We had the good fortune of connecting with Eleanor McCall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eleanor, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
“If I can do this, anyone can” Let me explain – First of all, achieving the feat of walking across a slackline, doing the seemingly impossible when I had completely doubted myself, was one thing. At the time I considered myself to be a fairly clumsy individual. (Trust me, I had the shin bruises to prove it). Never in a million years would I have considered slacklining if my brother didn’t suggest it. All it took was one day at the park, falling repeatedly, totally stumped that I couldn’t stand up on this thin little line. And yet, my brother had the utmost confidence in my ability to master slacklining. His conviction left me curious. And that day, the seed was planted.

Before I ever dreamt of this being a ‘business’, slacklining was simply the main topic for my Thesis research article. Shortly after my first introduction to slacklining, I received one as a gift and quickly began my journey on the line. During this time, I was studying Depth Psychology and in my final year of graduate school at Sonoma State University. Here in time during a shared moment with a colleague, I was encouraged and supported in changing my thesis topic from ‘music and emotion’ to ‘slacklining and the individuation process.’ That decision set forth a year long study where I documented my experience learning to slackline (the technical term for my research method is a ‘Heuristic Self Inquiry’). My process was fairly free form; I would practice and journal, draw, or create some expression to capture the experiences I was having while on and in response to slacklining.

I learned first hand (and foot) the power of the mind. I was both the observer and participant of an internal battle that was taking place throughout my process of learning. There were many days where I had no idea if I was ‘doing it right,’ and judging by my slow progression, there were many days where I felt like a ‘failure.’ Nevertheless, I continued to move through the discomfort, through all the falling and fumbling, to finally reach a point on ‘the other side.’ After a year of dedicated and focused practice, I completed my thesis and presented my work to the public. The main gist of what I learned and observed? Slacklining showed me the parts and pieces of myself that were disjointed, hanging out in left field screaming to be part of the whole; mind, body, and soul. Slacklining requires patience, practice, perseverance, and presence (the 4 P’s of slacklining). Falling is a huge part of the process, and through this I learned about the loving presence of grace.
Slacklining creates a space of meditation, of breath, of peace, and in this moment of awareness, you can see yourself, feel yourself, and ultimately over time, know yourself. The practice invites you to show up as you are, and to meet yourself where you are at. Slacklining can be this wacky little portal to the soul, welcoming in higher and deeper states of consciousness. Ultimately when you are on the line, it’s you and You, and the trees, of course. This simple little line showed me it had so much to offer – so what was I to do?

My mission was made clear: bring slacklining to the people in a way that is accessible, approachable, and safe. Remind all bodies and beings that you can do and be anything you set your mind to, even when it seems impossible; keep going.
Slacklining can be for any Body and this was the thought process behind starting this venture.
If I can do this, anyone can.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

The very nature of working with people means my work is always evolving, which is what I find so special – it’s always shifting, and this excites me. Through noticing the constant change and subtle differences, I’ve learned to appreciate the nuances of Being in a body- how and where we each feel the imbalance; how the imbalance spans through multiple levels (physical, emotional, mental) of sensing; how our bodies are intimately connected with our minds, and how the thoughts and stories we hold on to live in very tissues and bones that make up our body.

We each have a body that functions similarly and is made up of the same parts, and yet, we live in and experience our bodies so differently. We each feel and express dis-ease in such a wide range, and why is that? I find this fascinating; it leaves me curious. and I’m here to not only celebrate this, but also to engage with it as a gateway for the process of exploring – the process of balancing and centering; of coming home to your self. I am most excited about the mission I bring with slacklining as a mindfulness practice to support the individuation process, and as a way to connect with higher states of consciousness; slacklining as a biofeedback tool, and slacklining as an inquiry method for self-healing.
Coming to this point in my ‘professional career’ didn’t happen overnight though. It has been a journey of death and rebirth to get to this place.

I began working retail in high school, selling stationary and designing wedding and baby announcements at Papyrus, and continued the journey of part time jobs through college. Not fulling knowing what I wanted out of a B.A. in Psychology, I worked several jobs for four years in between undergrad and graduate school. 11 years as a barista and shift supervisor at Starbucks – I supported my way through graduate school. Strong values of community, connection, dedication, service, and teamwork were instilled here. 7 years as a Teaching Assistant for Dr. Sowerby’s Psychology classes, I facilitated small group discussions and supported student projects and papers. I worked at least two jobs, if not three, for several years on and off. One of the most challenging times of my working career was right before and during graduate school. I was doing my part in supporting my then husband through his transition through careers, exploring his muse (as I soon would be doing in grad school). I held three jobs which I enjoyed; Starbucks, a residential treatment home for young teens, and at a spiritual center. My typical schedule 5 days a week was like this; 4 am until 10:30pm, Saturday and Sunday were one day Starbucks, one day church. 7 days a week. Was it easy? No. Wednesday afternoons at the treatment center were dedicated to circle time for counselors; a safe space to express and process emotions; whatever was alive and needed support. This helped greatly. Community, like-minded, like-hearted community. It was during this time and space in my life where I was supported in making major shifts – shifts away from the three jobs and into graduate school. Grad school of course carried its own challenges. The very subject nature of my grad program involved delving into ‘our shadows’; so yeah know, needless to say, a lot came up. And thankfully my teachers introduced us to great tools to hone our skills of listening and processing.
Ranging from administrative support, to admissions advising, cannabis farming, HR, to nannying and events, to professional graduate school, and various movement trainings, I’ve experienced a wide range of careers, each one of them playing a special role in shaping me; in offering a unique lens and perspectives in any given situation. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to be fluid. It’s great to have a plan and a direction, of course. After all it is our imagination (image-in-action) which creates physical reality; but to also expect the unexpected. Life has a way of throwing a curveball every one in awhile. It’s good to remember that there is also order, even in the chaos – everything seems to balance itself out eventually.

