Move over yoga goats. Llamas are having a moment. And you now can have brunch with the fluffy South American creatures at Grand View in September and October.
Don’t worry; Zorro and Pedro the llamas won’t eat your food. The pair from Luxy Llamas will be out on the scenic lawn at Garden of the Gods Resort and Club. You’ll get to enjoy classic brunch dishes, drinks and views then enjoy your scheduled 10-minute meet and greet with the llamas and Diesel, the Anatolian Shepherd who is the wrangler of their herd. You can learn about llama’s therapeutic benefits, feed them grain (not Eggs Benedict) and take pictures with the animals and that stunning Garden of the Gods backdrop.
“It’s hard to explain how happy people feel around llamas,” says Terry Rajendran, owner of Luxy Llamas. “People let their guard down, and they’re really in the moment with the animals. It’s all smiles. It’s a really unique experience.”
The llama brunch is open to the public and is part of a larger wellness program that allows Garden of the Gods Resort guests to book a personal, outdoor immersion experience with llamas. That might be a hike, a two-hour educational and play session, or an expanded brunch experience where guests can brush and feed the llamas.
Sharing Hope Through Llamas
Yes, your Instagram followers will love the quirky llamas. But there’s much more to the experience than just going viral.
The Luxy Llama experience provides an intentional, nontraditional path to wellness. There’s some similarity to equine therapy, but Rajendran says the animals and the benefits they provide are quite different. Llamas’ smaller size can be less intimidating, and because people don’t ride llamas, the animals act more as companions who providing a gentle, grounding presence.
“There’s just a calming element with llamas that people really do take away from being around them,” she says. “The llamas don’t like any kind of fast movement, and people become very relaxed in their presence.”
Despite their cute, cuddly appearance, llamas won’t let you hug and squeeze them. “They’re the type of animal that you have to earn trust, and they enforce boundaries, which is another great thing for people to learn to do in their own lives.”
Rajendran knows the benefits of llamas firsthand. Four years ago, her 19-year-old son, Ajay, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. His odds of survival were low, and he needed a stem cell transplant from MD Anderson Cancer Center. His brother, Max, was a donor match, and the treatment and recovery were successful — but lengthy.
“I was a go-go-go person for many, many years,” Rajendran says. “During the transplant and watching Ajay survive was very transformational in terms of really understanding the need to slow down and the importance of enforcing boundaries for yourself and taking care of yourself.”
She wanted to share those lessons with others and provide opportunities to discover hope. As a result, she started Luxy Llamas. Ajay, now a 23-year-old student at UCCS, handles the marketing and leads hikes with the llamas.
“I really wanted to provide something that would help with healing and being present — putting phones down and really connecting with yourself and with nature and whomever you’re around,” Rajendran says. “I want to help people understand there is hope even in a time when things can feel really dark.”
When they meet Zorro and Pedro, people often ask Rajendran how and why she got started, and she is often able to share her story. “It’s a vulnerable topic for me, and it creates a space for them to feel comfortable talking about things they’ve gone through or whatever is on their minds,” she says. “A lot of times people want to journal afterward. just to get out what they’re feeling and thinking. So that’s a really powerful situation.”
Along with Garden of the Gods Resort and Club, Rajendran parters with the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at UCCS. She also offers llama experiences for corporate events or private individuals. Those can range from on-site meet and greets, retreats and farm visits to hikes, on-trail meditation or private parties. The options give people the chance to interact with the llamas on their own terms.
“Some people want to just sit at the table and watch the llamas or feed them and really never move,” Rajendran says. “And some people want to come in and feed them, brush them and go on a really fun hike with them.”
Of course, a scenic brunch makes an excellent introduction to the llamas. Zorro and Pedro will be waiting.
Book Your Brunch With Llamas
Grand View’s Brunch With Llamas are happening Sept. 28 and Oct. 19. Book your reservation and llama meet and greet time slot now. Your llama encounter is included in the price of brunch.
Step 1: Book your brunch reservation at Grand View.
Step 2: Reserve your llama meet and greet time slot.
Find the links to book your spots for Sept. 28 and Oct. 19 at Garden of the Gods Resort’s Instagram. And you can learn more about Luxy Llama or schedule your own llama adventure at luxyllama.com.
Take Your Wellness to Another Level
Garden of the Gods Resort and Club is partnering with wellness company Best Life-ing to host the immersive Quantum Peak Retreat.
Happening Oct. 2-6, the dynamic retreat will gather renowned healers, spiritual practitioners and wellness experts for five days of elevated healing, personal growth and inner alignment.
“If your body is tired, your mind is racing, and you are looking for true transformation to reach your holistic health goals, Quantum Peak will be a powerful experience of self-discovery and renewal,” says Julia Brodska, founder and CEO of Best Life-ing. “Our advanced testing pre- and post-retreat will empower guests to optimize their health to live out lasting change.”
Activities will include group workshops, daily guided meditation, hypnotic sound journeys, breath work, yoga, reiki energy healing, ecstatic dance, fitness sessions, energy balancing, hypnotherapy, somatic release and much more. And, yes, you can experience hiking and meditation with Luxy Llamas.
Find all the details at quantumpeakretreat.com.
