Four Critical Parts for Curating Healing Hikes

Healing hikes are deeply intentional and call for careful crafting. Here are four parts of my planning process that make for a unique and magical experience.

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And if you want to read about an accurate account of a group healing hike, read my featured article on Outside Magazine Online, Nature Therapy for People of Color in Traumatic Jobs

It’s all about INTENTION.

Intention is often a hard concept to explain. So I want to ask, what comes to mind when you think about an intention? Maybe a “goal” or “outcome”? Landing a clear intention is often harder than you think.

When I think about intention, I want to know that you have a purpose for doing a thing; what do you want out of it? I want to hear your participation in a hike has a reason that is connected to something you want for yourself and will carry you to something different.

When participation isn’t anchored with an intention, the result is often vague. Sure it was nice to get outside to feel better, and there’s also opportunity to receive something specific if you ask for something specific. Sometimes tell hikers, If you say, “I want to be in nature for fresh air and to be with the trees” you’ll surely receive that and check it off of your list. BUT, consider this possibility: if you say, “I want to know if I should stay or leave my current job”, you can also receive answers to that. I’ll get to how this happens later in the post, but for now, which type of question could give you more on your hike?

Read more about intention here

So, to prepare for a healing hike I often prompt hikers with questions like:

• What challenges do you want to work through today?

• If you can have anything from nature, what would you want to give yourself today?

• What questions about life/work/relationships are most alive for you right now?

• After doing the hike, what parts of YOU do you want to be different?

I think about intentions for the entire group and for each individual. It helps anchor me with the community and gives me insights about where and how I’m to hold space for them. The group’s intention allows me to attune to the dynamics so I can identify what parts of nature can be the most supportive. Like, if a group is showing up with a lot of grief to process, I may think about a site with Redwood groves because these ancient beings can hold or take our grief.

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LOCATION is key, but honoring the process is critical.

Finding the right location means we only hike in specific parks. I carve out time to find  the location and connect with it first, spiritually. Connection allows me to support this as a healing process rather than a casual group recreational activity. Walking in silence as a group means that connection and reflection time as you walk is centered in the experience.

Before any hike, I look for the trails and ask myself:

• What area of this park calls me to gather this group or person based on their intention?

• What's happening around me that gives me insights into how I can hold this sacred process for someone?

• Are there sacred (legally designated or not) places within the park?

• Do I know anyone who is ancestrally connected to this land? If not, how can I tap into the ancestors of this land, spiritually (in meditation/channeling) to see if I can feel or sense if this location is available for this work?

When I scout a site, I do the same meditative walk so I can COMMUNICATE WITH THE LOCATION directly, no distractions. If I have a team or support staff scheduled to do the group hike with me, allowing them to form their own connection and communication is just as important in shaping the experience.

Connecting to the location is also an important step in receiving “permission” to do this work on the land. Permission can show up as many different signs, like getting a general “good feeling” or “welcoming sense” from the visit or the park is yes. Visits from wildlife or rare sightings of species can also be a sign or good omen. Checking in with the native community of that land is also key. We can’t go home with icky feelings or more questions than confirmations. If it’s a no-go, we scout another location. ***

And of course connecting with the Native communities in which these are their ancestral lands is a critical step in including the practice and solidarity of the #landback movement. Making sure land acknowledgments and an honoring of the ancestors of the land are part of your process is key to our intentions for our collective healing. Because if the ultimate goal here is to reclaim who we are as a people, then contributions to the Native community’s efforts to be recognized, centered, and supported in efforts to bring back their land sovereignty is something we all as settlers can include in our process. All this to say, this topic of ways of building solidarity with the Native community can use it’s own blog post, in the least.

Connecting the LANDSCAPE to the healing process.

My favorite parts of the process is where I get to use my unique approach of blending academic ecological knowledge and training I have with the my Radical Nature Framework. 

coyote hills regional park wetlands in fremont, ca

As an example, if I pick a park with wetlands, ecologically they function as buffer or "filtering" zones. These special zones collect and filter out sediments and toxins in the freshwater that travel from the mountains through cities and neighborhoods before going out into the ocean. 

Metaphorically we can stand in the wetland and think about what in our lives do we need to "filter"? Or we can prompt the question, “What’s stuck for you or muddy right now and how would you like to flow again based on your intention for this hike?”

When I prepare for a group’s hike, part of the consultation call is to determine the location as it connects to the group’s healing needs. And in order to connect the landscapes or park trails with the group’s needs, I ask these guiding questions:

• What are the self-care and wellness needs of the group and are there ecosystems in the area that metaphorically connect to their personal growth and healing needs?

• Are there any parts of the trails ideal for deeper reflection time? Because people benefit by immersing themselves in the moments of simply sitting on the trail to reflect.

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PERMISSION and walking with GRATITUDE 

Probably the most important part of the planning process, but is often the part that we take for granted. And I too am still guilty of coming onto a site without the proper ritual of GIVING THANKS and ASKING PERMISSION. But it's a very important piece that honors the natural cycle of giving and receiving (the circle of life). 

