Saturday, January 15th is FREE class day!

We will be offering 3 classes:

9:30am – 11:00am – 4:00pm

Each session is limited so sign up online today to reserve your spot!

Attend a free session and take advantage of up to 40% discounts on personal yoga sessions.  Offer is good that day only!

It is never easy to be one of the first few to head the march; what ever it may be for. At Elementum we are working very hard to move the work that we do into the light of day. We are fighting to remove the barriers and bring together the best that all the minds, hearts and spirits have to offer. We had out first of many ventures into the big bad world of integration this last week and it was a success. As anything worth doing should, it got my mind turning. The way we look at health is seeming to be reflected in the way we do everything else in this culture. We want the biggest bang for our buck, the fastest recovery available and there is not much consciousness of the consequences. We talk often about the concept of bringing together mind, body and spirit but what is the practical application for that? What does that look like in a real live human being, with all that is required of us, with all we have to carry on a daily basis. I recently had a friend and colleague comment on my passion for concept of personal sustainability and my seeming lack of it in my own life. I wonder often how to bring all that I love and all that is required of me together in one place. How, when life is a relentless litany of needs to attend to, and almost none of them my own, can I claim sustainability or whole health for that matter? This is the question is it not? This is where true health lies and believe me the concept is just as applicable in clinical settings as it is on a cushion in a meditation center. I have recently had the opportunity to learn from Carolyn Myss and one of the main concepts that she discusses is the idea of identification. What parts of our selves we choose to identify with play a huge role in who and how we are. Weather we are talking about cancer or stress, there is a part of every body, every mind, that has been untouched. In the cancer patient there are healthy cells working to maintain all that they are in charge of. In the stress case such as myself there are parts of my mind and heart that are not exhausted. There are parts that are passionate, and vibrant and full of peace. One of the fundamental concepts of any mind body practice is we choose who and what we associate with. We choose the healthy cells and the vibrant mind and that becomes who and what we are. Part of that personal sustainability is determining where we can make a choice, and making it. It is not about willing the cancer away; medicine is a critical part of healing. At Elementum we support that process by working with all our cells, healthy and damaged; all our thoughts, positive and negative; and we learn to make choices. This is medicine folks. We are complete beings in need of complete care. Join us in our effort to bridge the gaps and take back some ownership of our own well being.

Some days are harder than others, today was a doozy. Our current manifestation of reality is a scary one pretty much across the board. No judgements here please, but I have made a personal practice of not paying much attention to the news. I know, I know…. We must all be informed, we must all be outraged; and believe me I am. I just choose not to spend a great deal of time there as it seems to raise my blood pressure, all yoga aside. I don’t mind telling you this, as cyberspace and I have become close over this past year; 2 weeks ago my precious family had quite a scare. Our youngest son, whom I have spoken of in the past had a fall. It still hurts even to write the words, but for a moment, maybe the longest moment of my life, we thought we had lost him. It was perhaps the most desperate and desolate I have ever been. I could fill this post with that experience but like the news, it happened and I am choosing ( more slowly than I would like ) not to live there. My preference is to live in his smile, in his thunder thighs and in the melting of his little being into mine through out the day. To be clear, we are blessed. He is brighter than ever and recovering beautifully. This experience however, has brought out more than I knew was there. I am in general someone who recovers quickly. I can take a beating and keep going. Perhaps it is my age, perhaps it is specific to the event but I seem to be less bouncy than I would have expected. I am sure there are some of you out there ( all 5 of you who read this ) who would say ” well DUHHHH!!! “. Thick? Maybe, but I am ok with that. I have been keeping up my practice and observing; listening; to my heart, my head, my spirit and my blessed body is translating it all. I have been shocked to see my self dive into the fear. I am suddenly afraid of so many things that did not phase me before. Recently I started partaking in the news again almost as if to feed that fear. Buddha knows there is enough to scare the pants off anyone who pays attention but why am I now seeking confirmation of this fear when what I should be doing is moving on from it. Honoring the profoundness of the experience, honoring the blessing that we received and basking in it. Fear holds such power. It is one of the most primal emotions, some argue it is the only one. It holds so many hostage in so many ways. I believe in my heart it is one of the worst places to live from and ironically it is the most common. We encourage it as a culture. We prey on it. We cultivate it. It creates isolation and scarcity when what we need most is to come together. I have found myself wanting nothing more than to “drop off the grid” as they call it; go hide in my cave and protect only my family. My dear friends this is the very crux of the problem. Out of fear, we have abandoned each other. In a desperate race to save ourselves and those we love we have lost sight of everything and everyone else. Having felt perhaps the deepest fear I could imagine, I have a new understanding of “desperate measures”. What I would have done to save what I hold most dear I will keep to myself, as it paints a picture of the desperate underbelly that I am currently fighting against. I honor all aspects of what is human. Even the darkness has value, if not only to to show us light. Our practice teaches us union; togetherness, one song, one sound. It teaches us to honor the dark, bur seek the light. In this time of fear and of what seems to be so much scarcity, don’t abandon each other. I am ( maybe embarrassingly )  pleading with you, show up to your mat, to your children, to your friends and your lovers. If we turn our backs now, if even one of us gives up, it gives everyone permission to do the same. Hold me accountable, hold each other accountable. Ask for and expect greatness out of each and every person you know and love. Now is not time t hold back, it is time to give every thing you have; the very most in the moments where you feel you have noting left to give. I realize that I am spewing cliches like a bad romance novel and you can roll your eyes all you want; but don’t ignore the message  because it is badly wrapped. I am so blessed to practice among you; some on mats, some on play dates and some for drinks in the hood. I would not ask if I did not know we were all up to the challenge. It is time to move past the fear, to move past the desperation and isolation. It is time to show up and I will say again, it is up to us to do this; not only ourselves, but for all those who can’t find their voice. The time is now. We simply must!

