Since the beginning of The Faces of Boulder Project the AboutBoulder photography team has primarily focused our attention on multiple people for every online post, but this edition of the Faces of Boulder will be different because it’s all about one very special person who lives here in Boulder, Shankar Moghe. Travis Bildahl and I ran into Shankar at the Eben G. Fine Park on a nice afternoon and realized right away that we had encountered a very unique individual that was self-actualized. Shankar Moghe stretches out his legs on his mat in Eben G. Fine Park to cool down after doing... Read More

Each one of us is fully capable of accomplishing anything, and more importantly, everything we put our mind to. We have desires, dreams, and ambitions for our time here. Accomplishing them is no easy task, but we are aptly suited for our challenge. We truly have limitless potential residing inside. It’s lying dormant, desperately waiting for us to set the wheels in motion, enabling it to crack through the surface where it can be put to use in our pursuits. At times there can be a disconnect between our desires, dreams, and ambitions, and our current reality or perception of it. Life happens,... Read More

I was already up the mountain when it hit. Out of nowhere, it came rushing in—dark, gray, ominous clouds. At first, I was hopeful that it would all blow over quickly so that I might enjoy my rendezvous longer. It was noon, and based on my earlier report, the storm wouldn’t approach until 3 pm. But alas, what was now boiling up in the sky was here to stay, and at the first flash of white, I knew I had to get down the mountain to safety. No sense in remaining at what was close to being the highest point. No point in being stagnant. It was either stay or leave, so I retrieved my pack and descended... Read More

Yesterday I spent my morning amongst the flora and fauna of mountain land, tending a beautiful garden of wildflowers and native plants, herbs and roses.  As I spend more time working with the earth and the plants, I begin to feel the cycle of the seasons come alive in me. If you know me, you know I can’t resist a good metaphor, and a change of season is ripe with meaning for our own journey.  So, inspired by the nature of the season, I have been pondering a few questions. We are approaching the autumnal equinox, one of only two times in the year when day and night are of equal length.... Read More

  There are many different types of yoga, and it’s about time this particular style gets its due. You don’t have to constantly be sweating in a heated room to reap the same benefits that a more static practice has to offer—calmness, reduced stress, enhanced flexibility (to name a few).  In fact, restorative yoga is the perfect precursor to restful sleep. Through the use of props and seated postures held for at least 10 minutes each (sometimes longer), it’s possible to train the mind into meditative states of relaxation. This, in turn, can make sleep easily accessible. A good night’s... Read More

  It’s almost that time of year. Tiny hints of autumn are already in the air. With cooler weather on its way, so is the (hopeful) promise of a strong snow season. I say this with great enthusiasm;  I’m a snowboarder. Winter sports are my favorite, and nothing complements my yoga practice more than strapping into bindings and cutting through moguls like butter. A moving meditation in and of itself, snowboarding is a great activity for building patience and resilience. It goes hand-in-hand with yoga in terms of physical endurance. If you’ve already established a strong yoga practice,... Read More

  I firmly believe that nature is medicine. There is nothing more rejuvenating than unplugging from the world for a few hours, sifting through trees and allowing silence to be your personal tour guide. What is now commonly referred to as forest bathing, the act of immersing yourself in nature while simultaneously being present to your surroundings, can be a moving meditation in and of itself, much like yoga. In fact, both practices strongly correlate with one another. Practicing yoga or meditating out in dense wilderness reaps positive therapeutic benefits. Imagine hiking through the mountains... Read More

It’s 6 a.m., and slivers of sunlight peep through the large, elongated windows of Brett Mehlman’s Denver-based studio apartment, greeting him as he begins his morning. A fresh glass of water is the first thing on his mind, followed by a guided meditation. As a busy yoga instructor, an established morning ritual is key for Brett. Preparing for his first client of the day, he concocts a blend of ginger, turmeric, black pepper, and skullcap for tea. “The trick here, is to add coconut milk,” he says with a grin, walking across the plant-lined floor to the kitchen cupboard. “Coconut milk... Read More

I’m no Oprah, but I do have a lot of well-known favorite things: puppies, blankets, parks, mountains, warm food . . . And in a ranking of my favorite things, traveling scores highly, while spending time in airports places very low. The combination of sitting still for a long time, falling asleep in strange and uncomfortable places, eating processed food, feeling the effects of dehydration, and generally feeling greasy makes me want to get out immediately. Airport Yoga Rooms Luckily, some sweet humans have built yoga and meditation rooms in a few airports to help out us uncomfortable travelers.... Read More

The founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Marc Brackett, has conducted a massive survery regarding how people feel right now amidst the panic that COVID-19 has caused. Brackett has conducted similar studies before, but for the first time, this study found that 95% of people felt anxiety, stress, and fear. Even the 5% leftover are not feeling joy or happiness, but instead feeling hope and optimism that things will get better than they are now. With no way of knowing how this will continue to affect the world, feelings of stress could continue for an indefinite amount... 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

Did you know that November is Epilepsy Awareness Month?  November was declared National Epilepsy Awareness Month in 2003 to help end the stigma surrounding the condition and to generate education and understanding for those living with epilepsy. People all around the country get involved and show support for epilepsy awareness to help promote change for those who are affected. I am one of approximately 3.4 million people in the U.S. living with epilepsy and 65 million people worldwide. Those affected by the condition are more than those affected by autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s... Read More

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending the world premier of the documentary exploring marijuana’s use and evolution as a plant and industry, “The Legend of 420”. The film was produced and directed by Emmy and Academy Award-nominated, Peter Spirer, with Rugged Entertainment and XLRator Media. The premier in Denver, now the hub for hemp and marijuana movie premiers known as Hollyweed, was made possible by Amy Bourlon-Hilterbran, the founder and CEO of Millennium Grown Broadcast Network. Millennium Grown brought this premier to Denver, and contains online content about marijuana and hemp... Read More

For me, marijuana has always been a means of mental stress relief. Before I became a cannabis athlete, I consumed marijuana regularly to help with anxiety and stress. Before moving to Colorado, from Missouri in 2015, my life consisted of 60-70 hour work weeks in corporate finance, and if I wasn’t in the actual office, I was at a dinner, or an auction, or some other event related to my work. The success was nice, but the stress was overwhelming. After long days and/or nights at the office, I would come home and calm my nervous system with the relaxing smoke of marijuana. Being in Missouri at the... Read More

Accountant by day; saving people from the rat race by night. Well, not really—it’s usually weekends. Karen isn’t what people would consider a super hero. After all, she’s “just an accountant”, but she found her own inner peace and is determined to help others find theirs. “I started watching Sadhguru on Youtube before going to this retreat with Inner Engineering ” The program centers around meditation and traditional Indian yoga. “It changed my life. I started slowing down to enjoy life. I’m happier overall.”  She hopes that Inner Engineering can change other people’s... Read More