Daily Renewal Walking in Nature

I read an article in a healthy living blog that reported that walking the same route every day produces boredom and reduces the benefits of walking! “Walking benefits plateau if one gets bored with the routine.”

Ahh. That’s where Walk for a Singing Heart comes in! Awakening our physical senses, charging our “Nonsenses” and shifting emotional energy bring fresh sensations and perspectives every time!

Nature changes every day, so a walk in Nature, even on the same path every day, gives us daily changes in the details of our scenery! read more

Decisions

Responding to a hiker who called for a ride home after her gear got wet. Wondering if she made the right choice.

Here’s her story:

I started a section hike this past weekend (not my first)and had to bail early. I’m curious as to what others would have done in the same circumstances especially if the option to get out hadn’t been there.
Basically on the second day of hiking in torrential downpours, after setting up camp for the night I found my pack had leaked. My sleeping bag was soaked and I had no dry clothes to change into. (Lesson learned even with a dyneema pack use a pack liner). I was soaked from hiking in it all day and now that things had slowed i was starting to get very cold. There was nothing dry to even attempt a fire. I messaged my husband to come get me via inReach, packed up the campsite and hiked the two miles to the nearest road crossing where i broke out the emergency blanket, cuddled with a Nalgene bottle of boiling water to stay warm, and made myself visible with my headlamp, while I waited the four hours for him to come to the rescue. I’m thinking through the “what ifs”. Had I been further from home I would have done the same and hitched to a hotel or something. What about not being so close to a road crossing? I’m disappointed that I bailed and feel like I gave up too easily but this was sort of the last straw in a list of little things that gave me the feeling I needed to get off trail. read more

First Night Fears

♥Love myself being afraid and listening and maybe staying up all night learning what the sounds are. And even getting up and sitting outside for a while and realizing it’s so amazingly beautiful and quiet and noisy and starry and tomorrow the moon will be full so it will be light enough to walk at night! Nature wants you to be there! Just be sure you choose a clearly flat spot to sleep. Love yourself just as you are!

Buckeye Trail: Exploration Continues

September 1, 2024

I am intrigued by the idea of crafting a walk of the Buckeye Trail. I am in the exploration phase, getting to know the trail. At this point, I am piecing day walk sections together by parking, then walking out and back.

I started with the parking lot closest to home. Today is my second day! Yesterday’s walk was comprised of three separate walks of 1-2 each. I enjoyed that, so mapped out the next contiguous section south and got an early start, 6:30 a m! I walked to my stopping point of yesterday and turned around, having walked 3.2 trail miles and a total of 6.4 in 2.5 hours. read more

Strangers

August 30,2024

“Strangers are friends I haven’t met yet.”

This is one of my mottos that gets affirmed every day. Today, it was in admiring the beauty of an adult sitting with a child, honoring her importance next to the park pond where I was walking.

It took a photo of them, walked around the pond, and shared it with him. He graciously accepted it and we talked, blending our adult conversation seamlessly with his granddaughter’s.

I left them with my motto, “Maybe we can be park friends! Strangers are friends I haven’t met yet!” read more

Walking Is Always Better

August 26,2024

Do I stay in bed scrolling through the stories “the algorithm” chose for me? Maybe going for a walk in my neighborhood park would be better. It is. It’s always better!

On my first step off the street into the woods, I breathe and sigh, “Yes! I’m here! Oh yes, this is my place to be!” Colors, sounds, myriad relationships in balance flood my senses.

Reaching the mowed grass paths, I shed my shoes, greeting with a silent gesture of thanks the woman who enticed me to walk barefoot by her own practice. I rejoice in gratitude for this space. Somehow it has been mowed without me having to hear the machines! read more

Considering Timing

August 24,2024

As I walked contentedly in my neighborhood park this morning, the question arose, “How long do I want to stay out on a trail before going ‘home’?”

As I walked, I posted a reflection on FB, recorded a video of one question, and recorded a voice memo of another self-reflection. Walking in Nature is my happy place for exploring questions and reaching out to others. It’s also my happy place for my general overall happiness!

Would I stay out on a trail with no permanent place to return to? Do I simply want a modern dwelling next to a trail for daily walks? Are trails and parks separate worlds from a house? Would RV or van living suffice? read more

Why is This Accepted?

August 23,2024

“Part of mental training is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. There will be days when you don’t want to hike, when it’s raining and your pack is heavy from resupply, and you have to keep going anyway.” The Trek

Every phrase in this statement begs questioning for me. I can’t remember if I thought this when I walked the Appalachian Trail – twice!

What does being comfortable with being uncomfortable mean???  One place this could be true is being comfortable with having wet feet. I remember a gradual shift in my acceptance of wet feet, wading through water with my shoes on, putting on wet shoes and socks in the morning, until that seemed normal. Now, I recognize being ok with wet shoes as a turning point from day hiker to long-distance hiker. read more

July Walks: Solo Duckling

July 30,2024

I walked in my neighborhood park for a beautiful morning hour. Highlights were meeting two solo adventurers. One was a woman wearing a bulky backpack who revealed that she’s just starting to walk and might go on a trail. I told her about Taylorsville Metropark where the trail has good ups and downs. She made a note on her phone. I love connecting with women being called to walk! Just like you!!!

The other solo adventurer was a duckling! I’ve seen two families of ducks during the past month. Well on this day I saw a single duckling! I composed a Cinquaine to capture the essentials about this sighting: read more

July Walks: Know My Trail

July 29,2024

Well, that was interesting! I’m glad that I declared my intention to walk in Nature every day of July and expanded my range for a couple of days to walk a bit on Ohio’s Buckeye Trail.

This morning, I weighed whether to go back home or take another walk on the Buckeye Trail. I have a zoom meeting with my coaching group at 2 pm as well as the 2-hr drive.

I chose staying in the area! First, I did a little trail reconnaissance and located a library where I can get WiFi for my meeting. There’s one 15 minutes from the trailhead where I ended up yesterday. Having checked that out, grateful that I’m DRIVING for this part, I reached the trailhead about 10:15. I ate a leisurely breakfast by Stoney Creek, then started walking at 11 a m. I had two hours. read more