Relax Release Reconnect [Sound Bath, Somatic Movement, Sacred Song, Chai]

GUIDES — Graham Slick, Valerie Starr, Birdie, Ry, Jason Lasley
DATE — SAT 3/14 • 6:00-9:00PM
DURATION — 180 Minutes
EARLY BIRD — $70 (Until Feb 28)
EXCHANGE — $80 ($60 Supported)
LOCATION — NW Dance Project Creative Center — 211 NE 10th Ave. (at Davis St.) Portland OR 97232
VIBE — Relaxation, Release, Reconnection
STYLE — Immersive, Shamanic, Community
BRING — a Mug (your most intentional mug)

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A ceremonial night in a new larger home with NW Dance Project

Step into an immersive, heart-centered evening designed to help you release, relax, and reconnect — with yourself and with community. Relax Release Reconnect is a three-hour ceremonial experience weaving together sound healing, gentle movement, sacred singing, and a warm and loving chai ritual, guided by five amazing Portland-based practitioners devoted to holding intentional space for transformation and rest.

This gathering is both grounding and celebratory — a sensory journey that moves from body to breath, voice to vibration, stillness to connection.

Note — Yes, you read that right. This is a 3 hour event. There will be intermissions between each section, snacks and beverages will be available. Trust me, it’ll go by fast and when it’s over you’ll wish there was more.

• A New Space, with a Familiar Heart — We’re bringing Aloka to the NW Dance Project space.
  This will be our first time working together with NW Dance Project, and we’re very excited to be collaborating with a company that we’ve been admirers and supporters of for years. Learn more about NWDP. The space is new to us, but we will be transforming it to feel like home. We’re just as excited as you to see how it will all come together. There is more space, but we intend to maintain the intimate feel we’re known for. Candles low, incense in the air, your nest waiting in an intentional spiraling pattern. This is going to be special.
• Five local sound practitioners co-creating the evening’s journey:
  —+ Graham Slick — Sound Practitioner & Chai
  —+ Valerie Starr — Somatic Movement, Song Circle Facilitator & Sound Practitioner
  —+ Jason Lasley — Sound Practitioner
  —+ Birdie — Song Circle Facilitator & Sound Practitioner
  —+ Ry — Sound Practitioner
  
• Zest to Nest Yoga w. Song with Valerie Starr — Gentle movement interwoven with Val’s luminous voice. As we start our evening, we’ll warm up our bodies and become connected and grounded.
  

• Sacred Song Circle with Birdie & Valerie Starr — We join in harmony as we gather and open our voices. All voices are welcome in our simple call-and-response songs.
  
• The Aloka Sound Bath with All Five Practitioners: an intricately woven tapestry of sound and heart featuring rarely witnessed collaborations from all five sound practitioners. Graham, Valerie, Jason, Birdie, and Ry all share the space in a woven sonic medley, journeying to an overwhelming sense of complete relaxation, release, and reconnection.
  
• Chai Ceremony — Bring your most intentional mug for a lovely tea ceremony. Handmade decaffeinated craft chai prepared mindfully and intentionally by Graham. Accompanied by simple, authentic snacks perfectly paired with the spice and sweetness of the chai. The chai is a dense, spicy (ginger), non-caffeinated, and oat milk-based tea made from whole ingredients.
  
• Leave When You’re Ready — some will slip out quietly, some will stay until the last bowl is packed away. There is no rush tonight.

• Deep nervous-system reset and emotional composting
• Direct remembrance of how loved, seen, and transformed you’ve been here
• Gentle tea lift (non-caffinated) + grounded nourishment from chai and snacks
• Memories (and probably tears) that will live in your bones forever

Graham Slick — Named Best Sound Bath Experience by Willamette Week’s Best of Portland Readers’ Poll 2025.

A lifelong musician and spirit seeker, Graham has spent the past five years immersed in the world of sound baths, quickly emerging as a master of the form. His background in rhythm, creativity, and spiritual inquiry all converge to shape a style that’s as heart-centered as it is skillful. Expect a passionate, playful, and deeply thoughtful guide who brings warmth, curiosity, and authenticity to every session.

Valerie Starr — Over 15 years of experience and study in yoga, music, meditation, and facilitation.

Obsessed with learning, growing, expanding, rituals, healing, dancing with light/shadows and yoga. Val loves these because they are all a part of the healing process, a big piece of Val’s creativity, passion, flame, and spirit. She lovs experiencing the capacity in which we can move our bodies and connect with breath as a spirit ritual and moving it outward into the world.

Birdie — A masterful healer, blends Eastern wisdom and ancestral roots to guide transformative sound immersions, empowering you to unleash your authentic self with radiant joy.

Birdie’s path is one of depth, healing, and intentional presence. With over ten years dedicated to studying Eastern wisdom and integrating it with her ancestral roots, she has embraced the wild, sacred uncertainty of life. Birdie believes that true growth comes from shedding labels and expectations, allowing us to become alchemists of our own lives. Her work is rooted in slow, intentional healing that guides participants to reconnect with their unfiltered selves, finding freedom and joy in the present moment. Helping others rediscover this truth is what lights up her soul and informs her practice every day.

Jason Lasley — Over a decade of experience working with bodies and sacred plant medicines.

Jason believes that the first step in healing the body is to slow down and quiet the mind so we can actually be in the body. Once we are in the body we can begin to listen and meet the body where it is so that we can give our body what it needs. Whether it's stretching, a walk, water, or a hug.

When we unravel these old patterns and begin to give the body what it is asking for, we can begin to find freedom from pain, whether it's physical or emotional. Over the last 14 years his experience growing medicinal and gourmet mushrooms has further planted his feet in the realms of healing, which is his life's work.

Ry (they/them) — A sound healer with a passion for sound, nature, and healing the world.

“My whole life I’ve been creating music which has helped me developed an intuitive and personal understanding of how sound can be used to promote healing and wellbeing.” Through years of spiritual exploration, Ry has developed a deep understanding of how sound can be used to shift energy, reduce stress, and promote inner peace. In 2023 Ry completed their training at The Sound Healers Academy and began using my gifts to heal.

“My goal as a sound healer is to create a safe and welcoming space where people of all backgrounds can come to find healing and balance.”

• Arrive Early — Please arrive 15 minutes early to settle in before the ceremony begins.
• Intentional Mug — Bring your most intentional mug for our Chai Ceremony
• Dress Comfortably — Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Layers are recommended as body temperature may fluctuate. (pro-tip: Slippers!)
• Nests — If you have a nest you are connected to, please feel free to bring yours. We have mats, pillows, and some blankets and bolsters. Bring your blankets and bolsters. It can also be grounding to bring a blanket that you have a connection with.
• Stay Cozy — A blanket or shawl will help you stay warm and comfortable, enhancing your experience. We have some blankets but if you have one that you're connected with it may enhance your experience.
• Stay Hydrated — Bring a water bottle to keep yourself hydrated before and after the session.
• Scents — Scents can become a distraction to yourself and others. Please refrain from strong odors (ie. perfumes, colognes, no cucumber melon please).
  
  
  WHAT ELSE— Journal for post-journey integration
  — Eye mask or scarf if you prefer darkness
  — Crystals or sacred objects you'd like to charge on the mesa
  — Open heart and willingness to receive
  And…Readiness to journey inward.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

NW Dance Project, 211 Northeast 10th Avenue, Portland, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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