Hey ODD friends!  I’m Rachel Werline and I’m a Women’s Holistic Heath Coach. I specialize in helping women to heal their cycles so they can use their monthly ups and downs to work for  them instead of against them.  Yes, I’m talking about your period, but its so much more than just that! Here’s a quick history about how I got to where I am and why I love this stuff so much, and then we’ll get to all the details about my upcoming CYCLE.WORKSHOP Four Part series at One Down Dog starting this Sunday, October 21st.  

I’ve been interested in wellness, alternative healing, and deep self work for well over a decade now, but my specific interest in women’s cycles began when I decided to go off of hormonal birth control 5 years ago.  Things went fine at first, and then I quickly learned that my body had forgotten how to make hormones for itself! My cycles became longer, 35 days, 40 days, and at one point I was only getting my period every 90 days- I was a little concerned, but more than that the effect I was experiencing from my wonky hormone levels were awful- my hair was falling out and had changed texture, my skin was breaking out like crazy, my digestion was wacko and I just felt like an anxious mess.  It was a long journey back to balance, but what I learned over these last five years has made me realize that having a monthly cycle is so much more than just bleeding once a month.  In fact, I found it all so fascinating that I changed my whole career, that’s how juicy this stuff is!  There is a whole hormonal dance that goes on throughout the month, and if you can’t hear the music, you may feel constantly out of step.  Not to mention that you miss out on the superpowers you posses during each phase of your cycle.  There’s a lot more to say, but hopefully we’ll get to chat in person and we can cover all the TMI bits and bobs.   If you’d like to learn more about your cycle, explore alternative methods to hormonal contraception, find your way out of the hormonal birth control world while avoiding the negative side effects, and begin to heal the root of your imbalances that cause your monthly woes, please join us for the CYCLE Workshop- be warned though, spend four months with me and you may find that “That Time of the Month” is your most pleasurable phase of your cycle!

Cycle.Workshop

All workshops are Tuesday evenings, 6:30-9:30pm at our Echo Park Studio

HERE’S WHAT YOU DIDN’T LEARN IN SEX ED…..

Also what your mom didn’t tell you, and your Gyno may not even know about you and your Period.  We live in a linear, masculine culture, but we are Cyclical beings and as Women we are inextricably linked with our Menstrual Cycle.  In this Four Part Workshop we will deep dive into all aspects of our monthly cycle including the flow and function of our hormones, the four phases of our menstrual cycle and their implications on our physical and emotional experience, how to learn and chart simple signs and symptoms to gain invaluable information about your fertility and overall health, how to reduce or eliminate PMS and painful periods from a root cause approach and much more all in a non-judgmental and supportive environment.  This is a safe space to explore the intricacies of your body while empowering yourself to be your own healer, best friend, and advocate.   

Part 1: Cycle. Basics (Tuesday, February 26) 

We will begin our path towards body literacy by exploring the 4 Phases of our monthly hormonal cycle.  We’ll explore how to identify and work with each phase to create more ease, creativity, pleasure, and pain-free periods as we deepen the relationship with our emotional and physical experience of the menstrual cycle.  You will leave the class understanding the flow and function of your hormones as well as the how’s and why’s of adjusting your diet, exercise routines, work tasks and habits during different times of the cycle to create more flow and ease in your life. Cycle.Basics will be co-facilitated by special guest Holly Grigg-Spall, best-selling author of the book Sweetening the Pill: or How We Got Hooked on Hormonal Birth Control and ambassador for the fertility tracking device, Daysy, which can be used an alternative to hormonal birth control.  Don’t miss her talk about the side effects of hormonal birth control, her story of coming off the pill and the implications this empowering choice can have on our emotional and physical well-being.  Holly’s amazing work has inspired a documentary called Sweetening the Pill produced by Ricky Lake and her team which will be released soon.  Whether you’re currently on the pill or other forms of hormonal contraceptives or have chosen to find an alternative path, this workshop will offer an empowering view of, and supportive advice for living your life without the influence of non-native hormones. This class will be three hours long and include tea and snacks crafted specifically to nourish your hormonal system.  

Part 2: Cycle. Chart (Tuesday, March 26)

This second workshop will be devoted to the art of the chart.  We will go over every aspect of how to identify the signs of symptoms your body gives you throughout the month and how to chart that information so you can use it to plan your life and manage your fertility.  If you’re already using an app to track your cycle- great! We will discuss your choice of app to make sure it covers the basic functions we need and will also learn how to chart on paper for those who’d like to a break from technology.  There will be lots of time for questions and clarifications in this workshop so you can leave feeling confidant in your charting skills.

