Meet Jaime Anderson and Yonatan Elkayam : Coach & Reiki Healer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaime Anderson and Yonatan Elkayam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaime & Yonatan, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Maybe you are searching among the branches for what can only be found in the roots” – Rumi

Jaime:

I come back to this quote often. In an industry so focused on healing and health, we often hear terms like “find the light” and “high vibration” . While this is an important part of the work that we do, it doesn’t paint a complete picture. When this becomes the only focus, it can start to give us a negative perception of the darkness. The reality is that no one is free from their shadow or darkness & some of our most profound lessons show up in the moment’s we’re brave enough to look at our darker parts.

Yonatan:

There is no good or bad, the mind makes it so. Because of our culture & upbringing, we feel like something low must not be as good as something that is high, but the reality is that the low is the support system for the high; they need each other. The low provides the foundation for the high. In an orchestra, the low frequency is the bass, the cello, the tuba, etc. They’re all vital parts of the music. Without the earth, there is no sky. Without this relationship, it’s all just space.

There is so much life that happens in the root system of a tree or a plant. If you cut a plant down to the stalk, but the roots are healthy, that plant will grow back. We live in a society that wants to see the work that’s being done. If it isn’t Instagramable, it tends to hold less value, but the reality is that some of the most important work we do happens below the surface and will never be seen by anyone but ourselves.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We founded Coopetition Coaching with the desire to bring more joy and pleasure into the world and untimely give people the space to heal and come into healthier relationships. The way our culture teaches us to approach work and success just doesn’t resonate for us, We see so many people wearing their exhaustion and burn out as a badge of honor and a sign of success. The impact this has on our physical and mental health is deep and we’re committed to changing that narrative.

Our clients come to us with the desire to begin leading more joyful, fulfilled lives and to improve the quality of their relationships. They’re the kind of people who are ready to do things differently. All of the work starts with improving the relationship to the self and taking the time to fill your own cup first. When we take the time to care for ourselves first, not last, our relationships flourish & we can show up authentically. Our program includes breath, Reiki, movement coaching, intimacy, vulnerability and play; it packs a punch. We’ve both been so fortunate to have access to education, mentors and role models in this arena and feel very called to share these concepts with the world.

In early 2020, Jaime was working as a Tier X Coach at Equinox, delivering nutrition and fitness programs to clients ready to take their health to the next level; Yonatan is a musician, actor, film maker and Pilates instructor. When the pandemic hit, both of our careers took an abrupt pause & we had the opportunity to really think about what we wanted to do with the skills that we had and how we wanted to approach our work differently when we came out of the pandemic. We knew in our guts that we were meant to work together and just started brainstorming. This program came together pretty naturally. Love is our compass; we pour it into ourselves, our relationship and our business & it’s yet to steer us in the wrong direction.

We’ve put a lot of energy into building this brand and we’re not done yet. We’re currently accepting client applications for 1:1 work and couples, lead a weekly donation based Pilates class & a weekly meditation and are in the midst of planning our first retreat.

Building a business as a couple has its challenges. We’ve learned to strengthen our boundaries, take plenty of time outs to play and breathe and we celebrate often, it keeps the work fun and makes it sustainable. The best advice we can give anyone entering into a new business is to celebrate everything – the big things, the small things, the wins and especially the failures.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’re located in Downtown LA, so we’ll give you some of our favorites in this area:

Lets separate this into activities:

Outdoors:
LA State Historic Park – Downtown LA – this is our favorite place in our neighborhood for an outdoor workout or a picnic, its a beautiful little oasis amidst the chaos of DTLA
Griffith Park – one of our favorite places to watch the sunrise over LA or go for an afternoon hike. The park is massive & there are endless trails to hike on & places to picnic, plus the observatory

Restaurants:
Yuko’s Kitchen – Japanese Fusion – 101 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 – we had our first date here and have pretty much eaten here every week since. The food is simple & made with a ton of love. During the pandemic, Yuko (the owner) turned the inside of the restaurant into a plant shop and it is absolutely magical. Half of the plants in our home were picked up on a run to get takeout from Yuko’s this year
Urth Caffe, Arts District – 459 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 – Grab a Spanish Latte & take a walk around the Arts District, it’s such a beautiful part of town & one of our favorite places to get lost on a Sunday afternoon

Performing arts space:
Corazon Performance Center – Topanga Canyon – this is a bit of a trek, but well worth it. Corazon brings some of the most talented local artists in for some of the most intimate performances. If you’ve ever spent a day in Topanga Canyon, you know how special this part of LA is Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Great question! There are a few things that instantly pop to mind for us:

The Ethical Slut by Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy
We read this book years before meeting one another and the principles outlined in the book have deeply impacted the way we take care of ourselves and communicate in our relationships. This book is driven by the idea that “sex is good and pleasure is good for you” & opens up the conversation around pleasure in an incredibly grounded way. We are deeply grateful that these women paved the way for healthier conversations around pleasure, love and relationships.

Julia Albain – Energy Healer
Julia Albain is an energy healer and the woman who taught us Reiki. The work that we’ve done and continue to do with her has opened up an incredibly powerful conversation about the energy that connects all things. The two of us have such drastically different backgrounds; Yonatan is a musician, film maker, actor and Pilates instructor and Jaime has a background in personal training, nutrition coaching and team management. ENERGY is the thing that ties all of our work together, it’s the the thread that connects it all.

Julia teaches in a way that opens you up to your own wisdom and leaves space for curiosity and play. It inspires us and lifts us up.

Community:

Finally, we need to acknowledge our community of friends. Yonatan’s mom has a saying “show me who your friends are and I’ll show you who you are”. When we look around at our friends, we’re blessed to see a pretty beautiful reflection. They challenge us to be bigger, brighter and more loving. The have been cheering us on from day 1, their support keeps us brave and their love keeps us warm. We are deeply grateful.

Website: coopetitioncoaching.com

Instagram: coopetitioncoaching

Facebook: Coopetition Coaching

Other: We’d love to offer your readers 50% off a consultation with us, tell them to mention Shoutout LA when they reach out for booking Donation based, community offerings: Pilates for Creatives – Tuesday 5:30pm-6:30pm Pilates – Thursday 10am-11am The Friday Morning EXHALE (meditation and Reiki) – 10am-10:30am Zoom ID: 827 6256 0543

Image Credits
Joshua Albanese Yonatan Elkayam