The opening circle is a time for each to ask for permission in their own way. Then I ask the group to feel or sense the permission to keep going. The “yes” that happens is something you just have to experience IRL, but in general it’s that good feeling to keep going.

Finally, gratitude is also the language of nature. Sharing out what we’re grateful for is a sacred ritual done to honor our time together, the ancestors who have cared for and nurtured the land since time immemorial. It is also a sacred ritual you can do EACH TIME you are out in nature. 

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I hope this glimpse into the prep work of healing hikes gives you the sense of just how special and intentional these experiences are. They’ve been such an integral part of my life and healing journey and I hope you get inspired to take these same intentional steps before your next outing. 

If you’re feeling called to be on a healing hike with me, below you’ll find ways to sign up for different options or apply for your group to have this unique experience together!

3 Things Bruce Lee Taught Me About Water

“But a relationship is also a clear reflecting pool in which we can see ourselves most astutely if we dare to really look.”

- Shannon Lee, Be Water, My Friend. The True Teachings of Bruce Lee

Being a fire sign (Aries), water was one of the most difficult elements for me to connect to. But in my healing journey, I was being called to be in a deeper relationship with this element to create more balance in my life. Fire had been the dominant element I needed to accept my true nature of being an Aries with a fiery determination for life, ambition, and determination to accomplish my goals. But I was burning out, fanning my flames with resentment and anger from the hurts and intense impacts of previous relationships. 

I really believe that water was one of the most difficult elements for me to connect to because it’s the element that makes you take a deep look at yourself. And that’s not easy to do. I also realized, water is the only place in nature where you can see your reflection! Mind-blown

So I prayed for some guidance to help me get started on this journey to understand water. Then, I found Bruce Lee’s teachings through his daughter Shannon Lee. Be Water, My Friend was everything I needed! It was meant to be that I pick up Shannon Lee’s first book sharing her father’s teachings, starting with water. And I can’t wait for more from her! 

Of course, Bruce Lee’s teachings have always been powerful and priceless in philosophy and martial arts, but to hear about Shannon’s life growing up as his daughter and how it impacted her was pure evidence of what ancestral healing can do: guide you toward your purpose to continue a family legacy of helping people navigate their lives with deep meaning. 

What struck me most about Shannon’s story is that although her father passed away when she was just four years old, discovering his journals and teachings about water allowed her to be in relationship with her father so much more than when he was alive. Isn’t that amazing what ancestral healing can do for us?!

I highly recommend you pick this one up if you’re into Bruce Lee. And if you haven’t checked out the latest Bruce Lee projects, check out the amazing HBO Series “Warrior” (Exec. Produced by Shannon Lee) and SF’s Chinese Historical Society of America’s Bruce Lee Exhibit. 

So let’s get on with the lessons I received from this book:

Lesson 1 -  It’s more than flowing like water, it’s about BEING THE water.

An ancient way of connecting to nature is to watch how its elements and organisms behave and relate those observations to your behavior. When I facilitate groups, sometimes I open with the question, “What element do you feel most like right now?” And some participants might say they feel “floaty” like air or wind, not tethered to the meeting or the present moment. Or someone could say “fiery” because they just heard something enraging. 

When Bruce Lee talks about being like water, its shape and movement are in response to the environment it’s in. In the book, Shannon Lee writes about the movement of water when it’s blocked by structures or obstructions it will change shape or move in response to those interruptions of flow. She affirms, “Water is responsive and alive.” This quality is much like our emotions. 

This was a lesson in bringing attention to my response and my capacity to control my responses to the environment around me.

Lesson 2 - This is clearly ancestral healing.

I’m deeply appreciative of Shannon opening up about her own life and how processing her traumas clarified her purpose. Moreover, her purpose then involved a deeper relationship with her father whom she lost at just four years old. To me, this was evidence that ancestral healing is real and that can happen in so many different ways to everyone! 

As someone who has had to redefine “family” after estrangement, this was a valuable piece of the story for me. Most of my spiritual development relied on this belief that my ancient ancestors were communicating with me, guiding me toward my true purpose and inherited gifts. I would have intense and lucid dreams filled with emotion and messages. I would feel them around me when on a personal hike and when leading groups on healing hikes. I started to notice insights and intuition guiding me on decisions I would have otherwise never make on my own. This can sound fairly witchy and esoteric to those conditioned with Western views on spirituality, but this book proved that ancestral connection and healing are so powerful. I gained a contemporary voice in Shannon Lee validating the power of ancestral healing for our journey back into ourselves. 

Lesson 3 - You must be both fluid and structured, in your own way.

Although we think of water as fluid and freely moving, our practical life still requires us to some level of containment and control of it. This is the power of this element. Because no matter what we build to redirect it or anticipate its flow, it will end up going where it needs to go. 

Much like navigating our own lives, we must strike a balance between flowing naturally and having control of where we want to go or who we want to be. It’s easier to let go of the need to control water and simply surrender to the element’s power by “leaving it up to the water to take you somewhere.” But giving full surrender to any element can either stifle someone from embracing their own desires or completely bypass the effort required to get to a specific place in life. Water will be on its own merry way without you if no specific container is created for it. 

