wellness resource list: movement & meditation

Portland comes alive with the sunshine of early Spring. Our bodies crave movement, warmth from the sun, and the electric energy that the combination brings. Our special task through this period of great change and time indoors, is to find ways to deliver that same springtime sensation to our bodies in new, more creative ways. I encourage you all to use this time as an opportunity for mindfulness. Check in with your body, listen to it’s messages, and try your best to give it what it requests. What is your intuition/your body/your inner voice calling out for in this moment? It may be a form of nourishing rest (sleep, meditation, gentle stretching) one day, movement/sweating (dancing, jumping jacks, an invigorating yoga flow) the next, or developing a deeper, loving practice for yourself. Below is a list of virtual offerings from local, small business practitioners that I hope will help in this connection, and deliver what your body needs, as your body needs it.

-Allison Riegel of Body Ceremony, Portland, Oregon - yoga/movement/meditation

www.bodyceremony.com , @bodyceremony on Instagram

Allison’s work “combines yoga therapy, holistic cooking, and creative practice as ceremonial interrelated healing modalities. I encourage slowness and spaciousness, cultivating fertile ground for transformation. Connection to the earthly body permeates my life and powerfully guides my work.”

I appreciate Allison’s grounded presence and nourishing embodiment practice so much. If you are an Instagram person, her beautiful daily dishes will delight and inspire - especially now. She is currently offering donation-based, Slow Flow and Yin yoga classes via Zoom, most days of the week. Check her website for more information.

-Tracy Broyles, Portland, Oregon - somatic practitioner/dance/meditation

www.tracybroyles.com , @mz.tkb on Instagram

“SEA Class, is a combination of meditation, movement and energy healing. It is physical training for energetic sensitivity. It highlights the holistic nature of; our creative spirit, our energy system (including our thoughts, beliefs and emotions) and our physical body.” For more information on classes and to learn about individual support,  visit Tracy’s website. Donations accepted ($10-$15 suggested- NOTA).

Mondays 9:30-10:45am - Improvised Dance Based
Wednesdays 12-1:15pm/Fridays 10-11am - Mat Based

Tracy is a friend, former coworker, inspiration and great somatic healer of mine. Her work, in all it’s forms, encourages embodiment for potent healing of a broad range of ailments. I am grateful for her and her work and I am so pleased to have her offerings available during this time.

-Niema Lightseed, LMT of Radical Well Being, Portland, Oregon - somatic bodywork/poetry/arts

www.radwellbeing.com , @niemalightseed on Instagram

Join Niema for “an experiment in togetherness across distance. A mindfulness-based movement practice (yoga, qi gong, dance & somatics) to help regulate our nervous systems and balance out all the sitting, plus reflective writing prompts to support self-awareness and integration, breathing practices, meditation, and poetry. Gentle to moderate intensity, mostly on the floor, all levels. NOTA, please contact me for the link if the $11 requested is not feasible for you. Mon/Th at 12pm PDT. Come as you are.”

Niema’s gifts lend to a fully supported session experience, whether in person or virtually. Body, mind, spirit, and beyond. Insightful and intuitive, Niema brings ease to clients through more modalities and techniques than one can list here. An inspiring human being that I am excited to introduce you all to, if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to connect with

-Brianna Gordon, LMT, Portland, Oregon - yoga/massage/dance

www.briannalynnpdx.com , @brianna_gordon_

Brianna is “excited to bring you digital yoga classes during this time of quarantine. With a background in massage therapy and dance, Brianna's yoga classes are infused with creativity and alignment to guide you towards a deeper connection with yourself. She is offering donation-based, weekly live-stream classes from her living room as well as for purchase, pre-recorded videos to keep. You are welcome to join in anytime.”

Brianna’s sweetness and presence is as healing as her bodywork and yoga practice. Visit her online for yoga now, and to receive loving touch through her massage, in the future.

-Krishna Avalon, M.AC, L.AC, Portland, Oregon - acupuncture/reiki/breathwork

www.krishnaavalon.com , @krishnaavalon on Instagram

Krishna is “an acupuncturist, breathwork facilitator, reiki practitioner/teacher, and holistic life coach. Currently I’m offering telemedicine and virtual sessions which include all or some of the following; breathwork to clear stuck emotion and trauma from your body, reiki to relax your nervous system and strengthen your immune system, meditation to ground you back into your energy, and life coaching that supports you living the life you wish to be in.”

I have yet to meet Krishna, or experience her work but she has been recommended to me by trusted practitioners and I am eager to encounter her greatness. As a reiki practitioner, and someone who cherishes the healing of both reiki and breath work in my personal life, having virtual sessions that incorporate both while from the comfort of my own home sounds like a wonderfully healing treat.