As Coloradans, we know a thing or two about wellness and the importance of getting outside. So, in celebration of August being National Wellness Month, we’re highlighting a few of our top picks for feel-good foods, wellness experiences and travel destinations with a holistic focus.
So, step past the day spas and feel even better with these unique wellness experiences in Colorado and beyond.
Food
Cultivate Kitchen Co.
Where: 640 Main St Unit D, Louisville, CO
The lowdown: Wellness begins with being mindful of the food you eat, but with everyone’s busy schedules that can sometimes be hard to accomplish. So, two moms — one a precision nutrition coach and the other a local personal chef — with a passion for inclusive foods decided to make it easier for us all by opening Cultivate Kitchen Co.
Located in the heart of downtown Louisville, Cultivate Kitchen Co. is all about fueling busy lifestyles with healthy meals. With menus catering to multiple eating styles, they keep a consistent focus on delicious and nutritious food, no matter what your goal may be.
The prepared meal pickup and delivery menus feature plant-based, gluten and dairy-free modification options, plus they also offer a nutrition coach-curated high protein macro trackable menu. And with Cultivate’s container return program, they are taking care of not only the wellness needs of the community but of the planet as well. And with vibrant garden beds and patio seating in their funky converted loading dock storefront, they are worth a visit.
Catering and carry-out are also available at cultivatekitchenco.com
Field to Fork – Explore the Boulder County Farm Trail
Wander outside of Boulder’s Pearl Street and head east to explore more than 25,000 acres of the county’s public lands that are leased to farmers. With more than 1,000 farms that reside in Boulder County, a number of them welcome visitors to sample a taste of farm life.
Whether you are looking to bring the farm-fresh taste home with you or are looking for a fun outing with family and friends, find your farm — from picking pumpkins in the fall at the 7th Generation Farm and picnics in style at Cure Organic Farm to picking your own apples, pears, cherries and flowers at Ya Ya Farm & Orchard. Plus, you can dine at a few local Boulder restaurants where the chefs have cultivated their own farm to bring true farm-to-table menu items including Black Cat, Leaf, Salt and Lucile’s.
You can find the Boulder County Farm Trail map where they offer a suggested driving route that takes about 60 minutes, with stops maybe two and a half hours.
FarmBox Foods
Where: 5389 Plum Ave, Sedalia, CO
The lowdown: Sure we all want to eat fresh foods straight from the farm, but for many that isn’t possible. One innovative company in Sedalia, CO is working to bring the production of healthy food to areas where access is limited or not possible. FarmBox Foods designs and builds controlled-climate farms that are housed in a 40-foot-long upcycled shipping container. Protected from the external variables that traditional farmers face, food can be grown year-round.
You can’t build a farm in the middle of a city, but you can drop one of their 320-square-foot controlled-climate farms into a parking lot and grow nutritious produce and mushrooms for schools, hospitals and restaurants, which they’ve done at a few local Denver eateries.
Bringing food production closer to the consumer is not only better for the environment (less use of fossil fuels to bring harvested veggies from point A to point B), but it helps the food retain its nutritional value and shelf life. It’s feel-good food right at your doorstep.
Blue Bear Farm at Colorado Convention Center
Where: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St, Denver, CO
The lowdown: The Blue Bear Farm at the Colorado Convention Center celebrates its 10th anniversary as Denver’s premier urban garden providing true farm-to-table access for Convention Center guests. The 5,000 square-foot growing space houses a community farm that yields 50+ variations of fruits, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and fresh honey (think: carrots, spinach, tomato, basil, cilantro) for the chef team to grow their own seasonal produce and further cement Denver as a culinary destination. Now that’s something you can feel good about!
Experiences
True Nature Healing Arts
Where: 100 N 3rd St, Carbondale, CO
The lowdown: What began in 2007 as a 500-square-foot space for yoga and meditation, has now grown into a multi-acre wellness campus. True Nature Healing Arts is a sanctuary providing an inspirational setting for connection and transformation.
Located in Carbondale, CO amongst the Roaring Fork Valley, their little oasis provides an exceptional environment for all your wellness needs. Inside, visitors will find space for yoga classes, a luxury spa, a cafe and an apothecary. Outside, the grounds open up to a beautiful Peace Garden and Labyrinth, with the Kiva event center as its anchor.
While drop-in yoga classes are $22 and average spa services start at $175, the Peace Garden is free and open to whomever needed a little peace and time for reflection.
Visit the Crestone Ziggurat
Where: Cordial Way, Crestone, CO
The lowdown: One of the most unique wellness experiences in Colorado doesn’t require a reservation or credit card payment. Resting at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, the small town of Crestone is a magnet for any spiritualist. While it is home to only a few hundred people, it recognizes more than enough religions to make you feel like you’ve traveled the world, including Hindu, Zen, Catholicism, and Tibetan Buddism with a Zen center, monastery and a Hindu temple.
One of its more unique features is the yellow Ziggurat that rests just outside of town. First built in ancient Mesopotamian days, Ziggurats were large structures meant to be shrines and spiritual habitats, just for gods. But this one is open to the public and welcomes all. A short trail guides curious visitors to the 40-foot tall yellow-hued structure where you can climb its many steps for 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains and valley below. It’s the perfect place for reflection and quiet contemplation.
New Ways to Treat Yourself in Cherry Creek North
The lowdown: With the largest concentration of local retail anywhere in Colorado, Cherry Creek North is often many people’s go-to for shopping and dining. But with its recent influx of health and fitness concepts, it is quickly becoming a destination for wellness.
