A little creative blending of the brains happened as Midvale teachers gathered to socialize this past Friday evening at Vintage Brewery. It all happened when it needed to happen. It wasn't forced, it was in great company, and the timing was perfect.
Finding a business partner that balances you can be extremely difficult. People spend months, even years searching for this person. For Hike & Heal, however, something magical happened. Beth & I only had to meet twice before deciding we were going into business together. Our first conversation was less than 10 minutes, and our second was only 15! We met for dinner a week later and boom - we were collaborating. I'm the tech savvy go-getter while Beth is the undeniable experience and talent I've been searching for. She's based on research, empirical evidence and has dedicated her life's work to music therapy and holistic wellness. In fact, she used to co-own Wisconsin's Wellness & Healing Arts Center. During our dinner date Beth had asked me if I wanted to keep the name Hike & Heal. Up until this point I had been previously working with a 4th generation psychic named Laura Kuhl. She was a great guide and source of encouragement when I first presented the idea of emotional healing retreats through experiential education and other therapeutic modalities. She offered a skill that was very intriguing to me. Not everyone believes in psychic abilities, but the minute I meet one and they start talking I'm pulled in. By their accuracy, by their compassion, knowledge, skillset, patience, the list goes on. After you have close family members pass, you seek ways to bring your spirit comfort. These people are put here to do just that, and it's simply amazing. I wanted to bring that opportunity onto retreats! I'm not sure my family was ready for that leap being raised Christian-Catholic, and their wavering helped me land a full-time teaching job in Madison's School District. Because beyond doing a few meditation hikes and the Arboretum, the retreats we tried to plan didn't pan out. Either dates didn't work, or the energy wasn't out there for this to work. When she asked me - all of the layers described above kind of just washed over me and I hesitated. I actually said no, I didn't have a strong need to keep it because nothing tangible had happened yet. But that was a lie - a ton had happened! And now I felt that the name Hike & Heal was apart of who I was, who I am today and who I am becoming. The name just kind of popped in my head one day and it's not like I strongly felt like it was my destiny or anything - but it kind of felt that way. Like a teenage eagerness to do something RIGHT THEN because nothing in the world was more important than my own ambition. Have teenagers? You may be able to relate. It's an every day occurrence with them, which is extremely entertaining. So back to our social this past Friday - Beth and I have been trying to blend our perspectives together to come up with a name that resonates with both of us. Mary Hayes, our great new friend and colleague who teaches 4K at Midvale, puts the 'ong in GONG. She's a huge fan of Beth's gong baths and is an encouraging fan (we are still trying to figure out her role in this whole business because we know its there) so while she was doing something the other day a word popped into her head! HARMONY. Why didn't we think of that? Harmony = to balance, to make whole, to heal Beth agreed that she liked Hike & Heal still versus Hike, Heal & Harmony or Hike, Heal & Harmonize so we tossed ideas around of changing the name, and/or the tagline. We slept on it and boom - there it was! Old Name & Tagline Hike & Heal Wellness Retreats Heal through the consciousness of the outdoors. New Name & Tagline Hike & Heal Wellness Harmonize through the consciousness of sacred rhythms. Harmony = to balance, to make whole, to heal Consciousness = that bridge that the mind - body creates to spirit Sacred Rhythm = the earth's vibrations, vibrations of sacred instruments to align our body's cells to the healthy rhythm All of the new words incorporate Beth's 5-year degree in Music Therapy. Removing retreats is necessary because our work won't always consist of retreats. We are currently in the process of writing curriculum for classes, workshops, seminars, a wide variety of retreats and more. Stick around - like us on Facebook and get updates on upcoming events in the Madison area. We will be offering outdoor Yoga, meditation hikes and gong baths by donation throughout the summer at neighboring parks. Stay tuned for more details on our local H&H campaign to help raise awareness to our mission! In love and light, Moira Join Moira and Beth for FREE wellness classes from April 11 - May 15, Monday - Friday following the school day. Daily activities include mindful meditation, hiking, bird watching, muscle/aerobic workouts, and Yoga. We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity to connect with active people in the community and to maintain a healthy lifestyle ourselves. Click here to register with us if you are a NON-MMSD member. If you are a school personnel in the Madison Metropolitan School District, our services are simply to encourage you to partake in their Wellness Campaign by meeting up with us whenever you can! To win prizes and document your activity through the school district, register here by April 8! Picnic Point