Exhibit on the elements at the chinese historical society of america in SF

Finding your own way or moving like water in the container that is YOU has always been the central message from Bruce Lee.

His magic and medicine was in his unapologetic way of being himself. Working towards the mastery of himself in both spiritual and physical senses showed up as an actor and a martial art practitioner. If you ever want to know what his workout regimen was, it’s in this book, and it’s pretty gnarly! 

So, we can BE water AND water will form into exactly what it needs to be, based on its environment. Our adaptability to our environment while remaining integral to who we are is truly an art form. 

It was a significant lesson for me to be disciplined in this pursuit to understand myself in my fullness and wholeness as my power in an ever-changing and sometimes hostile environment. 

” When we train to know ourselves, then we gain assuredness and confidence. In becoming our quintessential selves, we reach our fourth stage of cultivation, which feels phenomenal. Perhaps it even feels like nirvana.”

- Shannon Lee

Sometimes I feel like this after and good healing hike!

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3 of Nature's Boundaries That Help You Cultivate Your Own

For empaths, caregivers, and nurturers like me, cultivating healthy boundaries can be one of the most challenging things to develop. Giving is natural and often gives us meaning and purpose. The downside of giving is that when left unchecked we can find ourselves exhausted and resentful; telltale signs that we’re on a clear road to burnout. The deeper impact is the feeling that we’ve lost ourselves to other people’s needs.

When I started getting serious about pulling out of burnout, I didn’t expect boundaries to be the thing to figure out. I thought it was everything else outside of me that needed to change, like my work culture, other people’s expectations of me, or my guilt when saying no. Which, all of those are real things to work on, but ultimately taking ownership of my lack of boundaries is where the transformation happened. That meant I had to be honest about how I handled saying no and how much I defaulted to betraying myself and my own needs before others. 

Over the years I’ve learned effective strategies and dove deeper into setting serious boundaries. Certain tools were super helpful and I still use them today. Like legit - I use my Passion Planner religiously and schedule Sundays to schedule my week, making sure I block out self-care time first. I’ve shaved off so many projects with collaborators. I’ve processed the cost/benefits of committing to things and making big decisions around my business which is also my only source of income. With personal and professional relationships I’ve taken stock of how they unfold over time and have actively practiced ending relationships that start showing up misaligned. This is some grown-up stuff I’ve evolved into and it is absolutely challenging!

When I’m faced with enforcing my boundaries I always think about how boundaries naturally exist in nature. I often think about how these boundaries validate why I choose to shape the boundaries I have today. I truly believe that nature mirrors our own capacity to sustain, so I lean on the lessons nature has to teach us so we can better navigate this life. After all, since WE ARE nature, we’ll probably survive and thrive the same way nature does, right?

Blending what I know as an Ecologist and professional leadership coach, I’m sharing with you the three boundaries found in nature and how they function to preserve the cycle of life as well as our own capacity to move through adversities. 

Edges

From an Ecological perspective, edges are the spaces between one habitat and another. Think about a trail in the forest. This trail cuts through the forest, and what’s deep in the forest differs from the areas adjacent to the trail. The buffer zone, or edge is the 2-3 feet of space between the trail and the deep forest. Animals are more aware of these edges because it’s the space between their safety and exposure to danger (like humans on the trail).  

Thinking about edges metaphorically, we reach our edges when we have to navigate a situation or conversation that can potentially be unsafe or uncomfortable for us. We negotiate “Is this a safe conversation to continue or do I need to disengage?” (into the depths of the forest) to protect myself? Knowing your edges can be a critical piece of self-awareness for you!

What are my edges of safety or comfort?

Shorelines

Beaches are the best places for contemplation, don’t you think? A powerful place to experience the power of the shoreline locally is at Lands End and Mile Rock Beach. Hearing the pounding of the crashing waves and seeing the sprays of seawater into the air is a display of an intense event. I think about the energy of the waves and how the shoreline is there to absorb all of that intense energy. Once absorbed, the water then softens and rushes back to the ocean as if carrying away anything that needs to leave or be cleansed. 

When I think about being overwhelmed with big emotions I remember the shoreline. I think about having my own shoreline, or space in my mind or body where I can allow these intense emotions to land, absorb, and only hang onto the lesson I needed in that moment. I visualize the waves as those big emotions. The bigger the emotion, the bigger the wave.

Is my shoreline shaped to withstand these impacts?

I take a deep breath and visualize that wave being absorbed into my body as a form of acceptance, then see that thoughts or feelings that don’t belong to me wash away back into the depths of the ocean. Having your own mental shoreline can be that safe landing site for big and intense emotions.

Wetlands

Being in the Bay Area, wetlands are an important part of our natural ecosystem. At one point The San Francisco coastline only had 3% of its original wetland habitats remaining. Today, reclamation efforts have brought that number up, but more importantly, they need to exist because they serve a specific purpose for a healthy watershed system providing rich habitat and clean water from The Sierras to The Pacific Ocean.

