Facilitating Mindful Outdoor Experiences - Online Classroom

6:30-8:30pm PT via Zoom Meeting
Meeting link will be sent to registered attendees the day of the session.

Attendees will be encouraged to share their experiences or thoughts about mindfulness throughout this interactive presentation. After experiencing the mindfulness exercises, attendees will be split into break-out rooms where they can share their ideas on incorporating mindfulness into the outdoor activities they lead.

Mindfulness is about being present in the moment and bringing more awareness to any given activity. Rather than focusing on how many miles you have to go or a pace you need to hit, a mindful outdoor activity is about paying attention to your body and breath so you can become more aware of nature and your surrounding environment. Shifting your focus from achievement to experience or from doing to simply being can aid your performance and improve your health. Focusing on your breath, how your body feels and moves, the cool breeze or warm sun against your face, and the way your arms and legs work together to balance your movement are all aspects of mindfulness. In this session, Liz McNett Crowl and Lori Heath will discuss the benefits of mindfulness in the outdoors, present a few ways that leaders may incorporate and practice mindfulness during outdoor activities, and guide you through some simple mindfulness exercises to help you develop more mindfulness in your daily life so you can spread it to others while leading outdoor adventures.

presenters

Lori Heath has been practicing mindfulness since a relative introduced her to the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh over 20 years ago. Since then, she has slowly shifted her priorities from achieving goals to enjoying experiences, from striving for a result to being more fully present in each moment. Lori has been a member of The Mountaineers since 2016. She is currently the Secretary and Communications Chair of the Foothills Branch, a hike leader, and an urban walk leader. She is also a yoga teacher and leads the Foothills “Yoga for Hikers, Backpackers, and Trail Runners” course. She studied with the Kripalu School for Mindful Outdoor Leadership and is a certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide. Lori tries to bring some mindfulness into each Mountaineers activity she leads and hopes to lead more Mindful Outdoor Experiences with The Mountaineers.

Lead Image by Luke Hollister