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Author: Michael
Gravel Therapy – Breaking Free from the Ordinary
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. — Alan Watts The Path to Something Different You’ve been told how life’s supposed to go, right? Go to school, get a job, buy the house, check the boxes, rinse and repeat. But what… Read more
Step into the Pause: How Slowing Down Fuels Your Growth
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. — William James The Power of Pausing is a Natural Necessity In a world that never stops moving, we’re taught to go faster, achieve more, and keep pushing through. However, here’s the truth. This constant motion is wearing us out physically,… Read more
Hiking Through the Hard Days: A Battle of Willpower
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.— Robert Collier There’s something undeniably powerful about keeping a streak going. Every week, without fail, I hit a trail somewhere in the U.S. or Canada, but primarily in my home state of Minnesota. Yep. Since May 2023, I’ve hiked every single week,… Read more
The Power of Looking Up: How Your Posture Affects Your Experience in Nature
The sky is the limit, but it’s always better when you look up to see it. — Anonymous We all know the feeling: a trail stretches out ahead of us, but for whatever reason, we keep our heads down, focused on the ground beneath our feet. It’s a familiar scene among solo hikers; one I… Read more
You’re Not Looking at Nature. You Are Nature.
We are not in nature; we are nature. – Eckhart Tolle The Truth About Your Connection Not long ago, during a quiet morning hike, I paused to admire a patch of moss on a fallen log. I was inspired to observe this by Peter Wohlleben’s book, Forest Walking: Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North… Read more
The Churn Beneath the Mask: A Trail Reflection from Michael
I am made from the things I’ve faced and the things I chose not to run from. -Morgan Harper Nichols You Can’t Heal What You Won’t Hike Into Most people hike through life at the surface.Smiles on the trail. Light chatter. Behavior that says, “I’m fine.”But sometimes, the rhythm of my boots syncs with something… Read more
You Don’t Owe the World a Perfect Comeback
“You are not a mess. You are a deeply feeling person in a messy world.”— Glennon Doyle You don’t always need advice. Sometimes, honestly, you just need a place to fall apart, a space where no one’s watching. No one’s handing you a checklist. No one’s saying “stay strong” while your insides are quietly unraveling.… Read more
Trail Chemistry: How Hiking Triggers Your Body’s Natural Healing Hormones
“Nature itself is the best physician.”— Hippocrates There’s this moment I often chase on the trail. I never know when it will happen. It is the spot when the rhythm of my boots sync with my breath and the nature around me no longer feels like scenery and starts feeling like a warm embrace. It’s… Read more
Break Free from Overthinking with Natural Movement
“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”— John Milton The Breakdown There’s nothing quite like the endless spin cycle of your mind. You think. Then rethink. Then overthink. You replay old conversations. You second-guess decisions you already made. You imagine a hundred… Read more
Embrace Nature Without Purpose: A Simple Invitation
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.”— Marcus Aurelius Sometimes we convince ourselves that stepping into nature requires a reason.A plan. A perfect day.Some grand emotional unraveling to justify the walk.But what if that’s just noise? The truth is:You don’t need to be… Read more