Meet Chelsey Scaffidi and Erica Galia of Rooted Beings in Manhattan Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsey Scaffidi and Erica Galia.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Chelsey and Erica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Like many of us, our journeys to meditation did not happen overnight. We are both originally from Michigan and followed life’s path to the South Bay – Erica in the ad agency world and Chelsey as an attorney. With all of the hustle in our lives, we found ourselves feeling anxious and unfulfilled and really looking for something more – a sense of contentment. As a quick fix, we often looked outside ourselves, whether in the form of keeping busy, investing in material things or putting all of our energy and effort into relationships with anyone other than ourselves. The immediate reactions that we experienced to anxiousness or uneasiness were typically either judgment for having that feeling in the first place or one of guilt for not being able to self-soothe our racing minds.

We began to seek out meditation workshops and women’s circles in the Los Angeles area as well as around the world and soon found that the practice provided a sense of peace, presence and perspective with a fairly simple solution that did not require anything but our attention and a quiet place to sit with ourselves. Like any relationship, the more time, energy and care that we gave to developing this connection to self, the deeper and more profound the relationship with our inner-home became. First starting with a few minutes each morning, we continued to build our own practices until this became a part of our daily routine as something that we valued and prioritized, just like we had long done in working out our bodies.

From our experience in witnessing the benefits of a committed meditation practice on an individual level, we wanted to create a platform where people in various stages of their own meditation journey could come to find inspiration, learn from each other, support one another and grow together. That idea was the seed that blossomed into Rooted Beings!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are few roads that are truly smooth and our path to founding Rooted Beings was no exception but honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way. When we first started on this journey, we were looking for the “perfect” space. We scoured Manhattan Beach and the surrounding areas for over 18 months but for various reasons, the various spaces didn’t pan out. Just as we were beginning to get discouraged, we ended up connecting with Keisha Wright, the owner of The Well (a fitness studio in Manhattan Beach) and instead decided to run our meditation studio as a pop-up within the Well.

If our ultimate goal is to share the practice of meditation as a tool, we loved the idea of being in a place that members of our community were already visiting regularly as part of their workout routine. This synergistic approach has allowed us, as a startup, to grow organically, patiently and authentically as we build Rooted’s community in the South Bay and beyond. This experience highlights the danger of becoming too attached to an outcome, rather than trusting the process and giving yourself the flexibility to allow a more perfect path than you could have ever contemplated to unfold – a lesson that we look back on with gratitude.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Rooted Beings – what should we know?
We see meditation as an important tool to help alleviate some of the suffering that is happening in our lives today as well as around the world and so much of that starts with being more gentle and kind to ourselves and our emotions. For this reason, we felt it was important to distill the practice into its most accessible and approachable form. We sometimes found in our own journeys that it was easy to get overwhelmed with the various labels, types, vocabulary, and expectations that are often associated with a meditation practice. We wanted to create something that anyone could relate to whether they were an experienced meditator trying to deepen their practice or someone who was completely new to the practice. Also, just like there is no “right” way to work out your body or eat to maintain health in the body, meditation is similarly not a “one size fits all.” What works for your co-worker or friend may not work for you.

With these values in mind, we developed six core classes, which are each themed around the stages of a plant in nature, a rooted being, which we can all relate to as this aligns with the chapters that we experience as human beings. Each of the classes is either 30 or 45 minutes and introduces a different modality of meditation so that people can find what resonates with their uniquely beautiful mind.

• ‘The Seed’ – Introduction to Meditation, Mantra-Based Meditation (Word or a phrase to cultivate presence)
  · ‘Plant Yourself’ – Grounding Meditation (Yoga Nidra; Lying Down)
  · ‘Keep Growing’ – Visualization Meditation
  · ‘Remember Your Root’ – Heart-Centered, Meta Meditation
  · ‘Bend Like A Branch’ – Light Stretching and Meditation
  · ‘Light As A Leaf’ – Energizing Breathwork Meditation

We also offer women’s circles, meditation workshops and a run club (called Meditate + Move) as other ways to cultivate a sense of community and deepen your connection to self.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Embodiment. Owning our studio has emphasized the importance of living and breathing what we are teaching and sharing with our community.

It’s an everyday reminder to stay connected with the desire to want to change the world, to take each moment as it comes, one meditation at a time, one student at a time, to trust, to have faith and see where it all leads.

Pricing:

• $22 Drop-In Rate *Class Packs Also Available
• $44 (Two Week Unlimited Special for New Students)
• $33 Women’s Circles
• $44-$55 Meditation Workshops + Soundbaths
• $120-$140 Monthly Membership Unlimited (1 month/3 month commitment) *Does not include Women’s Circles or Workshops

Contact Info:

• Address: 815 North Manhattan Ave.
• Website: www.rootedbeings.com
• Phone: 419-351-5785
• Email: hello@rootedbeings.com
• Instagram: @rootedbeings.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ROOTEDBEINGS/

Image Credit:
Sarah Partain, Tamara Muth-King

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