The peak to peak community has a new member – you’ve probably seen her bright smile at the Community Center volunteering at the food pantry, or at the Peak to Peak Counseling table during the Holiday Health and Human Services Fair. You may have seen her at the gas station, and (hopefully) soon you may get a hug and a dose of joy from her at the B and F.

Her name is Gail Margolis and she wants to bring a little more light, a little more balance and joy to our town. Amy Hartman of Peak to Peak Counseling brought Gail up the mountain to complete her internship in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at Naropa University.

“I was originally drawn to Nederland as the home of my internship experience because of my love for this small and very unique community. I know that mountain living requires a value of a self-empowered and self-sustaining lifestyle. We like to grow our own food, chop our own wood, forage for our own mushrooms, and live in a community that thrives on both a sense of independence and support for one another.”

Part of Gail’s internship includes creating a program that serves the needs of our community to support overall health and well-being. Her pilot program is called Naturally Nourished – a weekly group that integrates herbal medicine, yoga, nutrition, mindfulness and psychotherapy. “Naturally Nourished was birthed out of my desire to guide and empower others to create a deep sense of wellbeing, health, and balance in life.” The framework for Naturally Nourished reflects Gail’s personal belief in each individual’s “birthright” to physical, emotional and spiritual nourishment.

“I define nourishment as whatever enhances our natural vitality, wholeness, and sense of well being. How can we fill our lives with the people, places, things, and actions that nourish us? Nourishment begins by taking care of our bodies and providing the fuel they need to thrive – proper nutrients, minerals, whole foods, and healthy movement. When we take care of our bodies, we can live inside of them with a deep sense of vitality and satisfaction. This can offer the template for a way of life – to cherish, foster, and help ourselves to thrive on a holistic level.”

When you meet Gail you can feel her joy radiating from deep within. Her presence reflects the quality that comes from over ten years of study and training in yoga, herbal medicine, nutrition, psychotherapy and holistic health. In addition to being a registered psychotherapist, she has logged 1200 hours of yoga teacher training, 100 hours of herbal medicine and nutritional education, and earned certifications in level 1 Reiki and Thai Yoga massage. She also describes herself as “an astrologer, a naturalist, a farmer/gardener, and an avid chef.”

“My desire is to offer these teachings and tools as a way to empower the people of Nederland with agency to create a deep sense of wellbeing and health. You can take your health into your own hands and live a lifestyle that truly nourishes you!”

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You are invited to join The Holistic Homestead and Gail Margolis for a free introduction to Naturally Nourished at Happy Trails Coffee Shop on Tuesday, December 16^th from 2-3 pm. Meet Gail and learn about using specific herbs, nutrition, and movement to support a balanced body and mind. Free and open to the public, hot tea and nourishing snacks offered courtesy of The Holistic Homestead.