Our Story and Mission

Elk Rock values all levels, body friendly classes and we honor being healthy at any size. We are privileged to share an ancient practice and honor all eight limbs of yoga by offering educational experiences. We accept you where you are, while also supporting you to make positive change.

We foster compassion, connection and joy each time we practice yoga. Come join us!

Elk Rock Island is 12-acre seasonal island on the Willamette River formed 40 million years ago by a volcano, and walkable from our original location in Milwaukie during the dry season. Elk Rock Yoga was founded in 2016 and opened a Southeast Portland location in 2022. We closed the original location in 2023 and are currently thriving in Portland.

We acknowledge the ancestral lands upon which our studio now stands, and honor the enduring relationship between this land in the Indigenous Peoples of Milwaukie, which include the Clackamas, Molalla, Kalapuya, and many other Tribes along the confluence of the Willamette, Molalla, and Clackamas Rivers. We offer scholarship opportunities to Indigenous people at Elk Rock Yoga to balance the history that has been erased during colonization.

OUR team

We are a team of social justice–minded teachers and therapists committed to sharing the benefits of yoga with you.

FAWN WILLIAMS (she/her)

SARASVATI HEWITT (she/her)

ARIEL HART (she/her)

JOI GEDEON (she/her)

KELLY VIERNES (she/her)

DANE BURCH (he/him)

DANIEL SHAW (he/him)

MARY HARJU (she/her)

ALLEGRA CHABAY (she/her)

LAUREN BOZARTH (she/her)

BIANCA WHITESIDE (she/her)

JODY KURILLA (she/her)

CARA BUSACKER (she/her)

Our mission 

Our mission is to support all bodies through a practice that welcomes all peoples, all beliefs, and all abilities.

Core beliefs

We utilize yoga as a practice for healing and embodiment. We recognize yoga as a living spiritual practice which originated in India. All of our classes and offerings are educational. We encourage compassionate self inquiry and agency. We endeavor to inspire you to initiate positive shifts which ripple into our world, and to meet you where you are. Through providing a brave healing space we model and nurture collective care. We aim to provide an atmosphere that welcomes and respects cultural, physical, socioeconomic, gender, and neurological diversity. We reject diet culture, and believe in health at any size. We maintain that health is relational, emotional, mental, and physical. We believe that collective and self care are deeply intertwined, along with the care and health of our environment.

Land prayer

We acknowledge the ancestral lands upon which our studio now stands. The enduring relationship between this land in the Indigenous Peoples of Milwaukie, which include the Clackamas, Molalla, Kalapuya, and many other Tribes along the confluence of the Willamette, Molalla, and Clackamas Rivers. We offer scholarship opportunities to Indigenous people at Elk Rock Yoga to balance the history that has been erased during colonization. Read more about local history on the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde website.

Community integration and Sevā

  • Quarterly fundraisers to non-profit outreach organizations

  • Donation based or sliding scale monthly community events & classes

  • Mural and signage hand painted by local, working artists

  • Participation in monthly seasonal community open house events for local artists


Culture of learning

  • Trainings and workshops focused on inclusion & social justice, yoga philosophy and collective care

  • Emphasis on meditation, therapeutic applications of yoga, and mindfulness

  • We celebrate all 8 limbs of yoga contemplation (samadhi), ethical tenets (yamas, niyamas), postures (asana), meditation (dhyana), breath practice (pranayama), concentration (dharana), sense withdrawal (pratyahara)

  • We offer workshops & events which engage creativity, intuition and subtle forms of healing

Equity and inclusion

  • Yoga teacher training with modules focused on anti racism, adaptive yoga for differently abled bodies, eating disorder awareness, LGBTQ equity & inclusion, trauma informed teaching, the roots of yoga

  • Scholarships prioritizing Black, Brown, and Queer community members to offset systemic barriers to access

  • ADA compliant space on ground floor

  • Work exchange to balance socioeconomic equity

Giving

Elk Rock Yoga supports like-minded local & national charitable organizations through quarterly fundraisers, donations, and special events. Organizations we have collaborated with in the past are listed below. If you are an organization seeking a donation or fundraising event, please email us to see if we are a good match.

Equity statement

Elk Rock Yoga recognizes that systemic racism and oppression is built into the roots of American culture. We aim to balance the scales of justice through offering scholarships to people of color.

Our team supports positive change by creating an environment in which all humans are seen and welcomed. LGBTQIA+ rights matter. We support a fair society and reject discrimination based on a person’s sex, gender, or sexual orientation. 

While we want all to feel comfortable, please be kind. We do not tolerate racist, homophobic, transphobic, or discriminatory behavior in our space. We reserve the right to ask students to leave in support of our community’s safety.

We are actively engaged with ways in which our studio environment can be more inclusive. We will make mistakes as we learn. We may say the wrong thing. We want to offer a brave space. We will keep acting. We will keep going.

If you have suggestions for us around creating a safer space, please contact us.

Elk Rock Yoga uses environmentally friendly, eco-conscious yoga equipment by Manduka.

STYLES

Elk Rock Yoga class styles are as unique as you are. We facilitate experiences adapted to the students in the room, the seasons, through our voices, and different lineages.

All classes foster a sense of somatic inquiry and embodied interoception (the collection of senses providing you information about the internal state of the body, both consciously and subconsciously). For best outcomes, we recommend trying a class that suits your schedule, and testing a variety of teachers.

We offer a variety of styles to suit both the daily practitioner to the brand-new beginner. Bring a sense of curiosity! If you have any specific limitations, discuss them with your teacher prior to class.

Hatha

Strengthening, slow practice with modifications, longer-held standing poses, deliberate movements, meditation and breath control

Restorative Flow

Day-to-night transitional flow with mellow tension release in supported poses and meditation

Gentle Vinyasa

Subtle and soothing flow, concentrating on fluidity of breath and movement

Yin and Seasonal Yin

Passive stretching to unwind and mobilize connective tissue; Seasonal Yin classes include self-myofascial release with massage balls and rollers

Happy Hour Classes

Hourlong classes structured to wash off a busy workday with movement and breathwork

Hatha Flow

Steady class and a happy medium between fast-paced Vinyasa and long-held Hatha

Vinyasa Flow

Faster-paced fluid motion linking strong and energizing breath and movement


Power Vinyasa

Intention setting, breath work, movement, and vinyasa flow sequencing to make you feel integrated and aligned

Surrender

Yin and Restorative yoga and long, steady Hatha yoga style holds to help you actively surrender

Restorative and Reiki

Gentle movement, meditation, and supported poses with the added benefit Reiki (a form of energy therapy)

Prenatal Yoga

Therapeutic for all stages of pregnancy with breath work, accessible meditation, strength, and stability