Meet Julia De’Caneva And Julieann Brams | Co-Founder at Elemental

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julia De’Caneva And Julieann Brams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia de’Caneva and Julieann Brams, how does your business help the community?
Elemental is more than a business, it’s a cultural movement. A way of life. Our mission is to reconnect humans to the rest of Nature by providing spaces for people to engage with mindful, embodied practices. We believe the delusion that humans are separate from Nature causes us and our planet immeasurable suffering.

We offer a myriad of ways to learn about the concept of Nature reconnection, when and why disconnection occurred, but also most importantly, to learn rerooting practices themselves. These practices lay the foundation for true change.

We know that cultural shifts take more than a few thoughtful podcast interviews. Our intention is to be on stages big and small to help audiences make the simple yet profound shift in thinking; when humans change the implicit core belief that we are separate from and superior to the rest of Nature, everything shifts. It’s only one thought, but it lays the foundation for how we move through the world.

With over 30 years in the mental health field, our co-founder Julie Brams has seen firsthand the suffering caused by this disconnection and the relief reconnection provides. We believe that repairing our relationship to Nature, including accepting that we are in fact Nature, will lead to a decrease in mental and physical health challenges so prevalent in our modern world. We are challenging Western psychology to admit that the root cause of so much of our suffering boils down to ecological disconnection. Without that acknowledgement, mental health professionals and the entire field cannot sufficiently support their clients particularly at this point in time.

We believe that reconnecting with the rest of Nature will lead to a healthier planet and healthier people. We need the other-than-humans and they need us. Coming back to a relationship to true equality and reciprocity are necessary for the future of our Earth and ourselves.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a cultural movement looking to ignite a fundamental paradigm shift, we are only just beginning. We offer a variety of ways to interact with the principles of Nature reconnection, but even more importantly we provide practices that help deepen reconnecting as a way of life.

Our practices are designed to help reawaken our natural felt sense of belonging in the web of life. Our Labos combine mindfulness meditation, forest bathing, gentle movement, and sharing through reflective Wisdom Circles to guide individuals and communities back into relationship—with their bodies, each other, and our living Earth.

We love to collaborate on custom programming tailored to your needs; whether supporting your family & friends, clients, patients, or employees, we create the experience that’s best for you. Every Labo, Circle, and custom offering is rooted in our mission: to restore direct relationships with the rest of Nature as the foundation of personal, social and planetary healing.

The first year or so of business was so much experimenting, in messaging, in services, in practices. We have learned so much by just trying. What works and what doesn’t only becomes clearer once you’re in it. Julia can often be found saying, “You never know ‘til you get there.” We have grown as a business and as a partnership. Our foundation is rooted in our own practices of Nature reconnection and challenging our longheld beliefs. We value clear communication and authenticity, striking a balance between bringing our whole selves to our work while also recognizing that elemental is still a business and needs to be business-forward.

We both feel that if we’re not spending our time doing what feels like our core passion in this lifetime, what are we even doing? elemental is a heart-led, Nature-informed, Earth-centering endeavor. It’s all an experiment “calling humans in” to co-create what the future of our Earth can look like. It’s a cultural movement, it’s community, and it’s a path forward informed by Nature, optimism, resilience and fun.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Julia says: My ideal itinerary for a week in LA is one that balances exploring different areas with walking. One of my favorite ways to see LA is on foot, which is highly underrated. In no particular order: I’d attend tai chi with Hakim Tafari at the LINE Hotel on Sunday at 11am followed by a meal at Park’s BBQ. Once we’ve walked off our lunch around the Larchmont area shops and lovely neighborhoods (have Zillow handy!), we’d be ready for dinner at Great White and a requisite cookie at Levain or ice cream at Jeni’s, and maybe another stroll around for good measure. I used to frequent the original Alfred Coffee when I lived nearby, so I’d make it a point to go to the Melrose Place Farmer’s Market, Alfred Coffee, and then walk up and down Melrose admiring the fancy shops. On foot, I’d cut over to 3rd Street and get food at Joan’s on Third or snag a spot in the beautiful courtyard at Bacari. After dinner I’d look for a comedy show at the Largo or Hollywood Improv. If it’s a late show (though I’m not usually out after 8pm), I’d swing over to the parking garage at the Grove – it’s been ages since I went in the mall, but the parking lot remains an excellent unobstructed sunset view. Other places to see the sunset that I love are Griffith Observatory, the rose garden on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica, and Sol Seek Yoga (The Loft) in Manhattan Beach (literally while you are doing yoga!). I love to grab a salad at Alfalfa on Main St. in Santa Monica and bring it over to the ocean for an afternoon in the sunshine. From there I cruise up Main St to Abbot Kinney and peruse the shops before swinging over to Crimson on Ocean Park for Mediterranean food. Sugarfish is always a good idea, but if they’re looking for handroll options, Hamasaku in West LA puts up an excellent contender. After a long walk around North of Montana Santa Monica with lunch at R+D Kitchen, I’d probably explore Sawtelle to get either Marugame Udon or Tatsu Ramen. In between all of the walking tours, I love to find time for the Huntington Library Gardens, a hike in the Santa Monica mountains, and repeat visits to the ocean. If I’m near Pasadena, I’d definitely get a food-sensitivity-friendly donut from Hello You’re Welcome. 10/10 best coffee shop + drink is the golden milk latte at Cafe Ruisseau — their Playa Vista location is fully outdoors, but they have several locations across the city.

Julieann says: My first stop is always Annenberg Community Beachhouse Back on the Beach Cafe. It’s a great place to have a refreshing meal right on the sand, feel the ocean breeze and afterward get your feet into the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Most of my “go to” places are surrounded by Nature whether it’s a trail in the Santa Monica mountains or a stroll through Descanso Gardens. I also have some local favorites that I enjoy introducing friends to like Tortoni Cafe, Little Izi-kaya, and Kai Ramen- I’ve found a way to make my life walkable despite the Missing Persons observation that “nobody walks in LA”. I also love bringing friends to our Farmers Markets and indie bookshops (check out Larchmont on Wednesdays and Sundays for a one stop market and books adventure). Of course the museums can’t be missed, my favorite lately is going to LACMA on a Friday evening to listen to free jazz and stroll the galleries.I’ve often said Los Angeles is a perpetually discoverable city – she has so many priceless pockets, you’ll never see them all and she is constantly changing. One week doesn’t even scratch the surface of what LA has to offer. So, I encourage my friends to come often, pay homage to the ocean and the mountains and then roam with me into hidden places like Bar Jackalope and the obvious must-sees like the Getty.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We want to dedicate our shoutout to our Indigenous contemporaries who continue to tend the land as kin, listening to and learning from all beings. We also want to dedicate our shoutout to all of our other-than-human allies, friends, and teachers. (other-than-humans include all beings, including the rocks, elements, bugs, and beyond)

Website: https://www.experienceelemental.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/experience.elemental/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/experience-elemental/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@experience.elemental

Other: bsky.app/profile/elemental-mindset.bsky.social
https://substack.com/@experienceelemental

Image Credits
Melodee Solomon