June 7th is National Trails Day!

As published in the Student Nutrition Association of Kaplan Newsletter, June 2014, Vol. 3, Issue 2.     

    

          Celebrate by getting out with family and friends to enjoy your favorite trail blazing activity, be it hiking, biking, horseback riding, paddling, trail running, or bird watching.  This yearly event was created to promote America’s 200,000 miles that make up the National Trail System.  The American Hiking Society’s goal of the event is to encourage individuals to get out there and enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer, along with the added physical and mental health benefits.  How can spending a day on the trails improve health?  Most forms of outdoors recreation include both cardiovascular and strength training activity.  Additional health and wellness benefits come from breathing in fresh air, experiencing relief from stress, providing an opportunity to clear the mind, and inspiring happiness by having fun outdoors (American Hiking Society, 2014).  Visit the American Hiking Society’s website to find an event near you.  

American Hiking Society. (2014). National Trails Day®. Retrieved from http://www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/

My Top 10 Favorite Trails

1. The River Walk in Williamsport, PA:

2. The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon in Wellsboro, PA:

3. The Pine Creek Rail Trail stretching from Ansonia, PA to Jersey Shore, PA:

4. Rickett's Glen State Park in Benton, PA:

5. Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca, NY:

6. Watkins Glen State Park in Watkins Glen, NY:

7. Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, NC:
 

8. The Arboretum in Greensboro, NC:

9. The Bicentennial Garden in Greensboro, NC:

10.  And my own back yard!

DISCLAIMER: The content on this blog, www.mind-bodypursuit.blogspot.com, represents the thoughts, ideas, and experiences of its author and should be taken as such…with a grain of salt.  It is for entertainment purposes only and not intended to prevent, diagnose, or cure.  Before trying any new physical activity, dietary plan, supplementation, complementary and alternative therapy, or other wellness tip please seek the guidance of a qualified professional.

Mindful Driving

        Yesterday as I was driving the twenty miles to the store and back I noticed at least three incidents where I could have potentially been in an accident...if I hadn't been paying as close of attention to the other drivers on the road.   One of which included someone failing to stop at a stop sign and pulling out in front of me causing me to slam on the breaks and the other two which occurred in the store's parking lot with people again failing to stop at signs and cutting across parking spaces.  This goes to show that it is no longer enough to trust that people will obey the driving laws by following road signs, using their turn signals, going the speed limit, and otherwise driving safely.  It seems these days that many of us (myself included) are driving on autopilot.  For anyone who has ever arrived at their destination and cannot recall a portion or all of the drive there, this can be a startling realization.

          I contribute my safety through these experiences yesterday to my training and practices in mindfulness.  Mindfulness is all about being aware and present in the current moment.  Driving is a perfect opportunity to practice being mindful.  Now I'm not suggesting you try to meditate while driving...you kind of need your eyes open and feet on the pedals!  Though the basic concepts can certainly be applied. This means putting away the cell phone, turning down the radio, clearing the mind, and not trying to multitask by putting on makeup or eating lunch.  By avoiding all these distractions we are free to fully focus on the task at hand: driving...driving with mindfulness.  Now we can suddenly become aware of our surroundings, the scenery, the road ahead, the drivers all around us and wildlife if you live in a rural area like I do where deer outnumber people.  Since we are so acutely aware of all these things we have a better chance of detecting potential hazards and reacting to avoid them...such as I did yesterday.  Plus there's the added bonus of a more enjoyable commute as you take notice of the beauty in your surroundings.  For example, the majestic bald eagle my mom and I saw fly over our cars yesterday as we were driving home.

So go out there and enjoy your drive...mindfully!

(Note: This photo was taken safely as a passenger!)

DISCLAIMER: The content on this blog, www.mind-bodypursuit.blogspot.com, represents the thoughts, ideas, and experiences of its author and should be taken as such…with a grain of salt.  It is for entertainment purposes only and not intended to prevent, diagnose, or cure.  Before trying any new physical activity, dietary plan, supplementation, complementary and alternative therapy, or other wellness tip please seek the guidance of a qualified professional.

A New Look...

Dear Followers,      

         This blog was originally created as a project for my class, HW420: Creating Wellness.  The course has now come to an end, which I am very sad about cause I can without a doubt state that this was by far my favorite class to date at Kaplan University.  But anyways...I realized how much I enjoy blogging and plan to continue on with this project.  I am now excited to be unleashed to write about whatever I please in relation to health and wellness.  This could include so many things such as research I find interesting, events I participate in, new practices I try out, recipes, photos, and reflections on what makes me feel healthy and happy.  Please enjoy and feel free to comment, feedback is always appreciated and welcome!

Namaste,

Megan M. H.

(In special tribute to the late Maya Angelou...an inspiring voice to this blogger.)

DISCLAIMER: The content on this blog, www.mind-bodypursuit.blogspot.com, represents the thoughts, ideas, and experiences of its author and should be taken as such…with a grain of salt.  It is for entertainment purposes only and not intended to prevent, diagnose, or cure.  Before trying any new physical activity, dietary plan, supplementation, complementary and alternative therapy, or other wellness tip please seek the guidance of a qualified professional.