Wetlands are that critical and unique boundary where fresh and saltwater mix. Specific plants and habitats soak up and detoxify water as it flows in and out with the tides. This boundary is a reminder that our bodies need regular detoxing and filtering amidst the daily physical and psychological pollution we’re exposed to. From chemicals in our food to the consumption of negative language or media, metaphorically “wetlands” are those places where these impurities can be processed with affirmations, guidance from wise teachers, or literally a cleanse of our gut! 

Whether it’s certain toxic people, negative language, bad vibes/energy, or food, cultivating a boundary where you can transition, filter, or cleanse these areas of your life nurtures this boundary allowing you to manage the ebbs and flows of all that life has to offer.

How do I create structures in my life that can discern what is not working for me?

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Reflect on the questions below as an alternative way to think about boundaries. Instead of thinking about how to “build up” boundaries and enforce them, try thinking about them more as an area of your mental and emotional wellness that functions to help you navigate life situations. 

What “edges” do I have and what is on either side of those edges?

Ex. What brings me towards my limits of comfort or safety? Acceptable/unacceptable behavior or others or myself, etc…

What kind of “shoreline” do I have that can withstand the intensity of emotions that I experience?

Ex. What is my capacity to experience big feelings and emotions? Do I need to increase my capacity to withstand the pressures or impacts I’m experiencing?

How dynamic is my “wetland”?

Ex. Do I have different ways in which I can filter through the information and take what lessons can bring me back to myself or my wholeness?

Comment below and share with me how this post lands for you. Share as much or as little of your reflections. I’d love to know how you’re navigating your life!

Nurturing a Soulful Connection: 3 Ways Nature Is Communicating With You

“I honor the many thousands of years of relationship and cultivation of the health and wellness of this land by its ancestors and living descendants. More importantly I honor the stories and struggles of its people from the beginnings of Spanish colonization and genocide for the establishment of a mission state, to western expansion, and now the industrialization of this land that contributes to today’s climate crisis. Our collective efforts to heal this land and ourselves is done by engaging in conscious efforts to re-establish relationships to ourselves and the land while creating meaningful ways to contribute action to the practice of solidarity towards land sovereignty.”
For the full version of my land acknowledgement, please visit us here

Land holds a unique power that makes us feel at home and connected, reminding us that we are an integral part of the natural world. The greenery around us and the healing sensation of being in nature are gentle reminders that we belong to the Earth. Throughout my life, I've been captivated by how the Earth works and how it makes me feel at home. This fascination led me to focus my career on studying the Earth's plants, animals, and systems. Little did I know that this journey would reveal a deeper spiritual and empathetic connection with the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Nature's whispering language communicates with us in subtle yet profound ways, offering valuable guidance and support on our healing journey. Let's explore three captivating pathways through which the sacred language of nature speaks to our souls, guiding us towards emotional and spiritual harmony.

Memories and Synchronicities

Nature triggers profound memories, reminding us of our foundations, the significant lessons and people in our lives. A location or element in nature might evoke nostalgia and provide valuable insights into our past experiences. Sometimes this can show up as a scent of a particular plant triggering a memory of a loved one. Simultaneously, nature orchestrates synchronicities, guiding us to places and experiences we were meant to encounter. A feeling of being in the right place at the right time or unexpectedly arriving at a specific location can lead to aligned healing and support. Fascinating as it may seem, sometimes our ancestors are orchestrating our arrival to a certain place in hopes that we’ll find more answers or guidance to help us along our way. Our ancestors are, after all, existing as nature now that they’re on the other side! This leads me to describe the next way nature communicates…

Animism

According to the Oxford dictionary, animism is “the attribution of the soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena.” So, when you get that sense that a material object in nature, like an animal, IS your actual relative manifested as that object, that’s animism.

During hikes, we may sense the presence of past loved ones, manifesting as animals or plants that remind us of them. This connection extends to all living things, allowing us to access our ancestors as energy and receive their guidance. Consider building an ancestral altar to help bridge the connection that is coming up. It’s also a good way to let your ancestors know you notice them.

Post-hike Clarity

Immersing ourselves in the natural world provides space for introspection and self-discovery, granting us the opportunity to gain clarity and insight on previously foggy thoughts and emotions. This is the ideal time for you to express gratitude to the land and take some additional deep breaths before journaling what came up during your time in nature.

In its beauty and wisdom, land offers us an opportunity to connect with our inner selves and the Earth- to which we belong. Nature communicates with us through memories, triggers, synchronicities, animism, and post-hike clarity…. providing valuable insights and guidance. As we deepen our intentional relationship with Mother Earth, we heal ourselves and pave the way for a harmonious and sustainable future.

We should all strive to better embrace the wonders of nature, for it is here that we find solace and understanding. Let us cherish and protect Mother Earth, recognizing that our well-being is intrinsically connected to hers. 

