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LIINA TAEL and ELI SALZMAN
Goals, Visions, Future, Home 

Thank you for your interest!

We are interested in taking our life in some exciting new directions. Some recent surprising developments inspired us (and pushed us a bit!) to get clearer on what we REALLY want - both professionally and in regards to our living situation.
​We’re hoping that by sharing the results of this in-depth inventory we might attract some collaborators, opportunities, advice, inspiration and information.
The story
This winter we found out we had to leave our beloved flat in Treptow, Berlin. The resulting flat search was.....ahem....interesting.
It was like we were trying to swim against a strong current and ignoring all signs that swimming that hard was the wrong method. At every turn there seemed to be a blockade, often in surprising and weirdly last minute ways (regardless of our preparedness and positive attitude). The mental, physical and emotional toll from this has taken too much of our energy away from our passions and purposes.

When looking into the roots of our struggle, we realised a couple things:
1) Our pushed-back Dreams of Home and Purpose need to come back to the foreground, including looking beyond Berlin (and Germany) and getting a little gutsy.
2) Though we are open to those dreams happening for us in the Berlin area, we are finished using the normal channels and using just stubborn logic and persistence. ​
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PictureNatural stone patio designed and built by Eli
Dreams of Home and Purpose, Berlin and Beyond
Besides Berlin (and even other parts of Germany), we are also curious about Italy and Portugal, and are open to other parts of Europe.
Diversity (culture, life choices, careers, interests) is preferred over homogeny. This means that communities or projects with unified strict ideologies may not work for us. However,  a Live/Work Project with a certain focus could work as long as the approach is not too narrow and strict; for example a retreat center that focuses on health (physical/mental/spiritual), an arts center, or simply a community living project. 


Some elements we'd love in such a situation are:
-- Easy connection to nature without driving to get there
-- A place to grow veggis (Eli is an experienced gardener and
​    is passionate about the principles of permaculture)

-- Solo or shared music studio, or proximity to one in nearby area
-- Proximity to a concentration of diverse events and venues for all arts 

Contributions we can offer (also see CVs below):
​
Eli can .... For example, if there is no studio but a community of musicians needing one, Eli can help build one (carpentry, acoustics, recording studio knowledge, interest in new building methods, etc). Or if there is a community garden, Eli can contribute his knowledge and labor. Likewise teaching music and production to teenagers and adults, life coaching, bicycle repair, all manner of home repair and renovation, landscape and outdoor living design (see photo).

PicturePartner Thai massage class at the annual Kukeranna retreat

​Liina can organize, teach, and/or staff retreats, teachings, yoga classes, etc. (veteran yoga teacher, event organizer/staffer, excellent admin and book-keeping skills). Liina’s previous career as a recruitment consultant gives her a seasoned skill-set that could help with staffing a center or project (search campaign, screening, interviewing, etc.)

Berlin ... 
Of course if our bigger dreams converge with a situation in Berlin, then that could be great too.
What we are looking for...
1) must feel good in terms of the relationship with owner 
2) must be near parks/nature
3) should not be more than 20 min bicycle ride to Hermannplatz. Negotiable if it is a really special flat/kiez, e.g. ground floor with garden, biking distance max 30 min. to center
4) 600-800€ cold 


It's very important to us that a collaboration with a property owner, live/work project, retreat center or community is such where all parties are happy with the exchange. We want an interaction that is based on fairness and dignity for all. We gladly take responsibility for our contribution and we would take care of a property in a way that everyone would be proud of, honoring the needs of the owners and the neighborhood. 
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​In conclusion
Hassan is looking at us right now saying “what’s with all this sitting around and brainstorming? Can we please go now run around in the park and maybe have a poop?” And he’s absolutely right. If our shiny fur baby has taught us anything, its that running in nature and pooping.....I mean....moving forward and letting go makes shit happen...YES that’s it! To action!!





If there is a living situation, Live/Work project, undertaking, or enterprise
​where our experience, gifts, talents,  and sweet-sweet style can be of service, let us know. 



Below find our life experience in a CV/resume format! 
​
​

ELI SALZMAN

​LIINA TAEL 

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Birth and Residence
  • 46 years old, born 24th April 1972 in Kingston, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Grew up in Fairfield, VT (close to Burlington), lived in Santa Cruz, California 1991-2007
  • Permanent resident in Germany since 2015, has lived in Berlin since 2008
​                                                Parents both artists and art teachers
Education
  • Associate in Arts degree in Music from Cabrillo College, 1995
  • Completed Landmark Education’s Curriculum for Living (life coaching, personal and professional development) 1995
  • Bachelor in Arts degree in Community Studies (with a focus on teenagers and the performing arts), University of California at Santa Cruz, 1997
  • Completed Dave Ellis’s “Falling Awake” life coaching course 2003
  • Attended 5-day silent meditation retreat with non-traditional spiritual teacher Adyashanti, 2004
  • Trained and practiced in RC-style peer counseling
  • Attended Nonviolent Communication groups and classes
Music and Art
  • Set-building teacher at Harbor High School theater program, Santa Cruz, 1997
  • Singer-songwriter career started 1997, first live album (“Eli Salzman, LIVE”) realeased 1999
  • Regular concert schedule in Northern California 1999-2007
  • First studio album (“Baby Flame”) released in 2002
  • Songwriting and studio production instructor at Buck’s Rock Creative and Performing Arts Camp, 2017-present
  • Training in mixing engineering, mastering engineering, and various facets of audio production, sound design and acoustic engineering, 2011-present
  • "Kukeranna: Soundtrack for Yoga and Meditation" released 2015
  • "Ring: Music from the Kukeranna Retreat" released 2016
  • Instruments (pro): piano/keyboards, voice, guitar
  • Instruments (proficient): drums, percussion, bass
Community Work
  • Rode in the Transcontinental Bicycle Ride for the Children’s Wish Foundation, cycling from NY to CA to raise awareness for terminally ill children, 1991.
  • Attended and helped organize various cycling political actions over the years
  • Lived in very organized co-op during which was trained in consensus decision-making methods and community-building skills, parliamentary procedure, peer counseling, and nonviolent communication 1995-1998
  • Part of the management team at Santa Cruz AIDS Project, full-time director of the volunteer program, 2000-2002
Carpentry
  • Trained in all manner of residential construction and renovation starting in 1988.
  • Self-employed as handyman since 1997 (excluding 2000-2002).
  • Skills include framing, roofing, drywall, finish carpentry, tiling, natural stone work, deck and terrace, straw-bale construction, stucco, light plumbing and electrical, cabinetry, furniture and painting.
Interests/Hobbies
  • writing, both fiction and non-fiction
  • fitness and yoga
  • studying global sociopolitical and economic themes
  • avid cyclist, cycling activism, bicycle building/designing/repairing
  • vegetable farming and permaculture
Languages
  • English (native)
  • German (fluent)
  • Spanish (rudimentary)
Eli's links: 
Bandcamp
Soundcloud
Facebook

