What’s to Love: In my opinion, taking into account all the factors of “family value,” Cooper Spur Mountain Resort (CSMR) is the best option for families looking for a night (or more) away from Portland, especially when combining it with beginning-level skiers and/or snowboarders. They offer a package deal that includes a lift ticket, and rentals that is far less than the cost of a single lift ticket at neighboring resorts. The trade-off is limited terrain served by a single lift. Despite that limitation, if you’re looking for a laid-back resort that is family-friendly, this should be your next destination.
Before I get into this yoga business, I have to mention Shine Integrative Physical Therapy (SPT). For 20+ years, I’ve experienced chronic neck pain, and I’ve tried about everything to fix it. While most of what I’ve tried did yield positive results (including yoga!), the physical therapy and care I’ve received from SPT has made the pain almost non-existent. If you’ve experienced the same-old-same-old from physical therapists, you might want to give SPT a call. You won’t regret it.
Let’s talk about yoga! As you may or may not know, I have been a yoga instructor myself since around 2002. If it were up to me, all schools would be required to begin with various yoga practices including breathing exercises, meditative reflections, and simple postures. I think this would improve the quality of education. I think it would help focus student attention during long days filled with listening and sitting.
Most likely, your kids are not experiencing yoga at school or anywhere else for that matter. SPT not only offers excellent physical therapy, but to help compliment their care, they offer plenty of yoga classes. One class in particular (Parent & Child Yoga) caught my attention while waiting to see one of Shine’s therapists. Instructor Leslie Wilda also has put together a regularly occurring yoga-pajama party. Here is an excerpt from my interview with her.
PFA: Before we get into some specifics for kids and parents, please tell us a bit about yourself and your credentials concerning yoga instruction.
Leslie: I came to know yoga later in life. I was in my mid thirties and living in Sri Lanka when a friend brought me to a class that was being taught by a Sri Lankan who did not speak English very well but could fold himself into this incredibly small pose. It was interesting, so I went back. It wasn’t until the birth of my son in 2007 though that I developed my own home practice as a way to ease the challenges of being a single parent. I then completed a 200 hr teacher training with Shiva Rea as a way to enhance my practice.
When my son turned two I attended a kids yoga training by Rainbow Kids Yoga because I wanted to learn ways to practice with my son, but instead I had this “aha” moment during the training and I immediately knew that I wanted to change my career path and begin sharing yoga with kids. I’ve been teaching kids for two years now and it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.
PFA: While you run a mobile studio (Yoga Playgrounds), it seems that you have a Parent-Child Yoga class setup with Shine Physical Therapy at their Shine Yoga studio. As stated in the introductory paragraph, I had such an incredible experience working on a chronic neck problem with their physical therapists, and I noticed they integrated yoga into their therapy. Can you talk a bit about your relationship with Shine? What are some of the advantages to working with a reputable group of physical therapists and being part of their structure?
Leslie: I think yoga therapy is becoming increasingly widespread as research begins to highlight its many benefits. Last year I completed my first generalized kids yoga therapy training and am continuing my studies to broaden the foundation of knowledge and tools I currently have to enable me to work with kids having a variety of specific health issues. I was fortunate to begin teaching at Shine when they opened last November.
Having a great working relationship with physical therapists who are experts in their field allows me to draw on their vast base of knowledge and apply it to what I already know. This association between kids’ yoga and physical therapy also lends credibility for many people who have never heard about yoga therapy. More and more people are learning that yoga can help kids who face a variety of health issues like anxiety, depression stress, constipation, asthma, ADD and much more.
PFA: I’m a yoga teacher myself, but I can’t imagine teaching a room filled with kids. Yoga is usually such a quiet and reflective practice. What does it look like for kids and parents? Do you let their energy become part of the practice itself?
Leslie: For one thing, a kids’ yoga class is definitely a lot noisier and more-fast-paced than a traditional adult yoga class. And as anyone who has been around kids knows….they don’t always do what you want them to do. Many times I’ve had to let go of any preconceived notions about what I thought class would look like and just go with the flow, which is what yoga tries to teach us anyway. My classes offer a balance of structure and spontaneity so that the kids are learning as well as getting the opportunity to express themselves creatively. Classes for very young kids (ages 2.5-5) and their parents, like the ones I offer at Shine on Wednesdays at 9:30 and Fridays at 10:30 are very playful. Music, fun props, stories, partner poses and giving silly names to poses all help keep the kids interested, and although the energy level in class is always high, kids really love the relaxation time at the end of every class.
PFA: There might be some parents who might not want to go because they do not practice yoga. They might imagine some of the common stereotypes associated with yoga: a dark room, chanting, people meditating, being bent into a pretzel, etc. However, they might think yoga is beneficial for their child. What can you tell these parents to alleviate some of their concerns?
