CHANGING THE MIND THROUGH PSYCHEDELIC HEALING

There is quite the buzz going around lately about psychedelics in the healing space. The benefits of therapy in general are clear, including stress reduction, increase in self-esteem and improvement in depression and/ or anxiety. Studies show that therapy can greatly improve the quality of someone's life. According to the American Psychiatric Association, about 75% of people who enter psychotherapy show some benefit from it.

Traditionally, talk therapy has long been the gold star in treatment. However, as more advances have become available, modern healing modalities have led to newer, experiential forms of therapy.

Enter, psychedelics. Psychedelics are a newly revived option that have allowed therapists to provide a wider range of available treatment options. As a licensed clinical social worker, Melissa Jones is a professional guiding the field, offering ket- amine therapy treatments in her practice.

“Over the past 20 years or so, ketamine has proven to be an off-label treatment for certain mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” Jones shares. “Psychedelic therapy is a new paradigm. It is not about popping a pill; it is about changing one’s mind.”

You perform ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. What made you want to incorporate this type of treatment option into your practice?

I work with a lot of clients that suffer from treatment resistant depression as well as PTSD. I believe that being able to incorporate psychotherapy with ketamine will be the most beneficial for these clients. However, ketamine is not for everyone. Clients need to be screened carefully to determine if ketamine is a good fit for them.

How does it work?

The short answer is that it causes growth in different parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex. These areas of the brain are associated with emotional regulation and mental health disorders. I like to describe it to my clients as ketamine allows them to see things that are going on in their lives from a different lens. During the session, most clients feel relaxed, open-minded and less defensive. People often describe it as feeling like they are floating outside their body.

Does it work better than traditional therapy approaches?

Institutions such as Yale, Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, USC, NYU, the National Institute of Mental Health and the Cleveland Clinic have found that 70% of patients treated with ketamine showed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms; virtually all of these patients failed to respond to traditional forms of treatment, including medications.

What can a client expect from these sessions?

There are three possible modes of treatment which may be administered: ketamine via oral lozenges, IV or intra-muscular injection. Each has its own specific benefits depending on the client's needs.

In between ketamine sessions, a client returns for an integration therapy session. During this time, they’ll revisit their treatment goals and envision the life they want to create. We explore and apply insights gained during the treatment session, while also identifying places of growth and strategies for positive change in one’s life. Clients may start to see things in a more positive light and find it easier to integrate new thought patterns.

What does the future look like for these types of therapies?

As the stigma around using psychedelics decreases, they are slowly moving more into the mainstream. However, there are two big barriers for using other psychedelics, such as psilocybin and MDMA, in a treatment setting — decriminalization and cost. Decriminalization has begun in a few places, like Denver, but cost continues to be a barrier for many people. At this time, I am not aware of any insurance companies that cover this type of treatment.

Any exciting things you experienced in the training or in your sessions that you are excited about for the future of this type of therapy?

The training consisted of an intensive, 10-month long program where I was able to experience the effects of ketamine for myself. Through my training, I was able to gain an understanding of how useful ketamine can be in a treatment setting. Because I was able to face negative things during my ketamine session, I’m better able to face them and cope with them outside treatment. I was left with that warm, tranquil, happy feeling afterward as well.

Where can people learn more information or work with you?

To learn more about how a full treatment is performed and more information, you can visit my website mjpsychotherapy.com +

Melissa Jones brings to psychotherapy her real-world experience as a licensed clinical social worker. While studying for her degree in family studies at the University of Arizona, she worked at Las Familias, an organization providing support for sexually-abused boys, and Child Protective Services in Tucson. Pursuing her master’s in social work at Barry University in Miami, Florida, Jones held internships and professional positions that catered towards physically and mentally handicapped children and at-risk youth.

MARITA PROVUS Writer + Content Manager @marita.anne

By the time she arrived in Colorado, Jones was well-equipped to counsel students affected by the Columbine High School tragedy in her position with the Jefferson Center for Mental Health. She went on to become a psychotherapist for the Mental Health Corporation of Denver and the coordinator of the Child and Family Program for Developmental Disability Consultants (DDC) in Denver. While at DDC, she transitioned to working with adults, which remains her primary practice. Jones has since started her own private practice, is certified in EMDR and brainspotting, as well as certified as a psychedelic-assisted therapist.

Irecently relocated to Salida, a small town about two and a half hours south of Denver. High on my priority list before moving was finding a yoga studio to call home. My first stop was Yoga Olas, and I didn’t need to look any further. When you open the door to Yoga Olas, you’re greeted by an unsuspectingly large room — expansive and bright. The beautiful wood floors back up to a full brick wall and in the mirrors are reflections of a dozen students, moving with their breath. Located on F Street in the heart of Salida, a town with a population of about 5,000 people, Yoga Olas welcomes 1,000 to 2,000 students each month.