Elver Park Come feed the chickadee's and nuthatches in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest! Hike and Heal will be leading a 2-day overnight retreat in beautiful Three Lakes, WI. Set on the Chain of Lakes, this place is breathtaking in the winter, especially when you are lucky enough to spend quality time outside with Mother Nature. On Saturday afternoon we will travel to our "special spot" and hike about a mile through spruce and pine trees until we come upon the cabin you see pictured below. Here we start a fire in the cabin for those who need to heat up and maybe avoid their bird fears, while the rest get seeded up and hold out their hands. Fun and enjoyable for even watchers, this is a memory you'll never forget! Hike and Heal can provide some snowshoe and cross country gear, but you are encouraged to bring your own. Inquire by filling out our contact form below! Hope to see you there!
Having served as a marketing project manager on Door County Adventure Center's team for a few years, I created designs for flyers, revamped their website, made promo videos and helped the company rebrand. Actually designing the logo... I was most certainly unfit for the job. I never took a class in graphic design or even general marketing for that matter. I just love to tinker! I thoroughly enjoy solving puzzles and creating projects or making something look better. Thus, in starting Hike & Heal, I planned on having someone else design the logo as I half-heartedly tried seeking help from friends. But today led me to creating what we see here, the first of possibly several, brands for Hike & Heal. I couldn't be more pleased! I have to say thank you to all of the family and friends in my life providing meaning through love, compassion and a small kick in the butt to go through with this. Yay! Each piece of the logo serves a purpose, with intention to balance and showcase how guests may truly find healing through the consciousness of the outdoors. Each symbol represents something significant in our retreats. The Little Details - Butterflies, Dragonflies & Pixie DustUndergoing this spiritual transformation has been uplifting for me in more ways than one. Seeing a deeper connection between our lives and nature has been an overwhelmingly positive effect. My wife Lauren had an aunt that passed away young who loved butterflies! Many of her close relatives believe she reincarnated into one, connecting with them at different times through their presence. I don't have enough fingers or toes to count the number of times I've been with Lauren's family or even just with her on special occasions when Monarch's show up. I never met her aunt, but I know that her energy is light, airy, compassionate and understanding. Lately, though, I've been seeing them on my own quite a bit. Ever since I took a liking to the Elemental Kingdom and discovered the benefits of working with fairies, little winged creatures like fireflies, dragonflies and butterflies surround me. The Butterfly This magnificent creature offers much insight into our lives and holds a significant meaning in mine. Above all, the butterfly represents transformation. My favorite part about leading retreats has always been the transformation. Most often, individuals don't recognize their transformation until someone like myself points it out. That is because change is subtle. The little details, however, are what make the web of life intricate and strong! Butterflies urge us to accept the change in our lives like they do. This unwavering acceptance of their metamorphosis is a symbol of faith. Butterflies call us to keep our faith as we undergo transitions in our lives. They understand that fear, worry, doubt and anger are useless against the turning tides of nature. Like butterflies, we at Hike & Heal urge you to have faith & believe in the transformative process we guide you through. The Dragonfly Just this past weekend at in Three Lakes at our family's 4th of July celebration did these winged beauty's show themselves to me. If it had been less significant of a showing, I may not have looked up their meaning. I had club tailed dragonflies on me, a family member nearby or on the deck of my kayak during the entire 3-hour morning paddle with Lauren's dad and brother. Then they came back when I was floating in the water! They landed on my shoulder, foot