Your nature-based coach,

Raynelle

3 Ways Nature Helps You Process Emotions

The word trauma carries a lot of energy on its own, creating barriers to your healing. So in order to work with our trauma more effectively, let us think of how it moves as emotions that need to be processed. One of the most common questions I get from people that are first diving into using nature for their emotional and mental healing is, what do I need to get started? I call this getting to your “trailhead”.

For those who may not know me yet, welcome! I am Raynelle– an experienced nature based coach + consultant from the San Francisco Bay Area who leads healing hikes. I have had the pleasure of supporting clients, businesses and most importantly myself through nature-based coaching! I am so excited to share with you the top 3 ways I use nature to support my emotional processing while your out in the elements on an actual hike or a virtual one.

Connecting in Silence

With all the noise during our day to day, our mind, body and spirit crave silence to be able to heal and feel clearly. I start my time in nature with a deep breath and asking for permission as I set my intention for this time. I try to keep my intentions simple such as– I need to re-ground after a busy and stressful week. 

Remembering Who the F*** I Am

Everything is energy. Energy is not created or destroyed, instead it flows and is transmuted to something else. While in nature, I make a conscious effort to focus on prioritizing the movement of my energy through my body, in and out as needed. Just because it is energy, does not mean that it is serving you from a higher source so pay attention to how you feel and if any plants or animals stand out for you during the journey. 

I believe that the language of healing is accessible metaphorically in the four elements. As you are looking for where to spend time in nature, consider which element may be playing a bigger role in your present moment.

Earth: your physical body, your needs, your space

Fire: your energy, passion, action and movement

Air: your chi or life-force, your beliefs, your breath, your mindset

Water: your creativity, your emotions (especially grief), what brings you meaning

“People can only meet you, as deeply as they've met themselves.” -Matt K.

Releasing

Receiving the support of nature is one of the most important gifts we have in this realm. As you wrap up your intentional time, remember to make an effort to release what no longer serves you. This can look like washing your hands in a nearby water source while setting an intention of releasing a specific emotion that is weighing you down as you heal. For me, it can sometimes look like having to let out a good yell in the middle of the Redwoods as I am processing my feelings of overwhelm. Don’t forget to give thanks to the land, your ancestors and guides as you close your time.

There are so many ways to use nature based coaching for your mental and emotional healing. For those near to me in the San Francisco Bay Area or interested in our virtual options sign up for my newsletter to get the VIP invitation to the next in-person or virtual journey. So proud of you and wishing you all the best.

Healing Our Soul Wounds

I first came across the concept of Soul Wounds when I saw this conference posted on Facebook. I was at the beginning stages of my healing journey, triggered by all the happenings in my life, mostly difficult circumstances. I was teaching at a juvenile detention center, going to therapy and practicing personal spiritual healing, and unearthing my ancestral information awaiting my DNA results. Seeing the two words, 'soul' and 'wounds' created a deep visceral response in my mind. I identified with it. 

The stories of struggle and pain I held throughout my life now had a name AND I was able to see that the stories of trauma experienced by my ancestors helped shape who I am today

Click on the conference's website to listen to all the amazing talks

The fascinating information I listened to on this website gave me insights to things such as

• Epigenetic research showing that the traumas my ancestors experienced are passed down as memories in our DNA molecules

• How collective trauma recovery can be done with community support

• And trauma, in essence, is when our sense of our identity is compromised by a tragic event,

• And so much more

What was missing for me in some of the research was the aspect of the healing I will always believe in, which is incorporating nature as a tool for healing trauma. I did, however come across this article highlighting the author and psychologist, Eduardo Duran as he wrote about soul wounds from a Native American perspective. This online article in Counseling Today, Trauma and the soul wound: a multicultural and social justice perspective reveals a non-traditional approach to understanding trauma. From the article, 

"Duran encourages mental health practitioners to address three levels of interventions when working with people who are suffering from trauma:

• Working with individual clients who are experiencing problems due to trauma

• Providing outreach, advocacy and healing services to the larger community of which the client is a part

• Engaging in efforts that are aimed at what he calls “healing the land”

...Duran discusses the importance of counselors working to “heal the land.” He emphasizes the American Indian belief in the vital interconnections that exist among all animate beings and inanimate entities, as well as the spiritual energetic connections that exist between all people and Mother Earth. He further notes that the current trauma being inflicted on the Earth by our collective polluting and poisoning of the global environment has a significantly negative and traumatizing impact on our own mental health and sense of psychological well-being. "

Our steps towards healing trauma heal our soul wounds when we hike. You can also say we are healing the land by being there, drawing upon a heightened awareness of the surrounding environment, giving gratitude, and asking for permission are ways we are healing our relationship with the land. Walking in meditation reclaims the same ancestral practices of communicating with the elements and all the life around us. Sure, it may be more evident on our vicarious trauma healing hikes, but in every gathering, in every circle and dialog we are practicing the steps that allow us to heal as we endure our everyday suffering. The simple act of acknowledging the four directions is one initial step in our ceremony. 

