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FrontRangeLiving.com -> Escapes -> Yoga Retreats
 Places
to Soothe Your Soul: Yoga Retreats
By Heather Grimshaw
At the beginning of every new year we talk of resolutions, of achieving
focus, and gaining perspective on our lives. Most of those resolutions revolve
around external goals like slimming our bodies, organizing our homes, tidying
loose ends. For those who in 2003 seek inner peace and strive to create a
balance between body, mind, and spirit, the Front Range offers a unique retreat.
Nestled into the foothills outside of Nederland, The Shoshoni Yoga Retreat
offers programs for novice and experienced yoga enthusiasts, western and
traditional Ayurvedic treatments, and a serene environment to rest, relax, and
rejuvenate. Just off Highway 119 a dirt road leads cars slowly toward Shoshoni,
a collection of rustic cabins built to house a children’s camp in 1930. The
feeling of camp – simplicity and peace - has been maintained by the
residential Ashram that has – since 1988 – offered classes based on Ayurveda
(the science of life) and Siddha Vaidya (the knowledge of life).
 After spending a few hours at Shoshoni my body had been stretched, well fed,
and massaged to the point of total relaxation. My mind had been enriched with
theories on how the balance of mind, body, and spirit is influenced by food,
weather, and temperament. All in all, I left with a keen memory of how good yoga
makes you feel from the inside out.
Located 30 minutes from Boulder and about an hour from my home in Golden, the
Shoshoni Retreat offers Front Range residents and international guests a unique
and welcoming refuge from everyday life. More importantly, the retreat teaches
you how to create your own inner refuge from the chaos that swirls around you on
a daily basis.
Shoshoni: A Unique Experience
After passing through the mountain town of Nederland I began to look for a
small wooden Shoshoni sign on the left. Once you make the turn prepare for pits
and craters that prompt you to drop your speed to a 10-mile crawl regardless of
markers. As you drive into the wooded area you begin to pick out spindly aspen
from evergreen giants, to spy horses eyeing you from their side of a split-wood
fence, and glimpse a frozen lake glinting with reflections from the sun.
 As I made my way toward the office to check-in, two large yellow dogs called
from a porch perch and followed me into the parking area with wagging tails.
They were the first to welcome me to Shoshoni, a community that offers sanctuary
to a wide range of guests, from the famous to the school grade child.
"Everyone needs a place to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit,"
says Sita Davies, director of yoga and one of 12 resident instructors at the
ashram. "Yoga is for everyone. It’s a friend that stays with you year
after year."
Daily Hatha yoga sessions, Pranayama, gourmet vegetarian meals, hikes through
the woods, meditation, chanting, and health therapies create a full yet
well-paced day. I joined a class of six women pursuing a certification degree
and was enchanted by their stories and future ambitions to teach yoga. One young
woman had flown in from Japan and plans to teach at the Air Force base where her
husband plays in the band. Another student, a Colorado resident recently
laid-off from a computer position, was whole-heartedly embracing a chance at a
second career. The parking lot was dotted with license plates from Canada,
Oklahoma, and Alabama, a sampling of Shoshoni’s visitors from around the
States and beyond.
The daily retreat runs from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. though offerings range from
one-and two-night to several month stays. The average number of guests is 15, a
number that includes men and women of all ages, backgrounds, and interests.
Cabins can accommodate up to 25 guests. Sita explained that people are attracted
to Shoshoni for a variety of reasons, from personal adventure to reestablishing
a personal connection with yoga and – as she said – those who "just
want to do something for themselves". Summer is a popular time for the
retreat though Shoshoni is open and utilized year round.
My day at Shoshoni began with a yoga consultation with Sita. Sitting in the
sunroom, a room filled with natural sunlight and fragrant blooming jasmine, I
sipped a cup of tea and filled out a questionnaire to establish my Ayurvedic
constitution. Answers to questions about my physical characteristics, mind, and
emotions correspond to vata (air and space), pitta (fire and water), and kapha
(water and earth), doshas or innate qualities. With high vata/pitta scores Sita
showed me ways to increase feelings of peace with calming foods and climate and
identified especially productive times of the day.
It may have been the warm sunlight on my back, the sweet scent of fresh
jasmine in the air, or the sound of Sita’s calming voice, but minutes into the
consultation I began to feel the tension ease from my shoulders.
 A residential ashram, Shoshoni is home to instructors, clients, and students
enrolled in the yoga certification program, and while the small sunroom bustles
with their comings and goings there is a stable energy to the room that imparts
a sense of calm.
The consultation is a wonderful way to start a day retreat because it
illustrates the connection between mind, body, and spirit. Knowledge of these
innate traits is helpful in assuming control of your future and the way that you
interact with others. If you know that you have a vata disposition you can avoid
dry foods such as granola and crackers when you feel irritable and lean toward
smooth, moist foods such as cooked, milky cereal and stews. It is an easy way to
reestablish balance from within.
After completing the hour-long consultation I jotted down a few notes, drank
a glass of water and headed over to a small cabin a few feet from the Ashram for
Pranayama. Tibetan prayer flags printed with auspicious symbols and mantras sway
with the wind around the cabin and carry the blessings around the world. Inside,
students were stretching on yoga mats, stoking the potbelly stove, and chatting
about homework. Visitors drop in on yoga classes for day retreats or month-long
stays so a new face in the crowd was not unwelcome or unexpected.
One of the first exercises was the alternating nostril breath. Using one hand
we directed a breath (from the diaphragm) in and out of one nostril and then the
other. Controlling the breath is a powerful tool to reestablish inner balance
despite your surroundings, and the immediate effects are impressive. Pulling
your energy inward and directing your breath from one area of the body to
another instills a unique understanding of inner strength. As Sita explained,
"You can relax the body by focusing the mind on your breath wherever you
are."