Leslie: For some adults, that is what their yoga looks like. But yoga is a personal activity that looks different for everyone, and I would encourage anyone who has never experienced it to give it a try, especially at Shine where the first class is free. They will find those stereotypes just don’t hold true for my kids’ classes…although many kids do enjoy bending themselves into pretzels with seemingly no effort at all!
PFA: Why should kids do yoga? What are some of the gains you’ve seen with kids who practice regularly?
Leslie: I could go on and on here. The movements, the focus on breath awareness, and the relaxation inherent in a yoga practice all help kids develop better body awareness and improved self-esteem….both very powerful components of a healthy body image. Yoga can also help kids regulate their emotions, manage stress and calm themselves….tools that will be useful to them their entire lives. Yoga also encourages better posture, coordination, focus, strength, self-discipline and self-control…plus it’s non-competitive and encourages positive peer to peer interaction. And it helps kids set the foundation for lifelong wellness…in both their
body and their mind.
PFA: If this sounds interesting to parents, how do they get started with the class at Shine? What do they need to bring to class?
Leslie: The first class at Shine is always free, and parents can sign up for class ahead of time on the website or they can just drop in. I recommend comfortable clothing, but nothing else is needed. Classes for kids ages 2.5 and a grownup meet Wednesdays at 9:30 and Fridays at 10:30, and every other month I offer an evening yoga pajama party at Shine for kids ages 5-9. Kids come dressed in their pajamas and we go on a magical yoga journey while parents enjoy a night out on their own. It’s great for both the kids and their parents.
Toy Trains’ (Facebook) winter/spring 2012 shows at Mississippi Pizza Pub
Listen to our entire Debut CD: http://thetoytrains.bandcamp.com/
All shows (4PM – 5PM) and $5/adult
Saturday, February 25th
Saturday, March 24th
Saturday, April 28th
Saturday, May 26th
Come and see us sometime!
What’s to Love: We finally returned to The Stoneworks Gym in Beaverton, OR, and I’m happy to report that it’s still the same quality business that it was 3 years ago. Super friendly, helpful, excellent instruction, unpretentious, and no attitude whatsoever from fellow climbers. If your kids have never climbed before, Stoneworks Gym is an excellent place to learn the basics! Matt Spohn, the gym manager and son of the owner, takes the family business seriously. It’s obvious that his first priority is customer service, which translates into a pleasant environment.
A Portland Trail Blazer game is fun for the whole family! There are many packages and ticket options for families.
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Hello Everyone,
Great news! Portland Family Adventures was selected to be part of the “Oregonian News Network: The best bloggers from Oregon and the Pacific Northwest,” which will excerpt selected posts and make them available to a larger audience throughout the Pacific Northwest.
This is an excellent opportunity for PFA, and we’re happy to be part of the “Outdoors/Recreation” page – check us out! I want to thank George Rede from the Oregonian who invited Portland Family Adventures to become part of the local blogging family. I encourage everyone to support these local bloggers as part of the Oregonian’s effort to reach out to important community resources.
Thanks to all of our subscribers and readers! We’re having a great year so far…
Sick and tired of the same old gym atmosphere? Looking for a space to work out with your partner where you’ll be supervised closely by a certified strength and conditioning coach? If so, I’d like to introduce you to Elemental Fitness Lab (EFL) owner Chris Bathke.
My wife and I visited for a personal training session where Chris did an initial assessment, worked through some common movements and exercises, and put together an exercise program for us. We enjoyed the personal touch and the pleasant environment inside the EFL. We think you will as well! Chris was also gracious enough to answer some of my questions for Portland Family Adventures (PFA).
PFA: Before I ask you some specific questions for parents, could you tell our readers a little bit about your credentials and experience as a personal trainer?
Chris: I’m a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, which is still the gold standard for certifications in the U.S.. I also hold certifications from the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation, the World Kettlebell Club, and am pre/post-natal certified. Before starting EFL I was training trainers at Equinox Fitness in Santa Monica, along with regular clients since 2006. Before that I taught some martial arts and trained a few people part-time while working in the music field. I was fortunate to get to know some of the smartest individuals in the health and fitness world around 10 years ago who encouraged me to go into training full-time. I started going to conferences, workshops, and studying as much as possible and haven’t stopped since.
PFA: Your business, “Elemental Fitness Lab,” is a unique space in the world of fitness. When I walked in, I immediately noticed the open-space and lack of more traditional gear like barbells, dumbbells, and rows of fitness machines. Of course, you have some of that equipment, but it seems like Elemental has a different philosophy when it comes to working-out. It seems that larger gyms try to fill their space with as many machines as possible. Your gym has open space. Can you talk a bit about your philosophy and equipment?
Chris: My philosophy is to help people move better first, then look at other qualities. If a person lacks hip mobility, has shoulder pain, or is limited by core strength then having them do the latest “hardcore” metabolic workout can potentially do more harm than good. And for those reasons I don’t use any machines that lock you into fixed planes of motion. It’s simply not as effective in improving movement quality, not to mention strength. Over the years I’ve used just about every piece of equipment out there, and keep up on the research, so what I choose to use here is simply what I have found to work the best.
