Summers as a kid, I used to play outside from sun up to sun down. I grew up on a farm south of Buffalo- on 22 acres of freedom (as long as you came when you were called). I would turn over rocks to see earth worms wiggle, lived off of fresh strawberries and black raspberries, spent many hours romping(I think this is the “kid” version of hiking) through the vineyards and marsh with our family dog as my sidekick. And then I got “to that age” where I became preoccupied with my peers and wearing the right kind of clothes and getting a job to afford these clothes and later on college. That connection to nature faded and “furthering myself” in life became my focus. 

A few years ago, I started hiking again. At first I wasn’t sure why it felt familiar. It had been a very long time since I’d even allowed myself to be curious or adventurous or leave the house without concealer. But over time, I started noticing these pops of vividness in my life. Though at the time I lived downtown with the only grass that grew was between cracks in the sidewalk, I noticed myself being drawn to anything green around me, my eyes drew skyward more often. This was also the time that my yoga practice began, and the two experiences began to renew me. In the years of “furthering myself”, I went to school, became a nurse, and invested myself in creating a career in Critical Care Medicine. I’ve never been drawn to perfect or poised, predictable or easy. But years of service taking care of patients left me depleted and with many questions I could not answer about life. No amount of knowledge or hard work eased the restlessness this created. I discovered that though there would be times that my thoughts and questions joined me on the mat or on the trail, I also discovered that there were moments that they didn’t. There were moments when the questions paused, or the volume turned down, as I was captivated by something else that caught my attention- a tree, a butterfly, a flower, my breath, the feeling of being integrated and present. 

What I love about Hikyoga, is that this is exactly what we invite on every hike- the experience of presence. We add in the sense of community and bring yoga outside- to the trail and to you. I am so excited to for the upcoming summer and fall! Please check out the events page to sign up for a yoga adventure near you with either myself or any of the other wonderful Hikyoga instructors! 

Photos by: Jacalyn Meyvis