Root & Branch Bodywork

Do you ever just feel at ease the moment you enter a space? Do you ever feel drained or stressed out in a certain space, even if you’re there doing something you enjoy?

The ways in which our environment interacts with our senses can have a profound influence on our mood, energy, and ability to focus. Some people are more sensitive to things like loud noises/echos, bright/fluorescent lights, and busy or cluttered spaces than others, but most people “just feel good” in spaces that are designed to soothe our senses.

Neuroinclusive design principles lean into this idea — adaptive, sensory-friendly, and flexible spaces create a welcoming environment to everyone! 🌿

✨Class Updates!✨

Starting in May, and will be taking over the Tuesday and Thursday evening handstand classes at Root & Branch! 🤸‍♀️

Tuesday classes with Elliott will continue to be offered at 6pm, and the Thursday classes with Kaeti will return to the 5pm slot. Both classes will continue to be 90-minutes long — y’all aren’t messing around!

We’re going to miss working with , and are excited to hear about his upcoming adventures across the pond (and here in Philly)! You’ll have one more chance to catch his class on Thursday 4/30. 🫶

Class update! 🚨

Starting next week, our dear friend Elliott Gittelsohn will be teaching handstands at Root & Branch on Tuesdays at 6pm. He is also available for private and semi-private lessons upon request.

Elliott Gittelsohn has been working in circus and movement since age 12, training at Circus Smirkus Academy, The Clown Conservatory, and with Mongolian contortionist Serchmaa Byamba. He has performed with companies including Capacitor, Celebrity Cruises, Sister Magic Productions, MOTH Poetic Circus, Vau de Vire Society, and Kinetic Arts Production.

Elliott coaches contortion, flexibility, and hand balancing, and has directed and taught at programs including Circadium, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, Kinetic Arts Center, San Francisco Circus Center, Hampshire College, and Circo Caribe. He holds a degree in Performing Arts from the LEAP Program, where he researched psychological stress and recovery in circus training and performance, and is the co-founder of 2nd Hand Circus.

Join Jen Kranjec at Root & Branch Bodywork for a 2-session pop-up series!

“If there’s something the world needs more now than ever, it’s balance... a call to a healthier relationship with rest, self care, and our bodies.

And, at the same time, we are each called to develop our strength and resilience... our confidence to stand in our own two shoes and offer ourselves boldly, wholeheartedly to the moment.
​
As someone who has worked in different facets of the fitness industry for over 12 years, I can say that this balance is hard to find... We either push ourselves endlessly towards burnout, or miss the opportunity for meaningful effort altogether.
​
Yin Strength centers around a practice of embodied strength training to deepen physical and emotional resilience with an underpinning of self care.
​
This class brings together a lifetime of professional and personal experience from my early studies in Exercise Science to my most recent training as a mindfulness meditation teacher.
​
I can’t wait to have you there...”

Drop into your body this weekend with a mindful movement session!

Class space is limited — sign up online or reach out to directly to secure your spot in class. 🌿

Did you know that spaces that remind us of our connection to nature are associated with better health outcomes (physically and mentally)?

I was recently introduced to the principles of ✨biophilic design✨ by (a clinician turned designer, and a wealth of knowledge on this topic!). It was so exciting and affirming to finally name a concept I have been orbiting since opening Root & Branch — the evidence and methodology behind what we intuitively feel when we are immersed in the sounds, smells, textures, and visuals of the natural world.

I never really resonated with the sterile clinical spaces in which I honed my sports medicine and rehab skills, and couldn’t relate to many of the aesthetic guidelines for spas and wellness studios to “feel expensive” or luxurious. A mindful walk in the woods doesn’t feel expensive; it feels timeless…it feels like coming home. 🌿