Jami Allred grew up in West End, moved away for 22 years and just moved back in 2024. She’d always been interested in the healing arts and alternative modalities. After an on-the-job injury working high voltage construction left her with fibromyalgia, she took a deep dive back into those old interests. Now, she’s running Dark Sky Wellness, an organization offering many different types of classes and therapies in Naturita and Nucla.
Allred found success and healing for her personal journey. She holds certificates of study in nutrition, yoga, guasha and more. She’s studied essential oils and naturopathy too. It then became her personal mission to encourage and empower others with the knowledge she’s acquired. She even wrote a book about her personal health journey and the nine different modalities that helped her recover and find freedom from incapacity and being homebound.
“I wanted to take control of my health … We can take better care of ourselves and improve our overall well-being,” she said.
Allred also studied psychology; she knows there’s a connection between the mind and body. She likes to take both scientific and experiential approaches to healing arts.
So far, Dark Sky Wellness is offering tai chi classes, taught by Allred’s mother, long-time local Terri Jamison. And, also on the schedule are two different types of dance classes. One is tribal fusion and belly dance with Tia Uphoff; the other is ecstatic dance with Race Harrison.
Wolf Nenwich is offering sound baths, during which he plays a variety of instruments to soothe the nervous systems of participants. He also holds drum circles.
Jimi James is facilitating some art therapy classes, and Allred is teaching guasha classes.
“That is my personal passion,” she said. “Guasha is something I practice for myself all of the time.”
Allred teaches people how to use a jade, or other gemstone tool, to scrape the skin, fascia and muscles. It’s a part of Chinese medicine, good for circulation.
More practitioners are adding in, and Allred said new classes and events are on the horizon for Dark Sky Wellness.
She’s grateful for Mallory Hainey, who’s granted use of the old Uravan Supply Building in Naturita. Additionally, she appreciates Montrose West Recreation, since representatives have permitted her to use the old Naturita gym. She has a great relationship with the staff at Naturita Public Library too, which Allred said is an ideal family space for art therapy and more. She said she couldn’t do it without all the practitioners who are already leading classes.
“I truly couldn’t have done this without their support and willingness to donate their own time to this cause,” she said.
Right now, the classes at Dark Sky Wellness are all donation-based. At some point in the future, Allred will have the technology to set up a registration system and payment option. She is looking into grants for the future to keep supporting the community through the holistic classes she believes can help others.
She said whether or not the organization is profitable is not the point. She truly wants to try and support people in the community. Teens are welcome to the classes, and some kids events will happen in the future. Also, she’s interested in doing something with the “primitive arts,” teaching people homesteading skills, whether that’s related to fire starting or felting.
Those in recovery are also in her heart, and in the future, she wants support those battling addiction with various classes.
“I’ve seen it. I’ve witnessed it,” she said. “I really want to help uplift those in the community with addiction problems.”
And, in a time of division and political disagreement, she doesn’t want to add to that at all. She wants to create connections.
Allred said all are invited to follow the Facebook group Dark Sky Wellness Alliance, or the Instagram page with the same name. For those that don’t use social media, they may email Allred at Jami.highdesertalchemist@gmail.com.
