A woman with blonde hair wearing a black wide-brimmed hat, resting her head and arm on a wooden surface, looking directly at the camera against a plain light background.

Hi, I’m Elena.

MINISTER | HEALER | Comedic CEREMONIALIST |virgo

I believe grief is sacred, laughter is medicine, and your healing deserves a spotlight.

I’m a minister, ceremonialist, grief guide, yoga teacher, and one-woman performance artist dedicated to helping women find beauty in the mess, ritual in the chaos, and joy in the ache of becoming.

Whether you come to me in tears, in transition, or simply in search of something more, know this: you’re not broken. You’re being invited deeper.

YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ME FEATURED IN:

A family of four, including two children, playing and running across a hilltop field with trees and a blue sky in the background.
Word 'VOGUE' written in large, black, thin-stroked serif letters on a white background.
Harper's Bazaar logo in black text.
Black silhouette of a valentine heart surrounded by small stars and hearts
Black text on a white background that says 'Bloomberg'
Two hands reaching upward against a cloudy sky, with one hand higher than the other.

Okay, Here’s How I Became That Person with the Drum and the Oils

My journey into this work began at the intersection of personal loss and spiritual awakening. After years of training in yoga, shamanic energy medicine, ancestral healing, and spiritual caregiving, I came to understand that healing doesn’t look like perfection. It looks like a woman lying on the floor during a sound bath, laughing and crying at the same time. It looks like ceremony, breath, rhythm, and remembrance.

I created Grieve Outside the Box, my book, as a love letter to women navigating grief in a world that expects them to move on too quickly. I created The Ode to Joy Podcast to make space for conversations that matter. I created Enter the Box to show that even the wildest pain can become punchlines. And I created this space—my digital sanctuary—to hold you through it all.

A woman with blonde hair wearing a black dress with cut-outs on the side, a black hat, and posing with one hand on the hat against a plain background.

CREDENTIALS & LINEAGE

My path has been shaped by decades of formal training, deep initiations, and sacred mentorship. I hold the following certifications and have studied with teachers from around the world:

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, SUNY Fredonia (with a year of study at Middlesex University in London)

  • Performed stand-up comedy and produced my own sketch comedy pilot, Enter the Box, in 2014

  • Trained in Linklater-based voice and movement, which now informs my yoga and healing work

  • Completed a summer intensive at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City

  • Certified Yoga Teacher (Om Sweet Om, 2011), trained by Gail Grossman, author of Restorative Yoga for Life

  • Apprenticed in Shamanic Energy Medicine with Jan Lucier of Windhorse Holistic Strategies, who studied under Sandra Ingerman

  • Completed additional training with Itzhak Beery and studied with the Shipibo tribe in Peru

  • Initiated into Reiki by Devi Ma in Bali and received a three-day full moon transmission from Balinese healer Agus Sihman

  • Certified Death Doula through Olivia Bareham’s Sacred Crossings

  • Ordained Minister through the Universal Life Church

  • Mentored in Taoist philosophy and herbalism through my work with Superfeast (AU), led by Mason and Tani Taylor

Before all of this, I worked in politics and public service—including time in Washington, D.C., supporting a U.S. Senator. That foundation in advocacy, language, and leadership continues to shape how I hold space today: with both fire and tenderness.

You don’t need to be spiritually fluent or emotionally polished to be here. You just need to be willing to show up.

  • Women in transition: postpartum, divorce, relocation, death, rebirth

  • Grieving mothers and daughters

  • Curious newcomers and seasoned seekers

  • Those who are ready to walk through the fire—and laugh a little along the way

  • The body as a sacred oracle

  • Humor as a holy act

  • Grief as a doorway

  • Ritual as everyday practice

I work with:

I believe in:

Close-up portrait of a young woman with brown hair tied in a top bun, green eyes, multiple earrings, a nose ring, and a gold necklace against a pink background.
Empty black circle with a thin border on a white background.

The People I Come Home To

I recently moved back to my hometown of Port Washington, New York—on the quiet north shore of the Long Island Sound. After years of travel, ceremony, and healing work across the globe, this is where I chose to plant new roots.

It’s where I gave birth to my daughter, Talulah Rain, with my husband Patrick at my side. Together, we’re building a life of ritual, rhythm, and deep community—raising our family by the water and living in alignment with the same values I bring into every session, class, and ceremony. This work is woven into the way we live, love, and show up for one another.

HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

01

Private Healing Sessions

For when you’re ready to go deep.

Shamanic energy medicine sessions are intuitive, ceremonial, and completely custom to you. These are immersive experiences for women navigating grief, identity shifts, life transitions, or spiritual openings.

02

THE ODE TO JOY PODCAST

Start here and feel the vibe.

Not ready to dive all the way in? The podcast is a perfect place to get to know me, hear stories, and drop into bite-sized rituals and wisdom—equal parts heart and humor.

03

Your Mini Griefcation Guide

A ritual to meet yourself.

Start with a gentle, guided offering—my free ritual guide invites you to create sacred space in your everyday life. Make tea, light a candle, and reconnect with your heart.