There is now no shortage of boutique fitness studios for workout routines with fitness studios such as Orange Theory and Barry’s Bootcamp, plus the latest fitness craze — The Teddi B Workout.
Enhance your workouts, recover faster and in general just feel better by sweating it out and rolling it out at CYL Infrared Studios. Get your roll on with their infrared lymphatic rolling system, which is meant to help detoxify, recover, reduce stress, improve circulation and so much more. A bit awkward at first, yet completely revitalizing in the end, they offer 15, 30 and 45-minute video-guided roll sessions that provide you with a head-to-toe lymphatic massage. Tip: be sure to wear leggings and a fitted shit, you don’t want anything lose, and follow it up immediately with a 30 min infrared sauna session to maximize results!
Then be sure to treat yourself post-workout with a visit to FACE FOUNDRIÉ — an all-inclusive facial bar that specializes in facials, lashes, brows and skincare. Or if you’re feeling like a little pick me up is in order, get hooked with Prime IV Hydration & Wellness — a vitamin IV therapy using a proprietary blend of vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids.
beWell at Gaylord Rockies Resort
Where: 6700 N Gaylord Rockies Blvd, Aurora, CO
The lowdown: In honor of National Wellness Month, Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center are rolling out a new booking option in conjunction with Relâche Spa called “beWELL: The Therabody Wellness Suite.” The 600-900 sq. ft. suite includes devices from Peloton, Therabody, RAD and Mansfield Robes for a complete wellness package.
The European-style Relâche Spa is the resort’s on-site full-service wellness retreat and is accessible for both overnight and day spa guests. They offer 17 treatment rooms and one couples room, guests can reserve a relaxing massage, rejuvenating facial or calming body treatment, with a luxurious atmosphere and experienced therapists.
There are two different packages ranging from $1,100 to $1,259 per night. During National Wellness Month, the package has rates from $799+ per night.
The booking option is available at Relache Spa Packages in Aurora, Colorado.
Wellness Travel
Sensei and Little Nell Wellness Retreat
Where: 675 E Durant Ave, Aspen, CO
When: October 2 – 7, 2023
The lowdown: Treat yourself to an elevated wellness experience in Aspen, CO that you will never forget with The Little Nell and luxury wellness brand, Sensei. Join in on a wellness retreat of a lifetime for a special five-night, six-day intimate group hiking retreat led by the Sensei group who will bring their renowned evidence-led philosophy and highly trained wellness guide team to Colorado for the first time.
During the retreat, daily hikes will be led by expert Ted Mahon, an accomplished mountaineer recognized by National Geographic with more than 20 years of climbing experience including summiting Mount Everest in the spring of 2003. He will lead the group on some of Aspen’s most scenic hiking trails varying in distance and elevation – from the iconic Cathedral Lake Trail in the beautiful Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness to the challenging 13-mile Lost Man Loop in the Hunter-Fryingpan Wilderness.
Additional elements of the program include select nutritious meals, daily movement and recovery practices, group wellness workshops and luxurious 5-star accommodations in the heart of Aspen.
If interested, learn more about the program here or by contacting Sensei at 310-627-2589. To reserve your spot for the retreat and book your accommodation at The Little Nell, please email sensei@thelittlenell.com.
Wine and Wellness in Sonoma County
The lowdown: Treat yourself to a wellness journey in Sonoma County California. With direct flights from Denver to Sonoma County via United Airlines, a luxury wellness retreat isn’t far away. Best known for its sweeping vineyards, Sonoma County also takes a holistic approach to wellness.
Find outdoor adventures with the county’s 11 state parks, more than 50 regional parks, and 55 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline. Activities include meditation in Armstrong, woods canoeing, SUPing and kayaking on lakes and rivers, horseback riding, hiking mountains and coastal trails, golfing in Wine Country, ziplining through groves of redwoods and so much more.
Then retreat back to some of Sonoma County’s premier lodging where you and relax and unwind. Retreat from the world for a day with a spa package at Osmosis. Start your day by enjoying tea in a private room overlooking the Japanese garden, followed by the signature cedar enzyme bath. For the full-day experience, stop by the Valley Ford market and pick up a bottle of local wine and deli snacks. From there, it’s a quick drive to the beach where you can enjoy your wine and the beautiful wilderness of the Pacific Ocean.
Or enjoy the quintessential Sonoma experience at the famous Farmhouse Inn — a boutique hotel with beautiful rooms completed with a curated wine fridge, fireplace, steam shower and jet tub. Have a romantic dinner at the Michelin restaurant at the hotel and enjoy a massage or facial at the Wellness Barn.
Civana Resort in Scottsdale
Where: 37220 Mule Train Rd, Carefree, AZ
The lowdown: With direct flights from Denver to Scottsdale, you’re closer than you think to one of the top wellness resorts in the country at CIVANA Wellness Resort & Spa. Tucked away on 20+ acres of the Sonoran Desert, CIVANA is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the landscape, reconnect and reinvigorate your senses.
Enjoy your own personalized wellness experience with a world-class spa, wellness classes and studios, plus healthy cuisine at their on-site restaurants at Terras and Seed. Find spaces for mindful meditations and quiet corners where talking on your cell phone is discouraged.
Get yourself moving in one of the 70+ complimentary classes offered at the resort including aerial yoga, TRX, pilates, slow flow yoga on the lawn and guided meditations with the gong and singing bowls. Or simply take a walk through the well-manicured desert gardens and the labyrinth for a little peace and quiet. Sign up for their Chopra Health Retreat to get the full experience and truly walk away with an enlightening experience.