Megan Kahn, founder of Yoga Olas, details the origins of the studio. “After teaching yoga classes in the Denver area for many years, in 2012, I moved to Salida and desired to keep sharing the yoga magic. I whipped up some fliers and tagged the town, rented a dance studio one day a week and launched what was the very early stages of Olas. For about a year, one to three people showed up. The entire focus of the work was seva-driven, any profits were donated, mainly locally. I loved guiding yoga and wanted to share and give back in any and every way possible,” she shares.

Kahn realized the demand for vinyasa style yoga in the Salida community, and in a serendipitous sequence of events, the dance studio closed abruptly, leaving an opening to be filled. Shortly thereafter, she signed the lease on the studio and hired a few teachers.

“The day after I signed the lease, I found out I was pregnant with my third child. I was also a full-time practicing attorney. But, timing is never ‘perfect.’ We started with five classes per week and three guides,” Kahn recalls.

As classes caught on and the community grew, she realized that Salida was home to an immense pool of like-minded talent, like certified yoga teachers and wellness practitioners, and they all needed a place to share their offerings. Kahn recalls, “Teachers began reaching out regularly wanting to come on the team and offer a class or two. I gave everyone who reached out a chance to teach.”

Since that time, Olas has moved into a space downtown, their teachers have birthed over a dozen children and they now have a staff of 25 and about 35 classes per week.

“We remain heart centered, focused on community and serve as a space for our guides and visiting teachers, musicians and artists to share their gifts. We are about to run our fourth international retreat, have held two teacher trainings and hundreds of workshops and programs,” she shares.

When asked what it means to thrive as a yoga studio, Kahn thoughtfully explains that, “To thrive as a studio means to always stay intentional with our why — to adapt to changes and go with the flow, to take risks and experiment and learn from mistakes, to dream big and aim high, to remember, at our heart, we are a community center, to stay student driven and hold supportive and nurturing space, to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously, to support and not compete with other local wellness businesses, to stay inspired, to collaborate, to practice great communication, to ask for help when we need it and to strive for excellence and continue to grow and learn as teachers.”

“Since moving to Salida, I’ve established a foundational community through Yoga Olas,” she adds. “The people I’ve met in this space are some of the kindest, most welcoming folks I’ve ever had the pleasure of crossing paths with. Now, I have the high honor of teaching yoga in this beautiful space. The mission of Olas resonates deeply and through this community, I find myself thriving in a new town. Olas’ story is a true reflection of what it means to thrive. The studio seed was planted in a random way, but with a continuous demand for yoga and mindfulness, a dedicated community and a dedication to their mission and values, Yoga Olas can expect to thrive for many more years to come.” +

yogaolas.com

KELSEY FOSTER YOGA + Life Ambassador + Contributor @kelsofosta

As the first of the five yamas in Patanjali's eight-fold path, ahimsa is the principle of nonviolence and compassion for all living things. To Nicole Matta, the founder of Ahimsa Yoga & Wellness in Denver, this message is needed now more than ever.

A lifelong practitioner thanks to her yogi father, Matta opened a studio of her own on March 20, 2021 — the Spring Equinox — at a time when she felt the community needed it most. With over a dozen local studios closed permanently due to the pandemic, Ahimsa has become a home for Denverites to reconnect with health and wellness again.

“The community at Ahimsa is one of connected family,” Matta shares. “The studio is a smaller and more intimate space, which really cultivates personal connections and a sense of family and belonging.”

The studio offers a range of hatha classes accessible to any level practitioner. Sound healings, cacao ceremonies, donation-based kirtan, gong baths, yoga nidra and yoga teacher trainings also frequent the schedule. There are two small studio areas, ample props and an overall friendly feel, as Ahimsa teachers describe it.

“Ahimsa reopened the door for me to return to teaching at a studio post-COVID, and when I taught my first class there, it felt like coming home again,” Janie Gianotsos, a yoga teacher who joined the Ahimsa team early in 2021, says. “Nicole believes in living the practice of yoga and encourages teachers to embrace their authenticity and bring the yoga sutras, traditions and ancient wisdom into their class offerings.”

One of Gianotsos’ students refers to her Sunday morning class — which includes a short Satsang, meditation and singing bowls — as her “yoga church.” Class sizes are kept small, so teachers can better know their students and learn how to help them on their yoga journey.

Frances Tharp, another teacher at Ahimsa, says her most beautiful moments at the studio are when students introduce themselves to one another before class.

“It’s hard to find that these days,” Tharp says. “I have learned what brings people to their mat at Ahimsa; maybe it’s the first time a student has touched their mat since the pandemic, postpartum or injury. Hearing students’ ‘why’ makes my experience as a teacher more impactful to listen and learn how Ahimsa can benefit them.”

