The Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park is offering three outdoors wilderness wellness programs. Open spaces are a great escape from potential airborne and surface droplet infections from the coronavirus. Participants can practice social distancing, whether hiking or sitting around at your campsite, by keeping 10 feet of space between each other. Camping equipment can be rented from local outfitters. These programs will be held in the reserved Lost Horse campground which is far removed from public campgrounds in Joshua Tree National Park. Ernest Figueroa has more information about some of the classes offered…
The Desert Institute will offer three weekends where participants can learn how to disconnect from distractions and reconnect with themselves in a program called “Hiking My Feelings.” October 9-11 focuses on the healing power of nature. November 27-29 is about blazing your own trail and telling your inner critic to take a hike. The weekend of December 11-13 will be using mindful movement to open the flow of creativity. The “Hiking My Feelings” weekend retreat programs are a combination of guided self-discovery exercises, hiking, wilderness wellness practices, and community support. The registration fee is $170 to $180; to register, go to joshuatree.org.
October 9-11 Hiking My Feelings: Stepping Into the Healing Power of Nature
Have you ever spoken unkindly to yourself? Do you even realize when you do? Are you ready to make changes but find yourself completely paralyzed by the choices in front of you? We live in a hyper-connected, “always-on” world, and frankly? It’s exhausting. Let’s make time to disconnect from the distractions and reconnect with yourself. Join Sydney Williams, author and founder of Hiking My Feelings, as she unpacks her “trauma pack”, sharing the story of how hiking helped her reconnect to, and heal, her mind and body – kicking her limiting beliefs and Type 2 Diabetes to the curb in the process. Hiking My Feelings: Stepping into the Healing Power of Nature is more than a collection of trail tales – it’s a guide to aid (or begin!) your healing journey, helping you do the work to step up into the best version of yourself. Learn how to connect the dots between trauma, how it manifests in our minds + bodies, and how the outdoors can help us heal.
November 27-29 Blaze Your Own Trail To Self Love: Tell Your Inner Critic To Take A Hike
This Thanksgiving weekend, skip the lines at the stores and #OptOutside with Hiking My Feelings and the Desert Institute for a retreat that brings us back to the important part of this weekend – gratitude – and centers wellness in the wilderness. Join author and founder of Hiking My Feelings, Sydney Williams, to learn how to start a meaningful gratitude practice and how doing so can enrich all aspects of your life, increase resiliency, and aid in processing complex emotions and situations. Over the course of the retreat, you’ll learn about limiting beliefs and discover how to develop a healthy relationship with your Inner Critic to overcome adversity and bring your whole self to life, love, and work. This weekend retreat is a combination of guided self-discovery exercises, hiking, wilderness wellness practices, and community support.
December 11-13 Hiking My Feelings: Using Mindful Movement to Open the Flow of Creativity
2020 has been one for the record books. Regardless of how you were affected by quarantines, lockdowns, and sheltering in place, it’s been a lot to process. Have you been taking time for yourself to reflect on what you really want? Are you stuck in a creative rut? Are you ready to make 2021 your Year of Creative Exploration? Sydney + Barry Williams have been hiking and brainstorming for years and it has revolutionized the way they live their lives and the way they do business. By combining mindset techniques acquired as a Division 1 athlete, competitive skydiver, and corporate executive, incorporating playful techniques from improv (“yes, and!”), and encouraging mindful movement, they’ve developed a personal reflection format to help you unlock your best ideas, open the flow of creativity, and improve your mental, spiritual, and physical health. This weekend retreat is a combination of guided self-discovery exercises, hiking, wilderness wellness practices, and community support.