Finally, as we exist in a world in which traumatic news and events are now somewhat normalized, we must remember that our collective healing is an important part of our continued effort to keep fighting for justice through this transitioning time. As some researchers discussed in the conference, we must recognize the different types of dissonance that comes from our trauma and find ways to reintegrate into our societal structures stronger than before our trauma entered our lives. This is the goal; to be more equip in navigating our lives and live in our true and full identities as whole, complex, and beautiful beings. 

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Intention at the Core

Intention at the Core

How healing hikes are not your typical experience in nature

My healing hikes go deeper than a walk in nature with a group of like minded folks that seek an escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. We go inward from the notion that being outside/doors is healing in itself. During my healing hikes you are actually engaging in a contained self healing process. And it’s a process I guide with ritual and ceremony throughout; from before the hike is scheduled to the moments when we close and I, myself must engage in my own self care to realign my energy.  

What I mean by intentionality

From my perspective, hiking with an intention is the most accessible way to reconnect to nature to a point that we are RELEARNING OUR COMMUNICATION to the elements. And to reconnect this way is to practice the very ways our ancestors lived with nature, pre-colonization.

One of the most important steps during the hike is the pause to really think about your intention. “What exactly are you here for? What are you needing from nature today?” I always remind hikers, the more direct (or bottom-lined) your intention, the more access nature has to send you its messages. Hiking without intention is like walking with the aforementioned notion; that being outdoors is healing in itself. That’s true and important for sure, AND I’m claiming my unique gift of being able to guide others through a healing process that is unapologetic about going inwards for personal growth. I’m focused on my connection to support you in living your their best life and to walk through the trenches and climb up the mountains. In a sense, I’m taking hiking from a recreational activity into a deep healing process. And that requires and demands intentionality.

The importance of intentionality being at the core of my hikes is that it heals us as a people on so many levels.

Having an intention during my hikes…

• creates a clear purpose for why are you’re even here and you know something is going to happen

• creates meaning in the experience and doesn’t waste energy. Nature never wastes energy, it’s just transformed into something else; a law of Nature we often don’t realize or remember. For instance, when we release our trauma/negative energies from our bodies, we ask Nature to take it and transform it to something new

• brings back the importance and process of paying more attention to the world around you, resulting in better navigating your world. Essentially it creates more awareness

• allows us to practice and reclaim our pre-colonial ways of connecting to nature. It acknowledges that we ALL are indigenous to some land on this planet and ALL had some way, form, ritual, ceremony, tradition that honored and worked in accordance to Nature’s laws and elements. Our ancestors practiced specific rituals and ceremonies, many of them in direct connection to seasons, cosmic events, patterns in the environment, etc… There was intention in everything our ancestors did

• allows a process that requires the reconditioning of our instincts and beliefs as our personal power because we’re going back to basics. Instincts, looking at nature, feeling the universality of it, and applying it to your life with intention can heal any broken relationships in our life as well as the disconnection from nature and land caused by colonization. We are a part of nature, so we function as it does.

Intention in all the things

Intention at the core of my hikes is important in getting the most out of the experience and I also want to emphasize how intention is needed in all the things we do, especially for the choices you make for your wellness. Just as I mentioned our ancestors had intention for everything…in today’s world of hyper information, abundance in ways to go about things, and the capitalist system…our ability to hone in on an intention for any one thing gets more difficult.

I see our struggle to regain our ability for intentionality when I see the need for rituals to come back into life. For instance, when clients are challenged with overwhelm or a heavy work load, often times its routine, structure, or balance that is wanted and needed to manage the chaos. This, to me is call to bring in ritual to the day. As a universal approach, ritual is like your quick morning meditation, your breath exercise to ground you mid-day, your soothing stone…whatever it is, we all have a need to find an anchor.

It starts with your intention for that anchor

So, what exactly do you intend to get out of ______________ [insert wellness activity here] _________________?

If you’ve picked up a healing tool like a stone or amulet, what exactly is your intent in using it? How exactly are you connected to it?

Giving yourself permission to take time to really connect to the things we do and choices we make, allows for more power to engage with the tool and its support for us

THANK YOU FOR READING!
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Intention at the Core

Hiker: Kaya Sattva
Photo: Raynelle Rino

My healing hikes go deeper than a walk in nature with a group of like minded folks that seek an escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. We go inward from the notion that being outside/doors is healing in itself. During my healing hikes you are actually engaging in a contained self healing process. And it’s a process I guide with ritual and ceremony throughout; from before the hike is scheduled to the moments when we close and I, myself must engage in my own self care to realign my energy.  

What I mean by intentionality

From my perspective, hiking with an intention is the most accessible way to reconnect to nature to a point that we are RELEARNING OUR COMMUNICATION to the elements. And to reconnect this way is to practice the very ways our ancestors lived with nature, pre-colonization.