Awash in the glow of yoga, it is a beautiful thing. 10:30 pm on a Friday night and I am just finishing my practice. Not the practice of my day, or parenting, or teaching or being a student or wife, but an honest to goodness practice. Right there on my living room floor, no mat, no candles and a lot of dog hair. This is life folks; it’s not always pretty, but oh the joy…. For the first time in my 15 years of practice; and I am about to reveal yet another choice piece of contradiction here; I truly, in my bones, understand the phrase    ” the teacher within”. I say it after every class and to be fair, I understand the concept. My brain can wrap itself around the notion that we learn often most deeply by observing and sitting with ourselves. But tonight; in this glorious pile of dog hair and living room yoga, I felt not just me observing myself, but rather my teacher. That part of my being, NOT my mind, that moves beyond what I know. That part that breaks the bounds of ego and truly guides you. I think we all attend class for many reasons. The community, the force of group energy and maybe most importantly, the desire to be guided. Wow is that desire strong. If only we could give the freedom we fight so diligently for, to someone with all the answers. And how often we do just that. We assume our own inadequacy. Please believe me, ( I now, to the core of my being, believe myself ) when I say that guide exists in you. Come to class. Allow yourself to be guided; guided by the force of the group, by the yogi breathing next to you, by the teacher, by the experience. But  know, it is not because you are incapable. You are the guide, you are the embodiment of that powerful Om, that resonant sound of the universe. Bring palms together and to heart center; take your moment, and bow to the teacher within…

We welcome some new and amazing practitioners in the coming weeks. They will expand our therapeutic services to include a unique yoga therapy called Integrated Movement Therapy. This approach, developed at the Samarya Center in Seattle WA, can be used from infancy through adulthood and addresses the many challenges life can set before us from depression to degenerative and life threatening conditions. It is an exciting step for Elementum to take in its effort to provide a comprehensive and all inclusive practice of yoga.

In other news from our filtered water spigot, come and make use of our private courtyard and practice some yoga in the great Portland outdoors before we are called in for the season.. Any class can take to the sunshine if we are graced with her presence. We look forward to seeing you on the mat and in the community..

Our little community project or studio as it is more often called had it’s first “moment” today. Not earth shattering but exciting none the less. The lovely people at Portland Picks were kind enough to come experience a class in our space and with our “people”; you all, that is. After spending so much time developing the intention behind this entity I must admit, I was curious to see what an outsider, of sorts, would have to say. What words would it evoke, and what would it look like, on paper ( e-paper, but still… ) through un-biased eyes. I read it several times this morning, taking it in, looking between the lines and picking apart every strand. I wanted to close my eyes and see what she saw. After about the 25th time through, it struck me. In the simplest of terms; what she saw was us. All the faces that I have come to know and love. All the bodies that have done me the honor of showing up to the mat, time and time again.

It is easy to lose sight of the blessings that we have when the daily struggle is so great. It seems as though there is a new horror every day; from catastrophic oil spills, to families losing their homes, to entire countries being leveled by earthquakes, you name it, it’s out there. And the problems are so grand, so much bigger than life, where do we begin. I had forgotten, just for a moment, that we begin where we are; we begin on our mats. What we do through our practice, as students and as teachers, matters. Every time we share that space, that collective breath, we make a difference. For a moment, we envelope each other in strength, in hope, in union. We reach out with that breath and expand beyond our little corner of the world. I had forgotten the power of Prana, the innate life force. What we give in our moments of yoga is profound; it changes us, and those around us. I had forgotten. What grace, to be reminded.