Part 3: Cycle. Empower (Tuesday, April 23)

Now that you’ve had some charting experience under your belt, we will use that data to empower you to be the arbiter of your fertility and health.  We will make sure you’re confidant about when you are fertile and when you’re not so that you can reach your personal fertility goal, whether that is to conceive or to prevent pregnancy naturally.  We will also decode the messages our body is sending us so we can learn about potential health issues we may be facing, often long before a test would even be able to identify certain conditions.  

Part 4: Cycle. Heal (Tuesday, May 21)

Your period is a vital sign, just like your pulse and temperature- she’s talking to you and sometimes she has a lot to say.  As women, this information is so often dismissed by the healthcare system and we are often left with few options for treatment or told that perhaps its all in our head.  Your experience of pain is valid, real, and important- and this class is here to support you in your healing journey.  During our final class together we will learn what’s healthy and natural and what might actually be a sign of an underlying issue when it comes to your cycle.  We’ll work together to get to the root cause of cycle related issues, explore natural treatment options you can do at home, and continue to strengthen the foundation of your hormonal health.

Who is this for?

Any person who menstruates or who used to and is hoping to regain their period naturally.  This workshop is focused on tending to your cycles without the use of pharmaceuticals.  If you’re currently on hormonal contraceptives and are curious in learning other possible ways to manage your fertility and symptoms related to your period, this workshop is the perfect place to start.   All ages and gender identifications are welcome.

Hello Interested Banff Adventure Yogi’s!

Laura here — I am super excited about this retreat. It is my second time co-hosting with my blondie in crime, Katherine Bradshaw. If you don’t remember, we led one in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico the end of August in 2017. We had a blast with the group of 11 people (Matt, Jessica, Kylie, Amanda, Joel, Sage, Bella, Brittani, Ellie, Julie and Ewa!)

This year we are hosting our retreat in a slightly different environment. We wanted to embrace cold weather, wear all things cozy and what better place to do that then in Canada! So we decided to make our way to the Banff area of Alberta.

This retreat is focusing on the winter season, embracing a Danish/Norwegian lifestyle known as ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hue-gah’) and delving into the softer, more passive side of yoga. This means we are going to wear our sweats, our sweaters, and our socks. We are going to pack our favorite cozy blanket, and give ourselves permission to relax, reset and restore at the end of this winter season.

Whether you live in sunny LA or in chilly Philadelphia, winter takes its toll on all of us. Enjoy a blend of One Down Dog’s own CHILL, RESTORE and easy FLOW classes. I will guide you through techniques of self-massage using yoga balls, and will even teach a Thai Yoga Massage class (which was a favorite from the Back to Sadhana retreat in Mexico). We will have some time to connect as a group, and make new friends. There will be an excursion that involves hot springs and snow tubing. There will be free time to venture off to Banff and do some shopping/eating/exploring or simply stay in and get some bodywork done by yours truly.

That being said, if you don’t know me already, I am a massage therapist. I started taking yoga at One Down Dog when I moved to Silverlake in 2015. I fell in love with the studio, and reached out to Jessica to see if she needed a Massage Therapist on the team. Thankfully, she did! And I became ODD’s Massage Therapist. I then signed up for Yoga Teacher Training and never looked back. Even though I moved back to Philadelphia last year, I can’t shake my love for ODD. Every time I come back to visit/work they are part of my trip. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had with One Down Dog. I’d be honored for you to join this retreat and allow me to offer my knowledge of the body to help benefit you, and of course honored to have you help create new experiences with me!

Stalking Banff

Here are some shops that are on my to-go list:

@littlewildcoffeebanff

Little Wild Coffee
119 Banff Avenue
Banff, Alberta

But first, coffee… am I right?

@cabin108
Cabin 108

108 Banff Avenue
Banff, Alberta

Looks like cute boutique for trendy clothes and accessories.

@lole
Lole Atelier

211 Bear Street
Banff, Alberta

I love me a good Canadian Brand… Definitely plan on peeping this boutique out.

(Active wear, and trendy clothing)

@lululemon

Lululemon

121A Banff Avenue

Banff , Alberta , Canada

Of course, I’ll have to check out my favorite Canadian brand Lululemon just for fun!

