Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/447803
"Om namah shivayah, swaha," I chanted, taking a pinch of masala (rice mixture) between my fingers and tossing it into the fire. As the two-hour Yajna ("yawg- yaw") Vedic fire ceremony came to a close, the outside world began to glow: The trees were dressed in the year's first dusting of snow. I stood up, scurried inside for warm, homemade raisin scones and kichardi, and felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. The ancient, yogi-led ceremony took place just 22 miles southwest of Boulder at Shoshoni, a Shambhava Yoga ashram and retreat. Meant to dissolve karma — or "all which one holds onto in life," — the ritual was one part of an urban-close wellness retreat, a rising travel trend that some experts hope can direct overweight and overworked Americans down a healthier track. Although applauded for their lower-than-national-average weights, Coloradoans might want to consider these nontraditional vacations. "We're just one percentage away from joining the rest of the states in the country, and about 20 percent of Colorado adults suffer from obesity," says Dr. Frank Chae, chief surgeon and head of the National Bariatric Center at Sky Ridge Medical Center. Chae points out that nearly 340,000 deaths a year are related to obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as excess weight can be linked to stroke, heart attack, diabetes and some cancers. "Overall wellness — a person's wealth of health and balance — goes hand in hand with obesity," Chae says. "Obesity reflects an imbalance that turns into a vicious cycle." Can one wellness retreat make a difference? Yes, health experts say. "Wellness is about taking proactive measures in order to stay healthy and happy today, tomorrow, and ten years down the line," says Angela Gaffney, certified health coach with Allegria Spa in Beaver Creek. "If you can set up that life for yourself here, it can catapult into your life at home. When someone takes simple tools and implements them into action, it will usually default into even greater action." Here's a snapshot of three nearby wellness escapes along the Front Range. Health and Wellness Magazine • 49 sHosHoni This 15-member community warmly welcomes visitors for a day, weekend, or weeks to learn peaceful living practices. "People come here searching for a similar thing: nourishment. They want to let go of stress and disconnect," says yogi Deepak Devillier, while giving me a tour of the vegetable gardens, greenhouses, chicken and duck coop, and aquaponics system — which they began building by hand just five years ago. "We work hard to keep the space here tension-free, from the garden to the food we prepare. Ultimately, we want people to take the things we teach here and use them to find happiness in their everyday lives." Meditation and yoga is practiced daily, and several out-and-back hiking trails are great for solo adventure. Delicious, from-the-garden vegetarian meals are served in the community house. The three meals I had (and relished) included Moroccan tagine, roasted beets and carrots, and carrot mint soup. Yoga, meditation, and ayurvedic courses are available year-round. Experience: Anytime Yoga Retreat (Thursday through Sunday September through April and any day May through August). Overnight options include private dorms and eco-cabins. shoshoni.org | 303-642-0116 1400 shoshoni camp road, rollinsville, co courtesy of Allegria