Moving American progress westward images of Denver and the Rockies in popular culture

"From the 1859 gold rush through the early 1900s, popular press images linked Denver’s civic development, capitalist values and culture to the Rocky Mountains. These prints of a wilderness city sending pioneers and prospectors into the Rockies appeared in national newspapers, magazines, settlement manifestos, railroad guidebooks and tourist pamphlets. Readers were saturated with illustrations associating Denver with prosperity and rejuvenated health"-

A Framework for Conceptualizing Psychologically Healthy Contemplative Practice.

In recent years contemplative practices such as Zen Buddhism and yoga have become increasingly utilized in the United States (Mann et al., 2001). The most visible contemplative practice in America today is the practice of yoga. According to a 2008 market study conducted by Yoga Journal, yoga was a 5.6 billion dollar industry in America in 2008. This market study also found that 15.8 million people, or 6.9% of American adults, practice yoga (Yoga Market Study, 2008). Zen Buddhism may be less visible than yoga in popular culture, yet its presence in the United States is substantial. While exact statistics are difficult to come by, Harvard University's Pluralism Project cites that the number of practicing Buddhists in America ranges from 2.4 to 4 million people, although it is unclear how many of these individuals practice Zen, or contemplative Buddhism (Pluralism Project Statistics, 2009). The popularity of Zen in America is further evidenced by the presence of Zen centers in most major cities. The sizeable and growing presence of Buddhism in America indicates a move towards the inclusion of contemplative practice in the cultural mainstream (Pluralism Project Statistics, 2009).