@thebridalboutiqueyyc

The Bridal Boutique Calgary

Britannia Crossing

5131 Elbow Drive SW

Calgary, AB

I am not a bride-to-be, but if I was I would make sure I visited this cute little boutique in Calgary, Alberta. It popped up during my research and I caught myself lost in their IG images and inspo for an easy hour.

Laura Jenkins is a dancer, choreographer, artist, massage therapist, yoga instructor and movement maintenance professional. (She wears a lot of hats, which is great because she gets bored easily; Gemini’s…). She grew up in Poughkeepsie NY to a family of his, hers and theirs (aka. lots of siblings, complicated family tree — you gotta buy her a drink first to get the deets on that). She moved to Philadelphia in 2003 where she attended The University of The Arts and received her BFA in Modern Dance Performance. Upon graduating she started her own dance company PINK HAIR AFFAIR, and danced off and on with local company Brian Sanders’ JUNK. Laura was also an NFL cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles for four years. Here she had the opportunity to travel overseas to Kuwait and Iraq to perform for the troops among many other incredible experiences and wrapped up her final season in 2011 as Captain. She enrolled in Massage Therapy school in 2008 and went on to work in the Physical Therapy field learning more about the medical and therapeutic benefits of bodywork. She opened her own practice Massage Studio of Philadelphia in 2012 and worked with the Philadelphia Eagles and other professional and amateur movers. In 2015 she moved to Los Angeles. Here she struggled, lived, and learned. In 2017 she graduated from One Down Dog’s 200hr Teaching Training program and taught various workshops for the studio including Movement + Breath Meditation, and a Hands-on Savasana workshop. She co-hosted a yoga retreat in Mexico and is pumped to be planning her second retreat in Banff, Alberta. Laura is currently living in Philadelphia, PA dancing, creating, teaching and being a Massage Therapist to the Superbowl LII Champions and the Pennsylvania Ballet.

Have you seen the flyers for our Body Trust Workshop happening with ODD student and YTT alum, Meg Bradbury, on January 20? Are you wondering what you should expect from it? Wonder no more! This post is dedicated to breaking down the concept of body trust so that you have a thorough understanding of all the awesomeness that you’ll experience if you’re in attendance. After reading, be sure to sign up in any of our studios or online!

We humans get caught up on the cultural hamster wheel of body shame. Are we ever satisfied with our bodies? Do we ever figure out the “right” combination of foods? Is it necessary to live in a constant state of vigilance and fear in order to attain these goals? How can we trust our bodies to just be what they are when we are told what they are is wrong, somehow?

What is Body Trust, exactly?

• You were born with an inherent trust for your body. Somewhere along the line you became disconnected from that way of knowing.
• Body Trust is disrupted by social constructs of beauty, health, weight, race, gender; it is a product of trauma, illness, and oppression.
• Body Trust is an invitation to return to a relationship with your body and yourself that you want and deserve to be in for a lifetime—flexible, compassionate, and connected.
• Body Trust is fat positive, weight inclusive, queer/trans/NB friendly; all bodies in all expressions are worthy and deserving of respect, access, and love.

Led by certified Body Trust practitioner, eating disorder survivor, certified anti-diet nutritionist, folk herbalist, and ODDYTT alumna Meg Bradbury, CBTP, CNE www.lamplight.space

If you are struggling to be in your body, to accept your body, to feel good in your body today, please join me.

In a one-day workshop, we’ll explore telling, hearing, and writing our body and food stories, discuss principle concepts from the compassionate programs Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating, break down diet culture and weight cycling, do some inclusive asana, sit in guided meditation and stillness, and hold space for ourselves and each other.

Together, we’ll create our #bravespace.

Every January is special here on the ODD blog because we feature none other than our fearless leader/owner, Jessica Rosen! Rather than our usual interview style post, we’re instead bringing you the origin story of One Down Dog straight from the…horse’s mouth…(that phrase is really strange when you think about it). Grab yourself a nice hot mug of tea and sink into it!!

For most of my life I’ve known that I wanted to start a business based in service. I started out thinking that would be as a therapist – developing my own program for teens struggling to find their way in life. While in my masters program (I have a MA in psych) I found yoga and took my first teacher training right after graduation. I soon realized I enjoyed teaching yoga and leading groups far more than working as a therapist in a one-to-one capacity. I moved to LA, managed a yoga studio, and started to ideate ways I could make a living in the wellness space. I had this crazy wild dream of one day opening a yoga/wellness space, but I never gave it much thought because of layers on layers of self-doubt and negative self-talk along with the voices of many people in my life that meant well, but told me that my dream was basically impossible.

