This News Article Appeared in
Denver's Mile-High Magazine

Crisp morning air awakens your senses as you walk to the temple, a Japanese style building with a blue-tiled roof. You step as quietly as possibly onto the deck and walk clockwise to the entrance at the back of the building before removing your shoes and cleansing your hands with water from the glass dispenser. As you enter, the cleansing aura of the room and the incensed air embrace you. You take a chanting program from one of the yogis, walk clockwise around the room, and sit cross-legged upon a black meditation cushion amid the great statues of Hindu gods and goddesses that adorn the temple. Then you wait in silence and humility for the program to begin. Are you visiting a monastery in the mist-covered mountains of northern India? Nope, you're just 40 minutes west of Boulder at a yoga retreat called Shoshoni.

If you're at all curious about the lifestyle of a true yogi, then a trip to Shoshoni Yoga Retreat is definitely in order. You can choose from a variety of different packages, ranging from a one-day retreat to an intensive seven-day stay. A two-night rejuvenation retreat is perfect if you only have a short weekend to spare for vacation. With this package, you can participate in the full daily schedule of yoga and meditation classes, plus you get an introduction to a yogic lifestyle as well as an afternoon massage or facial and an additional half-hour spa therapy of your choice. Not bad for 48 hours. (Prices vary.)

Shoshoni Yoga Retreat is an ashram or hermitage where the resident yogis open their hearts and share their wisdom, as well as their spiritual practices, with the visiting public. This particular group is extraordinarily willing to reveal even sacred ceremonies that would be impossible to attend under normal circumstances.

Your experience at Shoshoni is completely up to your own discretion. It can be as spiritual or as secular as you want it to be. You can simply attend the yoga classes, eat the delicious vegetarian meals, and get a body treatment or two in the delightful - albeit rustic - spa. Or, if you're a little more adventurous you can dive in and actually sample the yogic lifestyle by attending the sacred ceremonies and vigorous sessions of chanting and meditation.

Either way, the twisty drive up the canyon from Boulder could easily be considered meditation in its own right. A gentle curve to the right, followed by a bend to the left all the while following the snaking path of Boulder Creek. Up the road beyond Nederland, a humble wooden sign off to the left marks the dirt road leading to Shoshoni off Highway 119. Take heed when the hand-painted signs caution you to drive slowly and warn of the blind hills - the staff is serious, the hills are a real danger. Into the forest you drive, farther and farther from civilization. Finally, a dilapidated windmill signals that you're almost there. A weekend of healing rejuvenation, and discovery awaits.

Upon check-in, you'll be greeted and given a schedule of events,amap of the camp and a key to your room - unless of course, you've chosen to camp out Once you settle in, take a momentand listen fortrain whistles in the valley below. The low-pitched hum of the locomotive is one of the few reminders of the modern world so easily forgotten here. As you leave the hectic pace of the outside world behind, you'l lfind yourself more and more receptive to the lessons Shoshonihas to offer.And the first of these, which is probably the reason you'vecome here, isinstruction in the timeless practiceof yoga.

Whether you practice yoga regularly is of no real concern. The classes at Shoshoni are geared toward students of all levels. Yoga classes are held twice daily. The morning classes are held twice daily. The morning class begins with a half-hour lesson on yogic breathing techniques for relaxation, called pranayama. Then it launches into an hour and 20 minutes of hatha yoga, followed by a 10-minute session of chanting. Don't be intimidated if you've never chanted before. It's usually a short phrase repeated over and over with the accompaniment of a harmonium. it's actually kind of fun. The afternoon class is simply one solid hour of hatha yoga - no pranayama or chanting. Most classes are held in the spacious, blue building known as the yoga mandir; occasionally you'll be lucky enough to experience a class held in the old quaint yoga cabin.

With all this physical exercise, it's important to fuel the body with healthy meals. Ugh...healthy meals? If the first picture to come to mind is goopy oatmeal, boring salads,bland steamed veggies, excessive bean sprouts, and slabs of lifeless tofu, rest assured, nothing could befurther from the truth. Shoshoni boasts meal after healthy vegetarian meal from an original, highly acclaimed cookbook (sold in the retreat's bookstore for $14.95).

Breakfasts tend to include some form of scrambled eggs or tofu, a homemade bread (the English muffins are thick and cake-like - heavenly!), and your choice of muesli, cream of quinoa, or oatmeal (which is creamy, not lumpy). Lunches and dinners will delight with vegetarian versions of everything from Mexican to Japanese to Indian. And for those of you with a constant sweet tooth, don't despair - the evening meal at Shoshoni always ends with a delicious dessert.

Obviously, you won't be skipping Shoshoni's delicious meals. But if you feel like skipping a class, it's OK. All the classes and temple events at Shoshoni are optional - after all, this is your retreat. And even if you choose to take part in them, there's still plenty of free time to enjoy. You can opt for a relaxing soak in the hot tub or immerse yourself in the heat of the sauna. And if you feel like being active, there are plenty of trails to accommodate hiking snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing, depending on the season.

No matter how you spend your time at Shoshoni, one thing is certain; you'll emerge transformed. Your mind will be clearer, you'll be more aware of your body and breath, and you'll feel more relaxed and rejuvenated than you have in a long time.

Stephany Hope Wilson
5280: Denver's Mile-High Magazine
November 2003 p 78