ML - Aspen Peak

2015 - Issue 1 - Summer

Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak

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Aspenites achieve mindfulness via hatha yoga on the Sundeck atop Aspen Mountain. "The energy of Aspen compels people to think about health and how to live exceptional lives." —Michael Fox The benefts of meditation—both physical and psychological—are just now being revealed in medical and wellness communities. The valley provides several ways to get involved, especially via group meditation, which is suggested for beginners. Meditation Roaring Fork Valley (1505 Satank Road, Carbondale, 970- 618-1032; meditation roaringforkvalley.com) conducts weekly, guided Tuesday Night Mindfulness classes, led by experienced meditators, in various locations. They also organize meditation retreats for more advanced students. In addition to yoga classes, a spa, and high prana foods, True Nature Healing Arts in Carbondale (100 N. Third St., 970-963-9900; true naturehealingarts.com) offers regular group meditation along with meditation-centered events and retreats. meditation in numbers Guided by experienced meditators, group classes help Aspenites achieve mindfulness in the mountains. Mind, Body, Spirit Series event last December, where she discussed her MindUP initiative, a social and emotional literacy curriculum and training programming serving children across five continents. Such social-emotional learning has already been adopted in schools throughout the valley. "My dream was to integrate this 'Aspen Idea' more into what [the Institute] was doing," says Murdock. "[During its programs,] I found myself mentally over-stimulated, physically under-stimu- lated, and not connected spiritually. The Mind, Body, Spirit Series and [yoga offerings during the Ideas Festival] have been very suc- cessful at expanding and integrating the spirit element." To help launch the series, Murdock called on author and alter- native medicine advocate Deepak Chopra, whom she brought to Aspen to int roduce t he Self-Directed Biolog ical Transformat ion Initiative, which measures the effects of body-mind practices, such as yoga, and the food we eat on genetic activit y. The initia- tive will use these measurements—the products, essentially, of a kind of wellness algorithm—to help define wellness in Aspen, and work to increase it. It was Chopra—a board-certified inter - nist and author of more than 8 0 books, including 22 New York Times bestsellers—after all, who first challenged Aspen to become "the Cit y of Well-being," an identification Murdock has since continued to promote. "Aspen is special in that it has this history of being cultivated as a cultural center, a place where the human spirit can f lourish," she says. "Aspen is not just a ski town. It attracts people who are adven- turers, broad thinkers, and inf luential world leaders. Aspen is one of those unique places in the world that's got 'it'—intentionality that is beyond the physical. It's as if the place is urging us to elevate ourselves as beings." "I want to solidify Aspen as a healthy and beautiful mecca for this mind-body-spirit exploration," Murdock adds. "'The City of Well-being' is something that [can] create resources for people, [to engage] in a more vibrant, thriving city." Michael Fox, CEO of The Aspen Club & Spa, is betting on Aspen growing as a wellness destination by creating a resort and residence club focused on health and well-being. Professional ath- letes as well as big- and small-screen icons—from professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez and Olympians Chris Klug, Bode Miller, and Gretchen Bleiler to journalist Katie Couric and actor Will Smith—already f lock to the Aspen Club for its brand of holistic wellness. "We want to help people feel better, perform better, get younger, and activate their dreams," he says of the soon-to-be- upgraded health club and spa, which will add 20 new residence- hotel units and is set to open in 2017. "I am fully convinced there is a special magic in Aspen—a special energy here," says Fox. "Every time I fly from somewhere else, I take that first step toward the tarmac, and I get a rush. It just feels different. That's the energy of Aspen that compels people to think about health and how to live exceptional lives. We are building on that energy— adding a layer of health, performance, and wellness programming." Whether it is the energy of the mountains that fuels the spirit, the local, organic food that fuels the body, or the practices of mindful- ness, yoga, and meditation that soothe the mind, bringing these three pursuits together, in balance, is what Aspen is all about. AP aspenpeak-magazine.com  143

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