The annual uplifting and educational Yampa Valley Wellness Conference set for April 9 will feature speakers utilizing everything from comedy to mountaineering stories and neurosculpting to inspire, encourage and enlighten participants.
Nonprofit The Health Partnership will host the 14th annual conference with the theme “Cultivating Alignment Within: An Immersive Mind Body Experience” from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 9 at the Hayden Center.
The conference will feature two diverse keynote speakers. Professional speaker and stand-up comedian Jeff Wozer will present the keynote talk “Unplug and Unleash: Mastering Your Digital Wellness.”
“We all can agree that our electronic devices are amazing,” according to the comedian’s website JeffWozer.com. “But therein lies the problem – they’re too amazing. We can’t remove our eyes from our screens. Consequently, instead of being digitally disciplined, we’re being digitally devoured.”
Wozer has toured nationally for 20 years on the comedy club and corporate circuit, performing with such comedians as Martin Short, Jim Gaffigan and Brian Regan. The humorist said he speaks at conferences about digital wellness to help busy people learn how to curb their phone-checking habits, which allows people to become more present, in the moment, focused and productive.
“Don’t forget to get outside without your electronic devices and allow your brains to reboot,” Wozer advises.
Jeff Wozer
Second keynote speaker and mountaineer Kim Hess, owner of Revolve Wellness Studio in Steamboat Springs, will present “Seven Lessons from the Seven Summits.” Her expeditions have taken her from Mount Everest to Antarctica, and she shares stories and lessons on resilience, perspective, mental strength and navigating discomfort, on the mountain and in everyday life.
Through tales from climbing the world’s highest mountain peaks on each continent from 2011 to 2018, Hess explores how discomfort, challenge and uncertainty can become tools for growth in everyday life.
The goals of the conference are to support personal well-being and professional growth; learn accessible, evidence-informed wellness practices; and invest in sustainable, long-term community health.
Organizers say this year’s conference hosted in Hayden will feature expert-led presentations grounded in real-world application, interactive and experiential learning sessions, and practical tools to support mental health and emotional resilience.
Additional conference presenters will discuss such topics such as neuroplasticity, creative expression, art as healing, mind-body alignment practices and practical tools for cultivating resilience.
Dianne Maroney, psychiatric and mental health nurse, will discuss “Reimagining Your Story: A 7-Step Writing Journey to Healing and Inner Alignment.” Maroney is the founder of The Imagine Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals process trauma and rewrite their life stories.
Dianne Maroney
Beth Blaskovich, a certified neurosculpting facilitator, will discuss “Navigating Uncertainty: Tools for Stress in a Busy, Unpredictable World.”
Beth Blaskovich
Longtime school art teacher Erin Kreis, owner of Paint Steamboat, will discuss “Rewiring the Mind: The Art of Neurographica.”
Erin Kreis
Tracy Zuschlag, an ayurvedic practitioner and licensed massage therapist with Whole Healing Ayurveda in Steamboat, will discuss “Seasonal Eating: Supporting a Resilient Body and Mind.”
Tracy Zuschlag
Nikki Sjoden, founder of Harmony Yoga and Wellness in Steamboat, will discuss “The Power of the Pause: Breathing into Alignment.”
Nikki Sjoden
The conference is open to all community members, professionals, educators, health care providers and area leaders seeking tools to apply in their life and work.
The conference cost is $75, including a light breakfast and lunch. The full conference agenda and tickets are available online at TheHealthPartnership.org.
The Health Partnership/Courtesy image
