shine issue
NOEMI NUñEZ CREATES CULTURAL BRIDGE
IN THE PRACTICE
THE SCIENCE OF STRETCHING
TRAVEL
+ INDIA + CALIFORNIA + OREGON
HUT TRIP ROUNDUP
WINTER BACKCOUNTRY GEAR L I F E S T Y L E • C O M M U N I T Y • W E L L N E S S • N AT U R E • M O V E M E N T • A D V E N T U R E
WINTER + SPRING 2018 -19
Illuminate Your Authenticity
sponsored content
THE CO YOGA + Life® 1
Wish List 2
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1. Golden Root Tumeric Latte Mix Fight inflammation and find grounding energy with every comforting sip of this caffeine-free turmeric latte mix. Made in Denver, Colorado, Golden Root is mindfully created with all organic and non-GMO ingredients and makes for the perfect stocking stuffer or healthful holiday gift! 30-Serving Pouch: $29.99; Individual Serving Sachets: $9.99 - $39.99 www.goldenroot.co 2. Vail Valley Wellness Cosmetic Acupuncture Gift your loved one a natural, no down-time, transformative facial rejuvenation Cosmetic Acupuncture Package. Vail Valley Wellness is offering a 12-treatment, complete Cosmetic Acupuncture package with a $400 discount this holiday season. Goodbye botox, hello cosmetic acupuncture! Book your consultation online at vailvalleywellness.com. 3. Chill TONIC CBD Tincture Relieve anxiety, restore balance + #FixYourVibe with Chill TONIC. Chill combines 800mg CBD with the calming, restorative blend of Ashwagandha, Lemon Balm and Passion Flower. All of the TONIC blends are handcrafted in small
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batches using CBD sourced from organic, sungrown hemp flower. 1 Fluid Ounce Bottle $75 www.tonicvibes.com 4. Lotus Wrap For those who love meditation and restorative yoga! The Lotus Wrap is a versatile, stabilizing yoga strap that supports your back in seated meditation postures, and cocoons your whole body to allow you to go deeper in your favorite poses. Perfect for people with tight muscles, back pain, or who simply want to be cradled in a seated position. Give the gift of inner peace this holiday season. $52 - $85 COLOVE = 20% Off all Lotus Wraps + tank tops at earthtoethers.com 5. Aspen Mugs by MusicalMud Studios “True growth happens from the inside out,” is yoga instructor and ceramic artist, Lori A. T. Raper’s life motto. It also describes the method used to create the aspen tree bark texture. She stretches the clay from the inside to achieve the unique texture then glazes to enhance the surface. Each mug, teapot, bowl, vase, lamp
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or vessel she makes is as unique as the trees they are inspired by. Through these one-of-akind pieces, she brings the beloved beauty of Colorado’s outdoors inside. Mugs $32 www.musicalmud.com 6. MirrorMala Necklaces and Bracelets All MirrorMala pieces are handmade by Gabrielle Woods with specific soulful intention and prayers for world peace. There are many ready-made malas available, as well as custom pieces upon consultation. Woods works with clients to cocreate a beautiful healing meditation bracelet or necklace specifically designed for a specific intention. MirrorMala is a true labor of love, mindfulness and joy. Gabrielle is also available for mala repair, instruction and workshops. $35 - $180 www.mirrormala.com 7. Almeda Labs - Prasada Adaptogenic Synergy Food A proprietary blend of powerful herbs and plants go into this delicious plant protein infused superfood powder that can be used as a supplement or a meal replacement. This
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curated, adaptogen powered formulation is full of antioxidants and probiotics that will help you reboot your gut and replenish your cells. Shine from inside out! Enhance nutrient absorption and digestion while calcifying skin, improving nails, calming and de-stressing the body for better sleep. Organic ingredients contain plant-based protein, ashwaghanda, bitter melon, organic cacao, lions mane, chug, tulsi and berry juice. $54.99 www.almedalabs.com 8. Yoga Face Skin Care Trio Give a yogalicious gift to your favorite yogi this holiday! This simple three-step Yoga Face trio uses Ayurvedic formulas to cleanse, hydrate and plump the face leaving the skin glowing, hydrated and healthy. These small-batch quality products are allnatural and synthetic-free — perfect for all skin types and genders. Yoga Face has packaged a special gift set just for Colorado YOGA + Life readers! Use code COlove108 and get this most special trio for $108. www.yogaface.com 9. Love & Asana Tank Not just a graphic tee — these soft, flattering tops empower both the person wearing them and under-served populations. Based in Colorado, COYOGALIFEMAG.COM
