March 2021
BIG CHANGES ARE COMING!
To our beloved teachers, students, friends, and ICY community,

C.S. LEWIS shared, "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

John and I have embraced this idea throughout our lives together and we are embracing it once again in 2021. We recognize that our lives (and our bodies!) are yearning for a change, so we decided to dream a new dream!

We all know that change happens. It is not only inevitable, but always happening. When we truly embrace that change is constant, we learn to journey inward, embrace our essence, let go, grow, and trust the source that keeps us grounded through the many seasons of change. Keeping a healthy, balanced attitude helps us navigate change with grace.

We are excited to share with you that last Friday we sold Bear Mountain Ranch, our home for over 20 years. Many of you have been to our property, embracing our love for the mountains and sharing meals, music, hikes, yoga practices, labyrinth walks, ropes courses, overnights, and even forest bathing! We have invited you into our home, into our lives, and shared our love of yoga with you. We have helped join students in holy matrimony and provided a peaceful resting place for your loved one’s ashes. And now it is time for us to begin a new journey.

We are moving to the South. Most of my family lives there and I have been away from them for half my life while John and I fulfilled our dreams together in Colorado. John’s neurologists have advised him for years that a lower altitude with less intense barometric changes would help lessen his chronic pain, migraines, and tinnitus. The pain has increased over the years and he is ready to make a change.

We will be leaving many things we cherish: our son and his family, our neighbors at Bear Mountain Ranch, hiking, snowshoeing, incredible mountain vistas, and breathing with the trees…and we will be leaving YOU, our beloved yoga community.

Thank you to all of you who welcomed us and have remained a part of our ICY family for many years. The faces of the people we won’t see in our beautiful space anymore keep appearing in front of us as we joyfully recount many stories of travel, teaching, and sharing the practice of yoga together. There are countless individuals who have found something special within these walls and this wonderful community we call Inner Connections—countless people motivated by love, hope, and peace and the earnest desire to grow as a human being, or to help others grow and to walk in their highest good. Thank you. Thank you for this experience and embracing us for many years. Thank you for giving us safety, a home, a community, and the lessons of a lifetime.

We are blessed to have shared our sacred space with all who entered our doors. Whether our front desk was found down a long hallway or at the front of the building, we were honored to see your faces light up when you entered the studio and shared with us “I am home.” Or the countless times you floated out of classes and had to return to collect mats, water bottles, and even car keys! Many who came to yoga for a class left with lifelong friends. Seeing our entryway filled with coats and shoes and hearing singing bowls resound from the classrooms or chants of OM joining you in peace warmed our hearts. We were honored to have you participate in great trips we took together to Brazil, India, Honduras, Fiji, Costa Rica, Peru, and more! It was a privilege to have the trust of students who began their yoga teaching journey by certifying with Inner Connections and who grew into amazing teachers and enlightened beings. Think about the many people you have inspired through sharing “your yoga” - you are the light - building community and inspiring people to walk the path of enlightenment.

YOU are what made ICY so special for all these years, a place that people called home. Teachers, students, volunteers, all of you are filled with joy, peace, and light of the sacred practice of Yoga. And now the studio will carry on with new owners, new guides to inspire you, uplift you and teach you these sacred teachings.

Yoga is our passion. Yoga is our teacher. Yoga has been a lifeline to many beautiful, wonderful life experiences and helped us to view life in a new and healthier way. In yoga sutra, 1.2, Patanjali defines yoga: Yoga chitta vritti nirodha. “Yoga is the individual discipline that leads to the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.” Mukunda Stiles translates the next sutra (1.3) as: “When this happens then the Seer is revealed, resting in its own essential nature, and one realizes the True Self.” By studying the nature of the mind, we understand that we are not our thoughts. We can see that something much more vibrant, steady, and joyous exists beyond the mind that is molded from our conditioning and habits.

My dream of yoga is finally coming to fruition. As a high school teacher who studied yoga, I believed that yoga should be offered in every school, to every child, teacher, and parent. It truly is the Science of Self Realization. When we can understand ourselves better and why we do what we do, we can become better citizens of the world.

I met with a friend for lunch yesterday whose daughter is now an administrator in a school in Colorado. She has been introducing yoga to children and teachers for a few years. My friend told me that there are now new positions being created to bring yoga into schools to help teachers and students with focus, concentration, relaxation, stress reduction, post-traumatic stress, and more. Research shows that Yoga improves both physical and mental health in school-age children (ages 6 to 12). Yoga improves balance, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in children. A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children. Full circle of a dream.

Thank you for being part of a dream to create a place of health and healing that John and I had many so years ago. The dream moved us out of our professions and into Inner Connections Yoga & Wellness, ROCK Salt Therapy and CommuniTEA. Our small community has changed hearts, minds, and lives in beautiful, positive ways and it will continue to do so with new owners.

“Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame.” ― B.K.S Iyengar


*Watch the video below to understand our heart-move to the South
We have several parties interested in purchasing the studio. If you are interested or want to submit a backup offer, send your interest to Yoga@InnerConnectionsYoga.com, Attention JOHN.
QUESTIONS ABOUT MEMBERSHIPS?
Memberships will stay as they are with same pricing options and cancellation policy until further notice.

YOGA IN THE PARK
ICY is continuing to teach Yoga in the Park at Philip Miller Park for the next 3 years. We will also be teaching some classes on Wednesdays at Festival Park for the Castle Rock Recreation Center.
FAR Infrared Yoga at ICY
While most heated yoga studios use forced air to heat their rooms, Inner Connections Yoga uses FAR infrared heat, which provides a therapeutic, deep penetrating, detoxifying form of heat which expels toxins, heavy metals and pollutants from the body, providing significant benefits.
FAR infrared heat promotes a stronger immune system, better cardiovascular health, and speeds up the healing process in soft tissue injuries such as tears, pulls, and sprains. As a beauty treatment, the penetrating heat of far infrared heat therapy works wonders by reducing the appearance of crow’s feet, fine lines, and wrinkles. In addition to helping heal scars, wounds, and cuts, it also smooths skin’s texture, lessens coarseness, and reduces pore size.
FAR infrared heat therapy is a natural way to aid aches and pains from arthritis, fibromyalgia and other health-related disorders. Providing relief to people suffering from chronic injury, illness or fatigue, far infrared heat is often the first step in helping them get their life back.
Benefits of FAR Infrared Heat:
  • Burns hundreds of calories in 20-30 minutes
  • Reduces stress and fatigue
  • Strengthens the cardiovascular system
  • Heals injuries faster and more efficiently
  • Relieves pain and migraine headaches
  • Eases joint pain and stiffness
  • Relaxes muscles and increases flexibility
  • Deep cleanses skin naturally
  • Removes toxins and mineral waste
  • Improves the immune system
  • Increases metabolism
  • Helps fight cancer cells and generate healthy cells
  • Removes heavy metals, toxins and pollutants from the tissue
Acrylic Paint Pouring at ICY
Experience acrylic paint pouring from Fingers Crossed Art!

Friday, April 9th
at 5:00 pm

Learn the basics of mixing, pouring and tilting paint on canvas.
Then sit back and watch the MAGIC happen!
All supplies provided

WARNING: Please wear "painting" clothes and understand this can be addictive!

Please sign up by emailing Anjie at askanjie@comcast.net or call 720-313-5882

Pre-registration required with $20 deposit; remainder paid to artist on day of class $30 (cash, Venmo, or Paypal)
Space is limited so register early!
View
Fingers Crossed Art
at ICY in April in our CommuniTEA space
STAY HEALTHY
Start a Habit of Salting 2 Times a Week and Feel the Difference!

Salt Therapy at ICY
So how does it work? Well, the scientific community isn't really sure. There are a lot of theories on the how, from the tiny salt particles being inhaled killing off microorganisms in the lungs to reducing inflammation and decreasing mucus, or a mixture of these hypothesis.

Dr. Norman Edelman, Senior Scientific Advisor to the American Lung Association, suggests that potentially, it could be more than just a placebo effect. Most people with obstructive lung disease such as asthma or COPD cough sputum (a thick mixture of saliva and mucus), and trying to bring it up can be distressing. (Think about the last time you had bronchitis, for instance.) Dr. Edelman suggests that it's possible that salt therapy offers relief to these symptoms.

"When fine salt particles are inhaled, they will fall on the airway linings and draw water into the airway, thinning the mucus and making it easier to raise, thus making people feel better," said Dr. Edelman. "Also, these environments are allergen-free and thus good for people with allergies affecting their lungs."
Veggie Burger Recipe

Looking for an unprocessed veggie burger option this spring? Here's a favorite recipe from the Himalayan Institute.

Hearty BBQ Veggie Burgers
Ingredients to make four (4) paties:
4 Tablespoons hickory barbecue sauce
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 15 oz can black beans, drained
2 Cups cooked brown rice
½ Cup oat bran
2 Tablespoons onions, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped canned beets
1 Teaspoon beet juice
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1/4 Teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon pickled jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 Egg white, add more if needed (to bind)
2 Teaspoons olive oil
4 Slices monterey jack cheese (optional)
Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins
Directions:
Stir together barbecue sauce and molasses. Set aside. In a large bowl, mash beans well. Stir in three tablespoons of the barbecue mixture (reserving remaining for brushing) and remaining ingredients — rice through egg white. Form into four 6oz patties. Heat olive oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium. Grill burgers for two minutes on one side. Turn and brush with remaining barbecue/molasses mixture. Top with Monterey Jack and grill for another 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and mustard on a bun which has been grilled with butter.