and head. A day after returning from the Northwoods, they were in my backyard surrounding me as I gardened outside. Dragonflies offer a host of meanings. In relation to the retreats - these creatures remind us to live in the moment and meditate! Prairies Home to pretty flowers, hardy grasses and rare species of plants, animals and insects, prairies are special. They house our flying friends above and have always spoken to me when seeking reflection. They typically offer some sort of large beautiful tree for shade and speculation. Prairies are a completely unique ecosystem to North America. Sadly, only 1% of the original prairie land remains. Hike and Heal's aim isn't only to build a community that promotes wellness and growth, but it's to help preserve natural areas by donating 1% of it's proceeds towards restoration and preservation. The Eagle Birds and animals alike offer great insight into our life due to their direction connection with us. Most people don't care to see it, but these creatures are here to help us and live together in relationship with us, versus us just dominating them. All bird totems, due to their ability to fly, speak to us about higher thinking, dreams and mental liberation. Visually, everything about the eagle's appearance is sharp. Streamlined, sleek, and chiseled. This prompts our deeper minds to hone our thoughts and skills. The eagle commands us to tailor our intelligence and talents in a form that best suits our needs. We all have inner abilities, but when the eagle shows up - it's a clear sign it's time to use these abilities in a laser-like fashion to bring about focused change in our lives. Hike & Heal wants to be just like the eagle, providing insight and guidance to hone your abilities! The Fairy I receive most of my intuitive messages through angel guides and archangels that I have the privilege to work with. Recently however, I discovered that I have a strong connection with the fairy realm! Not only was I delighted because Hook, Peter Pan and Fern Gully are some of my favorite movies, but I became even more excited after reading and receiving guidance from them. Fairies are earth angels that protect, restore and heal all parts of the natural world. They show us how to have more enjoyment throughout our lives, how to have fun and to turn positive thoughts into reality. Fairies in the logo simply represent guidance from a higher place. Whether you connect with angels, guides, fairies, animals or something else - we will show you how to tap into the spiritual realm and stay grounded in Mother Nature, just like the Fairies! The Big Three - Mother Earth, Universal Energy & You Tree of Life Trees speak to us to grow, live smart and see the world from a new perspective, a higher one. Trees make any day outside perfect - be the weather nasty or beautiful. They provide protection from the sun, a limb to play on, oxygen and a space to live in. Everything about trees represent goals of Hike & Heal. It's the perfect go-to symbol to be the focal point of our mission. Grow, expand, explore. And do it outdoors! The tree in our logo more specifically represents Mother Earth and all the healing benefits she offers us when understood. Mother Earth helps balance our root, sacral, solar plexus and heart chakras. Full Moon To balance Mother Earth, the moon in our logo represents Universal Energy. God, Alah, Angels, Buddha - whatever that is for you. Hike & Heal does not promote religion, or knock it. I myself was raised Catholic and still hold several Christian beliefs. We promote being in touch with your spirituality. Universal Energy balances our heart, throat, third eye and crown chakras. The moon cycle offers direct guidance into our lives. Full moons in particular come in different colors, arrive at special parts of the year, and come at transformative episodes throughout life's journey. Full moons are symbolic of the height of power, the peak of clarity, fullness and obtainment of desire. Everything we aim for you to experience at our retreats! Harmony & Balance From the circles to the shapes in our chosen text and symmetry of images, this logo is meant to represent harmony and balance. Nature constantly shows us balance through light and dark, the sun and moon, male and female, and the list goes on. Life doesn't work without harmony. Let us help you find balance in your life - mentally, physically, emotionally, socially and elsewhere. Final ThoughtsWhy does it matter that you know what the characters in our logo mean? Hopefully, you understand that there was a lot of thought and time put into it. Just like there will be on each retreat. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what you can get by attending a retreat with us. Hopefully, you are inspired to do some research on the insects, animals, birds and nature signs that have been repetitive in your life!
