Next-Gen Nirvana

From mantras to light and sound therapy, Boulder’s mindful scene blends old- and new-school wellness techniques

By Chloe-Anne Swink 

Almost by definition, Boulder  is the quintessential “hippie” home. Although what that looks like has changed drastically over the years, the tenets of our collective consciousness have remained much the same: an emphasis on sustainability, wellness, and alternative lifestyles. However, today it blends with tech innovation, organic food scenes and a lot of outdoor adventure. 

In the ’80s, we circled Rocky Flats in protest. Today, we embrace refugee resettlement efforts, welcoming newcomers and helping them integrate into the community. What has not changed through the years is our commitment to mindfulness. While we might have traded our tie-dye for Lululemon, Boulder remains a hub for spiritual exploration, with people seeking to live more consciously and in tune with themselves and nature. 

Hence, Boulder’s diverse and open-minded community has led to a thriving population of meditation centers. There’s no shortage of practices to explore, from Zen and Buddhist meditation to modernized somatic practices. Most can be found within half an hour of downtown Boulder. 

The Boulder Meditation Center

Rachel Appel, owner of Namaha Wellness and the Boulder Meditation Center, is an acupuncturist, Chinese herbal medicine practitioner and Vedic meditation teacher. Appel teaches this ancient form of meditation through a 4-day program at the Boulder Meditation Center. 

Vedic meditation is a mantra-based style of meditation, aimed not at contemplation, clearing the mind or even mindfulness, but instead at finding a state of deep rest
and relaxation. 

Appel assigns each student a mantra, called a bija, on the first day of the 4-day course. Bijas work at the level of sound versus meaning. Appel explains that they help the mind relax and have the same frequency as that deep inner quiet place within. Aligning with the frequency of the bija (or seed) helps transcend the layers of the conscious mind to find that place of inner quiet or unified source, without force or frustration. 

Vedic meditation is traditionally practiced twice a day, with each session lasting 20 minutes. You can do it while commuting, taking a short brain break at work or walking, which makes it more approachable for today’s busy lives. 

The incredible benefits of Vedic meditation range from overcoming addictions to improving relationships and much more. This stems from the fact that a regular Vedic meditation practice enables a state of “rest that’s two to five times deeper than when we sleep,” Appel says. This deep rest allows the body to offload accumulated stress, making daily stressors and life overall easier to manage. 

Learn more about the Boulder Meditation Center at namahawellness.com

Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram

An ashram is a place where seekers go to learn meditation and engage in spiritual practices. Just outside Eldorado Canyon lies the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram, a spiritual retreat situated on 25 acres. A tradition called Kashmir Shaivism, a shaktipat lineage originating in India, is the basis for the meditation, breath and yoga practices taught at the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram. Shaktipat means these traditions have been passed down from guru to student through generations of practitioners. 

Residents and visitors to the ashram practice under the guidance of Sri Shambhavananda, who has shared his practices with the Boulder community since 1975. According to Jatila Hayes, the ashram’s co-manager and a long-term resident, students under Sri Shambhavananda use yoga and meditation, not to cultivate something new, but to access their highest self or experience something they already have within.

It’s their belief and practice that meditation isn’t just something you do on the cushion. “Being around the ashram and the community, you see practitioners who are really taking their meditation practice into their lives,” Hayes says. Meditation and breath should be practical and integrated into every aspect of life. That’s what classes at the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram help students achieve.

For those new to meditation or curious about exploring a traditional Eastern lineage practice, the ashram offers an Intro to Meditation 4-Week Series each month, as well as a Kirtan (chanting) Meditation Program every Sunday morning. These are great opportunities for new students to dip their toes into the practice and begin learning skills to help them show up as their highest selves in every aspect of life. 

Learn more about the Eldorado Mountain Yoga Ashram at eldoradoyoga.org

Light Club 

Those who practice the unique and innovative form of somatic meditation found at Light Club may find themselves somewhere between a lucid dream and a substance-free psychedelic trip. Light Club founder Chuck Hyde is a pioneer in developing the light-based and vibroacoustic technology used to elicit this state of consciousness. 

The technique Hyde developed utilizes tools such as vibroacoustic mats that hum low-frequency vibrations into the body, soundscapes produced through specialty soundboards and intentionally programmed Lucia N°03 meditation lamps to induce a deeply embodied state. This state facilitates meditation, deep relaxation and, as Hyde says, promotes the chances of achieving a form of depersonalization. “This practice helps fulfill the human need to explore consciousness,” he says.

The frequency produced through sound, when lying on the vibroacoustic mats, paired with the stroboscopic effects of the Lucia N°03 light overhead, has a profound impact on the nervous system. From increasing creativity and gaining sudden hits of clarity (downloads or codes, as some call them) to integrating and managing stress and even trauma, the benefits of this practice, as reported by its practitioners, are powerful and varied. 

With more than 20 years of experience as a bodyworker, Hyde has witnessed firsthand how the body stores stress and trauma in its tissues, how nervous systems can become dysregulated, and even how sound and frequency can affect cellular health. So, he developed a powerful technology as a possible answer to modern-day maladies.

Learn more about Light Club at lightclub.earth