Tiffany Lord’s exclusive designs are inspired by her experience teaching and practicing yoga. When you shop at Love & Asana, each shirt helps fund yoga programs for cancer survivors, eating disorder recovery, and military veterans. Use code COYOGA20 and get 20% off! Back Row Yoga Tank $32 www.loveandasana.com 10. Vela Apparel Yoga Blanket + Hoodie The perfect way to cozy up after a yoga class. Colorado based, Vela Apparel creates unique sayings on beautiful reclaimed material yoga blankets. The perfect gift for everyone you love. In addition, the beautiful, comfortable and stylish bear hoodie is perfect for after class or paired with jeans. Yoga Blanket: $39; Women’s Bear Hoodie: $58 www.velaapparel.com 11. Mary Jane’s Medicinals Salve This extraordinary salve is the perfect gift for just about anyone on your list! It will help Granny or Gramps with their arthritis or nerve pain without getting them high. It’s a wonderful product to rub into your partner’s tense shoulders or sore feet after a stressful day — it’s great in the bedroom too! For the athletes in your life it will aid them during tough workouts and help speed
the healing of injuries. And its regenerative properties make it an awesome product for many skin conditions —including anti-aging. Just put some salve on it! 2 ounce jar retails for $30 www.maryjanesmedicinals.com 12. Soul Seal Yoga Mat Topper These mat toppers have gripper technology to ensure a confident, slip-free surface so you can focus on your workout. Each Soul Seal is also infused with a silver ion anti-microbial to repel germs and odors. Machine washable and hang to dry. Made 100% in the USA, the toppers come in six different trim colors to give you a beautiful barrier between yourself and the dreaded “gym juice”. $99.95 www.soulseal.com 13. Sonnenalp Hotel Vail Gift Card Gift the gift of the Sonnenalp Hotel. You’ll always be ready to say “Happy Birthday,” “Congratulations,” “Happy Anniversary,” “Happy Holidays” or “Thank You” with a gift card redeemable in the spa, at the golf course, in the delicious restaurants or for lodging at The Sonnenalp. Available for purchase in any amount online at www.sonnenalp.com/gift-card or at the hotel front desk.
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COLORADO IS PART OF THE YOGA + Life® FAMILY OF MAGAZINES.
YOGA + Life® MAGAZINES Juli Rathke - Founder/Publisher The paper content of this publication has been certifiably reforested via PrintReleaf – the world’s first platform to measure paper consumption and automate reforestation across a global network of reforestation projects. LEARN MORE AT PRINTRELEAF.COM
CO YOGA + Life® OWNER + EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kim Fuller CO YOGA + LIFE® OWNER + DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS Bobby L'Heureux CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chelsea Connolly CO YOGA + LIFE® EDITORIAL INTERN Lexi Reich CONTRIBUTORS
photo: flickr.com/nicholas_t | CC BY
Juli Rathke, Kim Fuller, Bobby L’Heureux, Lexi Reich, Julia Clarke, Ange Stopperan, Sandy Ferguson Fuller, Taylor Rose Worden, Dr. Jonathan Bloch, Emma Murray, Kaity Rose, Wendy Wilkinson, Alexandra Caffery, Angela Gaffney, Carley Smith, Holly Mandarich, Jeff Jepsen, Jordan Schultz, Justin Kaliszewski, Karen Fienberg, Karstee Davis, Kimberly Nicoletti, Phyllis Allen, Rebecca Treon, Sarah Tuff Dunn, Selena Rodriguez
PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Banker, Craig Turpin, Kim Fuller, Juli Rathke, Kim Benfield, Andrea Gibson, One Million Faces, Stephanie Lonon, Beth Sanders, MindSpace Yoga & Meditation, Kim Constantinesco, Shelle Lenssen, Vela Apparel, Michele Infante, Kathryn Samaltanos, Corey Ruffner, CarmelCalifornia.com, Jeffrey Murray, Pete Alport, Visit Bend. Anelise Bergin, PureLuxe Beauty Bar, Jordan Quinn Smith, Noah Cheney, SunWater Spa, Devi Stone Chung, Comeback Yoga, MW Imagery, Fabian Moller, Eberhard Grossgasteiger, Holly Mandarich, Summit Hut Association, Scott Carney, Wira Dyatmika, Cotopaxi, Miguel Maldonado, Meg O’Neill Photography, Jess Watters, Easton Oliver, Taylor Kiser, Jeff Jepsen, Angela Gaffney, Carley Smith, Fit Fest, Pink Vail
REGIONAL SALES Bobby L’Heureux NATIONAL SALES Juli Rathke, Bobby L'Heureux EVENTS Addison Gumbert SUBSCRIPTIONS Please subscribe to our magazine at www.coyogalifemag.com ADVERTISING CO Office: 860.230.8650 | National Office: 815.414.YOGA (9642) bobby@coyogalifemag.com | www.coyogalifemag.com FEATURES If you would like us to consider you as a contributor, contact us at kim@coyogalifemag.com
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tel 970.926.1393
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located in the corner @ edwards the perfect threesome for every catering need
AFFILIATE OPPORTUNITIES YOGA + Life® Magazine juli@yogalifemagazines.com | 815.414.YOGA (9642) www.yogalifelive.com COVER Noemi Nuñez captured by Kevin Banker 2019 CO YOGA + Life® Magazines. All rights reserved. No portion may be duplicated, in whole or in part, without the written consent of its publishers. Every effort has been make to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. The publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of information or omissions from the material provided. Company cannot be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services rendered by the advertisers published in this magazine.
