Practitioners
Anya Gordon, RYT, CCA, Director
“When we honor what is present, what we need becomes available.”
Anya has been deeply involved in the workings of the body for the better part of 20 years. As a competitive gymnast and professional dancer she saw first-hand the effects of an imbalanced body. She grew up in a household which was deeply rooted in the mind body connection and learned at an early age what it meant to be present. At the age of 15 she discovered the practice of yoga that most suited her and began to explore a more integrated approach to movement. It was through this process that she learned the fundamentals of balance and how the treatment of her body directly effected the experience of her environment.
Anya began teaching yoga over six years ago and has since focused on the therapeutic aspects of many movement based modalities. She has had the pleasure of studying with a variety of teachers in a variety of styles; from vinyasa with Shiva Rea to Iyengar with Portland’s own Julie Gudmestad. Her approach is simple: to have as many tools as possible available, to learn how each client lives in their bodies, and to design the best possible program from all she has at her disposal. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the individual.
Anya lives in North Portland with her husband, 2 boys and 2 dogs; life is rich with possibility.
Amy Armstrong, RYT, IMT
Amy passionately believes that yoga is a tool for empowerment and healing that is beneficial to all and should be accessible to all. Yoga can help each one of us navigate a path through our tumultuous world, creating an atti
tude of compassion and strength within each practitioner. Yoga not only restores and maintains the physical body, but allows us to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Yoga can help us meet our greatest challenges in life with awareness and grace.
Amy has taught group and private yoga classes since 2004, with a continuous focus on a breath-centered, heart-centered practice of personal transformation. Amy teaches yoga in a highly adaptable and responsive way, recognizing that the relationship between teacher and student, or therapist and client, is a partnership. She draws on her extensive training in yoga, yoga therapy, anatomy, and yoga philosophy to offer an experience of healing that fits each unique client.
Amy is a certified practitioner of Integrated Movement Therapy®, a yoga-based therapeutic modality that can benefit individuals of all ages who are experiencing all kinds of challenges. IMT is based on three fundamental beliefs: 1) you are already perfect and whole, 2) you are unlimited in your potential for healing, and 3) no part of your body, mind, spirit or brain works alone. A therapy session with Amy incorporates both the physical and philosophical practices of yoga with contemporary clinical interventions to alleviate a client’s suffering and increase overall well being. For more information about Integrated Movement Therapy, visit The Samarya Center.
After five years as a full-time yoga teacher, Amy now teaches only part-time in order to focus her energy on her young family. Amy’s primary work, and primary joy, is being a mom to her exceptional son, Archer.
Dr. Jason Lindekugel, DC
Dr. Jason Lindekugel, DC is an expert in the area of pain management and physical medicine. His focus is on the relationship between the spine, posture, exercise and the health of whole body. He particularly enjoys working with individuals suffering from chronic, long-standing conditions. His expertise has led him to positions as massage instructor at East West College, teaching the anatomy portion of the Portland Anusara Yoga Immersion, acting as physician for the Portland Marathon and the first Coeur d’Alene Ironman competition. Concordia Chiropractic Center was also chosen as one of 10 clinics for a 5-year, multicenter study on the effects of chiropractic on chronic low back pain. This, study which ended in the spring of 2010 was developed by the University of Western States and the National Institutes of Health.
In his free time, Dr. Jason can be found going to yoga/crossfit/fulcrum fitness classes and playing with his children; Elliot 5, and Francis 2.
Elementum Yoga & Integrative Therapy Studio is located at
2368 NW Thurman St., Portland, OR 97210