A Hike for the Body, Mind and Spirit

"I go to the woods to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."

John Burroughs

These words of the late 19th-century American naturalist John Burroughs abundantly describe the intent of hiker Cheryl Norris. She organizes group hikes in the greater Washington area for people who want to experience a mindful journey into the outdoors.

"It's where I get peace of mind and it clears my head," said Ms. Norris.

Her focus is not on the physical benefits of a brisk hike; rather, it's the opportunity to reconnect with nature's beauty and serenity within the safety of a group but without the hindrance of conversation. Throughout the hike, participants are asked not to talk.

Ms. Norris, who recently moved from Frederick, Maryland to Silver Spring, started the hikes about a year ago. While growing up in a rural area of Pennsylvania, she spent a lot of time hiking and exploring the nearby mountains. "But when I moved to D.C., hiking seemed a little bit forbidding," said Ms. Norris. Group hikes were too socially focused leaving her unsatisfied and out of touch with nature.

"We did explore, but we were immersed in conversation and chitchat so much of the time that when we finished I didn't have a sense of where I had been. I was missing my spiritual connection to nature," she said. "In order to get that (sense of nature) I knew I was going to have to create it myself. It was one of those 'ah-ha!' moments in my life."

About a year ago she started organizing holistic group hikes, about every four to six weeks, for others interested in experiencing nature without the distraction of conversation. Throughout the hikes, the groups stop to refocus and practice Qi Gong. Her business is called Holistic Hiking.

Besides participants being asked to walk and not talk, Ms. Norris begins the hikes with some guided mind-body techniques, such as affirmations and visualizations, which help hikers to focus on their breathing, their thoughts and surroundings.

On a recent Saturday morning, a small group of people gathered for a hike in Little Bennett Regional Park near Clarksburg.

"It's glorious in silence. It's nice to not have to talk," said Cathy Hubbs of Stafford, Va. "I was looking forward to not having to chitchat and being with a group for safety." This was her second holistic hike.

Barbara Sorensen of Montgomery Village walks almost daily, accompanied by her dog. "This brings a different focus to it," she said. "It's pleasant to hike in a group of people who are quiet. There's a different energy." And, she says, there's time to talk and make new friends after the hikes. Most of the hike participants are women, acknowledged Ms. Norris. "I think that's going to be the nature of it and that's fine," she said. "It seems to draw more women."

 
 Each hike begins with stretching movements to help participants focus on their breathing and prepare to be silent.

"Once they have the concepts I let them play with them," said Ms. Norris.

"Feel the freshness of the air. Be aware of the breeze on your skin," she begins. "Be aware of where your mind takes you. Stay present in the moment." Affirmations such as "I am here," silently repeated throughout the walk, will keep the mind focused, she tells the group.

Alone, yet within the safety of a group, hikers can use all of their senses to experience nature and ponder the sights and sounds around them: the play of sunlight and shadow on leaves, the chirping of crickets, the trill of songbirds and the drone of traffic on nearby I-270.

"The colors are wonderful. I was tuned in immediately," said Ms. Hubbs, during a break to refocus on the senses.

"Open all your senses," Ms. Norris prompted the hikers. "Smell the moisture in the air in the forest after a rainfall. Be aware of the gift of senses. Have gratitude for having that sense available to you."

Typically, the hikes pause about midway to practice Qi Gong. On this particular hike, the group stopped at the top of a hillside meadow overlooking woodlands and fields. After demonstrating a simple movement designed to release tension, called Breath of Earth Rises, Breath of Heaven Falls, hikers found a comfortable spot to practice on their own a few minutes.

"It's pleasant to hike in a group of people who are quiet. There's a different energy"
Barbara Sorensen

Without the distraction of conversation, it becomes easier to focus on the touch of a cool, light breeze on your cheeks and hands, to hear and feel the squishing of mud under your boots, to ponder the collage of colorful leaves on the footpath, count the "pitter, pitter, pitter" of water droplets from the previous night's rain dripping through the canopy of leaves, and to see a glint of sunlight reflect off a glassy band quartz.

Ms. Norris prefers the safety of hiking with a group of people but, she said, "I decided life is too short to be afraid.

"I do a lot of hiking alone. When I tell people, especially women, they look at me as if I'm crazy. I'm as careful as I can be," she said. "It's risky, but there's risk involved with everything."

In addition to organizing holistic hikes, Ms. Norris is also a personal trainer and offers a holistic approach to fitness through her business, Holistic Fitness. She also teaches Qi Gong classes and has a wellness walking group that meets mornings.

Walking, she says, is one of the best forms of exercise available. Socializing is encouraged in the wellness walking groups and they are offered year-round in various locations.

Special thanks to Cheryl Norris of www.HolisticHiking.com . She is committed to being healthy, fit, and balanced. Her mission is to provide opportunities for others to join her on that journey.