Letter from the editor / Winter + Spring
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t’s closing in on a beautiful Colorado evening as I sit down to compose my thoughts for this letter. A candle is my company, dancing its bittersweet flickers and reminding me of what it means to glow. As night draws near, I am grateful to witness this brilliance as it becomes. Winter is dark. It’s quiet and still. Really, when you listen to this season, its calming energy is composed of the deep chords that can sustain a song. We burn wicks, share gifts and tell stories, connecting with one another to celebrate community and a luminous spirit that is never fully dim. Then we see Spring. The radiant illumination that emerges from depth and blooms
above the surface of our souls. This is the light and vibrant energy that provides inspiration for life and for love. It’s these essences of being that make us more than human — they make us whole. And what do you notice? This is the cycle of the every day. We wake and we seek, question and shift, open and close. We welcome the morning just as we honor the setting sun. I have never witnessed a more drastic and life-affirming duality that is the day and the night, except that of Winter and Spring. When a bleak sky offers the gifts of white-gold that then melt into the birth of an infant green sprout, how can we not be moved?
This is why we need to keep shining, even when the night feels dark and the morning far away. The words and images in this issue are an offering of light. May we all feel this bright energy, along with the intricate layers of darkness that make it a miracle to simply see our world lit up. There’s really one message here; may we never stop living it within and beyond this time and place we share. Let it SHINE! In Gratitude, Kim Fuller, Owner + Editor-In-Chief kim@coyogalifemag.com
photo by: CRAIG TURPIN
Based in Vail, Colorado, KIM FULLER is a freelance writer, editor and photojournalist in addition to her role at CO YOGA + Life®. She is also a yoga teacher and co-founder of In Your Element, a yoga and outdoor adventure company. Kim has been published in The Denver Post, 5280 Magazine, Yoga Journal, Elevation Outdoors, Mountain, MTN Town, Outside, Snowshoe Magazine, Gear Institute, SUP Journal and more. When she is not diligently writing and editing in her mountain nook, teaching yoga around town or finding a new adventure, find Kim at a local cafe or craft brewery, where she enjoys the more indulgent side of inspiration. See more of her work at www.kimfullerink.com, and follow her on Instagram @lifeinfull.
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contents / Winter + Spring
CONTENTS
SHINE 7 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
"Shine On" By Kim Fuller
10 COVER SPOTLIGHT
Noemi Nuñez shares multilingual yoga
12 INTERN + AMBASSADORS
Colorado dream team
PROFILES
teachers // entrepreneurs // studios
14 TEACHER PROFILES
Megan Falley; Rob Schware; Melanie Lighthouser
20 STUDIO PROFILES + Yoga Loft - Boulder + Gunbarrel + MindSpace Meditation & Yoga Center - Edwards 20 RETREAT MAP
Plan a revitalizing getaway in 2019
LIFESTYLE
books // art // community // travel // what we love
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24 “SOLAR THE POLAR”
A playful picture book for the winter season
26 ARTIST Q&A
Elise Holmes of Vela Apparel
28 CO COMMUNITY
Community Yoga Project; Novo Coffee
31 HOT HANGOUTS
Colorado community hubs
34 YOGA OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Create your own Colorado retreat
36 HEART OF INDIA
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38 TRAVEL USA + Carmel, California + Central Oregon 42 WHAT WE LOVE
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Ange Stopperan’s pilgrimage and the journey home
Our favorite goods for Winter + Spring
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photo by: Greg LefCourt; Photo courtesy of: Vela Apparel
32 SHINE RESTAURANT & POTION BAR Meet Boulder’s blissful sisters
WELLNESS
ayurveda // health // inspiration // food
76 AYURVEDIC SKINCARE
Your inner fire + your outer glow
78 CLEAN UP WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
YOGA + FITNESS
movement // retreats // seva // in the practice
46 JILLIAN KEAVENY
Music, yoga + fitness
48 THAI YOGA MASSAGE
Illuminating the benefits of an ancient practice
50 THE SCIENCE OF STRETCHING
Julia Clarke on making movement within reach
52 SHOSHONI YOGA TEACHER TRAINING
Lexi Reich reflects on a transformative time
54 COMEBACK YOGA
Veterans cope with trauma on the mat
56 RADIANT MOVEMENT
Yoga, belly dance + Nia
58 BREATHE
Three techniques to help your breath
60 YOGA NIDRA
A massage for the mind
OUTSIDE
Blends for a healthy home
80 HEAL CHRONIC INFLAMMATION
Help from Dr. Jonathan Bloch
82 HOW I GOT MY GROOVE BACK
Inspiration from Karstee Davis
84 WINTER + SPRING RECIPES
Vibrant meals from chef Jeff Jepsen
86 SHINE FROM THE INSIDE OUT
Foods to alleviate anxiety + depression
88 THE BENEFITS OF BONE BROTH