In 2008 I took a massive leap and moved to LA from Michigan where I was working as a substance abuse counselor and yoga teacher/front desk associate.  The studio were I worked was opening a location in LA and I moved out here to manage it and teach. A month into being in LA the economy crashed and the studio fell through. I was broke- I had no job and a mounting pile of debt. My MA in psych was basically useless as my license didn’t transfer to CA and I had no idea how I was going to survive. I just knew I couldn’t go back.

I hustled trying to find a job. I ended up working at American Apparel, and eventually (after a bunch of interviews) got a job at Lululemon in Glendale. I worked at YAS on Hyperion for a hot minute, almost became the manager of The Hub yoga studio in West LA, taught at Shakti Box in Los Feliz…I did whatever I could to get by.

While at Lululemon I had the assignment of writing a 10 year vision. I wrote something along the lines of… “I own a yoga studio in Los Angeles with 2 rooms, a room for wellness/massage services, an awesome retail space, and the most amazing community of students.” I laughed about how impossible that was and thought for sure that there was no way it would actually happen. That was August 2009.

Soon after, in January of 2010 I finally got to manage that yoga studio I moved out here for. I did that for a few years and started teaching and leading a group at a rehab facility for teens in Malibu. After about a year I realized it was time to form a business and decided to create my LLC  – which meant I needed a name. I wasn’t quite sure what the business would be, at the time I imagined that I would create a yoga program for addiction that I would teach throughout LA and train others to teach the program under my guidance. It didn’t quite work out that way, but that intention is what sparked the name, One Down Dog.

I was sitting at lunch with a friend of mine that was interested in by business concept and together we started brainstorming ideas for names. I was talking about what I wanted to convey – this idea that we don’t have to rush, it doesn’t have to be all at once, all or nothing – we can slow down and use our practice to find what we seek from within. We threw out a lot of ideas and then came back to what is said often in meetings and therapy – “take it one day at a time.”  The lightbulb went off! One Down Dog… at a time. I had no idea One Down Dog was ODD.  Thank you Universe (or whatever) .

Fast forward a couple of years – I left the yoga studio and started teaching yoga and working as a substance counselor at a private school. A student of mine asked if I’d like to teach yoga at her tae kwon do studio on the Westside. I met with the owner and found out that he is also renting a small space next to the studio that was empty at the time. All of a sudden, this crazy wild idea of opening a yoga studio one day became a possibility. After doing the drive twice, I said “this is not what my dream looks like” and ended up passing the space on to a friend that went on to open a studio there – sharing is caring.

It was in that process that my now sister in law, Chelsea,  suggested that if something like that existed on the Westside, it also had to exist on the Eastside. We went on Craigslist and found our first space – a 1 room space that we shared with an ashtanga teacher that only led classes from 5-10am. It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t what I had visualized, but it was exactly what I needed to overcome all of the fear/doubt. Chelsea expressed interest in partnering and I was certain I couldn’t do it on my own, so we went into business together and got started on making One Down Dog. We didn’t have much money, or business experience, but for some reason people kept showing up. After a few months Chelsea realized business wasn’t for her. I cried a lot. I thought for sure it was all over. I told myself “see you are a complete failure, nothing you do will ever work out.” …and a whole lot of other horrible things. But something inside of me kept me going.

Chelsea and I worked our shit out and I took a leap on signing the lease on our current Silverlake space 9 months in to our venture. I had no idea how I would fund it / stay open, but I signed on the dotted line anyways. I managed to scrounge up enough cash to do a full build out between JFLA, an Indiegogo campaign, and a small loan from my parents. MAD LOVE TO THOSE EARLY SUPPORTERS!! One year from opening our temporary doors, One Down Dog Silverlake launched with a big opening/anniversary party. Raise your hand if you were there! I still have a hard time believing any of this is real. It often feels like a dream. But here we are, 6 years later with 3 locations and the most amazing crew of staff, teachers, and students. Let’s be real, none of this would be possible if it weren’t for all of you. Thank you for going on this journey with me… One Down Dog at a time <3

If you’d like to soak up some of Jessica’s awesomeness while simultaneously tapping into your own, be sure to sign up for her annual Make Awesome Happen workshop that’s kicking off on January 23rd. The four-week series is all about goal-setting and goal-crushing. You’ll spend the time learning tools to help you tap into your innermost fabulousness while basking in the amazing energy of the equally ambitious people around you. Sign up in any of the studios or online!