Thoughts Beyond the Couch …
The blog where I mutter on about life, what’s going on outside the office, and what has been coming up for me as a South Jersey trauma therapist.
What am I going on about today? Therapy? Life of a therapist? My dogs? Nope.
I’m going to talk about hiking. Specifically, the Women’s Wellness and Power Hikes. Because I finally got my shit together and scheduled the first hike (special thanks to all of you who continued to ask me about them, and hold me to my promises).
I’ve picked a theme for each month of the year, and a place to hike that will hopefully correspond in some way. My hope here is that by getting outside, changing up your normal, giving yourself some space and quiet to feel, you will begin to be able to listen to that quiet voice inside, the one who is trying to get you to live your truth and be okay with who you are. Maybe you’ll sort some shit out, maybe you’ll grow some confidence to say what needs to be said, maybe you’ll challenge yourself to remind yourself you can do hard things.
Combining hiking and personal growth is a natural combination. I’m forever going on about us all needing more time outside, and needing to move our bodies to feel our bodies. Study after study points out the benefits of sunlight on our moods, and exercise boosts some of the happy brain chemicals, not to mention how exercise can help keep our cells nourished and healthy.
And this is just the beginning.
The quiet and serenity found on a trail can start to untie the tension and distraction that plagues us through our lifestyles, routines, and technology. It is the perfect place to practice grounding skills. I’m pretty convinced the bilateral movement found in walking mimics some of the bilateral stimulation we use in EMDR (don’t quote me, I have no research on this, it just makes sense in my head), which can help us solidify and strengthen some of the emotional and mental benefits we find on the trail. As we hike, our brains can start to refocus on the moment, becoming more mindful of our steps, our breath, and what is around us. As our brains quiet, we find more clarity, and more creativity. Challenge your body a bit, and you can find a whole new level of appreciation for what your body does for you. Did your body just carry you through five miles of terrain? Amazing right?! Maybe you can finally appreciate those legs.
Feeling some pain? Toughing it through blisters or aches can really show you how powerful you can be. Small discomforts help us find gratitude for the simple pleasures. And really, a good shower after a sweaty hike is super gratifying.
Folks hike for all kinds of reasons: some hike to get outdoors and breathe clean air, for some it’s witnessing natural beauty, some are all about finding mushrooms and moss, or finding a waterfall, or reaching the summit, or even seeing wild creatures. There is magic out there.
Me? I hike for my brain. Yes, I appreciate beautiful waterfalls and outstanding views, and I super love trees and water (the critters, not so much). But my brain...my noisy, overactive, cluttered-ass brain... gets ...quieter. Almost ...organized. I have found my best thoughts and have solved most of my problems while I’m moving, and in the bigger, wild world, those problems sometimes seem a bit smaller. My physical self is challenged to work in different ways, forcing my body and my mind to connect in a beautiful way. The continued rhythm of footfalls is soothing. There’s a challenge to complete a trail, and the challenge is real, it’s time limited, and it has an end. And that accomplishment feels so good. It’s therapy. It’s Peace. It’s a dopamine hit. And this is why I bring this experience to you.
The May hike, the first, the inaugural, will be Saturday May 14 2022. Join us at 9am at Ceres Park in Sewell. The theme this month is Mindful Intention Setting, because that’s how good things start - with intention. We will center ourselves, stretch a bit, set an intention. It’s a windy bit of trail, with what can pass for “hills” in the flats of South Jersey, and I’m planning on 3ish miles.
Meet me on the trails.
