After Dana Wisniewski attended a weekend meditation retreat in the fall of 2018 with a group of girlfriends for her birthday, she began brainstorming how to deliver the benefits of meditation through a more realistic, accessible and even a light-hearted experience.
“I loved the mindfulness and meditation I practiced while on retreat, but I didn’t resonate with the delivery, as most people don’t have a full week or even a weekend to learn and practice these skills,” states Dana. “I wanted to ask questions to the teacher, laugh with my girlfriends, and feel a little more relaxed and comfortable then what the experienced allowed for. I also wanted meditation that was more secular in nature and to be honest, a bit less serious.”
In January 2019, Live Heavily Meditated was launched and is the first of its kind in the nation. The company delivers accessible meditation classes as bite-sized, in-home meditation celebrations.
Being a mom of two small boys, she clearly understood that not everyone has the time to escape for a weekend, let alone ten days, as many retreats offer. She wanted to create events that were enjoyable, modern, light-hearted but also extremely useful and practical for the average stressed-out, over-scheduled individual.
Dana’s background integrates over 15 years of corporate wellness, including designing mindfulness programs for the employees of the city of Boulder and Jeffco Public Schools. She’s also completed certifications as a yoga teacher, wellness coach and personal trainer. She drew upon this rich background to create a new way to experience meditation for people who have never tried it.
Dana and co-owner Julie lead groups of up to 12 friends through a fun and inspiring evening of varying types of guided meditation, relaxation and breathing exercises, and simple self-care through themed events, such as Mimosas & Meditation, Om in your Home, Chocolate & Wine Meditation just to name a few. Participants sample five different guided meditations, such as mindful chocolate, aromatherapy, candle and breath. Participants also walk away with the skills and knowledge needed to implement their own practice anytime, anywhere. “We really strive to make meditation accessible to everyone,” says Dana.
They have recently expanded their offerings to include hour-long pop up guided meditation classes open to the community at a variety of retail locations throughout Boulder County, as well as corporate workshops, seminars and guided workplace meditation.
“We also offer longer half day events—realistic retreats—that include journaling, yoga and a spa lunch on top of guided meditation as well as practical tips on how to create an at-home meditation practice,” explains Dana.
“We bring a modern twist to meditation,” describes Dana. “It’s part guided meditation, part permission slip to slow down, combined with a bit of instruction on how to create your own practice. Plus it’s a lot of fun.”
Why is meditation so important? Many studies show drastic improvements with sleep, focus, memory, anxiety, health, productivity, creativity and relationships. “With 90 percent of doctors’ visits being related to stress, there’s such a need for this practice,” states Dana.
Rebecca Novinger, a Lafayette resident who recently held an in-home meditation event states, “Meditation is a great self-care technique, and moms everywhere usually put themselves low on the totem pole. I brought in Live Heavily Meditated for a one-hour guided practice. These two women, moms themselves, in the thick of living messy lives, introduced meditation in a non-stuffy, super accessible way. If you’re looking for a way to connect with your friends on a deeper level or to pamper your team at work, I highly recommend this business.”
Find out more and register for events at LiveHeavilyMeditated.com.