HASSAN 
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  • 4,5 years old, born July 20,  2013 in Spain
Adopted by Liina and Eli in December 2016, now lives in Berlin
Adores all humans, gets along with other dogs, very sweet natured and well-mannered and trained.
In summer 2017 participated in 4 yoga retreats when accompanying Liina on her teaching tour in Europe (can meditate through a 2,5hr yoga                                                             session with perfect poise). 
                                                 Insured, vaccinated

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Birth and Residence 
  • 40 years old, born 15th June 1977 in Tallinn, Estonia
  • Left Estonia in 2007, since then has lived and worked in Australia, India, Vietnam, Italy, Sri Lanka, Hawaii 
  • Lives in Berlin, Germany since 2014

Education
  • Bachelor in Economics (Concordia International University in Estonia, 1999)
  • 200hr and 300hr Yoga Teacher Qualification from Byron Yoga Center  in Byron Bay, Australia (2007/2008)
  • Certificate IV in Massage Therapy: Swedish Massage and Deep Tissue (2008), Myofascial Massage training (2011)
  • Yin Yoga Teacher Training 200hr (several trainings since 2014)
  • Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with Judith H. Lasater, 30hr (2016)
  • Experiential Anatomy Online training with Judith H. Lasater (ongoing)
  • In total about 1000 hrs of different yoga, movement, anatomy, meditation, yoga philosophy related trainings over the last 10 years of teaching yoga. 
  • Several meditation retreats/trainings (3 silent Goenka style Vipassana retreats, following the teachings of Adyashanti, Michael Stone, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, John J. Prendergast, Mooji)
 
Yoga and teaching
Teacher of alignment based Vinyasa Yoga since 2007: 
  • After finishing her 200hr training with Byron Yoga Center, Liina stayed working at the center for the next 2 years. In addition to teaching weekly classes, she was assisting at the 200hr and 300hr Teacher Trainings and co-teaching at Byron Yoga retreats. 
  • Taught at resorts in Sri Lanka and Vietnam 
  • Since 2015 Liina teaches at Yellow Yoga in Berlin  plus  runs her own weekly classes at a Buddhist Center
Yin yoga teacher since 2014
  • Liina has built up a Yin Yoga following from scratch first when she lived in Tallinn, Estonia and then again after she moved to Berlin (in 2014). 
Restorative yoga teacher since 2016
  • After her Restorative Yoga training with Judith Lasater, she  launched a weekly Restorative class which quickly became one of her most popular sessions.
Organising and teaching retreats
  • Organising, promoting and teaching 3-4 retreats every year (in Estonia, Italy and France)
Organising Teacher Trainings
  • Organising Yin Yoga Teacher Trainings in Tallinn, Estonia for her teachers Sebastian Pucelle and Mureielle Burellier every year since 2014 (promotion, correspondence, managing finances, assisting during the training)
Building up a yoga business
  • Creating her own website - www.liinayoga.com , newsletters, mailing-lists, online yoga platform.
  • Running her own business Yoga Gypsy OÜ - a Limited Liability Company registered in Estonia. 
​Massage
  • Worked as a massage therapist in a SPA setting (Holmes Place) 
  • Worked as massage therapist during retreats
 Recruitment and administration background
  • Worked as a recruitment consultant in a boutique HR firm in Tallinn, Estonia (2001 - 2007). Liina's speciality was the search and selection of specialists, middle and top level managers in the field of IT, accounting, finance, sales and marketing. The responsibilities included choosing the appropriate search method and channels, putting together advertisement, CV screening, conducting job interviews, assessment of candidates, preparing written reports. 
  • 2007 (July-October) worked as a recruitment consultant/assistant at Temp Team and Active Selection in Sydney, Australia. 
Interest/Hobbies
  • conscious dance - modalities like 5 rhythms, Soul Motion, Open Floor 
  • reading
  • everything to do with the sea: swimming, diving, snorkelling 
  • nature: hiking, camping
Languages
  • Estonian (native)
  • English (fluent)
  • Swedish (average)
  • Finnish (can understand, don't speak) 
  • Russian (rudimentary)
  • Italian (rudimentary) 

TOGETHER
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  • Annual yoga retreat in Kukeranna, Estonia. Together Eli and Liina plan the retreat schedule, share organizational side of things, correspondence with participants. During the retreat Eli plays live music at the yoga classes  (check out the two albums born from this collaboration) and hosts a couple in-house concerts. Liina teaches the yoga and meditation sessions. 
  • Yoga to Live Music events

​liina.tael@gmail.com

eli_salzman@yahoo.com

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