We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Coleen Elwood . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Coleen below.
Coleen , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?
In 1999 after 7 years of being a touring musician, I got laid off from a job and ended up working at a cafe across the street from a yoga & shiatsu studio. I had been teaching yoga out of my house, while finishing my yoga certification. The owner of the studio frequented the cafe. We became friends & he invited me to teach yoga at his studio. This was a big deal & huge opportunity, because at the time there were only 4 yoga studios in town ( there are now hundreds) who all offered the same style of yoga. Working at Three Smooth Stones gave me the opportunity to develop my own teaching style and grow my business. I taught at that location for 15 years until he sold the business. Many of those students are still my students/ clients today.
Coleen , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I grew up in a spiritual household and began meditating at 10 years old. My groovy, theater loving parents were into TM ( transcendental meditation) at the time. I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, surrounded by trees & lakes. Nature has always been my church, my sanctuary, my inspiration. I loved dance and movement of all kinds too. Fast forward to 1995 when I was in a transition after my band Zuzu’s Petals broke up. I found a community ed yoga class across the street from my house. I loved it! It helped me stay calm & grounded after the break up of a long time relationship. A few years later, when the teacher left the state & yoga was no longer being offered, some of my classmates asked me to teach. Since I grew up performing, I wasn’t nervous. Shortly after that I began teaching at Three Smooth Stones. At that time there weren’t any teacher training programs in town & anyone could teach yoga. I knew I needed a training so I signed up for one. I completed my 200 hour training in 2000. I taught over 11,000 yoga classes from 1999-2020, eventually being a faculty member of a local yoga school. My classes are Earth/based & soul-centered. Gentle & meditative. During those years, I took numerous trainings, workshops & classes about the emotional & energy body. In 2002 I became a Reiki Master. In 2003 I began my official training in Shamanic studies with Christina Donnell. In 2006 I completed a 2 year training in the Inca mystery teachings. I drank in every nourishing, spirit-infused moment. The shaman being one who works with the unseen and natural world in service to humanity. I continue to study with her to this day. Since 2006, then, I’ve been weaving shamanism into my business, as a healer, retreat leader + shamanic practitioner. My business Peace Medicine is the holy blend of yoga, meditation, energy medicine & Shamanic studies. I do this work to bring people back to their own authority, their own magic, the shaman within. I do this work to connect people to the healing power of the Earth & spirit. I do this work to help Empaths & sensitives find the wisdom of their emotions. I do this work to heal the planet. I am most proud of the safe containers I create so people can heal, blossom & return to their original genius. I am blown away by the powerful transformations I’ve witnessed. I am a beauty lover & joy stalker. I am here to hold space for this collective transformation. I am here to help us realize, we are all connected.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2018 the big yoga studio where I offered classes, workshops, series & trained yoga teachers filed for bankruptcy without warning. My $2000 paycheck for the previous 2 weeks work did not arrive. I was a newly divorced single homeowner/ Mom. My spiritual training had taught me to trust the unfolding…to understand things are happening for me, not to me. Which I embraced. I had already felt the pull to teach more shamanism, energy medicine & do my 1:1 work. This abrupt ending gave me the opportunity to create more Earth-based trainings & retreats and build my private Reiki / Shamanic healing business. This ending became a blessing in disguise.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Honestly, word of mouth. Giving my all to every class even if there were only 2 students. Listening & meeting folks where they are. Keep in mind when I started out, there was no social media. And while I’ve embraced social media ( mostly), I still believe it’s word of mouth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coleenelwood.com
- Instagram: @cocoelwood
- Facebook: Coleen Elwood
Image Credits
All photos taken by me except the first one ( me sitting on the shore with heart mandala) taken by Tara Cindy Sherman,