PFA: No doubt, many of our readers are probably involved with group fitness classes. What are some of the differences between semi-private training/small group training and group training? What are they missing that you can provide?
Chris: In general group classes are less effective in that everyone naturally has different levels of strength, endurance, mobility, injury history, or other limitations so what may be a good workout for one person may be way too easy, too hard, or even injurious for another. The nature of group classes limits the ability to improve strength as it’s not possible to safely coach technique with that many people at once, and since strength is a fundamentally important aspect of improving fitness then. I’ve seen more people get injured in cardio classes than those who lift really heavy weights. What we do is write programs designed specifically for each individual so that not only is it safe, but more effective.
PFA: How do these individualized programs work once inside EFL?
Chris: The way EFL works is everyone does what we call semi-private training where there are 1-3 members with each coach per hour which cuts the price by about 1/3 of a normal 1 to 1 personal training session. Each person will be doing a different workout than another using the program designed for them yet enjoy the camaraderie of training together with others.
PFA: The first thing we did at EFL was the “Functional Movement Screen” (FMS). After the FMS, you put together a workout based-on the results. For our readers, what is it? Why do you use it?
Chris: The Functional Movement Screen is just one part of our assessment process, but is vital in allowing us to gauge how well a person moves. It was developed by physical therapists Gray Cook and Dr. Lee Burton, and is now pretty standard among collegiate and professional athletic programs. Yet the beauty is it is the screen is a measure of human movement, not just athletes. Athletic programs use it because they recognize it has real value in helping to keep their clients improve.
PFA: When we walked in for our appointment, a couple of parents were finishing up a private workout with your supervision. If parents want that type of workout, what can you offer them in the Elemental Fitness Lab?
Chris: We have quite a few couples that train here, some together, and some separately depending on schedules. If two people wish to train together than that fits in perfectly with our semi-private training structure. Both people can enjoy training together yet using a program designed for each individual. It’s much more efficient, and safe in that everyone does exercises that will benefit them most. We are all busy so it is better to avoid wasting time and energy on cookie cutter “workouts of the day” and instead do something that will help you achieve your goals.
Technorati Tags: Elemental, fitness, lab, Chris, Bathke, personal, training, Portland, individual, small, group
What’s to Love: Since moving here to Portland in 1999, my wife and I have hiked Angel’s Rest too many times to count. To this day, it remains one or our favorite hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, and it’s one of the first hikes when entering the Gorge from Portland. While we carried our oldest son up the hike when he was younger, this was our first visit to hike the entire 4.8 miles (round trip) with both kids.
What’s to Love: Located 12 miles SE of Sandy, Oregon on the flanks of Mt. Hood, Windells is a training camp for kids (and adults!) interested in skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, BMX, and free riding. The sheer magnitude of the outdoor skatepark (aka “concrete jungle”) is enough to make most kids’ jaws drop to the ground in awe. I hope to write about the camp experience (academy, residential, and day) in the near future, but the focus of this article is off-season/day-use access for the general public, which is well worth the price of admission and drive from Portland.
Our friends at “Life is Good” sent us a couple products for review. I warned them that our kids would destroy anything they sent us within a matter of days. They decided to take the Portland Family Adventure challenge and send us the products anyway! As a reader of this site, you’ll know that we keep things positive and publish only recommend adventures, hikes, restaurants, activities, parks, etc. If we don’t like it, we don’t publish it.
“Life is Good” as a saying and a company fits well with our attitude here at Portland Family Adventures! While their clothing and hats have adorned our kids (and many of yours too!), this time we ventured into travel mugs and tote bags. Because we’re publishing, I am happy to give a green light to both products and encourage you to order them for your family (links below).
First up, the “Journey Tote” is a lined, sturdy, cotton-canvas tote bag with some burly handles. The bags come in two colors, but we liked the green floral print on brown. The size of the bag is just right for carrying along all sorts of snacks, kids’ toys, and even jackets.
The two things we like best: 1) There is a “hook and ring closure,” which allows you to close the top of the bag without sealing it shut; and 2) an internal zipper pocket that is great for a wallet, phone, and/or keys.
We’ve taken it on several trips. It takes a beating and still looks brand new.
Next up, we have the Life is Good stainless steel travel mug. How much can you say about a travel mug? First, don’t put it in the dishwasher! DUH! Of course, I put it in the dishwasher, and it still keeps drinks hot for a long time. Of course, I’m not always the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to the “rules of the dishwasher.”
What else can I say? We love the “twist-off” top, which pops on and off with a firm twist and pull, and the pretty slate-blue color is nice. As you can see in the photo, my son likes the travel mug for sipping his hot tea. He’s become rather attached to the mug.
