Debbie and her daughter Megan in Urdhva Dhanurasana on a Thai beach!
Welcome to 2012. What better way to start the new year off than making a commitment to health and wellness. Our personal choice at Venti’s is Debbie Boe. She has been hands-on part of our health and wellness for many years, as a yoga mentor and massage therapist/healer.
Debbie has been practicing yoga since the early 80s (teaching since 2004) and has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1989. Her approach to life is holistic, devoting herself to study of anatomy and healing modalities — and making it all fun. This is lifestyle for her.
And that lifestyle permeates the professional. She has a massage practice in Salem (located in the historic Garfield School, 528 Cottage St NE, Suite 204-A), has been massaging w/ Cycle Oregon since the early 1990s, volunteers her time to bring yoga into the prison system to promote rehabilitation, and leads retreats focusing on body, mind, spirit. Debbie is a true asset to our community.
Both Dino and I see her regularly for massage to compliment and support our active lifestyles. She says “at least half of my clients are athletic — runners, cyclists — either coming in for regular maintenance … or if they get torn up in roller derby […or mountain biking].”
Several years ago I hurt my ribs in roller derby and Dino said “You gotta call Debbie.” We laugh about it cuz every time we get sore, that’s the first thing out of our mouths. We feel so very fortunate to have Debbie part of our lives and feel you would, too.
I first met Debbie as a yoga student of hers. Debbie showed me that yoga can be cheerful and full of humor. Up until that point, I really took my yoga too seriously, revering my practice so that I was rather uptight about it. In Debbie’s classes I also discovered that my form needed improvement — her knowledge and ability to communicate adjustments to me has helped open my mind about yoga drastically.
Two years ago, Debbie did a 10-day silent vipasana meditation in Washington. “About day 7, I decided I wanted to work with kids and meditation,” she said. Inspired to deepen the practice of karma yoga Debbie began to search for options w/ youth and meditation. In a twist of fate which deviated from her plan, she stumbled upon Living Yoga through her home studio, Amrita. Living Yoga is an organization based out of Portland which brings yoga classes to prisons, addiction rehabilitation facilities and other institutions. She completed the training shortly after.
Through Living Yoga’s volunteer opportunities, Debbie planned to try a few places but “went to OSCI and it just fit.” Working w/ the guys at OSCI (Oregon State Correctional Institution) and OSP (Oregon State Penitentiary) has become very central in her work, teaching yoga 1-3 times a week. “The chapel at OSCI is not prison to me. It’s my other place of worship besides the dog park.”
“Mindfulness is the main focus in the classes in prison,” Debbie explains. “The quiet is what is really important. They have a lot of work out options in prison but they don’t have a lot of quiet.” The intensity of the classes w/ the inmates vary. “It goes anyway from restorative to L3 intensity — pretty much like a regular class,” she says. “There are guys in there who have been studying yoga and meditation a long time and then there will be brand new people. It’s really cool.” Check out this incredible video from the OSCI Living Yoga class.
Debbie also teaches two gentle classes a week at the First United Methodist Church in downtown Salem. These are public classes and all abilities are welcome. Class info below:
Gentle Yoga with Debbie Boe
Tuesday and Thurday Mornings 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
First United Methodist Church (in the dining room)
600 State St. Salem, Oregon
Cost: Sliding scale, $8.00-$12.00 for drop-in. Monthly option, $35.00 one day a week, $60.00 both days a week.Additional Summer classes at Minto Island Growers farmstand and retreats at Silver Falls State Park.
Visit her web site for current info on her classes and massage (Now available for Saturday massage sessions).
Debbie Boe, L.M.T. 503-990-5043
Licensed Massage Therapist since 1989, Certified Breema® Practitioner, Yoga Instructor and Self Breema® Instructor. I blend many styles of bodywork to facilitate balance (therapeutic, sports, deep tissue, relaxation, structural balancing, Breema®, Reiki, hot rock massage, and yoga therapy).
Gift certificates are available.
Convenient downtown location in the historic Garfield School, 528 Cottage St NE, Suite 204-A.
Hours 9:00AM to 4:30PM Weekdays and 3rd Saturday of the Month.
Debbie Boe’s Oregon massage license number is 4217.
Debbie was instrumental in assisting me in rehabilitation of my right leg after a bike ride that left me with shooting sharp pains down my leg and barely being able to walk. I never felt so much pain in my life and ongoing. A friend referred me to her and it was the best thing because she worked on my leg and it healed and has not bothered me since. She is a phenominal massage therapist and I highly recommend her.