This was exactly Matta’s intention — for the Ahimsa community to thrive. “The idea of ‘thrive’ is what our studio has been growing on for the last 24 months,” she explains. “Thrive at Ahimsa means cultivating a strong community through communication and our collective love for yoga. Just as a seed is planted, cared for, nurtured and grows, our community takes a similar path.”

Ahimsa teacher MC Brogden describes the studio as the gift of a new family. "What began as a chance to shepherd others out of COVID loneliness and back into the yoga community has since grown into treasured weekly intimate moments on my mat,” Brogden explains. “As a teacher at Ahimsa, I have been able to meet students of all walks of life, from those that have never stepped onto a yoga mat to those that are on a long road of recovery from injury or illness.”

At Ahimsa Yoga & Wellness, the principle of non-harming is held above all else. Even though Ahimsa is a hidden gem in Denver, the community continues to grow, and thrive, with each new season. + ahimsayogadenver.com

Wild Yoga: A Practice of Initiation, Veneration & Advocacy for the Earth

Through simple movements and creative concepts that will inspire beginner and seasoned yogis alike, Wild Yoga: A Practice of Initiation, Veneration & Advocacy for the Earth is an invitation to live from the soul. Author Rebecca Wildbear empowers readers to create a personal practice that stretches their awareness and awakens their connection to the place we all most deeply belong to: the Earth.

“When we are in our bodies, at one with nature, we are in touch with intelligence more significant than our minds,” shares Wildbear. “Nature can inspire our movements, align us with our instincts, initiate us into living our soul’s purpose and guide us in tending the well-being of all life.”

Part one encourages readers to return to their instinctual nature, welcome ferocity, receive the love of trees and listen to dreams. Part two invites them to open up to the mystery of what they love and grieve, descend into darkness and be sung back to life by the living planet. In part three, Wildbear guides readers to listen to their muse, dream for the world and protect wild places. Each chapter concludes with a yoga pose that supports the theme of the chapter, with illustrations by Sarah E. Brooks to help readers visualize the poses.

“Marrying the healing practice of yoga — strength, flexibility, relaxation, presence

— with reverence for nature, Wild Yoga catalyzes our curiosity to explore our dreams and the mysteries of life and to grow our capacities to live in reciprocity with the Earth,” adds Wildbear. “Our wellness and our planet home are linked. The Earth needs people who can live their purpose and honor and advocate for the natural world.”

By honestly sharing her personal experiences, as well as the experience of many clients, Wildbear shows readers how to: meet their bodies and emotions where they are, including grief, trauma and vulnerability; tune in to the natural world around them — whether backyard, seashore or mountain — or an imagined dream place; commune with the Earth’s body through their own body and, thus, to all the peoples and places around them.

“May these teachings, stories and practices offer a path to open your heart to what is most sacred. May they ground you in love and strength,” says Wildbear. “May they restore your relationship with the Earth so that you and your dreams, mystery and muse, may live in co-creative reciprocity with life on the planet.”

Learn more and order a copy at newworldlibrary.com

STANDING ROOM ONLY: HOW TO BE THAT YOGA TEACHER

By Sheri Fisher with Lori Holden

Colorado-based sisters and yogis, Sheri Fisher and Lori Holden joined forces to bring this guide to yoga teachers everywhere. Fisher’s experience as a certified yoga facilitator paired with Holden’s work as a published author powerfully comes together in this book, featuring a forward by certified health and wellness coach Gina Caputo. This book includes five pillars of powerful teaching:

Communication: Effectively communicating with your students.

Character: Setting the tone and feel for the classes you teach.

Connection: Building a community inside and outside the studio, setting up a meditation practice, tuning in and trusting your intuition.

Commitment: Maintaining a high level of commitment to yourself, your students, your fellow teachers and the studio or fitness facility where you teach.

Consideration: Teaching all students with compassion in diverse and meaningful ways.

Learn more, and order a copy at roottoriseyogis.com

On a recent hike along a trail turned dusty with summer use, I crossed paths with a friend I hadn’t seen for a while. Her bright smile and warm greeting matched her hiking attire — a brilliant magenta shirt, flashy crimson hat and spruced-up walking shoes. I complimented her on her outfit, suddenly conscious of my drab khakis, misshapen black hat and muddy boots.

She laughed, “Well, I guess I’m doing everything I can these days to bring more color into the world. It’s the least I can do!”

Next time out, I upgraded to mostly turquoise, head-to-toe, including mountain décor socks and my vintage Hokas. Much more fun.

Our chance meeting reminded me of a favorite children’s book, The Night Gardener, and its timeless message about change, creativity, coming alive and living fully. As with so many classic picture books, this beautifully illustrated, brief story is a reminder for all ages to make the most of each day by adding in something special.

Several pages of artwork coax us into