Women in the Rockies: A Wellness Adventure

The mountains are calling and I must go—John Muir

When our kids were little, I made the bold decision to book a family vacation at the C Lazy U Guest Ranch near Granby, Colorado.  We were living in Los Angeles, and my dream was to have our girls  experience what I had loved about growing up near the Rocky Mountains.  What started as a vacation wound up being a turning point in my life.

First and foremost, the ranch and mountains calmed me down.  They gave me a new perspective about how I was living my life in the frenzy and compression of Southern California.  For the first time in a long time, I was able to breathe deeply, relax, laugh and contemplate change.  At the ranch, I was connected to nature, and like minded people.   And then there were the horses.

The ranch horses were responsive and trustworthy, and I rediscovered the special bond I had with them as a child.  David and I rode different trails everyday and saw magical mountain vistas alive with wildlife.  Happily, our daughters connected with the kids program, new friends and their horses.  Each day, the girls had a long list of stories to share with us during family time.  During adult time, we enjoyed wonderful evening meals with new friends in the lodge dining room as well as cookouts on the patio.   When it was time to leave, we didn’t hesitate to rebook for the same week the following year.

Dean Singleton, co-owner of the C Lazy U, says the ranch just might be the best place on the planet.   It certainly is a place of transformational geography that deeply impacts guests of all ages.  Not surprising, many come back year after year with family and friends.

New Offering Women in the Rockies Adventure Retreat

Fast forward 15 years later, Dr. Trudi Kissiah, a fellow Duke University health coach and I are bringing our transformative health-coaching program to the C Lazy U Ranch for a small group of women.  The program is called Women in the Rockies and it promises to be a girl’s getaway that includes  open spaces, wildlife viewing, hiking, horseback riding adventures and new friends.  As important, it also offers interior work on the topics of health, mindful living, stress reduction and problem solving.

The Women in the Rockies retreat is for those who want a new relationship with food that includes saying goodbye to dieting, reframing their thinking about their biggest life challenges, expanding their personal toolkit for stress management and creating a vision for a life of wellness.   Dr Trudi and I will facilitate the health coaching exercises and provide written materials as well as a couple of fun surprises.

In association with the C Lazy U Ranch, a luxurious ranch setting in the Colorado mountains, Women in the Rockies is 4 days, 3 nights retreat beginning Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015 and ending Wednesday, September 23, 2015.  The cost of the wellness adventure is $1650, which includes horses, lodging, nine meals, all sessions with Janet and Dr. Trudi, service fees and taxes. You can book the event with your best girlfriend or sister or just join us to meet new women friends.   Book early because we believe this new offering will book up fast.  Not included in the retreat fee are spa services, bar charges or your transportation to and from the C Lazy U Ranch.

To reserve a spot, contact group reservations at C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, Colorado at 970-887-3344 or to learn more about the ranch go online at www. clazyu.com.  You will find our program under EVENTS.

If you have questions about the Women in the Rockies program being offered, you can email us at janet@healthcoachadvantage.com or doctortrudi@aol.com  Trudi or I will answer your questions and help you determine if this is a good fit for you.  You can also investigate our new website at WomenintheRockies.com which includes photos and more information.

Why did we put horseback riding with professional health coaching?

We believe that everyone can benefit from mindful living strategies.  The most heavily used method to achieve mindfulness is meditation.  While we do include short meditations in our coaching, we find nature and horses offer a direct connection to being in the moment. Horses live every breath in the moment.  Our trail riding will offer riding for beginner riders as well as experienced riders.

Why C Lazy U Ranch

C Lazy U ranch was named by Conde Nast readers this year as the 3rd top resort in Colorado and  eighth top resort in the US.  C Lazy U ranch is a very special place.  C Lazy U has close to 200 horses that live together as a herd year around.  Living as a herd is the best life a horse can live.   As a guest, you ride ranch horses on 8000 acres of trails in the middle of a big game migration corridor.    Every horse there is a good horse in some way or another, and part of the experience is discovering that quality within your horse.  The ranch is set up to accommodate riders of all sizes and levels of horse experience including beginner riders.

The ranch sits west of the great Rocky mountain continental divide, just a few miles from the west gate of the Rocky Mountain National park.  Guests are often treated to an alpenglow sunset or an afternoon thunderstorm.  Sometimes during a ride, you may see moose, deer, elk, or pronghorn antelope.

September can be the best month at the ranch.  Most of the guests are gone but the aspens are changing colors.  The weather is still warm during the day but can be freezing at night.  Rain or snow is possible, but sunny days are sure to follow.

Because the weather is always changing, bring all weather gear and layers to stay comfortable in.  Your packing list should include warm jacket, rain jacket, hat, gloves, vest as well as long sleeved shirts, jeans and boots.  The dinner hour can the time to dress up, wear your best boots and bling.  C Lazy U has a great outdoor Jacuzzi and swimming pool, so you might want to throw in a swimsuit too.