One of the most important steps during the hike is the pause to really think about your intention. “What exactly are you here for? What are you needing from nature today?” I always remind hikers, the more direct (or bottom-lined) your intention, the more access nature has to send you its messages. Hiking without intention is like walking with the aforementioned notion; that being outdoors is healing in itself. That’s true and important for sure, AND I’m claiming my unique gift of being able to guide others through a healing process that is unapologetic about going inwards for personal growth. I’m focused on my connection to support you in living your their best life and to walk through the trenches and climb up the mountains. In a sense, I’m taking hiking from a recreational activity into a deep healing process. And that requires and demands intentionality.

The importance of intentionality being at the core of my hikes is that it heals us as a people on so many levels.

Having an intention during my hikes…

• creates a clear purpose for why are you’re even here and you know something is going to happen

• creates meaning in the experience and doesn’t waste energy. Nature never wastes energy, it’s just transformed into something else; a law of Nature we often don’t realize or remember. For instance, when we release our trauma/negative energies from our bodies, we ask Nature to take it and transform it to something new

• brings back the importance and process of paying more attention to the world around you, resulting in better navigating your world. Essentially it creates more awareness

• allows us to practice and reclaim our pre-colonial ways of connecting to nature. It acknowledges that we ALL are indigenous to some land on this planet and ALL had some way, form, ritual, ceremony, tradition that honored and worked in accordance to Nature’s laws and elements. Our ancestors practiced specific rituals and ceremonies, many of them in direct connection to seasons, cosmic events, patterns in the environment, etc… There was intention in everything our ancestors did

• allows a process that requires the reconditioning of our instincts and beliefs as our personal power because we’re going back to basics. Instincts, looking at nature, feeling the universality of it, and applying it to your life with intention can heal any broken relationships in our life as well as the disconnection from nature and land caused by colonization. We are a part of nature, so we function as it does.

Intention in all the things

Intention at the core of my hikes is important in getting the most out of the experience and I also want to emphasize how intention is needed in all the things we do, especially for the choices you make for your wellness. Just as I mentioned our ancestors had intention for everything…in today’s world of hyper information, abundance in ways to go about things, and the capitalist system…our ability to hone in on an intention for any one thing gets more difficult.

I see our struggle to regain our ability for intentionality when I see the need for rituals to come back into life. For instance, when clients are challenged with overwhelm or a heavy work load, often times its routine, structure, or balance that is wanted and needed to manage the chaos. This, to me is call to bring in ritual to the day. As a universal approach, ritual is like your quick morning meditation, your breath exercise to ground you mid-day, your soothing stone…whatever it is, we all have a need to find an anchor.

It starts with your intention for that anchor

So, what exactly do you intend to get out of ______________ [insert wellness activity here] _________________?

If you’ve picked up a healing tool like a stone or amulet, what exactly is your intent in using it? How exactly are you connected to it?

Giving yourself permission to take time to really connect to the things we do and choices we make, allows for more power to engage with the tool and its support for us

THANK YOU FOR READING!
 IF YOU FOUND THIS RESOURCE HELPFUL
AND WOULD LIKE MORE LIKE THIS, SUBSCRIBE
TO MY NEWSLETTER BELOW!

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Healing Our Soul Wounds

I first came across the concept of Soul Wounds when I saw this conference posted on Facebook. I was at the beginning stages of my healing journey, triggered by all the happenings in my life, mostly difficult circumstances. I was teaching at a juvenile detention center, going to therapy and practicing personal spiritual healing, and unearthing my ancestral information awaiting my DNA results. Seeing the two words, 'soul' and 'wounds' created a deep visceral response in my mind. I identified with it. 

The stories of struggle and pain I held throughout my life now had a name AND I was able to see that the stories of trauma experienced by my ancestors helped shape who I am today

Click on the conference's website to listen to all the amazing talks

The fascinating information I listened to on this website gave me insights to things such as

• Epigenetic research showing that the traumas my ancestors experienced are passed down as memories in our DNA molecules

• How collective trauma recovery can be done with community support

• And trauma, in essence, is when our sense of our identity is compromised by a tragic event,

• And so much more

What was missing for me in some of the research was the aspect of the healing I will always believe in, which is incorporating nature as a tool for healing trauma. I did, however come across this article highlighting the author and psychologist, Eduardo Duran as he wrote about soul wounds from a Native American perspective. This online article in Counseling Today, Trauma and the soul wound: a multicultural and social justice perspective reveals a non-traditional approach to understanding trauma. From the article, 

"Duran encourages mental health practitioners to address three levels of interventions when working with people who are suffering from trauma:

• Working with individual clients who are experiencing problems due to trauma

• Providing outreach, advocacy and healing services to the larger community of which the client is a part

• Engaging in efforts that are aimed at what he calls “healing the land”

...Duran discusses the importance of counselors working to “heal the land.” He emphasizes the American Indian belief in the vital interconnections that exist among all animate beings and inanimate entities, as well as the spiritual energetic connections that exist between all people and Mother Earth. He further notes that the current trauma being inflicted on the Earth by our collective polluting and poisoning of the global environment has a significantly negative and traumatizing impact on our own mental health and sense of psychological well-being. "

Our steps towards healing trauma heal our soul wounds when we hike. You can also say we are healing the land by being there, drawing upon a heightened awareness of the surrounding environment, giving gratitude, and asking for permission are ways we are healing our relationship with the land. Walking in meditation reclaims the same ancestral practices of communicating with the elements and all the life around us. Sure, it may be more evident on our vicarious trauma healing hikes, but in every gathering, in every circle and dialog we are practicing the steps that allow us to heal as we endure our everyday suffering. The simple act of acknowledging the four directions is one initial step in our ceremony. 

