Category: Journey to YOUR HeartLand

July 20,2024

I chose walking in my neighborhood park for 1.5 hours over driving 30 minutes to the pretend AT trail. That’s because I want to get over to my Mom’s home and entice HER to go outside! Gratitude for walking out my door into woods filled me! The paved path winds through a meadow, around a pond and through woods with tall trees. Nice variety for my mind to wander. What caught my eye more than anything was a patch of Echinacea flowers. I noticed that each one was unique in its shape, combination of petals, shade of pink, and various injuries. I thought of all of us having our own lives of strengths, challenges, bruises, withered dreams, and all that. That’s why we need to craft our own versions of fulfillment and choose our paths to meet our own dreams! Walk on! read more

July 19,2024

This morning I craved a walk on my pretend Appalachian Trail. Meeting a wonderful courageous woman by phone at 10 a.m. to coach her through Walk for a Singing Heart gave me the perfect window and incentive to get moving over to the park and walk. “Oh, I am sooo grateful to myself for setting this priority and having everything I need to step onto this trail,” I thought.

I arrived just before 8 a.m. and immediately noticed the prevalence of beautiful sounds! Listening intently to the varied and soothing natural sounds arose as the theme of this walk. I could still hear the usual mechanical sounds of my urban location, however, in this place the natural sounds were winning! Yay! read more

July 18,2024

Yesterday, I recommended to a new Fulfilment client to awaken all five physical senses when walking in Nature. That requires touching plants! Do you have a basic knowledge of your local flora to avoid toxic plants? In Ohio, I’m thinking that poison ivy and mushrooms would be the ones to avoid smelling and tasting. What do you think?

What are the plants to avoid in your area?

That’s what I was exploring in my morning walk today. Do you feel free to touch natural objects??

July 17,2024

This morning’s walk started with reminding myself to use my own practice of awakening my senses and turned into a creative session of expanding my personal power in my outdoor office on the trail!

I was contentedly awakening my sense of smell, scratching and sniffing twigs, picking up handfuls of soil, bruising and sniffing leaves (“Sure am glad I can identify local plants and can teach others how to do that,” I thought!).

My phone pinged and I noticed that I had received a voice message from a colleague in London about the Satori board game that we both facilitate. Our conversation inspired me to peck out an email to the staff at the Institute for Radical Forgiveness in Johannesburg, South Africa. I kept walking on the bike path, grateful for the technology to blend walk with “work”. read more

July 3, 2024

So many questions today as I basked in the sounds, the breeze, the rainbow of colors and the overall quiet purpose of Nature in the park this morning! There arose some existential question, maybe you can help me word it, about how could I be luxuriating in peace, beauty, solace, and sensory delight when the fundamental principle of my government has been overturned?

As I walked, I answered that maybe I could do both enjoy the centering and empowering experience of walking in Nature AND contribute to this political event. At least I could become informed. read more

July 1, 2024

Good morning! In March, I had set out to be on a trail somewhere on the Appalachian Trail for my birthday month of July.  That plan did not materialize! . And here’s why. I was focused on looking for a different place to live because my landlord had only been offering a 12–month lease.  Since I moved to Dayton, Ohio to care for my 96-year old mother and will not likely stay here once she passes, committing to an entire year feels extravagant. I focused my search on cheaper rentals that still had access to a place to walk in Nature. That’s what I like best about my current apartment. read more

“Checking in from mile 56 of the AT, nobo. It’s been quite a week out here, but I’m ahead of schedule somehow. Today I’m climbing Tray Mountain, which is apparently quite tough, right after another tough climb yesterday. I see why this isn’t for everyone. GA is kind of trial by fire. My goal is mile 85 by Saturday!”  – ATHiker

This is a loud call for Regina’s Meet the Mountains Technique!

Let each step be easy and greet the mountains as friends. read more

June 28,2024

“Make each step easy,” I reminded myself as I slowly stepped deeper into the cool water on the shore of Lake Erie. I focused on stepping safely, wearing my shoes on the rocky beach. The stones were smooth, yet there were a lot of them!

A dad nearby pushed his toddler into his butt in the water, laughing. A reminder of my dad flashed into my mind, replaying the practice of shocking us kids into leaving our comfort zone. Just do it!

I rejoiced in my freedom to choose a gentle way! “Make each step easy!” I repeated to myself, gradually and delightfully easing myself deeper into the lake with tiny steps over twenty minutes of contemplative wading.  For an hour I waded slowly in the refreshing water, finding the smooth slate or sand for my steps.  Relaxed and confidant, I returned to my camp. read more

June 26, 2024

In answering a question on Reddit, my emotions were triggered with someone’s response that they wanted to push past their comfort zone, walk more miles, when their knee hurt after 8 or 9 miles of walking. What I wanted to reply was this:

It sounds like your body says, “this hurts now, can you please rest me”? Are you open to the idea that working WITH your body, loving it as it is, gradually healing and strengthening it with gentle walks, could give you a different connection to the trail, to yourself, to Nature? Could there be a way to be on the trail that fulfills a purpose besides competition, physical stress + pain, pushing? read more