Rekindle the Roots

Hello, Fire Starters! Death Cafe is being facilitated by my friend Courtney and her colleague, Pamela. You'll be in excellent hands. All details below!

Please join us for Death Cafe to openly discuss death and dying in a nonjudgmental space with the hope of destigmatizing these inevitable events within an overtly death phobic society.

From the Death Cafe Website:
At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death.

Our objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'.

A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.

Our Death Cafes are always offered:
- On a not for profit basis (donations are gratefully accepted)
- In an accessible, respectful and confidential space
- With no intention of leading people to any conclusion, product or course of action
- Alongside refreshing drinks and nourishing food – and cake!”

Facilitated by two Death Doulas, Courtney Ponsford and Pamela Rathbun.

When: Saturday, June 21st from 2- 3:30 PM

Where: The Way Home Studio
8435 SE Stark Street
Portland, Oregon 97216

Bring your curiosities, experiences, fears and an open mind as we bravely explore together the one true guarantee in life.

Tea and cookies served

Donations gratefully accepted to support the costs of hosting the conversation

RSVP here on Meetup or text Courtney at 360.910.6493

Shamanic Stretch is a self-care, therapeutic movement class designed to help you connect with your most Natural Self. In this class we’ll explore how to listen to the body and intuitively give into what it's craving through deep stretching, self-massage, breathwork, sound healing, and ecstatic-somatic movement. This class will provide you with a safe container to remember what it means to be wild, free, and fully embodied. The practice itself is guided but very much self-led as far as the quality and intensity of activity. Think of this experience as a "Choose Your Own Adventure Story". Shamanic Stretch is for ANY BODY, ALL genders, ages 18 and up. Movements and stretches can easily be modified for anyone with injuries or physical limitations.

Soma Stretch is a therapeutic movement and breathwork practice that focuses on the body's sensations and experiences. It involves exploratory movements that help to release tension, improve body awareness, and promote relaxation while integrating your mind-body connection. A perfect way to end the week!

This class is intended to encourage you to trust your body’s innate wisdom while empowering you to move in new dynamic ways. Throughout the class we’ll work with recorded music as we traverse various movement themes. The quality and intensity of these activities is completely up to the individual. Soma Stretch is accessible to ANY body and ALL experience levels. Activities can easily be modified to accommodate injuries or physical limitations.

Something to Ponder: Across all cultures, there was a time when we made music for one another, moved and danced for one another, more often than not, for the sake of healing and deepening our spiritual connection. When we bring in the energy of live music and sound alongside our journey practice, we remember.

The Shamanic Sound Journey experience is an opportunity to be immersed in live music; Rhythmic drumming, rattles, bells, and vocals, with the intention of entering an altered state of consciousness known as the ‘Shamanic State of Consciousness (SSC). This meditative trance state can range from very light to very deep and anywhere in between. It can be as light as a daydream, something that we can easily snap out of, to something so deep that we temporarily step out of ordinary reality. In this journey session, we’ll drop our stories, open ourselves up to the great mystery, and allow ourselves to take a ride.

What to Expect: This practice can be done completely still, seated or lying down comfortably. Some may find that allowing rhythmic movement like rocking, jostling, or shaking can help bring you into the SSC. While this will be a floor based practice (not standing), you will be free to move through any positions that feel supportive to you and your process, ie; seated on your bum, seated on your knees, being on all fours, or laying down in any position. As in many of my classes, you have the power to choose your own adventure, and I encourage you to trust the wisdom of your body throughout this experience.

Previous Experience: While no experience is necessary, it can be helpful if you already have an existing journey or meditation practice in place. If you don’t, this may feel a bit foreign at first but with consistency, dropping in will get easier over time. Alternatively, even if this work is completely new to you, it could feel like the most natural thing you’ve ever done! You just never know until you jump in.

If you already have an active meditation or shamanic journey practice in place and you’ve never experienced these practices under the influence of live music, get ready! On a personal level, I believe there are many ways to achieve the SSC state and I ask you to trust your own intuition. I invite you to bring along any tools and techniques that already work for you in your current practice.

Itinerary: The night will start off with some gentle movement, stretching, and breathwork as we get acquainted with one another and feel into the community dynamic. The sound journey itself will last roughly an hour, leaving us with thirty minutes of group integration time to connect and share before releasing the container.