Overall, we wanted you to understand that just as the little butterfly matters, the special attributes you bring to the retreat make all the difference. On the headline of our homepage, you read, "A learning hub where everyone teaches, with facilitated results." We are targeting these retreats to a certain population of like-minded people because we believe that in groups, we will learn from each other - not just the instructors! Yes, we will have a lot to cover in a limited amount of time, but the conversations to inspire truly come from your background and life experiences. If you've made it this far in reading, you're great! Glad you found something that interested you enough to continue learning more about Hike & Heal. Have a fabulous day and remember to spread light and love to those around you! Namaste. -Moira Since my wife and I began dating, she has had some sort of health issue at one time or another. She suffers from chronic back and foot pain, in addition to experiencing reoccurring allergic reactions for (as of now) unknown reasons. I have a huge immediate and extended family whom I adore. We get together as often as we can. If you can put yourself in my shoes, imagine being at a family reunion with over 30 people you really want to talk to. Because they care about me they always ask what would seem like the right questions - "How are you doing? What have you been up to?" And then the uneasy, "So, how is Lauren?" When they ask about Lauren, I know it's out of concern because it is almost always paired with a facial expression of "how do you do it?" Being a caregiver of someone with chronic pain hasn't been easy, but it has been one of the most intensive personal growth experiences of my life. It's been rewarding, testing and certainly led me on this path to creating Hike & Heal. I wouldn't be the woman I am today without a better understanding of compassion, the importance of asking questions (and asking the right ones!!), self-sacrifice, communication of needs, unconditional support and love. Even though my relatives don't ask, "how do you do it," I know they want to. Given my new venture, I was researching competitors and found http://www.healingoutdoors.org. They are not a competitor at all, but the idea in their creation made me want to write about my experience. When people actually do ask me how do I do it, I didn't know how to respond until I read their website two days ago. I would just make something up. But as I was reading their page, I thought, no wonder I have this calling to create Hike & Heal. I'm healing myself! My tactic to cope is to go outside. As much as possible. I reconnect with nature and balance my psyche. I've been blessed with the opportunity to work in the field of outdoor pursuits and experiential education. My work is my play and play is my work. Moving down to Madison in February of 2014 made it even easier on me given the extraordinary spring we have down here (as opposed to Green Bay and the lake effect in Door County, WI). It's warmer earlier, which means I get outside more often and Lauren's pain subsides as the temperatures increase. I realized that I physically need to be close to nature to be grounded and sane when I found myself unhappy last summer. It was the first summer I was away from Door County in six years. I went there on occasion, but mostly I worked from home and did sales and marketing. I didn't get outside a lot, and my weekends were spent at weddings. Though I love weddings, going with someone who has chronic pain usually meant leaving early, not indulging too much and finding my own dancing partners. It was a constant reminder of the struggles of our reality, versus what I was used to - being outside for work. I used to work pretty much every weekend pretty spring - fall so getting time off for weddings was not an option because that was our "season." I never realized how much I actually needed to be outside until I wasn't. Getting Saeku, our beautiful 9-month old dog, (rescue labrador-retriever-border collie) this past October has made a world of difference. I struggled for a while not having anyone to share my love for the outdoors with since our move to Madison. Even though I am able to kayak, zip line, hike and camp for my job, moving put a limit on these "paid" experiences. So, this year I made adjustments in work and in my personal life. Saeku and I adventure together and have a blast! We hike around the Nakoma neighborhood, in the state and county parks, and I'm hoping she becomes my paddling partner soon enough. After Hike & Heal launches, I plan to focus on training her to be a healing dog (she's SO soft!) so she can join us on some retreats. After all, it was on a hike with Sae when the words "Hike & Heal" were spoken loud and clear in my head.
