Along with petting dogs, hiking mountains, and teaching yoga, one of my favorite things in the whole world is working with veterans. My grandfathers, brother, and dad are all veterans ranging timelines and wars from WWII to Iraq/Afghanistan. While I took the black sheep route and became a yoga instructor instead of enlisting, my family and military roots are extremely important to me. Teaching yoga to veterans became a way to connect my two worlds and give back to the community that has selflessly given so much to all of us. In March 2013, I started a yoga program at the Boulder Veterans Center... Read More

It’s no secret that Boulder is inundated with yoga instructors and studios. If you haven’t been in the yoga scene for long (or at all), this can get overwhelming. What instructor will resonate with me? What kind of class should I try? We’ll talk about different styles of yoga in Boulder later, but for now I’d like to highlight one of my favorite teachers in town, Ashley O’Connor. Ashley is a vinyasa, yin, and hot/hot power fusion instructor at the CorePower Yoga studios in Boulder and Louisville. She is full of light and laughter, knowledge and wisdom. While much of... Read More

“Let’s begin practice by lying on our backs, with our sacrum and legs extending up against the wall.” The class eagerly responded as such. Nestled into position in the cozily lit room of Nederland, Colorado’s Tadasana Mountain Yoga Studio, I began to relax while simultaneously awaiting the next set of instructions. Kim, our teacher for the morning, gently guided us through the hour-and-a-half-long routine. “Breathe deeply and notice your thoughts. Are they ruminating, or are you present in the given moment? As we move throughout today’s practice, I highly encourage you to leave all... Read More

Community and healing: those are the words that come to mind when partaking in your first yoga-music festival. For anybody that’s been to ARISE before, they’ll likely know what I’m talking about. Nestled between the rolling green foothills of Loveland, Colorado is Sunrise Ranch—an ideal location for an event such as this. Whether you come predominately for the yoga or the music alone, you’ll get a wide variety in both realms. From folk, funk, and electronic to vinyasa flow and AcroYoga, there’s a plethora of activities to choose from over the course of three days. What’s unique about... Read More

Wellness methods have, over the past few years, evolved into a booming industry. Several renowned websites and online magazines—such as wellandgood.com, Mantra Wellness Magazine, or mindbodygreen.com, to name a few—take pride in offering news and advice on the latest trends. Thanks to technology and the internet, it seems the do-it-yourself approach to wellness is here to stay. You can find information on practically anything, all within reach of your fingertips and computer screen. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for personal self-care (yep, I’m a millennial), but how do I know what I read... Read More

If you are a federal or bank employee, student or teacher, you’re among the lucky few who get a work holiday on November 11. If you are a veteran who doesn’t hold one of these positions, chances are you’ll be working. So if veterans don’t get the day off on Veterans Day, what is it for? Why do we celebrate Veterans Day? The ceasefire of World War I happened on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. To honor the veterans of this war and remember those we lost, November 11 (Armistice Day) became a national holiday in 1938, and in 1954 Veterans Day became... Read More

What if you could powerfully transform your life by hanging out with friends in paradise? That’s the latest focus of Rachel Zelaya, founder and director of the Adi Shakti Kundalini Yoga Center of Boulder. What is Kundalini?  Kundalini describes the creative, life-force energy powered by the breath and flowing throughout the body. It can be activated by conscious practices designed to maximize your life force. The Kundalini Yoga tradition is one of the most holistic approaches to yoga: it includes asana, mudra, breathwork, meditation and mantra, as well as encompassing lifestyle choices... Read More

With spring springing and summer just around the corner, the pace in Boulder is picking up quickly as Boulderites prepare for a summer filled with fun activities around every corner. For the tech lovers, entrepreneurs, students and investors of all kinds, the beginning of this summer season promises lots of fun and opportunities with Boulder kicking off its sixth Startup Week. Founded in 2010, Boulder Startup Week is five days dedicated to all things entrepreneurial, business and startup, celebrating the incredible startup scene Boulder has to offer.   The five-day event takes place from May... Read More

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…when I first started yoga back in 2000, I hated it. I mean, I really despised it. What the f*#k is a Sun Salutation, and why the f*#k do I have to do so many of them? And why does that guy next to me sound like Darth Vader having an asthma attack? Why are they chanting—do they even know what they’re saying? Are we singing now? Yep, we’re singing—why are we singing? Each time I tried a class or VHS (yep, dating myself here), I finished the practice feeling dissatisfied, and even angry. I’m not sure why I stuck with it. My stubbornness is... Read More

Every year for the Boulder Valley, Biz West recognizes forty professionals under the age of 40 whom they consider to be emerging stars and leaders in the city of Boulder. These young, hardworking individuals are celebrated for their professional successes in the Boulder community. One of these forty people is Kelly Elle Larisey yoga studio owner, Paleo nutritionist and bacon-lover. Kelly is recognized for a range of professional and creative endeavors centering on holistic health; from being managing owner at Boulder’s popular yoga studio, The Little Yoga Studio to life coaching and Paleo coaching,... Read More