Jill Ratner:  Owner/Instructor  220 hour Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance (RYT-220)

I began practicing yoga in 2004 when I was in my late 20's.  Living in Pittsburgh at the time, I was working as a recruiter/headhunter in the finance and accounting industry.  A Baptiste style yoga studio called Amazing Yoga opened around the corner from my house, and I decided to check it out.  I was immediately hooked and started coming to class 5 days a week. 

As a kid, I played competitive tennis and softball until I went to college. I didn't grow up as a gymnast or a dancer and wasn't flexible at all!  But the more yoga I practiced, the more flexible I became.  The physical intensity of the practice is what initially drew me in, but after practicing for about 6 months, I learned to incorporate my breath into my practice, and found myself in a whole different place, both on and off my mat.  My yoga practice allowed me to take a "time out" from my stressful sales job, in addition to the stress of trying to get pregnant, which at the time, seemed like was never going to happen.  I was able to reconnect with myself and find balance each time  I came to my mat.  Focusing on breath and letting go allowed my mind and body to relax.  Yoga has helped me to cope with life's daily stressors, the challenges of motherhood, in addition to major life events including the death of my childhood best friend.  

I discovered so many benefits from practicing yoga:  empowerment, peace of mind, flexibility, strength, patience, perspective, self-inquiry, mindfulness...the list goes on.  In time, I was passionate to share the practice of yoga with others, so I decided to get certified to teach.  In the summer of 2015, Empower Yoga in East Cobb was offering a Baptiste inspired teacher training.  In December 2015, after 5 months of training, I received my 220 hour certification with Yoga Alliance.  I immediately began teaching group classes out of my home, and Om Base was born!  When I am not teaching yoga, I am often practicing yoga, reading about yoga, creating a new class sequence, or making a playlist for a class.  Yoga is my passion and what I consider to be my home base, where I can always come back, reset and begin again.