I am very pleased to have my sister Dianna be our guest blogger today! When it comes to hiking and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, she is an expert. Today I asked her to share a bit about how being outdoors increases her sense of well being. Here’s what she has to say:
“Wellness can come in different forms for people. For me, I am the most well when I am immersed in things that give me life. Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What gives me life?” For me, getting out in the great outdoors is definitely something that gives me life, energize me and make me well.
The more I do it, the more my soul craves it.
There’s just something about the fresh air and continually changing and amazing scenery that goes along with it! Over the past few years I’ve really gotten into hiking. When I work hard hiking up the side of a mountain, I am rewarded by the breathtaking view that awaits me at the top. Meanwhile, I’ve reduced my stress levels, I’ve burned off that homemade cookie I ate earlier, my heart is healthy and happy and so overall, I feel amazing. My biggest hang up about hiking in BC, however, is the chance of seeing a bear. I think I would hike WAY more often if bears didn’t live on the mountains, because I’m a little bit afraid of, you know, getting eaten by one! That being said, the pros still outweigh the cons in this case, so I’ll keep hiking. I just invite lots of people to come along, especially those who can’t run as fast as me!!
Standing up there, on what felt like the top of the world, just overwhelmed my senses and so the tears came.
This past fall, I had the opportunity to hike in the Dolomites, Italy. It was my second time there, and this time I brought my husband and son along. The first evening we hiked up one of the trails and the scenery we posed with for a photo actually made tears come to my eyes. Standing up there, on what felt like the top of the world, just overwhelmed my senses and so the tears came.
It was incredible and I have to say my wellness was in a very good place there.
To top it off, they don’t have bears in the Dolomites so you can hike to your heart’s content without worrying about them and that exactly what we did. Personally I think the Dolomites should be one of the wonders of the World!
So back to the question…what gives you life? I challenge you to think about that and try to pinpoint what the answer is. Once you know, like Nike says, just do it and do it again. You won’t regret it.
