4 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?
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. 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?
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. ***
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.
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.
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!