If you are a caregiver to a spouse, relative or close-friend and find yourself in hospitals often or stuck inside, the only advice I can give you is to figure out how to be outdoors. The fresh air, the grounding energy of trees, songbirds, scenery, and the moving meditation of hiking has healed me more times than I can count. Hike & Heal retreats are meant to do just that, heal, but with a purpose. If you end up registering for a retreat, do yourself a favor, come with a goal - something in your personal life that you'd like to work on - and we will explore it, rediscover your potential and grow with one another to overcome. I am overjoyed this is all coming to fruition. I am working on the retreat calendar this week so STAY TUNED FOR HIKE & HEAL'S FIRST SET OF SUMMER RETREATS COMING THIS JULY/AUGUST! Cheers ya'll!!! -Moira
Starting today, Wednesday April 29, Laura Kuhl and I will be hiking the trails in UW Madison's Arboretum. Come join us at 11:30 am as we tour the gorgeous budding tree garden and meditate half way through as a group. We will meet at the visitors center near the Seminole Highway entrance. We plan to continue with this time and place every Wednesday through Fall (weather permitting). If you have questions or get lost feel free to call or text my cell at (920) 371-1289. This initiative is called "My Front Door" series by Laura in collaboration with Hike & Heal.
My parents are not the outdoorsy type of people. We didn't go hiking together, camp or explore state parks. Our family was way too big (8 kids) to take a lot of vacations so we would end up in Lakewood, WI on summer weekends as I was growing up to get exposure to nature and relax. Us kids would build forts, take the trail around the lake to find fox holes, deer, rabbits and tweet at the birds. It was a no wake lake, so we used a row boat to go catch turtles and fish. We swam in the lake, boated around the lake, and often bathed in the lake. Even though we only went there until I was about 10, these memories shaped my life. It was the first exposure I had to Mother Natures true beauty. My grandparents moved and my younger brother and I were in too many sports so we moved from West Green Bay to Suamico to live on manmade Lake Leon near Lake Michigan. This was our parents gift to us since we couldn't make it to Lakewood anymore. We would spend all of the time we could outside on the lake, swimming, jumping on our water trampoline, fishing, getting bit by horseflies, and playing "buck n' bronco" on circular inner tubes. How could anyone complain about this perfect childhood? The best part, though, was that we never stopped exploring! We'd ride our bikes to a big willow tree down the road to climb, or bike to the big lake a few miles away to walk the shoreline and find "treasures." Not until I went to college did I embrace the outdoors again. I visited my sister in California to camp in Big Sur, went to New Zealand (what a breathtaking country!!) and found myself running through parks near the Chippewa as often as my schedule allowed. The real reason I did any of this was because I began working in Door County, WI as a sophomore. Home to five state parks and over 200 miles of shoreline, this place is my paradise. My soul grew up here, nurtured in the woods, trails, farmland and sunsets. I learned to be a better person by mentoring under Tim Pflieger, owner and founder of the Team Leadership Center. I dealt with heartbreak, came out to my family as a lover of both sexes, figured out I didn't have to teach in schools like my Physical Education professors suggested, and just grew up. Everything I loved and learned in Door County and Lakewood have brought me to this new and exciting turning point in my life. I want to reconnect people with natures healing elements to grow like I did. To grow like I do each day I take the time to be outside with myself. After all, that's the hardest part, right? Taking time for you? Join Laura and I to take some "me-time," and really explore the beauty Madison has to offer. My wife and I moved here February of 2014, and when people ask me what I love about Madison I don't say the city. I say the trees. The gargantuan, old and wise trees that surround communities and relish in the woods. I'm not planning to always go to the Arboretum. I'd like to go after work some days to find the best places for sunsets, to see where lighting inspires and where people are scarce. I want to enjoy people's company and then be alone in my thoughts. So come! And bring your favorite spots to share so we can go there a different week. See you soon! Moira |
AuthorHi, Moira here. When I'm not playing with my dogs, listening to music, enjoying nature or being with my friends/family, I'm probably writing. Read these blogs for wellness opportunities we offer at Hike & Heal, ones I know that are awesome or just some tidbits about living a healthier life. Archives
December 2023
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