I would recommend wearing slip-on shoes since you must remove your shoes
while inside the ashram and dress in layers. Temperatures vary and you will want
to shed outer layers as you move from Pranayama into Hatha yoga, a series of
poses and stretches that flex muscles you forgot you had.
A slight blonde woman, Sita is frequently asked if she lifts weights to
maintain the definition in her arms and the tightness of her physique. She
smiles at the memory and says that yoga is her one and only form of exercise.
Hatha yoga is known as a gentle form of yoga, which is preferable for vata/pita
doshas who prefer steady stretches to spurts of high-impact exercise. Yoga, you
soon realize, stretches the body in ways that leave you sore and satiated.
Combining the breath with the body as you flex and extend is an important
element to yoga, which is one reason why a class environment is rejuvenating.
Keeping hips straight ahead as you lean out and to the side takes conscious
thought and effort. Wrapping one hand around your back to steady your hips is
helpful but it is easy to fool yourself into thinking you’re following
properly when a small shift can make an enormous difference. Sita traveled
quietly around the room to listen to breathing patterns and assess position,
gently moving a leg to the right, an arm a smidge to the left.
At the end of Hatha Yoga there is time for quiet meditation when blankets are
laid across bodies and the room becomes still. With the clink of a small bell
that emits a generous sound, Sita drew our attention to the front of the room and
began a chant. A simple, melodious sound slowly filled the air and the room
seemed to sway with voices.
Aside from the hum of the chant and the sweet sounds of the accompanying
instrument, my rumbling stomach was the one distraction as I sat quietly and
gazed at the exposed cabin beams and the serene faces of the students
surrounding me. I joined in the chant a few times though I sang along quietly.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily at the ashram by two chefs who
specialize in vegetarian cuisine. They were away during my visit to Shoshoni and
in their absence John Fontaine, who was at one time affiliated with Rudi’s
Restaurant in Boulder, created a marvelous vegetarian stew with savory Indian flavors.
Vibrant greens and sliced carrots served as a side dish along with a delectable
cornbread that had a sweetness to it that still tempts my taste buds. Seated at
long, mission-style tables with benches, I devoured my lunch with students who
raved about their meals. Words like awesome were echoed up and down the
aisles of tables as people nodded and dug back into their lunches.
After a leisurely lunch over which conversations ranged from yoga poses and
study to men, dating, and career, I headed back into the ashram to await my
massage. I had a few minutes to breathe in the sweet–scented jasmine before
being led upstairs and into a small room where I answered a few brief questions
about any medical problems or areas of concern. The next hour flew by. With a light but
penetrating touch, my
massage therapist silently worked out the knots in my lower back, the tension
that lingered from long afternoons of typing .
 After participating in two yoga sessions, a massage was the
perfect way to end a wonderful and personally enriching day at the Shoshoni
Retreat. The service is included in most retreat packages and is highly
recommended by those who practice yoga regularly and are familiar with sore
muscles and the regenerating quality of human touch. Described as a time of
meditation, health therapies are provided in silence to "enhance your
experience" at Shoshoni, where a series of western therapies like massage
are offered along with a menu of traditional Ayurvedic practices such as Ela
Kirhi, a hot oil and herb treatment, believed to heighten the spiritual
practices at the ashram.
Shoshoni instructors emphasize yoga as a way of life, an opportunity to
control chaos by focusing on the intake and exhale of breath and the ability of
the body and mind to stretch and expand.
After five years in Colorado I marvel at the fact that I had not heard of the
Shoshoni Retreat before my visit. As I drove home I made a mental list of
friends whom I would encourage attending a day retreat or a longer stay. It is
the type of place where women and men would feel comfortable coming alone or
with friends and family. It is a place I would recommend to those who have tried
and enjoyed yoga and perhaps especially to those who have not. Shoshoni is a
wonderful place to experience the joys of yoga and the long-lasting benefits
practice brings to your life.
Yoga classes abound along the Front Range and will allow the novice a
chance to see if yoga is for you. Here we've assembled a collection of yoga
sites that also include retreats as well as classes. Most of these retreats are
in Colorado although a few are in neighboring states like Utah.
Yoga Retreat
Resources:
Shoshoni Yoga
Retreat, P.O. Box 410,
303-642-0116/ www.shoshoni.org
, classes,
retreats
Sumit Dharma
Center, Breckenridge, 719-836-0442; www.summitdharmacenter.org
Colorado School of
Iyengar Yoga, 2162 South Colorado Boulevard, Denver, CO, 80222, 303-758-4814/ www.csyoga.com
, classes,
retreats
, Box 180 2474 J-50 Drive, Austin, CO, 81410, 970-835-3962/ www.gunnisonriverfarms.com/yoga.html
, retreats
Women's
Quest, Inc., 2525
Arapahoe Ave., Suite E4-181, Boulder,
CO, 80302, 303-545.9295/
www.womensquest.com/body1.htm
, retreats
Shambhala
Mountain Center, 4921 County Rd
68-C, Red Feather Lakes, CO, 80545, 888-STUPA-21/ www.shambhalamountain.org
, classes,
retreats. See our story on the Shambhala
Mountain Center.
Yoga for the Young
at Heart, PO Box 2228, Pagosa Springs, CO, 81147, 800-558-YOGA/
www.yogaheart.com
, classes, retreats
The Yoga Workshop,
Boulder, Co, www.yogaworkshop.com,
classes, retreats
Chipeta Spa and
Fitness, P.O. Box 557, Ridgway, CO, 81432, 970-626-5172, yoga spa, www.chipeta.com
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