Get your nutrients with these recipes
EVENTS + DISTRIBUTION Colorado fun
92 GATHERINGS + Fit Fest + Pink Vail 94 EVENT LISTINGS
Winter + Spring fun throughout the state
96 DIRECTORY
CO YOGA + Life® Distribution Partners
fresh air // environment // gear // adventure
98 NAMASTE
62 AWAKEN TO NATURE And Mother Nature's reality
Cover photographer Kevin Banker
64 WINTER GREEN Make the season more sustainable 66 WHAT’S IN YOUR PUFFY?
Support responsibly sourced down
68 SHIVER TO SHINE
Cold comfort with Scott Carney
70 WINTER + SPRING GEAR Photo by: Carly Smith
Go outside and play
72 ROAD TRIPS
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Spring adventure ideas
74 HUT TRIP ROUNDUP
Prep for a winter overnight in the mountains
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Q +A
profiles / About the Cover
By kim fuller owner + Editor in Chief
Noemi Nuñez
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photo by: Kim Benfield
Multilingual Yoga Instructor in Denver YOGALIFELIVE.COM
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oemi Nuñez is making big waves in this world. In addition to her roles as an immigration attorney, environmental activist, craft beer geek and judge, and her talents as a handpan drum player, Middle Eastern dance performer and former competitive gymnast, Noemi is committed to Seva as a multilingual yoga instructor. WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START DOING YOGA, AND THEN TEACHING IT? Well, technically, the asana part of my yoga practice inadvertently began when I initiated my gymnastics and dancing training at 5 years old. Sun Salutations were the warmup for both of these disciplines. However, in the true contextual framework of the eightlimb yogic path, I really began my devoted and consistent practice in 2010, prompted by two motor vehicle accidents as a form of self-rehabilitation, as well as to treat my chronic stress due to my professional legal and litigation career. My journey to becoming a certified yoga teacher it is a most serendipitous one. My local yoga community petitioned it, and a scholarship was set up in place as encouragement to persuade me to embark upon this quest. As you can imagine this powerful and intentional action compelled and injected me with confidence, and support. Thus, after a significant loss while training — the death of my mother — I decided to teach yoga in a revolutionary and meaningful way, partly in her honor. Hence, I developed a bilingual yoga class format in a grassroots effort to serve and connect my local community; I committed to forever change our social fabric by beneficially influencing future generations. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR INTENTION AND MISSION WITH SHARING BILINGUAL YOGA? IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THIS WITH THE DENVER COMMUNITY AND BEYOND? The mission is to serve as a cultural bridge by bringing diversity and inclusivity to yoga rooms around the world. The intention is to foster understanding and tolerance through this education and wellness tool. I have been able to share this creation by presenting this bilingual yoga class format as a unique and accessible community offering, through the establishment and facilitation of
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The mission is to serve as a cultural bridge by bringing diversity and inclusivity to yoga rooms around the world. partnerships between non-profits, educational institutions and cultural organizations in the Denver area. Some of them are the Denver Art Museum, Denver Botanic Gardens, Museo de las Americas, Denver University, and The Center for Trauma Health & Resilience. I personally connected them to make this bilingual yoga program reach thousands of people that otherwise would have never been exposed to yoga of any kind. It is simply unheard off to have these classes being offered at no cost, or donation-based, along with providing the incentives of transportation, childcare and admittance passes to enjoy the facilities that host the class, and this is possible in some cases due to private and government grants alike. IN WHAT WAYS IS THIS SERVICE HELPING THE COMMUNITIES YOU TEACH? Primarily I notice students walking away with an integrative packet of sound information, moreover insight into their current state of wholesomeness due to experiencing the millenary practice of yoga in all its aspects. Tears, sorrow and laughter alike have been presents on those yoga rooms and mats. Both the individual and communal transformation that have followed and still is developing is astounding. In the bigger spectrum of things, I have witnessed this bilingual yoga program narrow cultural gaps, I have observed the cultivation of social justice and the debunkment of myths about the practice of yoga within minority demographics and underserved populations, particularly in the Hispanic & Latino communities. The benefits of this class format is not only for the underserved and minority communities. The native
