The budding wellness industry in Coeur d'Alene
By Lauren Fritz
There’s nothing quite like that first breath of spring to inspire you to make a few positive lifestyle changes for your personal health and well-being. It’s the perfect time for a fresh start, right? The cold is easing up, the occasional snippet of blue sky is peeking around the corner of the clouds, and it’s becoming more pleasant to spend time outside.
However, this is also the time of year when many of us find our New Year’s resolutions slipping away into the ether, so it can be hard to find the motivation to step out and try something new. But what if the perfect opportunity for you to kickstart a more health-conscious journey was waiting in a new business right across the street?
It’s no secret that Coeur d’Alene is rapidly changing and expanding. As a long-time resident of Coeur d’Alene who recently returned from a few years abroad, the first things I noticed upon my return were the sprawling new housing developments, modern businesses and roads that are continually popping up all over the place. When I looked a little deeper, however, I was pleased to discover a more exciting, yet subtle, change: a budding wellness industry.
The health and wellness industry is comprised of any and all activities that promote mental and physical well-being: think yoga and meditation, nutrition and healthy eating, self-care retreats and relaxation spas, and exercise and workout centers. I’ve been noticing a wonderful boom of all sorts of wellness-related businesses in our beautiful lakeside town. Some of these have all been a part of Coeur d’Alene in some way or another for the past few decades, but not to the degree that I’ve noticed in the last three years.
This is an exciting change! I think it’s high time we North Idahoans complemented our outdoor-loving spirits with activities that boost our mental and physical well-being. Here are a few of the businesses that embody this exciting new approach to wellness in Coeur d’Alene.
CDA Power Yoga
Michelle and Kyle Cooper are the proud owners of CDA Power Yoga in the Riverstone development. Originally from Oregon, they found their piece of paradise in Coeur d’Alene and saw it as the perfect place to start a powerful community to “serve the people of North Idaho in a way that would provide a space for health, wellness, healing, growth and connection.”
Michelle’s enthusiasm was tangible when I asked her to share her story and the motivation behind CDA Power Yoga. “[My husband Kyle and I] know, through experience, the positive impact yoga can have and believe, wholeheartedly, that the work people do on their mat, both physically and mentally, can cultivate a life of strength, possibility and purpose.”
Classes run throughout the week, several times a day, so if you are looking for a welcoming place to start or continue your yoga journey, stop in, say hello to Michelle and Kyle, and get ready to roll out your mat.
The Wellness Bar
The Wellness Bar has been a part of the Hayden, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene communities for several years now, but this health-minded eatery is constantly expanding their offerings and gaining a larger following as more and more people tune in to a wholesome approach to nutrition. Offering everything from freshly pressed juices to Hawaiian-style acai bowls to protein waffles, they’re sure to have something to delight even the pickiest of eaters.
I personally adore a hearty smoothie bowl and was not disappointed when a friend and I decided to split the Big Kahuna. Layered with crunchy granola, fresh fruits, seeds, coconut flakes and almond butter, it was a satisfying lunch that left our bellies comfortable and our energy levels up. There aren’t many juice bars in Coeur d’Alene, so along with being a bit of a novelty, this one also happens to taste top-notch!
Pilgrim’s Market
Over on Fourth Street, Pilgrim’s Market has recently become quite a large haven for the health-conscious grocery shopper. Joe Hamilton and his wife purchased the store more than 20 years ago, starting out with just one employee (today they have 90). Joe fondly recalls how, at the beginning, the “produce selection was limited to 25-pound bags of carrots for one or two customers who liked juicing and a couple of heads of lettuce. Today our produce department is a large and vibrant section of the store that we take great pride in.”
If you haven’t had a chance to meander the many aisles of Pilgrim’s Market, your senses are definitely missing out! The 25,000-square-foot store offers everything from gourmet cheeses to bulk foods, local beer and wine, meat and deli departments, vegan and vegetarian options galore, kombucha on tap, supplements and organic beauty products, an innovative wellness center, and even a large event center. Joe and his stellar team ensure that your experience in-store is about so much more than just stocking the pantry. They’re on hand to answer any questions you might have, direct you to a new product that fits exactly what you’re looking for, or simply serve as a support system on your health journey.
Cosmic Cowboy
When I saw Cosmic Cowboy’s tagline, “Honest Food for Good People,” I was intrigued and inspired to wander into this quirky restaurant. I’m quite happy I did!
Owner Steven Eller tells me that he opened the restaurant in 2017 “to fill a void in the market, namely, a ‘clean eating’ restaurant where vegetables are featured as prominently as the proteins.” Cosmic Cowboy offers scratch-made, award-winning food that can fit literally any dietary need. With an emphasis on fresh, healthy ingredients and the ability to personalize your order, it’s the perfect spot to visit for a quick and nutritious lunch or dinner.
Coeur d’Alene Healing Arts
Coeur d’Alene Healing Arts is a comprehensive, person-centered health-care facility located near Downtown Coeur d’Alene. With a focus on compassionate listening and personalized care, clinic director Dr. Hunter Peterson and associate physician Dr. Mia Grothman are working with patients to encourage a more holistic approach to health.
Naturopathic medicine is traditionally more focused on the dynamic relationship between a person’s mental, physical, biochemical and spiritual state of well-being. By working to alleviate stress and illness through natural means, Drs. Peterson and Grothman encourage patients to be active and educated participants in their own health care. Instead of simply treating the symptoms, naturopathy encourages you to find the root of your illness or pain and alleviate it from the source.
Coeur d’Alene Healing Arts is accepting new patients, so if you are looking to start a new health-care journey because a more “standard” approach to health care hasn’t been working for you, give them a ring!
The beauty is that this is just a tiny sample of what Coeur d’Alene has to offer the health-conscious consumer, so get out there for yourself and sample the vibrant flavor of wellness that our community is taking on. It’s never been easier to try something you’ve always wanted to do, so in this spirit of spring and new beginnings, why not stretch your boundaries a bit? Whether that means stretching it out in downward dog, digging into a freshly blended smoothie bowl or talking to a naturopathic doctor about your health concerns, you might just find that 2020 is your year.