to shop, that business will be the first to come to mind.

Welcome to Flagstaff!

We are so excited to announce…

the reopening of the beloved Bikram Yoga studio in downtown Flagstaff! There was so much love, sweat, and transformation that took place in this space and it is our great joy to reignite this fire once more. We have given the space a beautiful facelift (new studio rooms including new floors, paint, upgraded the bathrooms, locker rooms, lobby and more!).  

For those of you I have not yet met, my name is Nicole Deacon and I am the co-owner and founder of The Foundry AZ.  I did my first yoga Teacher Training in the fall of 2005. Since June of 2006 I have been running Hot Yoga Studios in the Phoenix area. My husband Andrew Miller was born and raised in Flagstaff. We are happy to call Flagstaff home now with our son, Bodhi, and our 3 dogs, Rootie, Bisbee & Copper.

We are so excited to open our 4th yoga studio in our new hometown! Our downtown Flagstaff location is next to Fratelli Pizza in the rock building, in the same parking lot as Beaver Street Brewery!

In addition to offering daily 26&2 hot yoga classes, our schedule will also include Hot Pilates, Hot Barre, Hot HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Meditation and Restorative Basic Yoga. The response from students at the Foundry locations in the Valley has been overwhelmingly positive to the addition of these specific modalities and it is our experience that they are each an exceptional compliment in their own right to the 26&2 hot yoga practice!

We hope that you will join our Foundry Family and help us make the Flagstaff studio a place that brings health, happiness, and transformation.  

Warmly,
Nicole

The Foundry Flagstaff
119 W. Phoenix Ave Unit 3
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928-774-5435

Register for classes by downloading our app - ‘The Foundry AZ’ for Apple or for Android.

Park & Studio Update 8-19-2020

Hello Foundry Fam!

As many of you have noticed, some gyms and studios around the valley have started to open. This past weekend we submitted our Covid-19 Procedures and Guidelines to the Arizona Department of Health. They are reviewing these case by case and we are very hopeful that our approval from AZDHS to reopen is coming soon! You will be the first to know! Our teachers and studios are ready and we can't wait to sweat with you again!

Due to City of Phoenix Park restrictions, we have moved a couple of our classes:
Starting tomorrow morning:
Thursdays 7am HIIT & Tuesdays 6pm Yogalates will be at Cactus Park

7202 E. Cactus Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
(NE Corner of Scottsdale Rd & Cactus)

We appreciate you and hope to see you at the park (or in a studio soon!)

Sincerely,
Nicole, Todd, Heidi Jo, Niki, and the rest of our Foundry Team