For my story, I want the world to know that this is not the life I had initially imagined for myself, so to be open to life’s wonderful surprises. And to follow the warm feeling that whispers to your heart, ‘Yes, keep going.’

Listen in to the experiences, the people, and the places that elevate your time here. Elevated Slacklining is all about creating space for you to ‘Come home to yourself.’ The physical body with its 5 senses and intricate network of connection; the higher mind with its knowing; it’s all right here in the present moment waiting for us to arrive. The answers are literally within the tissues and cells of our bodies, and can be accessed through subtle and soft movements, through the breath. When we balance the body, the mind follows. And in order to become more balanced, we must first see where the imbalance lies. Stay curious, be open, slow down to speed up, and trust the process.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well if they are a best friend then they would know well enough – first things first, coffee and some yummy baked goods from a local spot. Some favorites of mine are Della Fattoria, Aqua Cafe, Avid, and most recently for baked treats, Stelina. From here, we’d go to one of my favorite parks to slackline; Wickersham or McNear Park. For lunch or a bigger breakfast, we might stop at The Tea Room, Halies, or Sax’s Joint. There are many restaurant options depending on your style or mood – I’ll list a few to choose from: The Speakeasy, El Roys, Sol Food, Mi Pueblo, Lemon Grass Thai, Paradise Sushi, Taps, Hanks, The New Yorker, Brixx, and Old Chicago Pizza, which leads us right a favorite yoga studios, Renew Yoga, We would definitely go to a class or two – Sunday Bhakti with Shane and sound healing and Yin with Heather. The community here is very welcoming and supportive, and the acoustics in this studio make singing and chanting magical. Every Sunday the Petaluma Slackliner’s Club meets at Wickersham park – we call it church. This is a fun time to not just try slacklining, but to throw frisbee, juggle, make art, hang out and generally engage in self-care. If we were looking for a high intensity workout, I’d take us to Balance Sports Performance, a boxing cardio strength training fusion gym with a community that fosters well-being through movement. Another gym we would check out is Elevate, located one city up in Rohnert Park.

We might drive out to the coast to walk the beach and play in the sand as the sun sets; Bodega Bay, or Dillon Beach; a definite visit out to Point Reyes to hike. Some other hiking spots would be Armstrong Woods, Hood Mountain, or Mount Tamalpias. The backroads driving is also a plus. The rolling hills here are gorgeous!

In my view, some of the most fun and interesting times are shared with friends at the park – slacklining, stretching, reading, and drawing. Just being together, it’s the simple things.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I want to thank my mom, Caroline. Without being too trite or cliche, she’s believed in me since day one. Back in 2015 my mom and my sister, Barbara, gifted me my first slackline. I still remember opening the box and hearing the concerned sigh of my then partner, “oh great, something else for Eleanor to trip over.” I’d like to also thank him, Vincent, for the soulful and loving challenge to ‘do and be the impossible.’ I think his sigh that day urged me even deeper to prove something to myself; that I could accomplish this task, Life was surely stringing me along and I was following with openness and curiosity.

To my sister Barbara for designing all of our logos and swag. When I initially had the idea to start something teaching slacklining, Barbara was the first person I told. Her response was of immediate support, “I’ll design your logo,” and without hesitation went for it. She not only saw my vision, but believed in it too. And for this support and die-hard family love, I am so grateful and thankful!

To my brother Michael for encouraging me to slackline; for inviting me out of my comfort zone; for pushing me (ever so lovingly) to keep going and growing even when I feel defeated. His confidence in me that day, whatever he saw, echos in my mind and heart, and is expressed when I teach others. To this day, Michael and I continue to slackine together. We are always finding new and fun ways to explore the edges of our practice.

To my friend Kristen, owner of Cultural Event Rentals, who I met while teaching slacklining at my first festival. It was the debut of Elevated Slacklining at the Sonoma County Yoga Festival and Kristen made a point of ‘looking us up’ to take a class and learn how to slackline. Needless to say we’ve been friends ever since, and her support and love has been paramount.

To my friend Bridgette (from grad school) who literally was the catalyst for all this! One day while slacklining on campus in between classes, I jumped off the line and looked at her and said, “man, I wish I could just write my thesis on slacklining. That would be so fun.” Bridgettes response? “Well, why don’t you? You can pretty much do anything you want.” That subtle, small, and soft reply set in motion some of the most major and pivotal changes in my journey.

To my entire graduate cohort at SSU, class of 2016, to my mentors, and my thesis committee, most notably my Chair, Dr. David Sowerby. I received so much beautiful, life changing and affirming support from these humans it’s immeasurable. I produced many iterations of my final thesis; Dr. Sowerby had to put up with my bouts of procrastination, coaching me on time management and intention. He helped me establish and maintain a routine and schedule for my writing, of without which I might not have completed my thesis. Eternally grateful to my teachers.

To the great creator spirit and energy of ‘I Am.’ To Source consciousness, to the energy of Love and connection from where all existence stems from; thank you!

Website: www.elevatedslacklining.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevated.slacklining/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanor-mccall-ma-1ba7a5157/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatedslacklining

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIkMx3kYdZkxBa-UT5P4B5A

Other: https://www.elephantjournal.com/profile/eleanor-mccall/

Image Credits
CRISSY PASCUAL/ARGUS-COURIER STAFF (last uploaded photo)

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