Finally, as we exist in a world in which traumatic news and events are now somewhat normalized, we must remember that our collective healing is an important part of our continued effort to keep fighting for justice through this transitioning time. As some researchers discussed in the conference, we must recognize the different types of dissonance that comes from our trauma and find ways to reintegrate into our societal structures stronger than before our trauma entered our lives. This is the goal; to be more equip in navigating our lives and live in our true and full identities as whole, complex, and beautiful beings. 

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Feeding the Inner Soul with Healing Outside

This guest blog post appeared on Nutrition Consultant, Mike Nguyen's blog on December 26th, 2016.  Alas! The year is coming to a close! Can you believe it? Now is the time to reflect on and celebrate the year past. But for many the weight of the holidays and all its festivities are a true challenge in keeping balanced both physically and mentally as we charge through to December 31st. EMOTIONAL well being, meaning the well being of spirit, can also be challenged. Especially in these most recent months of more social and political tensions, I’m seeing and hearing the vast majority of us longing for some sort of timeout from society’s happenings. It’s true and it’s real. We are a nation in transition; the world is going through it as well.

So how do we maintain the balance of mind, body, and spirit when in every soundwave, every corner there lies some sort of commotion happening? How do we sit with our position in these events?

How do we manage our stress, better yet, move through stress with a time out from life? Nature, of course! It’s the one thing that grounds us, the one thing we are made of, and the one thing you can guarantee is there for you WHENEVER you need it.

And for those over achievers out there, I’m not talking about a trip to the beach or some epic Redwood Forest hike, although if those things are close to you, I say go there! We ALL should be able to find nature no matter where we are. Impossible you say? Let me illustrate for you how I coach during walks in nature whether wild or urban.

When we go outside say, “for some fresh air”, there’s more to that statement than the physical intake of less contaminated, indoor oxygen. Breathing outside in nature does something to your body, therefore something in your mind triggers an ancient memory. Outside is where we come from. The elements outside are also found in our bodies. Think about it. Earth (our body), Air (oxygen we breathe), Water (in our cells), and Fire (adrenaline, or the passion in our hearts). All of these elements that exist in us, exist outside. So when I start a hike with my clients we always acknowledge these elements FIRST. Then, we ask those elements FOR PERMISSION to heal us from whatever it is we need healing or balancing around. I’ve done this with clients on a forested trail and I’ve done this sitting in front of Lake Merritt with a lot of people walking by. This can be an everyday stress management practice for you. This can be your meditation.

This simple practice of acknowledgment and asking for permission is an intentional way to feed your inner soul. Just like when you would mindfully choose your meals because you want to make healthier choices in nutrition intake, acknowledgment of the natural elements around you when you are outside and asking for permission for balancing are the synonymous actions of intention setting. And when we walk through life with more intention, magical shifts begin to happen.

Back in October I started a series of monthly healing hikes in San Francisco called, Vicarious Trauma Healing Hikes. This hike invited service professionals working directly with clients experiencing trauma. The work is stressful. The work takes work to stay balanced. I know from previous career experience, vicarious trauma can house those dangerous levels of stress that impact everyone. So, I worked with my spiritual teacher to create a walk in meditation and healing for these professionals so they can cleanse themselves of stress-related symptoms and go back to work in full capacity to sustain their service. In this intentional process, we ritualized our presence by acknowledging the elements and asked Nature to accept the stress energies we would be releasing to her that day. The processing of trauma proved to be transformative for all of our participants.

“The Sunset Healing hike gave me permission to focus on my self-care needs and gave me the courage to continue my self care practice with no apologies.” — Lyslynn Lacoste, Director, BMAGIC in SF

I also started weekly healing hikes in Oakland. Since then, hikers say they are feeling much lighter at the end of our walk; there’s healing happening. Jessica Sanchez, a Program Manager for Grassroots Ecology in Palo Alto says the facilitation is, “…using and reclaiming nature to honor and replenish our spirits on these wonderful healing hikes…..I feel free to be myself and explore who I am.”

Reclaiming. That’s that ancient memory I mentioned earlier when we breathe in fresh air. Reclaiming Nature is a part of our identity and that’s important when we need to feed the soul. When we go back to these ancient memories we are healed the same way our ancestors were healed and guided through life. And when we feel some sort of reconnection to our spaces, we know that our souls are being fed. I invite you to join me on a healing hike someday and engage in this radical act of self care alongside your daily routine of healthy living. Mindful walking and mindful eating go hand-in-hand with a holistic approach to a better life. To find out when and where the next healing hike will be, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and my website.