It was the Friday after the 2016 election when I scheduled my first healing hike. I felt a cue to manage my stress and be with my friends in nature as a result of the nationwide shock and grievance about the election results. I sent a quick text blast out to those I thought might want to be with me to heal in nature. A good handful of folks showed up! The time I spent with them on this hike was intentionally facilitated to incorporate coaching dialog and some of the deep and spiritual healing modalities I’m learning from my women’s healing circle, like grounding us with intentions and walking in meditation. The end result was profound! We all experienced a sense of lighter being, happiness, and calm. The hike allowed us to release our stress and anxieties. Following the initial healing hike, I knew this approach of coaching outdoors would be implemented into my own practice.


During the healing hike it was also very gratifying to be able to apply my 10 years of experience working in nature as a scientist of color, environmental educator, community organizer, program manager, and spiritually connected person. I wanted to share my expertise so I decided to start Rino Consulting Solutions; a nature-based consulting firm with a mission to support and inspire the leaders of today to live in the confidence of their identities as they move around a world in the midst of social, racial, and environmental transformation. These healing hikes were just a snippet of what kind of person I was in the world and how I was able to serve back to my community.

About the coach

Raynelle Rino (ree-noh), Certified Professional Coach

Nature-based coach & consultant, Raynelle began her career in the sciences as an ecology field researcher then moved onto grassroots environmental education and social justice organizing. Her love for nature and youth development brought her to teach in unique settings like alternative high schools, environmental justice neighborhoods, parks, and juvenile justice facilities. Her personal journey through life up to now has carved a well-rounded and powerful pathway with the support and guidance from her Spiritual Mentor, and Curandera, Tereza Iniguez-Flores.

In 2016 Raynelle started Rino Consulting Solutions, a nature-based consulting firm that provides coaching and consulting services for professionals and other businesses. Its mission is to support and inspire the leaders of today to live in the confidence of their identities as they move through a world in the midst of social, racial, and environmental transformation. Raynelle is a certified professional coach through Leadership That Works. Her "Hike It Out Coaching" Programs blend her science, environmental justice, and spiritual connection to nature by providing "Healing Hikes", where clients increase their capacity to create change with the support and guidance of the nature experience. To read more about the healing hike experience, read this feature in Outside Magazine

Lineage

I am a second-generation Pinay who’s parents immigrated from The Philippines in the late 1970’s. My most recent ancestors lived in the areas of Pililia, Rizal (paternal) and Caloocan City (maternal). I was born and raised in The Bay Area, generically named Ohlone Land/Territory. The South Bay, or the Tamien Nation Territories is where most of my upbringing occurred. Today, I live in Oakland also known as Ohlone Land/Confederated Villages of Lisjan with my growing daughter.

Spirituality, history, identity

My personal journey through life includes the many stories and experiences I went through to get to where I am today. More recently that journey was much more spiritual than previous years. Once I began to give myself permission to walk more in my true path, that's when things started to show up. For me, the strong messages came through in my dreams. The intensity of emotions and actual events during these dreams led me to really question whether I was doing what I was brought into this world to do.

The exploration of these dreams were guided by Meso-American Traditional Healer, Curandera elder, Tereza Iniguez-Flores. Her mentorship catalyzed my understanding of spiritual identity and helped me develop deeper discipline around the gifts of these messages and my overall spiritual awareness. Many of the principals around my Radical Nature Framework and connection to the world came as I was working with her.

Master teacher, Manursuro Virgil Mayor Apostol plays an influential role in guiding me to reconnect with my ancient and ancestral healing abilities as his student in Kailukuan Combat Healing Arts, thus reclaiming my power and duty towards collective healing. I am honored to be a healing warrior and student of his. More about this is below in Certifications

Follow my journey on Instagram as it unfolds!
@hikeitoutcoaching 

Certifications

I'm a certified professional coach through, Leadership That Works, a graduate of their "Coaching for Transformation" program. Although no longer in operations in the United States, this program was monumental in shaping my practice as a nature-based, transformational coach.

With the structure and discipline of this certification program I was able to create my own blend of ecological knowledge, life experience, cultural and spiritual healing, and a critical lens of society as a leadership coach.

My company is a registered and certified small women-owned and minority-owned business through the Federal Registration at Sam.gov. For full description and company certifications and qualifications, please download the Company Capability Statement by clicking the image to the left.



As a student I am in rugi a tukad, sagpat level 2. this is with virgil during my graduation from level 1 into 2

I am a member of Kailukuan Combat Healing Arts, which is based in Walnut, CA. Founded by Manursuro, Apostol, author of Way of the Ancient Healer, the arts that he teaches are rooted in the indigenous sciences of Northern Luzon (Philippines).

My dedication in the combat healing arts is also a way of reclaiming my identity. It is a way of honoring my ancestors, their spiritual and physical practices of protection, and their perseverance during the era of colonization of our ancestral lands. 

This discipline allows me to connect with the elements of this Earth, and the deeply embedded stories of our ancestral practices for healing ourselves and our communities in the Spirit of Kapwa.

Board Appointments

Appointed to the High Country News board in 2016, my experience has been a rich and fulfilling one.

I’ve recently been recruited to be a part of FAJ’s Healing Advisory Committee

Portfolio

I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF CONTRIBUTING TO A VARIETY OF AGENCIES AND PROJECTS

Here are just a few highlights of my career. I've had the honor of contributing to a number of Bay Area organizations and organized community around projects focused on addressing racial justice in environmental engagement. People power is what excites me and I look forward to growing my impact nationwide! 

Career Highlights

I’ve been fortunate enough to further impact my community with a developed stance as a youth advocate and community organizer. I bring my breadth of knowledge and experience to some of the most dedicated and forward thinking environmentally focused communities and projects.

I helped organize

  • Bangka Journey Family and Community 2019

  • Oakland’s first Black & Brown Farmer’s Convening in 2015

  • Outdoor Afro’s inaugural Leadership Retreat in 2013

  • The (formerly) Southeast Food Access, Bounty of the Bayview convener in 2014

I'm an alum for the

  • Justice Outside’s (formerly, Youth Outside) Rising Leaders 2015

  • 2042 Today Leaders with the Center for Diversity and the Environment (CDE)

  • Ecological Society's SEEDS Program (Strategies for Ecology, Education, Diversity, and Sustainability)

I am currently appointed