” What are you struggling to balance in your life? ” Jason Magness of the YogaSlackers asked me as I joined the group for our workshop in the park. I let out a laugh which inadvertently turned into an embarrassing guffaw!! Seriously? Wow, how would I even begin to answer that question in a way that did not open up my brain and dump all my most intimate thoughts into this circle of “happy go lucky” yogis. I quickly began to edit the drivel in my head and tried to come up with something clever. If you have ever read any of my other posts you will know how I feel about the notion of balance and whether or not it is attainable, so I will not bore you with that here, however what I did not know at the start of this adventure was that I would discover a new and profound definition of it all together.. We started with a quick warm up on the grass embracing all that was around us from baseball games to fly balls and kids crying; my kind of yoga!!! At last, some kindred spirits encouraging us to bring our surroundings in rather than block them out. Already I was in love and feeling right at home. Now perhaps this will discredit my yogi status, but again, if you have read any of my other posts the damage has already been done; I am often-times owned quite completely by my ego, particularly when it comes to feats of the body, and I do not like doing things that I am not good at. But alas, I had organized this insanity and I had to jump in. In short, it changed me. Strong statement, perhaps, as it was only a 3 hour workshop, but there are times when the universe converges to bring you just what you need; this was one of those times. I have a pretty loose definition of balance in general and it is something I have explored for many years. Despite this looseness I still attach a structure to it. I still have expectations and assumptions with regards to what it looks and feels like. It was a little disorienting to discover that my assumptions were as rigid as they were. I teach flow of all kinds, in life, in love and in yoga but how much of this was I living?? I lead a busy life like most. 2 young ones, full time school and the studio all demand much from me, and I have formed my habits, picking up and setting down, (more likely dropping in a large messy heap ) moving forward and talking the talk of someone who lives and breathes flexibility.

Time to get on the lines. 5 slacklines were set up between trees and posts in the park, surrounding us on all sides with the treacherousness of our assumptions. Time to let go. The ground was no longer what we knew it to be; not solid, not something we could sink our teeth into or even expect to stay under foot. Anything you tried to hold on to would cause an earth-shattering shaking, and chances of recovery were slim. But there were moments… There were moments of stillness that overtook the shaking, the gripping and the resistance. I would pull into my center, release what I thought was my holding, but there was still more. My resistance poured fourth like a river that had been dammed. How had I not noticed? How had I been holding so tightly and not noticed? With all that I was trying to juggle, I had grasped for control, subtly and over time. It had gone undetected. It was time to walk the line; to take a breath and let go; because when you are balancing on next to nothing, giving in to the profound force of nature, is the only way.

Welcome to our first Family Night event! Bring your family, a mat, your sense of humor, and a desire to share your practice with your loved ones and your community!

Two half-hour sessions of led practice in the studio, with some fun partner playtime in between. First led session starts at 4:15, second session at 5 :15.

Maintain center in the midst of chaos, laugh as you lose balance, steady yourself as you regroup, enjoy the unpredictable nature of practicing with the ones you love.

Space is limited, so please RSVP by June 8 to info@elementumnw.com. We will be waiting for you all!

–Family Night at Elementum (2368 NW Thurman), Saturday, June 12 from 4-6 p.m. Suggested donation $20.00 per family.–

Space is necessary. Space is a commodity. Space is gold!!!! Sometimes it seems to be the hardest thing to find. Also, the very last thing that we look for. We work hard for money, we work hard for stuff, we seem to be able to find time; what is so elusive about space? Maybe we don’t know what can be held there; maybe we think it has to be immense to be of use–maybe, I don’t know–but over and over again I see people so crowded in on themselves. We are hoarders of our own baggage.

Is it this baggage that defines us, the accumulation of each and every experience that shapes who we are and where we sit in the world? Makes perfect sense that we would want to hold it. Like photos of our childhood, our first loves, the first place we called home, or the beginnings of the families we have created; we hold these experiences perhaps for fear of losing something. What a beautiful thing nostalgia is, right?

What I will ask is this; the next time you have cause to re-live a prized moment in your history, close your eyes. Breathe in the feeling of your body, the rhythm of your pulse and the sweetness of that memory. It lives in your very skin. We hold for fear of losing something that, we can not lose–who we are, the foundation that was built by our first kiss, our first love, our first loss, and whatever else you can think of, lives in each and every cell of our bodies. It shows in the glow of our smiles, the depth of our tears and the roots of our breath. It is something that we can never lose.

So let there be light. We move our bodies and take in each breath, to let in light; space! It is space that gives rise to compassion; space that gives us energy to love; space that feeds clear judgement and space that allows us to be, all those things that we have spent so many years creating.

It is not the holding of these moments, but rather the letting go, which allows us to live our experiences; to be the mother, the father, the husband or wife, the teacher, the student, the lover and the loved. Without the simple act of creating space within ourselves, those pieces can not find their way. So we breathe in and out; we stretch our muscles, move our bones and we put down our baggage, piece by piece. We let in the light, and through the tiniest of cracks; we make space.

The only thing that remains constant is change!

Heather Rice is moving on, but has left us with many a great gift, and we were blessed to have shared some time and space with her. Thank you, Heather, for your support!

The amazing and talented Dana Levy has joined the full-time staff and we are looking forward to all that she has to share.

Stay abreast of the new schedule and classes, new teachers, and the wonderful workshops we have in store, all of which will be posted on our calendar and announced through our blog.

The outdoor practice space is patiently awaiting the warm weather and, when it makes an appearance, as many of our classes as possible will move into the great outdoors. This means no more reason to put your yoga practice on the back burner for summer! We can enjoy all the beauty that Portland has to offer and still spend some quality time on our mats. As a community practice space it is our wish to serve just that.

If there are things, classes, workshops, or events that you wish to see and participate in, please feel free to share your many thoughts through email: info@elementumnw.com or by phone: 971-275-7717.

It is, as always an honor and a pleasure to share your practices with you each and every week and we look forward to doing so far into the future.