English speakers from all socio-economic statuses that have been seeking a wellness experience that will provide them with the added value of the Spanish language immersion, are filled with both joy and surprise that this has taken so long to be created and offered. The progressive and gradual defeat of biases such as religious implications, gender connotations, and the nucleus of the "family oriented lifestyle" intimations continue to unfold and unravel. Overall, this bilingual wellness technology has raised the vibration of my community in an impactful manner, being an active part of this is incredibly humbling and joyful! WHAT IS COMING UP NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR TEACHINGS? Presently, I am designing a certified training module to empower other yoga teachers in this particular bilingual yoga class format, which is based on the scientific knowledge of the language center and meridians of the brain. This format and its teaching methodology is clear, concise and precise in order to not be a chatter box by talking the whole class and therefore not holding a safe space for students. Concurrently, I lead workshops and retreats, this is something that I do upon request every year, and as much as I enjoy them, the real passion in my yoga work is to continue to make yoga available and accessible to all, to the people that may need it the most, be it at the local, regional, national and even international level. I have been partnering with YogaDownload.com which has a worldwide reach by offering the bilingual format that I created as well as classes in Spanish for FREE. Simultaneously, one of my latest ideas is to form a non-profit that creates jobs in developing countries by certifying yoga teachers that reside in such countries. What better way to disseminate this proven-track knowledge. These new teachers would have the means to support themselves by teaching in their local communities and establish a market for themselves. I firmly believe that yoga as a lifestyle, can offer overall balance and quality of life. One of my deepest desires is to perpetually inspire others to want to be of service, and to embody the Seva portion of the yogic path. +
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profiles / Ambassadors
CO YOGA + Life®
ambassadors ANGE STOPPERAN is a yoga teacher, business coach, mentor to yoga teachers, sound healing practitioner, designer of sacred space, and helps her students learn the practice of creating rituals to help ground and connect to their inner guidance. Along with her role as a CO YOGA + Life® Ambassador, Ange is a faculty member at the Colorado School of Yoga. Ange runs online business courses for yoga teachers through the Colorado School of Yoga. www.angestopperan.com CASSIE SCALES has been practicing yoga since 2010. She has completed 200-hour teaching certifications in both Power Yoga and Integrated Vinyasa™. She currently teaches at Mountain Soul Yoga in Edwards, Colorado, and is an Ambassador for CO YOGA + Life®. Cassie works as a Probation Officer in Eagle County, Colorado where she writes presentence reports for felony offenders. She spends her free time trail running and skiing through the beautiful Rocky Mountains, indulging in local eats, or cozying up with a good library book. She encourages direct communication, being fiercely authentic and cultivating balance between restoration and an active mountain lifestyle. KAREN FIENBERG has been practicing yoga for 11 years and is currently a teacher in training. A former competitive cyclist, she turned to yoga for increased mobility and strength, discovering that strength came from surrender. Yoga allows her to access the healing qualities of her mind and body. Her preferred styles are yoga nidra, Iyengar, therapeutic and restorative. Karen is also a health educator, fitness enthusiast, craft chocolate connoisseur and plant-based food advocate and activist. SHENNA JEAN is based in Aspen, Colorado. She’s a big fan of yoga, hiking, snowboarding, the Kansas Jayhawks and rosé. Shenna Jean loves her some personal and leadership development, be it a book, podcast, workshop or conference. She spends her days at the Aspen Art Museum and nights working on her photog skills and couples retreat company @adventuresandromance. LEXI REICH CO YOGA + Life® Editorial Intern After experiencing a yoga ashram in the mountains of Colorado, Lexi became enthralled in the practice of yoga and meditation, and just earned her yoga teacher training at the sacred space. Originally from Chicago, Lexi loves the holistic lifestyle she found in Colorado, and combining this passion with her writing is what makes her truly happy. As a journalism and English major at the University of Colorado Boulder, Lexi spends most of her time reading novels and writing for her poetry and reporting classes. Besides this, you can find her skiing, hiking or traveling. Follow her on Instagram @lexi_reich.
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