Community Workshops Keep Leadville Learning

Get Schooled in Leadville Today

There are some great community classes coming up in Leadville Today. So if part of your New Year’s resolutions included self-care and personal improvement, then consider the following offerings.

Elaine Waters’ class Tai Chi Beginner starts this Thursday.

Looking for an activity that moves at a slower pace but provides many health benefits, then consider signing up for Elaine Waters Tai Chi Beginner. The weekly class starts Thursday, Jan. 16 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in Leadville at St. Georges Church on the corner of W. 4th and Pine Street.

Elaine Waters takes complex and potentially esoteric concepts and delineates them into simple, easy to understand ideas, called tai chi body mechanics.  Throughout the classes, she shares her deep understanding of Tai Chi principles, and body mechanics, aided by years of study with her famous Master William C.C. Chen who taught her this tai chi sword form in 1987.

Then starting next month, Waters will offer the next series of classes for the more advanced students with Tai Chi Push Hands and Tai Chi Sword Form. Classes are held at St. George Church in Leadville. During the one-day workshop Tai Chi Body Mechanics in Push Hands, attendees will:

• Learn how to neutralize to gain an advantage.
• The secret of the effortless push is to first neutralize properly.
• Allow the opponent to lose their own balance.
• Learn to use minimum effort to attain maximum effect.

Tai Chi Sword Form. This class will be held on Sunday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2:30 – 4 p.m. at St. George Church in Leadville. During this one-day workshop students will begin to learn the 64 postures of the Tai Chi Sword Form Sequence using tai chi body mechanics in this advanced-level workshop with Elaine Waters.

The workshops are held at St. George Church at 200 W. 4th Street in Leadville. For registration or more information about other classes offered, check the Elaine Waters website. Text or call Elaine Waters at 719-293-4141 email at taichi@elainewaters.com.

Keep the Conversation Going: Mental Health

There are several upcoming programs being made available to Lake County parents concerning mental health and their children. The first program, “We need to be talking about mental health” will be held this week and is geared towards parents of teens. Both sessions will be held at the Lake County Intermediate School. The first session is tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 15 and will be presented in Spanish, then the next day on January 16 in English. The evening begins at 6:15 p.m.

Join community partners and fellow parents of teens to discuss how to support the mental health and well-being of teens aged 11-18. The evening’s discussion will include the importance of reducing stigma, developing coping mechanisms, responding to teen’s mental health concerns, and starting prevention conversations. Teens can also attend and participate in a parallel training where they will discuss managing their own mental health. Training is FREE. Dinner and childcare is included. Training lasts for 2 hours.

Later this month the message will shift to parents of children aged 5 – 10 years. On January 29 the presentation, “Learn how to start and maintain healthy conversations about mental wellbeing,” will be made in Spanish and on January 30 in English. All the programs are FREE and will include dinner, training and childcare. Please contact Full Circle’s Community Educator Lauren Barrette at 719-486-2400 or email at lauren@fullcircleleadville.org.

You’re Hired! How To Attract Employees

And finally, if you’re in charge of hiring employees, struggle to fill open positions, or are experiencing high turnover rates on your staff, then don’t miss the opportunity to learn some tips from the experts.

On Thursday, Jan. 30 the presentation, “Attract and Retain Great Talent: Skills-based Hiring and Employee Development,” will be offered by the Vail Valley Partnership and Northwest Colorado Workforce Area from 9 – 11 a.m. at Colorado Mountain College, Edwards campus located at 150 Miller Ranch Rd.

This interactive workshop to give you the tools and techniques to hire and retain successful employees!

During this session, you will:

• Understand skills-based hiring and how you can make sure you’re hiring the right people.
• Identify key changes in your recruiting and development practices to overcome current challenges in today’s labor market.
• Learn about the free and low-cost resources and tools available to make easy changes in your HR practices.

Employment Specialist Sue Miller is ready for job seekers and employers at the Colorado Workforce Center location on the CMC Campus.

Become a Snow Art Shader

International Snow Artist Simon Beck will be in Lake County from Jan. 16-27 creating his incredible snow drawings in fields throughout Leadville and Twin Lakes. While Beck works primarily as a one-man show with a compass in hand and a stylized method of markings and pace jumping, at some point in the design the contribution of shaders gives the depth and shadows his artwork is known for around the world. And now is your chance to learn from the best in the world and become a part of history in Leadville Today.

“It doesn’t take much training,” Beck explained to Leadville Today. “About ten minutes and the ability to stand up on snowshoes.” Interested Snow Art Shaders can email (info@leadvilletoday.com) their availability including date, length of time you can be a shader and time of day you and/or your group is available. Thanks for your support. Let’s have some fun in the snow!

• Jan. 20 & 21 at the Leadville Airport.
• Jan. 25 & 26 at Twin Lakes.

Learn to be a Snow Art Shader from the best Snow Artist in the world – Simon Beck!